E46 330Ci "Sports Suspension Settings"

[Salom]

My front shocks need replacing so I'm going to replace / upgrade all four corners with Eibach Pro and Bilstein B4, but I seem to have opened a jar of worms:

Spec list on my vehicle, (and I think all 330Ci) lists "Sports Suspension Settings" as standard, does anyone know what that actually means? Is it standard shocks with shorter springs for example?

(Late 2000 E46 330Ci)

Thanks.

[rumple]

As far as I know there are 2 types of suspension, SE and Sport, if your car says Sport on the log book then you need Sport.

[Salom]

rumple said:

As far as I know there are 2 types of suspension, SE and Sport, if your car says Sport on the log book then you need Sport.

Thanks, the log book says SE..

So I replace with non M-Tech parts...?

[E30M3SE]

If the Sports were 10mm lower than SE's (I can't recall the exact amount) and the Eibach's lower by 30mm then on your Sport they will only lower 20mm.......

If you're looking to upgrade the shocks then I'd be looking at either B6's or B8's.

[Salom]

Thanks,

I don't want to lower it to chav levels, just moderately, so B6 are an option, but I was just really trying to establish what "Sports Suspension Settings" actually means..


BTW; The Eibach Pro spring kit lowers by 25mm front and 10mm rear, which seems like an odd set up to me..

[NickXX]

Be careful here- all Coupes, regardless of SE/Sport spec, came with Sport suspension as standard. There was the option of fitting SE suspension however (to both SE and Sport models).

More likely than not, it will have been fitted with Sport suspension from the factory.

[E30M3SE]

Salom said:

I don't want to lower it to chav levels, just moderately, so B6 are an option, but I was just really trying to establish what "Sports Suspension Settings" actually means..

The shock absorber has no bearing on the cars ride height, for a given spring B4, B6 or B8 shock absorber should all give the same ride height.

[Salom]

E30M3SE said:

Salom said:

I don't want to lower it to chav levels, just moderately, so B6 are an option, but I was just really trying to establish what "Sports Suspension Settings" actually means..

The shock absorber has no bearing on the cars ride height, for a given spring B4, B6 or B8 shock absorber should all give the same ride height.

Yes I know that the shock absorber generally has no bearing on the car's ride height, but a standard shock absorber would not accomodate a massive amount of lowering because it would bottom out.. one would have to fit a shortened version..

[Salom]

NickXX said:

Be careful here- all Coupes, regardless of SE/Sport spec, came with Sport suspension as standard. There was the option of fitting SE suspension however (to both SE and Sport models).

More likely than not, it will have been fitted with Sport suspension from the factory.

Thanks, this was what I initially thought, but I'm even more unsure now, and even BMW can't give me a straight answer.. I've cross-referenced part numbers for Sport suspension parts and mine and they aren't the same..

[JimexPL]

The larger front drop vs. rear on the Eibachs levels the car out.

I ran Bilstein B4s and Eibachs on an E36 and thought that it was a great road compromise.

Information on the various set-ups is confusing and few BMW parts departments will understand the intricacies of an obsolete model range.

The B4 is sometimes advertised as a premium OEM replacement for standard BMW suspension, and others quote it as being up to 20% uprated.
The B6 is sometimes advertised as a premium OEM replacement for sport BMW suspension, and others quote it as being up to 30% uprated.
Confused? I was.

Phoning Bilstein at the time I was informed that either would work fine with the Eibach Pro springs, and that the valving was to their own specification rather than matching the OEM BMW items and because of this it was difficult to quote % changes.

On our E46 I will go for the B4s again when they are due. Either will be a significant improvent on tired parts, whatever their specification.

[Teddye4687]

For reference, this is an E46 with standard MSport shocks and Eibach Sportline springs (slightly more of a drop than the eibach Pro)