Strut time...

[Lurcher]

It seems I need some front struts now. Rears got replaced 6 months ago under my extended warranty (broke even on that deal!!!!) which has since expired. Only 39k out of them :-( Of course - EDC (~$700 per)

Any new options/deals on the market I should be looking at? Time to go coil-over? Not looking to lower (well, not too much...)

 

[SweatyDave]

I had the same issue a year or so ago with a leaking front and couldn't justify the cost of a new set of OEM EDC ... I figured if one was leaking, the others were sure to follow shortly.

I decided to go with KW V3's. Fitment was excellent and if you get the kit that replaces EDC, it comes with the delete's that plug-in to cancel any errors/codes automatically (suppresses codes).

I didn't have any issues with installing myself and hands-down one of the best improvements I've made to my car (I'm full spec built motor and bolt-ons). Handling is night-and-day compared to stock ... but depending on what settings you choose, you will feel like you're driving a sports car (vs OEM). It turns on a rail now and body roll is all but virtually eliminated. But because they are fully adjustable, you can customize both height and stiffness to your liking. I do miss the ability to use the rocker switch to pick firmness with Sport or Sport+ - Those settings still work for shift points, RPM, etc. just not the EDC (it stays locked to whatever manual settings you choose on the shock).

I daily drive my car and used the KW recommended settings: front compression damper 5 clicks from hardest, rebound 9 clicks and rear compression 6 clicks, rebound 9 clicks.

I highly recommend getting a good brand .... I was deciding between KW's and Ohlins and decided on KW's because it seemed the process to rebuild was a little easier (KW will rebuild if needed).

 

[NoQuarter]

it comes with the delete's that plug-in to cancel any errors/codes automatically (suppresses codes).

FYI - These delete kits are not required. We have a proven DIY process for removing the EDC option from the car so therefore no errors.

In the real near future, I expect to be removing my stock EDC dampers and installing an Ohlins kit from @barry@3DM so mine will be available for sale if you want to stick with stock for a while longer. I will miss the ability to change them with the sport button as well but I suspect I will get over it easy enough with the Ohlins.

@fmorelli can comment on his experience with the Ohlins on his Z

 

[Asbjorn]

How I view the market:

• ST/Border/other cheap one fits all coilovers from taiwan that all look the same and come with 700 settings for rebound/compression etc: Can be adjusted to any ride height, but there's no frequency variable dampening and they are known to fail over time and too often within one year.
• Better coilovers (ohlins, kw etc): Have frequency variable dampening, good quality, but ride height can not be adjusted to stock height, and will probably sit too low for OP.
• Custom high end coilovers: Expensive and you will need to know what you want to buy those. Conversion to rear coil over even possible.
• Any type of "sport" springs in combination with oem, or oem-equivalent dampers: Well, all will lower the car, which OP didnt want. No OEM-height stiffer springs available anywhere for the Z4. One option though might be converting to 1M front strut, carrier, brakes etc, but that is uncharted territory afaik. That might offer stock ride height tough...
• Stock springs + aftermarket dampers: Comfortable ride, frequency variable dampening available, a bit too tall rear, and a bit too low front if you add camber. Stock springs limit how much camber you can add up front.
• Stock spring front, eibach rear + koni dampers: This is my setup as seen with slicks and ET30 rims below. A bit too low up front (bc -2.5deg camber), but otherwise no issues except for the lack of adjustable dampening. I compensate a bit for this by running fully adjustable sway bars, but it is not 100% ideal:

Edit: Just checked the Koni options, and it seems you can either get adjustable rebound (koni yellow) without frequency variable dampening or non-adjustable with frequency variable dampening.

I wonder if any of the other brands offer both instead. I checked bilstein, but they dont seem to offer any of those features in combination with stock springs.

 

[barry@3DM]

"Better coilovers (ohlins, kw etc): Have frequency variable dampening, good quality, but ride height can not be adjusted to stock height, and will probably sit too low for OP. "

The Öhlins Road and Track kit doesn't lower the Z4 much at all. 10mm for the front and none in the rear. You can easily obtain stock ride height in the front by simply pre-loading the spring another 10mm. You'll still have plenty of droop travel doing this. Or you can add thrust spacers which effectively makes the spring height taller raising the car up roughly 4mm. Then pre-load the spring only 6mm more instead. This would be the preferred method.

Hope this helps
Barry

 

[fmorelli]

At least in the rear of my car we actually had the opposite problem - the spec rear spring didn't allow for enough just ability down. Barry's R&T kit for the Z4 comes with a different rear spring configuration that provides a far better adjustable range. Like most things Z4 ... as many of us Z4 owners have found out ... some assembly and modification required

Filippo