i'm sure i already know the answer to this but... what's everyone's opinion on this koni fsd/spring setup? i searched but didn't really find anything on this setup.
i know people seem to speak highly of the FSD's with stock springs. i would think this fsd and eibach setup would be a matched set - shocks and springs. could be wrong though.
i just can't bring myself to spend 2 grand on coilovers. i've looked and looked at bilsteins, KW, ground control... i just bring myself to plunk down the cash.
so, wise m5 people... talk me out of getting the koni setup for only 990.
i'm sure i already know the answer to this but... what's everyone's opinion on this koni fsd/spring setup? i searched but didn't really find anything on this setup.
i know people seem to speak highly of the FSD's with stock springs. i would think this fsd and eibach setup would be a matched set - shocks and springs. could be wrong though.
i just can't bring myself to spend 2 grand on coilovers. i've looked and looked at bilsteins, KW, ground control... i just bring myself to plunk down the cash.
so, wise m5 people... talk me out of getting the koni setup for only 990.
You have not stated your goals, so it's impossible to offer opinion as to whether this kit meets your needs.
1) No adjustable ride height.
2) Spring rate & ride characteristic is unknown. Progressive or linear nature unknown.
3) Actual ride height unknown. May have difficulty supporting significant cargo.
4) Springs are not matched to dampers. This kit was devised AFTER the FSD dampers for E39 were released. The FSD Koni dampers are optimized for OEM springs.
5) This $990 kit will need to be augmented with about $300 worth of fresh BMW bearing turntables, strut mounts and spring cushions, if you want the setup to be fresh and free of squeaks. Reusing old suspension parts is generally not wise. The coil-over packages do not use some of these insulators and mount parts, so in this respect, the coil-over systems are "financially attractive". You need to compare true total cost.
6) Aggressive driving chews front tires on outside edge from excessive positive camber. Getting cheap and skipping camber plates will negatively impact handling and can actually cost more in premature tire wearout. Better tire wear can actually recover the cost of camber plates in a single year for some owners.
7) Is this an Eibach kit or a Koni kit? What company put this kit together?
IMO, too many unknowns and hidden costs. You need to research thoroughly or cross fingers.
all good points. thanks.. you've given me a lot to chew on.
i suppose i can and should go the coilover route. it seems like the smart, long term thing to do especially in light of everything you mentioned. i never seem to think about the little extra's that are needed that turn into a big deal down the road.
what's everyone's preferred kit these days? still ground control it seems. anyone have suggestions on places to purchase from that are local to san francisco? or at least on the west coast?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lscman
You have not stated your goals, so it's impossible to offer opinion as to whether this kit meets your needs.
1) No adjustable ride height.
2) Spring rate & ride characteristic is unknown. Progressive or linear nature unknown.
3) Actual ride height unknown. May have difficulty supporting significant cargo.
4) Springs are not matched to dampers. This kit was devised AFTER the FSD dampers for E39 were released. The FSD Koni dampers are optimized for OEM springs.
5) This $990 kit will need to be augmented with about $300 worth of fresh BMW bearing turntables, strut mounts and spring cushions, if you want the setup to be fresh and free of squeaks. Reusing old suspension parts is generally not wise. The coil-over packages do not use some of these insulators and mount parts, so in this respect, the coil-over systems are "financially attractive". You need to compare true total cost.
6) Aggressive driving chews front tires on outside edge from excessive positive camber. Getting cheap and skipping camber plates will negatively impact handling and can actually cost more in premature tire wearout. Better tire wear can actually recover the cost of camber plates in a single year for some owners.
7) Is this an Eibach kit or a Koni kit? What company put this kit together?
IMO, too many unknowns and hidden costs. You need to research thoroughly or cross fingers.
all good points. thanks.. you've given me a lot to chew on.
i suppose i can and should go the coilover route. it seems like the smart, long term thing to do especially in light of everything you mentioned. i never seem to think about the little extra's that are needed that turn into a big deal down the road.
what's everyone's preferred kit these days? still ground control it seems. anyone have suggestions on places to purchase from that are local to san francisco? or at least on the west coast?
I'm still not clear about intended duty or desire. Some folks want slamming look while other's don't care about ride height and want slot car handling. Some folks require 9.5" rear rims to fit front suspension and other's might want alacarte or go-cart handling high rate springs that they specify etc. Another group of folks want soft ride or various combinations of these. Some crazy folks want their M5 to dart around and pivot like a track M3 and they are willing to accept bleeding kidneys or dislocated back under street use.
Most suspension kits for M5 are quite low production, so mailorder is generally the only option. Buying local is an unlikely option.
There are too many pros and cons for each coil-over system to accurately regurgitate in a new thread each time. This question comes up almost weekly. Info is searchable & generally only one coil-over system is focused upon in each thread. GC design is changing right now, so note that in newer threads.
I'm still not clear about intended duty or desire. Some folks want slamming look while other's don't care about ride height and want slot car handling. Some folks require 9.5" rear rims to fit front suspension and other's might want alacarte or go-cart handling high rate springs that they specify etc. Another group of folks want soft ride or various combinations of these. Some crazy folks want their M5 to dart around and pivot like a track M3 and they are willing to accept bleeding kidneys or dislocated back under street use.
Most suspension kits for M5 are quite low production, so mailorder is generally the only option. Buying local is an unlikely option.
There are too many pros and cons for each coil-over system to accurately regurgitate in a new thread each time. This question comes up almost weekly. Info is searchable & generally only one coil-over system is focused upon in each thread. GC design is changing right now, so note that in newer threads.
sorry... i did leave that part out now that i've gone back and read my post.
i guess the extent of my driving is daily driving, just like the rest of us. i will be going to an occasional autocross and would really like to go to a track event. i'd also like to just set the car down a little, especially in the front, nothing major though.
my last car, an '03 330i had the UUC stage 3 system on it - http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/SACHS - which i quite liked. not too low, not too high and rode really nicely. handled quite well too for what i needed - autocrossing, etc.
I don't think you could go wrong with it if your looking for the best of both worlds. .........
Maybe. The characteristic of these springs is a big unknown & they will not match the FSD's as well as the stock springs. Maybe after a couple folks post first hand results and opinion we'll know more. In the meantime, I'm not willing to assume they're better for "typical street use" than OEM BMW M5 springs. If they drop the car 1" as claimed, then they probably have drawbacks such as bottoming, ride comfort or highly progressive nature that tends to upset balance. A Koni engineer already commented that FSD technology is not the best choice for "lowering springs".
The FSD's at $700 a set (reusing the stock M5 springs) are optimally-tuned and a sure bet + cheaper to boot. For folks concerned about cost, this is a good option with proven positive results.
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