E34 M5 front shock absorbers

Can replacement front shocks be bought from any manufacturers other than BMW themselves. Mine are shot to say the least but I have been told they are dealer only parts and cost a small fortune. I live in Northern Ireland. Oh and my car has the 3.8 engine and was built in 1993.

Thanks

Bilstein (Sport, which is a stiffer version of their shock) is perfect for the E34M5, as they are for almost any car. I have used them for years, and find them superior to stock. Konis are ok too, although they will not last as long. -Gil

Thanks for your comments. Apparently my front shocks incorporate EDC (electronic damping control) which was fitted to the 3.8 engined M5. It appears that the EDC bit stiffens the suspension the faster the car goes. Would fitting Bilsteins mean the EDC having to be done away with or can Bilstein supply the EDC shocks?

Any other comments would be appreciated.

Thanks

Paul

Interesting! The rear shocks of most E34 M5s are automatically adjustable, but not the fronts. The 3.8 is clearly different.

I doubt Bilstein, or any other manufacturer except BMW, could provide an automatically adjustable shock that is responsive to the M5's computer; but that may not be an issue, depending on the purpose of the adjustment. The rear shocks adjust to keep the car level even if lots (100s of pounds) of weight is added to the trunk, the philosophy being that at 160 mph on the autobahn you want the car level. Not an issue for everyone, and most people just use the Bilstein Sports rather than fuss with the automatic leveling system, which includes a pressure source and valving which frequently fail. (The level sensor is deactivated to avoid the dashlight warning "suspension." ) I'd be interested to know what the adjustment does on the front shocks. If it's track vs street, Koni's do that, but I believe you still have to raise the hood to make the adjustment. If the shocks adjust all the time during driving based on speed, bumps, etc. I suspect only the factory versions would work. It seems odd that the 3.8 would need this and not the 3.6 nor the Alpina B10... Whether you want the car in completely original shape or not might be the deciding factor. I consult a local mechanic. Let me know what you do, please! Good luck.

Yes it appears only the 3.8 model has the EDC front suspension. I have confirmed this with www.bmwmregistry.com under their F A Q section and in particular the section headed "chassis". Having checked with my BMW dealer for replacement parts - apparently the units come complete with hubs,etc. - and received a price of £943 for each side, nearing £2000 in total, I decided to take my chances with secondhand units, which incidentally are now not that plentiful here in Ireland. I will get the car back later today from my mechanic with the secondhand units installed. Hopefully I will notice a massive improvement because the shocks were so bad that the car was becoming a little dangerous whenever I got a liitle enthusiastic with my driving! And yes because it is an EDC shock they are only supplied by BMW (Boge manufacturer) and no aftermarket ones are available from Koni, Bilstein,etc. Typical really! Not to worry though I will see how my replacements get on. I'll let you know. And thanks for your kind interest.

Regards

Paul

Great! Good luck.

This is why many people remove the EDC from their cars. Having said that some people claim to be able to rebuild them. Huge thread in M5board about that. Go to here http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e34...tions-faq.html and scroll down to EDCIII suspension. There are various useful links.