Thinking coilovers.. how involved is the process?

Greetings everyone,
I've decided its time to do something with the suspension on my 5 series. at First springs seemed like the best option since i was under the impression coilovers would sacrifice ride quality.

Now im seriosuly reconsidering. I have been looking into ISC-N1 coilovers as well as K sport. how much is involved in getting this right?

Are some coilovers pre adjusted so all you have to do is install them and get an alignment along with having to adjust the ride height? (this is assuming they are car specific, for a certain year 5 series persay)
Or is there more to it i'm missing..

Thanks for your time

You would get a lot more help in the e39 or e60 section.

For the most part, coilovers and lowering springs WILL affect the ride quality. How bad? That's a matter of preference really. I have had lowering springs or coilovers on almost all of my cars, and it was worth it every single time. I liked the look and feel that I got from the height adjustment and stiffer spring rates.

Most coilovers will come with their base preset for height/rebound, etc.. Once you install the car and get it set to the height you want, you'll need an alignment, then you start playing with the settings to make it more/less firm.

The coilovers you get will be specifically for your model car, beware any sellers that claim their coils are for any "5 series" as that's blatantly false. If you have any questions regarding what will work for you, or how to install, any decent auto shop should be able to give you better, more specific answers

I would not recommend that you install springs that aren't made for for your car specifically. The spring rates are made specifically for each vehicle application. Vehicle suspension is something that I'm extremely passionate about. Paring up an aftermarket spring with more aggressive spring rates will definitely cause your OEM non-sport or sport shocks to wear out over time. This is due to the fact that OEM shocks are simply not meant to handle the more aggressive spring rates. Think of it this way, you're putting a shorter spring with a longer shock body. The shorter springs will cause the shocks to compress to its maximum setting every time you hit a bump due to the longer travel distance. What this can cause is what's known as bump steer and jarring of the ride. This is what for the most part affects ride quality.

Rather than doing a shock/spring combo, have you considered going with a coilover system? You get what you pay for when it comes to vehicle suspension. As such a crucial component of your vehicle, suspension is definitely something you do not want to cheap out on. A coilover suspension basically gives you a matched lowering spring and shock absorber combination with the added benefit of adjustable ride height and spring rates through a moveable spring perch or perches. Coilovers are to your car's advantage by reducing unsprung mass, increasing suspension travel, and allowing the car to be corner balanced.

I'd recommend that you check out the KW Lineup of coilovers. KW makes the V1, V2, and V3 applications for your car. I'll shoot you over a PM with more details!