[Chubbiejones]

I know some of you have been inquiring about the Ohlins R/T coilovers ever since I began hinting around at purchasing but I have been refraining from composing a thorough review until I was able to allow the Swift springs to settle and place a few thousand actual road miles. So, without further ado lets get into the details.

The removal & installation process is fairly straight forward but there are a few nuances I personally experienced which have listed within the "Lesson's Learned" section. Other than that, all that is required is to follow the instructions provided by both BMW & Ohlins. In my specific case, trimming of the drivers & passenger front inner wheel arch trim was required (see photos).

Component quality of both Ohlins and Swift were superb and first class. My only complaint, which is very minor, would be towards Swift installing a sticker on their springs for part number identification vs laser printing. Other than that, the quality of each manufacturer was perfection.

I am sure most of you want to know more about the ride quality than any other discussion point. The car originally had the M Sport suspension which was OK but not great. The new setup is miles better than stock, almost night & day in my opinion. The car rides extremely smooth while traveling on normal roads at all speeds. When traveling through corners the car is more planted and responsive. Very little to no NVH when using the stock strut mounts – when using aftermarket camber plates (Vorshlag in my case) the NVH did increase within the steering wheel slightly.

Ohlins customer service along with the assistance of Barry at 3DM Motorsports was second to none; I would not hesitate to contact either party, at any time, for any issues.

In addition to the above I would also like to give some insight as it relates to maintenance & overhaul. Numerous historical threads have stated, as well as Ohlins, that Ohlins coilovers require overhaul after a specified amount of mileage. I have direct confirmation from Ohlins who specifically stated "overhaul is not required for the lifetime of their coilovers during normal driving conditions." Their recommendation for overhaul is based upon the end user driving conditions, utilizing the coilover for track and race type purposes.

Wheel & Tire Setup:
Front – Vossen HF-5 20x9 ET25 / Michelin Pilot Sport 4s 245/35/20
Spacers – Dinan 7mm
Rear – Vossen HF-5 20x10.5 ET45 / Michelin Pilot Sport 4s 295/30/20
Spacers – None

Component Information:
Full Kit - Ohlins Part No. BMS MU00
For orientation reference only / Driver's Front Coilover – Ohlins Part No. BMS1U0021F
For orientation reference only / Passenger Front Coilover – Ohlins Part No. BMS2U0021F

Front Springs - Swift Part No. Z65-178-080
ID – 65mm
Length – 7in
Spring Rate – 448lbs/inch
Rear Springs – Swift Part No. Z65-203-140
ID – 65mm
Length – 8in
Spring Rate – 784lbs/inch

Coilover Height Measurements:
Driver & Passenger Front / Top of Height Adjuster too Bottom of Spring Preload Adjuster Retaining Nut – 165mm
Preload – 2mm
Driver & Passenger Rear / Spring Seat Adjuster to Top of Spring Platform Retaining Nut – 87.5mm
Rear Shock Absorbers – 189mm
Preload – 2mm

Coilover Ride Adjustment Settings:
Front – 15 clicks
Rear – 15 clicks

Center of Wheel to Bottom of Fender Measurement:
Before Settling:
Front – 372mm
Rear – 378mm

After Settling:
Front – 365 mm
Rear – 373 mm


Lessons Learned:
a) In the event you are utilizing after market camber plates, a 200mm front spring will be required. The additional 20mm length increase over the stock Ohlins springs (180mm) is directly correlated with the stack height of the camber plate assembly.
b) My situation during removal did not go as planned since the front struts would not remove from the carrier (yes, I utilized the required spreading tool and lubricant). In the end, and to save time and sanity, I removed the below components:
1. Brake Rotor, Caliper, Dust Shield & Hose Holder
2. Toe Rod from Carrier Assembly
3. Tension Strut from Carrier Assembly
4. Wishbone from Carrier Assembly
NOTE: Loosening of the fastener at the frame is required
5. Pulse Generator from Carrier Assembly
6. Carrier Assembly
7. Level Sensor (drivers side ONLY)
c) Verify factory sway bar end link orientation prior to removal of front struts. Ohlins do not provide adequate instructions for the orientation of the sway bar end link tab – ensure tab is aligned as per factory.
d) Disconnect both Drivers & Passenger sway bar end links during the removal, installation and height adjustment process – one thousand times easier / trust me on this.
e) Ensure both the Drivers & Passenger side front and/or rear are elevated simultaneously during removal and installation – raise front first, then lower / raise rear last, then lower.
f) Verify distance between front tire and wheel arch trim at full lock (see photos) – trimming could be required. This distance will have to be reverified after the springs have settled (500-1000miles).
g) Verify distance between front coil spring and the inner wheel; depending on your wheel offset and tire width, spacers could be required.
h) Do not fully secure/tighten rear shock ABS bracket until height adjustments have been completed – the preliminary measurement provided by Ohlins is incorrect.
i) Insert rear shock absorbers prior to inserting fastener for lower control arm – if not you will not be able to install the shock absorbers.
j) Verify which Ohlins dust boot to trim prior execution. The front dust boots require trimming as per Ohlins – these are the smaller boots compared to the larger boots which are for the rear. If you manage to trim the incorrect boot(s) a new pair will be required and can be purchased here: Ohlins Dust Boot Bellows – 3DM Suspension (3dmmotorsport.com)


Specialty Tools Required:
a) 18mm Strut Socket - Schwaben - 003046SCH01A-01 - Strut Nut Socket - 18mm (ecstuning.com)
b) Spindle Housing Spreader Socket - Search SiteSearch Spindle Housing Spreader Socket - scw3435 - Spindle Housing Spreader Tool (ecstuning.com)
c) MacPherson Strut Spring Compressor (save your funds and rent from Autozone since its free) - OEMTOOLS 27036 MacPherson Strut Spring Compressor (autozone.com)
d) Strap Wrench Set (optional but becomes a requirement if you have to adjust your rear shocks after installation and you are not able to loosen the adjustment nut) - Craftsman 2 Piece 16 Inch Rubber Strap Wrench Set, 9-45570 - - Amazon.com
e) Torque Wrench (Snap-On version is not required but ensure the wrench you obtain has the ability to select/operate in Nm)- 3/8" Drive TechAngle® Flex-Head Torque Wrench (5-125 ft-lb) | ATECH2FR125B | Snap-on Store (snapon.com)
f) Universal Aluminum Jack Pad Jacking Puck Adapter - Amazon.com: POTAUTO Universal Aluminum Jack Pad Jacking Puck Adapter Support Compatible with BMW, Mini (Qty 1, Red) : Automotive
g) E-Torx Set - Amazon.com: Sunex 2690SE 1/2-Inch Drive External Star Impact Socket Set, Standard, 6-Point, Cr-Mo, E10 - E24, 9-Piece : Everything Else
h) Standard Coat Hanger to assist with holding the front brake caliper during the removal and installation process of the front struts

Recommended Contact Information:
Barry @ 3DM Motorsports – 3DM Motorsport – 3DM Suspension
In the event you have a technical question(s) related to the Ohlins R/T products or want to purchase a set of Swift springs give Barry the owner of 3DM Motorsports a call – he is great guy and will do everything to ensure you have the answers to your questions. FYI – you can contact the Ohlins technical team but if they do not have the answer(s) Ohlins will direct you to Barry.
Ohlins USA – Öhlins USA | Suspension Products (ohlinsusa.com)

All fasteners which were replaced during this installation can be located in the attached spreadsheet. BMW recommends the replacement of all but if you are trying to squeeze pennies you could only replace the torque to yield fasteners (represented as highlighted YELLOW in the corresponding pdf.)

I have also attached excerpts from the BMW Tech manual to aid with the removal and installation process; these documents also contain all torque specs.

I am sure I have missed a few things or not answered everyone's questions but this should provide insight for those who might be or who are interested in this type of setup. As always, if anyone has nay questions feel free to ask and I will do my best to try and provide you with an answer or at least try point you in the right direction.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Thank you for the detailed review

[Chubbiejones]

Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com

Thank you for the detailed review

Of course Mike! The more personal experiences we can share, the more others can learn and share - the gift that keeps on giving

[chrispy28_xd]

Thanks for the review. It's nice to hear that the street setup provides better ride quality than stock suspension. I don't have adaptive so I may have to seriously consider this. Do you plan on taking your car to the track at all?

[Chubbiejones]

Originally Posted by saoblow

Thanks for the review. It's nice to hear that the street setup provides better ride quality than stock suspension. I don't have adaptive so I may have to seriously consider this. Do you plan on taking your car to the track at all?

Agreed - the car is much more enjoyable with the upgraded suspension and tires. I do not plan on tracking my car but the Ohlins kit has the ability to adjust the dampeners in the event you wanted to have a track day.

[jpowers36]

Great review, thanks for taking the time to put it together. The car looks great.

For your wheels, are the front 20x9's the flat profile and the rear 20x10.5's the deep profile?

[KyK]

Great writeup! Can't wait for my set to arrive from XPH. Are you running the spacers up front for clearance between the coilover and the wheel? Also any particular reason for going with the swift springs over stock?

[Chubbiejones]

Originally Posted by jpowers36

Great review, thanks for taking the time to put it together. The car looks great.

For your wheels, are the front 20x9's the flat profile and the rear 20x10.5's the deep profile?

Appreciate the kind words! No worries, just trying to help others.

The front wheels have a slight concave, where the rear are semi-concave. If you contact the team over at Vossen these are the wheel specs they recommend - no custom specs or design.

[Chubbiejones]

Originally Posted by kyykim

Great writeup! Can't wait for my set to arrive from XPH. Are you running the spacers up front for clearance between the coilover and the wheel? Also any particular reason for going with the swift springs over stock?

That is correct - keep in mind my wheels are not stock and have much different dimensions. When I purchased my set of Ohlins coilovers the kit was delivered with incorrect sized front springs (200mm). This worked in my favor as I also installed a set of Vorshlag camber plates which require a longer spring. After roughly 500miles I made the decision to remove the camber plates thus requiring the 200mm springs to be replaced with 180mm springs. Since I now needed to purchase new 180mm springs I went ahead and purchased the matching rear springs. Yes, I could have contacted Ohlins and obtained a set of front springs as the Eibach springs provided by Ohlins are fantastic and ride great. Personally, I wanted a set of Swift springs as they are a better spring. Are Swift springs required, no. Are the Eibach springs comparable to the Swift springs, yes. Is it worth spending the extra $400 for Swift springs, that's subjective.

[peelerec]

I appreciate the post, finally! I still believe this is worth it for the daily driver/spirited driver/weekend warrior type such as myself. I just have to figure out for myself what wheel and tire setup I will run once I order these. I wonder how these would fair with the 791M wheels I have.

[KyK]

Originally Posted by peelerec

I appreciate the post, finally! I still believe this is worth it for the daily driver/spirited driver/weekend warrior type such as myself. I just have to figure out for myself what wheel and tire setup I will run once I order these. I wonder how these would fair with the 791M wheels I have.

I'll let you know if they fit or not when I install them. I'm on aftermarket wheels but I have my OEM 791s still. I'm assuming that you're going to need spacers.

[Chubbiejones]

Originally Posted by peelerec

I appreciate the post, finally! I still believe this is worth it for the daily driver/spirited driver/weekend warrior type such as myself. I just have to figure out for myself what wheel and tire setup I will run once I order these. I wonder how these would fair with the 791M wheels I have.

I drove a few hundred miles on my stock 792's after the installation with no spacers - no issues whatsoever

[Chubbiejones]

Originally Posted by kyykim

I'll let you know if they fit or not when I install them. I'm on aftermarket wheels but I have my OEM 791s still. I'm assuming that you're going to need spacers.

No spacers are required with stock wheels, unless of course you prefer a flush finish.

[peelerec]

Originally Posted by kyykim

I'll let you know if they fit or not when I install them. I'm on aftermarket wheels but I have my OEM 791s still. I'm assuming that you're going to need spacers.

I currently have 12mm in the front and 15mm in the rear with no rubbing what so ever. What wheels are you going to run with the Ohlin's?

[peelerec]

Originally Posted by Chubbiejones

No spacers are required with stock wheels, unless of course you prefer a flush finish.

Flush is a must, at the very least, lol.

[Chubbiejones]

Originally Posted by peelerec

Flush is a must, at the very least, lol.

My sentiments exactly!

[KyK]

Originally Posted by peelerec

I currently have 12mm in the front and 15mm in the rear with no rubbing what so ever. What wheels are you going to run with the Ohlin's?

I have a set of Zito ZF03s already on the car. They're 19x9 and 19x10 can't remember the offsets off the top of my head but I already have poke in the rears and the fronts are flush. Rears need the back pads shaved down a bit. I'm just hoping they clear and I don't need to shop for new wheels. I am already having a nightmare of a time trying to get it tuned on ecutek. But they're getting delivered this Friday and should be on the car next week.

[chrispy28_xd]

how do you adjust the dampeners? can you just turn the wheel?

[Chubbiejones]

Originally Posted by saoblow

how do you adjust the dampeners? can you just turn the wheel?

I presume you are referring to the Ohlins R/T coilovers correct? If so, the adjustment knob is located at the bottom section of the dampener - see picture:

[chrispy28_xd]

looks like you have to remove the tire to get to it then?

[Chubbiejones]

Originally Posted by saoblow

looks like you have to remove the tire to get to it then?

Negative, you can adjust all four corners with the tires installed.

[chrispy28_xd]

Ah that's awesome, looking forward to having mine installed!