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The BMW Shock Cheat Sheet

8/23/2018

Seems like there are so many choices of shocks (and struts) for your BMW?

Well, here is your cheat sheet!

1. Koni Special Active (1st shock on left above) is Koni's newest technology. It automatically adjusts to your driving style - comfortable when cruising and firm when cornering at high speed. It is best for those who like fun Sunday drives, but spend most of their time commuting on poor roads! It gives you the best of both worlds - firm control when you need it and comfort the rest of the time. Check out Koni's video:

2. Koni Sport (2nd shock) - otherwise known as the "Koni Yellow" - is the most popular and well-known performance shock for BMWs. It is manually adjustable, meaning you can set the firmness to what you want - with a dial on the front; and by compressing the shock in the rear (off the car). This is the best shock for enthusiasts who want to choose their firmness. Also great for those who track their car because they can firm up their suspension for ther track, and soften in for the ride home!

3. Koni STR.T (3rd shock) - also known as "Koni Orange". This is a great replacement shock for your BMW factory units. It is slightly firmer than a stock BMW shock, but otherwise keeps the same ride feel. It works great with stock springs and lowering springs. This is great option for owners who want to refresh their suspension without spending a lot of money.

4. Bilstein B4 (4th shock) - This is the most popular shock for those who want to simply replace their factory suspension with new. It is similar to the Koni STR.T, except comes in factory black color. It also comes in specific non-sport and sport versions to best match you exact vehicle. A great quality OEM shock. Great with lowering springs too!

5. Bilstein B8 (5th shock) - The B8 is a high-perofrmance shock upgrade. It transforms your car into a handling beast - like an M3! It is a lot firmer, so you will feel the bumps in the road more, but shines on the curves at high speeds. You can see that the shock is 3/4" shorter than the others, so it is perfect for lowering springs. If you do not plan to lower your car, then get the B6 model shock. It is the same as the B8, but slightly taller for factory springs. https://www.bilstein.com/us/en/product/bilstein-b8/

Final Question: Which one do you want?

"Find Your Favorite Road"
Chris, aka "Strutmonkey"

Bumpstop Confusion?

6/15/2018

Almost everyone knows the importance of the bumpstops in our BMW and MINI suspensions. It is not just a failsafe to protect your struts and shocks, but an integral part of your suspension. Your bumpstops are engaged whenever you hit a bump, turn sharply, or even hit a dip in the road. That is why it is important to make sure your bumpstops are in good condition. Not like this:

The above shows why it is almost never a good idea to reuse your old bumpstops when refreshing or upgrading your suspension. We recommend they be replaced at 50K mile mark, perhaps sooner if you drive in snow, salt, or other harsh conditions. Why would you pay to have springs and shocks installed, and then pay again to have bumpstops replaced? Do it right, do it once!

Lots of chatter about which bumpstops to use when you lower your car with lowering springs. Hopefully nobody is still replacing their bumpstops with the same ones or not using any at all. Like reusing old ones, these are both wrong. The key is to get a bumpstop that is shorter than your stock ones to better match the amount of lowering from your spring, so you are not "riding on your bumpstops". This is what BMW itself does, if you compare the non-sport and sport bumpstops for the same car:

That is why we custom match the new bumpstops to every suspension kit we sell. Like these:

But even these are not to be used on every BMW model. Heavier cars need different bumpstops than light cars. Wagons and convertibles need different ones than sedans and coupes. We even have to consider the diameter of the strut shaft and the size of the bumpstop hole!

This is one of the many benefits of getting a Strutmonkey assembled suspension kit... you leave the bumpstops to us!

The "bloody" truth about compressing coil springs.

1/19/2018

Everyone has heard about the dangers of compressing coil springs yourself when trying to do a suspension refresh or upgrade. Fact is that injuries occur and the risk is real. This is true for even professionals as seen in a bunch of Youtube videos, like this one:

And it recently happened to me! I have done hundreds of assemblies on BMW and MINI. I have all the best equipment, including a commerical-grade spring compressor and accessories. I am always careful, but the truth of the matter is that all springs are slightly different and one piece of machinery cannot work perfectly with all of them. Well, a while back I was building a kit and a spring perch under extreme pressure gave way right when I was grabbing the strut. The perch "bit" off the parts of my thumb and palm that were touching it. The above is the result! Extremely painful when it occurred... and again when doctor cleaned it out... and again when the dressing stuck to the wound and had to be pulled off.

LESSON: For all of you thinking of installing a new suspension, the risk is even greater because you may be doing it for the first time and using a $20 auto store rental. Seriously, this why Strutmonkey only sells fully-assembled kits. We do the hard, and sometimes painful, work so you can do what you want: Open the box and install your suspension. And we pretty much do it for free because if you tried to buy all the assorted parts you need, you will likely spend the same amount as our kits, which we build at wholesale prices. Even if you end up bringing your kit to a shop, the labor charge should be up to $300 less than if you walked in with loose shocks and springs. Either way, you win!

Welcome to the B(MW)log

The BMW Shock Cheat Sheet

Bumpstop Confusion?

The "bloody" truth about compressing coil springs.

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