E46 w/ or w/o sports suspension

Some would say they prefer the car without the stiffer suspension. Like people that have to drive on shitty city streets with bumps and potholes all the time.

You'd have to test drive the car to know what *you* like.

What I like is of little consequence...

"Fred W" wrote

Exactly. It's a personal preference. On nice smooth twisty roads, stiff suspension is fun. On shitty, pothole infested pavements, it can be a nightmare, especially when coupled with large rims and low-profile hard summer rubber.

Other than that, it's not that big of a deal to replace the OEM nonsport shocks and springs with sport ones, either OEM or aftermarket. If one's buying a used car where suspension is old anyway, one will have to spend money on replacing it either way - at this point you might just upgrade to the sport susp. if you'd like.

Pete

That's an interesting point. Thanks for info.

How many years does an old suspension last?

I live in the south, most roads are pretty good. Cracks sometimes, but no pot holes.

"kpb" wrote

It really depends on driving habits. I'd measure it in miles rather than years. The springs should be good for the life of the car. The shocks - maybe 50-150k miles. It really depends. Also, suspension doesn't just suddenly go bad. Over time, the shocks' efficiency slowly diminishes. Some people who like their cars to be in tip-top shape will replace their shocks early if they begin to notice slight floatiness or dive during braking.

Pete

Well, "nightmare" is a bit strong a word... How about "uncomfortable"?

It's more a number of miles vs. a number of years. My tech's experience is that struts last around 100K, while shocks can be spent in 75K, and that's been my personal experience as well. Ultimately it depends on where and how you drive; if you're hitting potholes all day long, don't expect things to last as long.

I agree with the others -- the sport package is a personal choice and I recommend driving it first.

For what it's worth, a friend bought his 5 series with the regular suspension and 15" wheels because he preferred a luxury ride, but once he rode in my car he realized that the sport package suspension really doesn't give up that much in ride quality. Wheel size has a greater impact on that more than anything else. He ultimately upgraded to the sport package components (springs, struts, and shocks) including 17" wheels and he's been very happy with the result.

Keep in mind, however, that it will ALWAYS be more expensive to upgrade the vehicle than to simply purchase the car equipped from the factory with these components. I would only go the upgrade route if the car was very special -- i.e. mint condition with fully documented maintenance history, or I knew the owner, or the price was right, etc.

-Doug

You've never had hemorrhoids, have you?

--scott

Wheel size has a greater impact on ride quality? How? I always wondered why bigger tires were considered better...how does bigger tires affect the ride and why is it more "sporty" or is it?

"kpb" wrote

Let's be specific... the overall wheel (rim + tire) size stays the same, but as the rim gets larger, the tire sidewall must get smaller in order to keep the overall diamater the same as OEM. Smaller sidewall = less rubber between the rim and the pavement. This results in less comfort.

Tires with smaller/shorter sidewalls provide quicker steering response. There is less rubber to flex, so the steering input transfer to the wheel is more immediate. The downside of shorter sidewalls is poorer ride quality, less comfort. It is also much easier to bend a rim if the sidewall is short. If your roads are smooth, those downsides aren't too bad.

Pete

Hi,

I put a new set of suspension on my E36 5 years ago (got an e46 so gave the e36 to my wife). It got Eibach springs and Monroe gas shocks. Fantastic ride quality, better, I'd say, than my e46 330ci sport. Cost about =A3350 at the time. Moseley Motorsport in Telford sorted it for me and the car's still going fantastically well (e36 320i).

So putting new stuff on can give a new lease of life.

"Pete" wrotek

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, and in case I wasn't explaining myself correctly...

Pete

Ditto, although I'd say the non-bmw shocks make the ride better than the new springs.

My E46 that is 3 years old has 18" ali rims and 225x40s at the front and 255x35s at the rear. I'm getting a 3 litre diesel in less than a year, and that will most definitely also have the low profile tyres on

-- John Perry