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Thread: That guy... I want to RAISE my car!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Frisco TX
    Posts
    2
    My Cars
    2003 E39

    That guy... I want to RAISE my car!

    Long time occasional poster, but I can't remember my login from when I had my '09 E93, which I sold last summer (third baby... sacrifices).

    Just picked up a 2003 E39 with a manual box and 175k on the clock. Paid $2k for it. Black on black (boring), it's in outstanding shape, all things considered. Good brakes, good tires, good trans, interior almost perfect.

    Bimmers Only in Plano TX has been going through it for a couple days, they say it needs another $2k of work to be top notch. All in all I wanted to drive a manual E39 for less than $5k, so we're on the right path.

    Here's the problem - and it's a problem that is actually making me consider just dumping it.

    It has H&R lowering springs and Bilsteins and basically sits on the ground. Bimmers Only says it's a good install and was done right. It's not a bad setup for someone that likes that style, and the ride quality is really outstanding for how low it sits - no bouncing or rock hard ride - but I absolutely HATE the look. I'm a family guy with three kids and my wife tells me I look like a high school kid climbing out of this low rider. I bought the car because I'm now in that class of BMW owners that just loves BMWs and doesn't want to pay out a mortgage payment every month to own one. I'll occasionally take clients out to lunch in this thing, as well as drop the kids at school, etc.

    So... with all that said, short of replacing the entire suspension for another $1500-2000 - what are my options? I looked at new coils, spring spacers, and upper and lower spring pads. I don't know if I could get away with just buying new OEM coils - just not sure what the stroke travel is on those non-adjustable Bilsteins. Spring spacers are the poor mans choice and could be a short term fix - they'll probably make a decent alignment impossible and introduce some nasty bumping/bouncing. Thicker upper and lower spring pads could work, but I don't know if I can get the good 1.5"ish height adjustment I need to get this thing back to a stock look.

    I told the shop they could have the suspension if they found a stock one to replace it with - but that's a long shot.

    Fellas, what should I do here?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Middle of a corn field
    Posts
    14,770
    My Cars
    E39 hamster/ruberbandPWR
    Just find some used OEM sport springs from someone parting a car, and swap out the H&R springs with those.

    Do you mind how the Bilsteins ride?
    Are they Bilstein Sports, or HD's ?

    You can find new OEM Sachs struts and shock for about $360 new.

    Pictures of your car?
    Last edited by Jason5driver; 04-04-2018 at 01:33 PM.

    Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Frisco TX
    Posts
    2
    My Cars
    2003 E39
    No pictures, I bought it and dropped it off at the indy a few days later. It's about as low as the one in your sig, however.

    I don't mind how the Bilstein's ride, but then again, I don't have much else to compare to other than my former E93. Our family car is a 2013 Navigator - so basically the opposite of that.

    Couldn't tell you if they are HDs or Sports - I just looked underneath and saw non-adjustable Bilsteins.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    White Plains, NY
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    87 528e 94 325is
    Hi,

    Since it doesn't sound like they are coilovers, I would keep the shocks and struts that are in the car as long as they are still good, and just swap the springs out for stock springs.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Chicagoland area
    Posts
    4,372
    My Cars
    EXOTICS
    Couldn't tell you if they are HDs or Sports - I just looked underneath and saw non-adjustable Bilsteins.
    Need the part#'s.
    Get under the vehicle, or get it up on a lift, either way-find out!

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