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      07-11-2021, 07:43 PM   #1
spidy512
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Another Bilstein B16 Coilover review. Good stuff....

Howdy!

So, I finally had my Bilstein B16 DampTronic coilover suspension installed on my M240ix.

The original idea was to have my son and I do the install ourselves but my arthritis has been really bad lately. More importantly, I just have not had time. And my son’s schedule was not lining up either. So, I researched a few local race shops and landed on VT Motorworks in Pleasanton, California.

Big shout out to VT Motorworks, especially Wing. He was super communicative, very easy going, and extremely knowledgeable. These guys clearly bled BMW, and the reviews were hard to ignore. The price was very reasonable as well. I reached out to a few speed shops (one in particular in Berkeley) who blew me off or were frankly rude in their response. Thank you Wing and VT Motorworks. I will be back for more service whenever that time comes….

Wing@VT performed the alignment as well, and the results were awesome. When comparing the before and after setting for camber, toe, etc, it's not surprising that the car felt a bit loose, vague and slow to turn in. He was able to squeeze -1.2 up front and kept it at a reasonable -2.2 in the rear (he didn’t want premature camber tire wear). The car was for some reason toed out in back before the install. Wing fixed that and evened out the toe on both sides ({-} or in, oh so slightly). They got the height as close to 1” drop front and rear as requested, but had to settle for 7/8th’s” in the rear. FYI, I purchased new support bearings and gaskets for both the front and rear of the car.

Wheels and tires are;
BBS CH R, Titanium.
Front 19x8 40et + 10mm spacer = 30et (very slight rub on front of fender under heavy g outs.
Rear 19x9 44et + 5mm spacer = 39et (no rub).
225/35/19
255/30/19

I have now driven the car to and fro work a couple times, and this morning I went out early and rolled through my fav back roads in the East Bay (Area) hills. These are roads I drive all the time. My wife calls them “The long way to the store roads” (I only drive the car pn my weekends). The surface is extremely variable, from freshly paved to some of the worst potholes and rotting roads around. Big g-outs, and super bumby, uneven surfaces included.

WOW. This is one awesome set up. As others have said, and I will echo, the car is so much more planted. Comfort mode is super livable, and I would say close to Sport on the stock kit. Sport is distinctly stiffer but still retains a softer edge day to day. Sport + is nuts. Stiff, but completely planted and in control. Hiway driving is a ball. The car slithers over the road at speed. It does get a bit bouncy on really bad transitions, but nothing shocking there based on how stiff the suspension is. The car recovers very quickly when knocked around. Another awesome plus to these struts/shocks. Here are my impressions of each setting;

Comfort = Great day to day ride. The uprated shocks and valves make for a very comfy but sporty ride. My wife will notice, but will not complain. For me, the perfect wife compromise in the end (25 years married, 35 together. I respect her opinions these days).

Sport = Wow, super planted and much better on uneven or “rooty” and broken up roads. I found this setting to be the best all round setting as it was more consistent as the conditions changed. It frankly handled the crappy roads better than Sport+.

Sport + = Yeeehaaa. Super solid and clearly stiffer than Sport. Maybe it was in my head but I swear I could hear more compression and rebound damping coming from the shocks, and the car in general is on rails in Sport+. As I said in the Sport impression, that stiffness made the car skiterish on super uneven road surfaces. Or roads with lots of undulations. I think if I had a LSD, it would make this setting unstoppable. And when on a smooth road, it’s magic. Better than my last 2018 STi (stock) or stock Golf R (stock) for sure. WAY more solid connection with the road and grip for days (OR as much as your tire can handle, as I discovered, haha).

Keep in mind the alignment is a BIG part of the above impressions. It is clear the new settings are working with the new suspension like a dream. It has that “mental telepathy” feeling as small inputs now make a big difference. The entire experience of this car has changed and all for the better.

A few final observations;

- I think square 18’s would be a perfect match for this kit for the roads I drive. I may have to wait a bit so as to not give my wife another heart attack (true story, but not becauseracecar).
- I am not so sure about getting camber plates at this time. I would love more camber, but the lack of noise vs. benefit at this point is sorta grey for me.
- Possibly some stiffer bushings down the road to tighten up the overall rubbery feeling the car has. I especially feel it at hard stops.
- I am seriously considering the M2/3/4 brace install and support bearing mod. The f22 is already super stiff, but as we all know, as you improve the suspension and stiffen things up, the chassis can always benefit from some support. It looks like an easy mod, and maybe I will even add the carbon U glam shot “support” arm (sorry not sorry but it looks awesome regardless of what car it's on).
- I think i will raise the car about a 1/4 inch once the springs have settled.

If you got this far, thank you for reading. I highly recommend this suspension for someone who doesn't want to give up completely on having a kick ass well engineered aftermarket suspension and worry about sacrificing daily drivability. I am smitten with this as it has factory fit and finish, yet looks bad arse in the traditional Bilstein Yellow and Blue kinda way. I have hopes of moving on to an OG M2 next year. I strongly feel this suspension and my other supporting mods will make my wait a ton easier (I am an enthusiast , who rarely keeps cars for a year or more. I know, I know…).

WARNING: As others have said in their reviews, I would not recommend this for the track. It is not stiff enough, nor valved accordingly. It will give up like the stock suspension when pushed too hard. Which is TOTALLY fine with me. I do not drive like an arse hat on public roads. That is for the track. I do believe it makes a great Solo2 kit, and with R tires, I think it could be competitive.

Pics or it didn't happen right? I am terrible at taking pics, so if anyone knows someone who is looking to practice in the East SF Bay Area, let me know! In the meantime, I will post pics soon. It looks amazing IMHO….

Kindly,
josh
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Last edited by spidy512; 07-15-2021 at 09:27 AM..
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      07-11-2021, 10:13 PM   #2
dradernh
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Congrats on ending up with a setup you're happy with, and glad to hear you found a race shop that wants to work with you!
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2017 M240i: 23.6K, MT, Sunroof Delete, 3,432#, EB, Leather, Driving Assistance Package, Heated Front Seats | Sold: E12 530i, E24 M635CSi, E39 520i, E30 325is, E36 M3 (2)
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      07-15-2021, 09:28 AM   #3
spidy512
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Added pics....

josh
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      08-06-2021, 12:24 PM   #4
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Very nice, thanks for the review
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      08-06-2021, 05:45 PM   #5
spidy512
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Quick update.

Over the past couple weeks the springs settled a bunch, so I raised the car 8mm all the way around. Which surprisingly didn't make the car look that different. It does not look as "clammed" in the rear as it did before. The car looks amazing.

The result driving was much more dramatic than I thought. The car doesn't look too much higher than before, but the shocks clearly are working even better than before I raised it. The separation of Comfort, Sport and Sport+ is even more distinct, and that "planted" feeling is even better. It simply doesn't get upset by anything.

So to nutshell, this suspension is simply amazing. In comfort my wife doesn't say a thing (she is a Princess) But the second you go to Sport the whole car wakes up. On smooth roads or the track, Sport+ is just as amazing.

Thanks for reading!

josh
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      08-07-2021, 02:26 PM   #6
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Excellent review.

Interesting comment on the B 16 coilovers being used on the track. The next off-the-shelf product is the club sport version. Real race car suspension can be very difficult to drive on the street. It is just too stiff for most people.

I am close to pulling the trigger on a set of PSS10's. I would hope they are valved accordingly to their spring rate. They should make very good suspension for the track. Albeit not an all out race suspension setup. Also, I'm not trailering in the car.

Thanks again for the review.
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      08-13-2021, 06:52 PM   #7
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Thanks for the review and information! And for posting too!
Definitely on my list!
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