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Thread: Good by to Air Springs

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Central NJ
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    298
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    02 540 Touring, 2010 650

    Good by to Air Springs

    Received my rear springs from Eibach, starting install now

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Location
    Las Vegas
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    8
    My Cars
    1995 BMW E34 540i/6 2000
    Quote Originally Posted by pietern740il View Post
    Received my rear springs from Eibach, starting install now

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    Like this bout to do mine


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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Sonoma Whine Country
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    1,767
    My Cars
    E12, E12, E36, E39
    I like the way you think. On the other hand, with a pair of tourings now, combined mileage in my ownership of ~225K, my only problems are an occasional light coming on and hearing the pump run once in a while. Still, I have a certain distrust of them. Not sure if I'm a Luddite or pragmatist.
    98 328is
    02 525ita
    80 528i
    81 528ia
    and decades of owning and driving BMWs

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Central NJ
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    298
    My Cars
    02 540 Touring, 2010 650
    I know of what you speak, if you choose not to remove air pump, you can remove the fuses and relay to silence that problem.

    I took off last Thursday to install these springs but I got stuck Everytime I tried to release the spring compression tool. I need a fresh approach, planning to try again later this week

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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Minneapolis. MN
    Posts
    115
    My Cars
    02' 530i, 91' 325i
    Arent those springs for the sedan?
    If so, I dont think those will work because they are way too long.
    I have been thinking about doing this swap as well, so cant wait to hear what you think once it is all done.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Central NJ
    Posts
    298
    My Cars
    02 540 Touring, 2010 650
    I had Eibach assisted with the selection, these are the springs for E60 Touring, so we figured it would work. On Thursday, providing weather clears up, I will try releasing the subframe.

    I did this swap before on my 2000, and I was able to complete job on my first try

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  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Central NJ
    Posts
    298
    My Cars
    02 540 Touring, 2010 650
    Has anyone tried BC Racing coilovers, they are selling for $315 per corner. I may consider this option, efforts fail this weekend.

    part number I-06 BR-RR-CRNR (right rear)
    I-06 BR-RR-CRNR (left rear).

    These options are available E39 1997 - 2001

    https://www.bcracing-na.com


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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Alexandria, VA
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    9,049
    My Cars
    ‘01 540’00 528T’03 525T
    I got a 2500 mile set of BC Racing coilovers for one of my wagons. Still have to install them. The rears aren’t really coil overs, The spring has a perch, but the whole assembly still goes on the same way as the factory spring. The perch has the threads, and two lock rings to set preload on the spring. Then you set the ride height with the shocks that mount in the regular spot. It sucks that BC Racing didn’t just use a regular coil over on the shock and mount in the regular spot for the shock. I guess they didn’t want to bother playing around with the spring rates if they had gone that route. The way the shocks mount on the wagons, in the angle that they are in, BMW did this to give us more cargo space, in the angle it is in, they would have had to use 15k to 18k springs. If you order the base coil overs from them, you get their 10k springs front and rear. I’m expecting those to be too soft, so I might go with Swift 11 or 12k springs, but I’ll try the reg ones first to see for myself. I also have a brand new set of Eibach pro springs for my other wagon. Too many projects, not enough time.
    Last edited by BimmrMeUpSnotty; 08-07-2020 at 01:35 PM.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Central NJ
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    02 540 Touring, 2010 650
    Thank you for sharing, very good information. I really would like the Eibach springs to work, just need the right spring compression tool.

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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Central NJ
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    02 540 Touring, 2010 650
    Yesterday I was able to get one spring installed, what I did different was to only compress the last six turns on the spring. This allowed me to get it in place and still have room to disconnect clamps. Will work on getting the drivers side install today, I'm hoping I do it before the mosquitoes come out to feast.

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  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Lancashire - UK
    Posts
    785
    My Cars
    2002 BMW E39 530i (UK)
    Are they deffo the right springs?

    They look too long and also don’t seem to sit right...
    My car: 2002 E39 540i Sport - Japanese import - the new project!

  12. #12
    Join Date
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    Central NJ
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    02 540 Touring, 2010 650
    That picture does not show the final seat position, that was where I stopped to take pic. I'm not sure what the right spring height is, but see once car is lower.

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  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Central NJ
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    02 540 Touring, 2010 650
    Finally completed installed, once I made the mod shown in the pictures, I was able to install in record time.

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  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    ‘01 540’00 528T’03 525T
    Uh, stupid question..... Are those springs for a sedan? I don’t remember the wagon springs being that long at all.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    the great pacific n.w.
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    1,216
    My Cars
    540it, 540sedan, 540-6 s
    Quote Originally Posted by BimmrMeUpSnotty View Post
    Uh, stupid question..... Are those springs for a sedan? I don’t remember the wagon springs being that long at all.
    Snotty, your a genius. I googled the part number on the spring, and yes, sedan
    Not enough room for past/present garage

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by wagons ho View Post
    Snotty, your a genius. I googled the part number on the spring, and yes, sedan
    I’m no genius, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn the other day. But yeah, I remember wagon springs being not even a foot long. I have an Eibach Pro kit for the wagon brand new in the box, It’s buried somewhere in my basement, I should dig it out and look at the rear springs, but I’m too damn tired.

    So, to the op, another stupid question.... Why are you trying to use a sedan spring on a wagon??? By the time you, if you even get to bring the lower arm back up, that thing is gonna be so compressed..... Ahhhh F’kit, this I wanna see....
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    ‘01 540’00 528T’03 525T
    Yep, just checked the part number myself, it is for a 540 sedan. Wtf?!? I did a quick skim of this trainwreck, OP says he got with Eibach and they endorsed this spring? Says it’s for an E60??? Uhhh.... Why would they do that, they had a spring for the E39 Touring, why?
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
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    the great pacific n.w.
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    My Cars
    540it, 540sedan, 540-6 s
    What do I know? I like my wagon for doing wagon things.
    So I'm keeping the bags.
    Still feel the wagon drives and handles better than my sedans.

  19. #19
    Join Date
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    Funny thing, all the wagons I’ve owned, all had springs. The 540 wagon I used to have, came with airbags that failed at 122,000 on the clock, I yanked them out and put Eibach Pro springs, don’t mind the springs at all, I have fully loaded these things, and still hitting speeds well over a hundred, never bottomed out. I don’t care much for airbags at all.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
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    Lancashire - UK
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    2002 BMW E39 530i (UK)
    So I & a few others were right; did think those springs looked far too long!

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by wagons ho View Post
    What do I know? I like my wagon for doing wagon things.
    So I'm keeping the bags.
    Still feel the wagon drives and handles better than my sedans.
    Deffo the right move IMO

    Seen so many folk that have had issues with the bags, so moved to a spring conversion and then regretted it due to it bottoming out when it's loaded etc...

    As another thread went; stick with the Arnott bags if you need to replace etc

    But keeping the SLS, IMO, is the right thing to do on the E39 tourings/wagons
    My car: 2002 E39 540i Sport - Japanese import - the new project!

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Central NJ
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    My Cars
    02 540 Touring, 2010 650
    I was not able to find Eibach Pro kit for the E39 540 Touring, when I called Eibach they compared the German Eibach Pro kit and found the rear springs were the same as the kit for the E60. Please note, in Both America we can find Pro kits for 525/528/530, but not for the 40s. So I purchased just the two rear springs that were compatible with 540 touring.

    It was late when I got done last night, bit will provide pictures later today.

    Reason for switch:
    my air bags had embarrassed me one too many times. I had purchased new bags from FCP Euro, and the sent me two left side air bags. I did not check both part numbers before installing. Car would not sit right, and the selflevel errors just kept showing up on the dash, so I returned them.
    I've had spring in my other wagon, and I was able to load it up and not worry about bags failing, so now I no longer have to worry.

    I removed the level sensors, I saw no selflevel errors at start up last night. But will recheck today, I'm hoping my headlights don't need those sensors.

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  22. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    ‘01 540’00 528T’03 525T
    The rear springs for the i6 E39’s would have been just fine for the 540 wagon
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    Central NJ
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    My Cars
    02 540 Touring, 2010 650
    Here is side profile of car with new springs

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