Re: Rear SLS advice (archive)

If you don't have a lot of $$, get a used set of E28 535i rear springs, perches, and shocks (basically a take off) from a junk car. The 535i has the same spring rate, but the M5 rear springs don't work without the SLS. You need the upper perch, pads and spring. Toss the old shock. I did this on my M5 just a couple months ago. The SLS was already gone, but they used the M5 spring. The rear sat way too low.

Buy either Boge Turbo Gas (great ride, good handling) or Bilstein HDs (great handling, ride suffers a bit) and start wrenching. My M5 has Bilstein HDs and 535i springs all around. It handles noticeably better than my brother's M5 with SLS and OE Boges. Maybe his front shocks are going bad.

If you have big money, get the whole M-technic setup including shocks and springs all around. About $400 for springs, probably $600 for shocks. That's probably not an option for you. Me neither.

Boges are about $270-300 a set, HDs are $380, Koni Yellow exterally adjustable are $500-600. The reason the Bilsteins have a harsher ride is because they have a lot of compression damping and gas pressure to compensate for weaker springs. Konis are designed for stiffer springs, so they are more heavily damped in rebound. This is more important for handling. You can get a better ride with stiffer springs and Konis than with stock springs and Bilsteins. Bilstein also has a new "touring" shock. Don't know if it's available for E28, but they're probably comparable in price to the Boge Turbo Gas. Saw them in the Bav Auto catalog.

James
james_535@yahoo.com

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