H and R lowering kit on an X5M - worth it?

[upstate650]

considering the above - only limited drops are available for us. Anyone done it? Do you think its worth it? I like the dropped look but don't know that I want to spend 3K for other options out there.

[SouthShoreM3]

My personal opinion, go with either the Dinan suspension or a coilover.

I know some like the HR setup, but heard it can be very bouncy as well in the rear.

My Dinan is planted, a little firmer, has a nice stance and they took into consideration the rear self leveling and included extra components and bushings to improve. Labor was expensive, but worth it for what I was looking for.

Perhaps in the future I may go air ride.

[rennis]

I have H&R lowering springs and end links on my 50i and really like them. The ride feels factory in most situations and visually the ride height is much more to my liking.

Two things with it:

1. Adjustment of the rear links with the factory air ride is critical - you have to dial in a little bit of forward rake to make the vehicle ride correctly and not bounce. when done right, the ride is fantastic with no bouncy tendencies

2. The spring rates at their limits feel softer than OEM, perhaps just due to less travel. So when going over abrupt edges and especially speed bumps, the car does feel a LOT different. I am careful not to go over speed bumps with much momentum.

Clearly the suspension won't be the same for the ///M, but that's my experience with its little brother.

[mrmomo313]

Seeing that you live in NY, and I know roads can get just as bad over there as they do in MI just stay away from H&R. You'll be more miserable with it than you'll be happy with the "look" you get for the price.. I've had two buddies go back to stock after installing them and I just don't think its worth sacrificing ride quality for looks. As southshorem3 said Dinan and KW are known to perform well on the M's so you can't go wrong with either

[upstate650]

I was afraid you guys would say that. So where do you get something like H and R's or KW's installed?

[upstate650]

and how many hours of labor are involved?

And where is the cheapest place to buy the kw kit? need V3, right? with EDC? looks like in excess of 3K?

[mrmomo313]

Originally Posted by upstateX5M

and how many hours of labor are involved?

And where is the cheapest place to buy the kw kit? need V3, right? with EDC? looks like in excess of 3K?

Use this link to find reputable BMW shops near you:
http://www.bimmershops.com

Labor for dinan springs is ridiculous at 8 hours, I know some people that can do it within 4-5 hours. Generally coils should take about 6 hours of labor IMO but different shops have differing rates. I pay for quality work over finding the cheapest rate. Hope that helps

[upstate650]

Thanks for the input, but read my handle - I am in the Hinterlands of upstate NY, none of those places anywhere near me. Is it something any qualified mechanic should be able to handle?

[mrmomo313]

Yeah I think anyone who knows how to install coils can tackle it.. I just prefer using someone that works on our types of cars often instead of using someone thats tackling it for the first time but thats me. Is there a BMW dealership near you? the service department at many dealers are mod friendly and can do it for you at the dealers labor rate.