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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 F10 Technical Topics Wheels / Tires / Suspension / Brakes To all mods gurus and suspension gurus: ACS Springs or KW coilover?
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      08-25-2012, 01:48 PM   #1
lmaleke
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Question To all mods gurus and suspension gurus: ACS Springs or KW coilover?

To all mods gurus and suspension gurus here;

I've been reading good feedbacks on ACS springs here and seems more and more owner here are leaning toward the springs. I'm interested with the ACS springs myself too but worry on the stock shocks & struts wearlife. My question is, to everyone here on ACS springs, any input on the stock shocks/struts wearlife? My car is going to be my daily drive...
Second question, aside from the cost, what trigger you to choose the ACS springs instead of going the coilover route?

My other option is either KW v2 or street comfort..

Any input is greatly appreciated...
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      08-26-2012, 04:47 PM   #2
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Im no guru but i would go coilover now and not regret not getting it. Btw kw has a v1 for our car, cheaper option. If you want even cheaper then megan has it too.

I think v1 is the cheapest from kw for the f10.

Cheers!
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      08-26-2012, 08:10 PM   #3
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No issues with my Megan coilovers...
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      08-27-2012, 07:59 AM   #4
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ACS
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2012 F10 AW 550i MSPORT,Vossen CV3s,ACS Springs,Meisterschaft GTC,.Totalled!
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      08-27-2012, 10:26 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EV0LVE View Post
Im no guru but i would go coilover now and not regret not getting it. Btw kw has a v1 for our car, cheaper option. If you want even cheaper then megan has it too.

I think v1 is the cheapest from kw for the f10.

Cheers!
Whats up evolve... I'd go with either v2 or street comfort if I went KW route as with the v1 I wont offer adjustment on the dampening...
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      08-27-2012, 10:28 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DentalBoy View Post
ACS
I see your f10 550i has the msport suspension (sport package), any bouncy observed during spirited driving?
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      08-27-2012, 03:56 PM   #7
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ACS springs

Coilovers are not for everybody. They were meant for the track and not for daily abuse. Its fine if the roads by you are prestine but otherwise stick with springs. I bent my last coilover on these damn New York potholes. They tend to be also more noisy compared to traditional springs/shocks.
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      08-27-2012, 06:49 PM   #8
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I have KW V2's in my car and highly recommend them. The ride is unbeatable.
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      08-27-2012, 07:08 PM   #9
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I cannot speak about the KW Coilovers as i have not driven a car with them. However, I run a set of AC Schnitzer springs in my 535i Sport and I am very happy with the result. The F10 is a fairly new model and the oldest ones are only going in their second year. I am not sure that anybody can tell you how a set of ACS Spring will affect the wear of the shocks in the long run as they cannot have been installed that long ago. From my experience the ACS Springs offer a great balance between lowering, handling and ride comfort. Because the drop is not that radical, I tend to believe that damage to the shocks is less likely. Let's put it this way, if I load my car with 4 people counting myself, the car would probably sit lower than with the ACS springs. Because of the ACS springs are stiffer, when I load up the car with 4 people it does not drop as much as with the standard springs. For that reason I would think that damage to the shocks is not likely.

All that being said, I am not a suspension expert and cannot be sure of this. What I can tell you is that the drop is about 3/4" to 1" and the ride and handling is great compared to stock. I am running 21" Alpina wheels with non RFT tires and the ride is better than the stock suspension with RFT tires.

Good luck!. Whatever you chose, I hope your are happy with your decision.

Cheers,

Jo

Quote:
Originally Posted by lmaleke View Post
To all mods gurus and suspension gurus here;

I've been reading good feedbacks on ACS springs here and seems more and more owner here are leaning toward the springs. I'm interested with the ACS springs myself too but worry on the stock shocks & struts wearlife. My question is, to everyone here on ACS springs, any input on the stock shocks/struts wearlife? My car is going to be my daily drive...
Second question, aside from the cost, what trigger you to choose the ACS springs instead of going the coilover route?

My other option is either KW v2 or street comfort..

Any input is greatly appreciated...
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      08-28-2012, 06:44 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan l. View Post
ACS springs

Coilovers are not for everybody. They were meant for the track and not for daily abuse. Its fine if the roads by you are prestine but otherwise stick with springs. I bent my last coilover on these damn New York potholes. They tend to be also more noisy compared to traditional springs/shocks.
Thank your for your reply, Alan! Generally speaking, roads here in Jakarta are rather crap though my daily tracks, home to work, are rather alright with smooth asphalt and the likes (permata hijau or kebayoran baru to thamrin/sudirman area and some shortcuts here and there, to those who are familiar with jakarta)

My reasoning to include the coilover as an option is I figured they were designed with shorter pistons, tubings and whatnots, to match with with shorter springs vs. stock shocks with lowering springs; thus, I'd think, coilovers should last longer than stock shocks+lowering springs combo...

On the other hand, ACS is a reputable company and been tuning BMWs for ages so if they say that their springs were designed to work with the stock shocks/dampers then it should, no?

I think too much here I guess heh heh heh heh

Last edited by lmaleke; 08-28-2012 at 10:13 AM..
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      08-28-2012, 08:26 AM   #11
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The drop with ACS is only 1" so they would not compromise the factory shocks at all. Maybe instead of lasting 100k miles they might wear out at 90K? Nobody knows for sure but the rule of thumb is the more you drop it the more wear the shock will have. Like jftoha mentioned a F10 with people in the car will prolly sit lower than a car with ACS springs so i can't imagine Bmw not factoring some range that the car will sit for a extended period of time.

I've had two bmw's before the F10 both on coilovers and i swear i would NEVER install another set again on a daily driven street car. They feel great when the roads are good but they simply weren't designed for the crap roads here in NY plus the harsh winters we get. Unless you plan on tracking the car or really want that slammed look springs are your best bet.

Alan
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      08-28-2012, 10:21 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jftoha View Post
I cannot speak about the KW Coilovers as i have not driven a car with them. However, I run a set of AC Schnitzer springs in my 535i Sport and I am very happy with the result. The F10 is a fairly new model and the oldest ones are only going in their second year. I am not sure that anybody can tell you how a set of ACS Spring will affect the wear of the shocks in the long run as they cannot have been installed that long ago. From my experience the ACS Springs offer a great balance between lowering, handling and ride comfort. Because the drop is not that radical, I tend to believe that damage to the shocks is less likely. Let's put it this way, if I load my car with 4 people counting myself, the car would probably sit lower than with the ACS springs. Because of the ACS springs are stiffer, when I load up the car with 4 people it does not drop as much as with the standard springs. For that reason I would think that damage to the shocks is not likely.

All that being said, I am not a suspension expert and cannot be sure of this. What I can tell you is that the drop is about 3/4" to 1" and the ride and handling is great compared to stock. I am running 21" Alpina wheels with non RFT tires and the ride is better than the stock suspension with RFT tires.

Good luck!. Whatever you chose, I hope your are happy with your decision.

Cheers,

Jo
Jose, as I understand you just had them mounted on your f10 not too long ago and i assume the springs havent completely settled.. Whenever you have a chance, could you please let me know how much is the final drop (after they are completely settled)? I dont want too much of a drop and the 3/4" to 1" is perfect for me...

Thanks
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      08-28-2012, 10:25 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan l. View Post
The drop with ACS is only 1" so they would not compromise the factory shocks at all. Maybe instead of lasting 100k miles they might wear out at 90K? Nobody knows for sure but the rule of thumb is the more you drop it the more wear the shock will have. Like jftoha mentioned a F10 with people in the car will prolly sit lower than a car with ACS springs so i can't imagine Bmw not factoring some range that the car will sit for a extended period of time.

I've had two bmw's before the F10 both on coilovers and i swear i would NEVER install another set again on a daily driven street car. They feel great when the roads are good but they simply weren't designed for the crap roads here in NY plus the harsh winters we get. Unless you plan on tracking the car or really want that slammed look springs are your best bet.

Alan
would it be a safer bet if I replace the shocks as well? with koni adjustables, for instance?
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      08-28-2012, 10:49 AM   #14
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Depends what is your primary goal with the car. If you just want to keep ride comfort nearly the same then i would just go ACS. If you want the car to really handle like a sports car (as much as it can) then maybe upgrading the shocks is an option. Don't do it just because you are afraid the shocks will blow out. ACS's drop is so minor and they know what they are doing.

Alan
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      08-28-2012, 05:24 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lmaleke View Post
Jose, as I understand you just had them mounted on your f10 not too long ago and i assume the springs havent completely settled.. Whenever you have a chance, could you please let me know how much is the final drop (after they are completely settled)? I dont want too much of a drop and the 3/4" to 1" is perfect for me...

Thanks
The springs have been on the car for 13 days and the car has dropped between 3/4" and 1". In my view it is enough to substantially improve the appearance and more importantly, the handling. However, it does not look slammed. I can still remember the days when the Sport Packaged BMW models all looked like my car looks today. My E34 and E39 Sport package models looked similar in height. For some reason BMW designed the F10 to sit very high and even the M5 looks a little lifted to me.

I hope this helps.
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      08-29-2012, 02:20 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lmaleke View Post
To all mods gurus and suspension gurus here;

I've been reading good feedbacks on ACS springs here and seems more and more owner here are leaning toward the springs. I'm interested with the ACS springs myself too but worry on the stock shocks & struts wearlife. My question is, to everyone here on ACS springs, any input on the stock shocks/struts wearlife? My car is going to be my daily drive...
Second question, aside from the cost, what trigger you to choose the ACS springs instead of going the coilover route?

My other option is either KW v2 or street comfort..

Any input is greatly appreciated...
I have a 2011 F10 550. I started with ACS springs. The drop was ok, but not as low as I would have liked. There was also a phantom noise that I had from the front that would only happen at super slow speeds while loading the steering. No one could figure it out at CEC who installed the springs and also sells them. I now have KW V2 and love it. Right height is perfect. Since I don't track my car, no need for more adjustments as I'm not gonna crawl under my car to adjust it. The stock settings are perfect. Really important to corner balance your car after the coil over install. Make sure you get that done at the right place. It gets the suspension to work perfectly. I know it costs more for coil overs, but it's the way to go. Here's some pics of my car. www.bmw550m.com
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      08-30-2012, 05:40 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jftoha View Post
The springs have been on the car for 13 days and the car has dropped between 3/4" and 1". In my view it is enough to substantially improve the appearance and more importantly, the handling. However, it does not look slammed. I can still remember the days when the Sport Packaged BMW models all looked like my car looks today. My E34 and E39 Sport package models looked similar in height. For some reason BMW designed the F10 to sit very high and even the M5 looks a little lifted to me.

I hope this helps.
The 3/4" to 1" drop is enough for me as well... Any noise came from the springs so far? popping noise for instance?

Last edited by lmaleke; 08-30-2012 at 05:50 AM..
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      08-30-2012, 05:49 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SriRamJaiRam View Post
I have a 2011 F10 550. I started with ACS springs. The drop was ok, but not as low as I would have liked. There was also a phantom noise that I had from the front that would only happen at super slow speeds while loading the steering. No one could figure it out at CEC who installed the springs and also sells them. I now have KW V2 and love it. Right height is perfect. Since I don't track my car, no need for more adjustments as I'm not gonna crawl under my car to adjust it. The stock settings are perfect. Really important to corner balance your car after the coil over install. Make sure you get that done at the right place. It gets the suspension to work perfectly. I know it costs more for coil overs, but it's the way to go. Here's some pics of my car. www.bmw550m.com
Thanks SriRamJaiRam! I almost overlooked on the noise issue and from what I gathered a huge percentage F10 with ACS are experiencing this popping noise.. Now that you are on KW v2, was the noise return or completely gone?
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      08-30-2012, 05:53 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan l. View Post
Depends what is your primary goal with the car. If you just want to keep ride comfort nearly the same then i would just go ACS. If you want the car to really handle like a sports car (as much as it can) then maybe upgrading the shocks is an option. Don't do it just because you are afraid the shocks will blow out. ACS's drop is so minor and they know what they are doing.

Alan
Thanks Alan! I almost forgot the popping noise issue on the ACS springs... Did you find out what trigger the noise?
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      08-30-2012, 06:51 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SriRamJaiRam View Post
I have a 2011 F10 550. I started with ACS springs. The drop was ok, but not as low as I would have liked. There was also a phantom noise that I had from the front that would only happen at super slow speeds while loading the steering. No one could figure it out at CEC who installed the springs and also sells them. I now have KW V2 and love it. Right height is perfect. Since I don't track my car, no need for more adjustments as I'm not gonna crawl under my car to adjust it. The stock settings are perfect. Really important to corner balance your car after the coil over install. Make sure you get that done at the right place. It gets the suspension to work perfectly. I know it costs more for coil overs, but it's the way to go. Here's some pics of my car. www.bmw550m.com
Awesome Pictures
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      08-30-2012, 01:03 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lmaleke View Post
The 3/4" to 1" drop is enough for me as well... Any noise came from the springs so far? popping noise for instance?
I measured today and the drop is exactly 1". Below is a photo of the car taken today. I assume that by now it has settled since the springs were installed two weeks ago. There is no noise at all coming form the suspension even when going over bumps. I heard of another poster who had noise coming from the suspension after he installed the springs, but that has not been my experience so far. I could not be happier with the switch.

I hope that helps.
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      08-31-2012, 12:06 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jftoha View Post
I measured today and the drop is exactly 1". Below is a photo of the car taken today. I assume that by now it has settled since the springs were installed two weeks ago. There is no noise at all coming form the suspension even when going over bumps. I heard of another poster who had noise coming from the suspension after he installed the springs, but that has not been my experience so far. I could not be happier with the switch.

I hope that helps.
Thanks Jose.. Perfect drop! 1" is enough for me. I wonder why are some experiencing noises whereas others are not... Where did u got them installed at?
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