e91 335i coilovers

[iamAlegend]

Currently deciding between Birds B1 and KW street comfort.

Does anyone here have experience of either?

I’m using the car on the road, most of my driving is on broken country roads, so I’m looking for something that will soak up the bumps and control the car better.

Anyone around Oxfordshire with either of these set ups?

[danb79]

iamAlegend said:

Currently deciding between Birds B1 and KW street comfort.

Does anyone here have experience of either?

I m using the car on the road, most of my driving is on broken country roads, so I m looking for something that will soak up the bumps and control the car better.

Anyone around Oxfordshire with either of these set ups?

Never owned Birds; but I ve been out in a few cars with their kits fitted and IMO they re not all that; more so for what are simply re-valved Bilstein shocks with Eibach springs. They re expensive for what they are. However, this is just my personal opinion and I know a lot of folk really rate them

KW V2 StreetKomfort coilover are superb; not cheap either. But they ll allow you to get the stance just as you want it and get the handling dialled in brilliantly

My pal has their V3 shocks on his M3 and he absolutely rates them, so much so he fitted them as a replacement of the Nitrons that had failed and he much prefers them

However; if they do them, don t discount the Bilstein B14s (or B16s if you want full adjustability) - I had them fitted to a previous E81 130i LE and then E39 540i and they re fantastic; properly weighted to the car and not a one size fits all (ie BC coilovers) and they suit the road really well

I had mine fitted as part of a full suspension overhaul (every arm/link/bush etc) inc rear subframe bush inserts (which I’d also highly recommend)

They transformed the E39 (which is not a light car) and even the run up to The Highlands and back earlier this year; the car drove superbly and even my wife commented on how comfy the journey was as she notices nothing

We live semi-rural in Lancashire; the local country roads are terrible at best and the B14s lapped them up and took the potholes/rough surfaces/divots etc with ease - yes you feel them; but not jarring or harsh, they just take them as you’d want them too, and don’t skip over the like a set of Bilstein B12 would (firm and a bit skittish in my experience)

Having them fitted and properly set up is paramount; I’m fortunate that my pals who have Grinspeed this way do this for a living and they know how to set a car up properly

Edited by danb79 on Sunday 11th October 22:22

[gareth h]

Birds fitted their springs / dampers to my F31 335d, I wasn’t very impressed with them (they didn’t set geo) or their kit, which was KW money for Billy dampers and Eibach springs, I also had to have 2 dampers changed under warranty as they failed inside the first year
If I were you I’d give Birds a body swerve and fit Coilovers, my choice would be Nitrons

[iamAlegend]

Pretty conclusive that the Birds is not the right path.

With KW being similar money, I’m swaying in this direction.

Are the B14 really that much better than B12, I have avoided Bilstein due to their rep of being quite stiff.

[helix403]

I have an E91 335d. I tried B12 kit-too hard. Fitted the Birds kit. Worked great-for 40k miles till the front dampers started knocking. I wouldn’t buy any Bilstein dampers again. I replaced the fronts with gen. BMW non sport dampers-they are great.

[iamAlegend]

danb79 said:

Never owned Birds; but I ve been out in a few cars with their kits fitted and IMO they re not all that; more so for what are simply re-valved Bilstein shocks with Eibach springs. They re expensive for what they are. However, this is just my personal opinion and I know a lot of folk really rate them

Edited by danb79 on Sunday 11th October 22:22

With the B14s, did they feel like they had some travel, and the ability to soak up crests in the road without trying to launch off them?

[danb79]

iamAlegend said:

danb79 said:

Never owned Birds; but I ve been out in a few cars with their kits fitted and IMO they re not all that; more so for what are simply re-valved Bilstein shocks with Eibach springs. They re expensive for what they are. However, this is just my personal opinion and I know a lot of folk really rate them

Edited by danb79 on Sunday 11th October 22:22

With the B14s, did they feel like they had some travel, and the ability to soak up crests in the road without trying to launch off them?

Yes; if you read what I wrote; they took the local rough roads superbly without any bounciness, jarring or 'crashyness' - they're much better than the B12s IMO

I'm also super impressed with the B4 shocks and Eibach pro-kit springs on our F31 - compared to the OE M Sport suspension; they're leagues ahead and like the B14s, make light work of rough roads

I wouldn't have fitted them to my previous E39 if I was worried about their firmness; that's not a car you wanted to be in and bounced around in, if that make sense?

Whereas the E81 was built as a fast road car; but even then, very comfy/quiet and took normal roads at normal speeds brilliantly; but when pushing on, they really show their potential

So much so, the lad that own the car now has been using it on track as well as his daily and he's super-impressed at how the car drives & handles; and at how well it'd been set up by my pals