[14M135i]

It is my first post on this forum so hello my fellow BMW enthusiasts I'm in need of some help/ advice.

I have a 2014 M135i,want to upgrade the wheels to a set of 19 inch staggered Bola rims. Now I want to also lower my car to go along with that to improve the handling also but so it does not look like my car is on stilts to. But I don't want to lower it so much that I feel everything on the road(like it was with my E46) just to the right amount,want that handling to be perfect along with it being lowered to the right amount looking great. So I was thinking of upgrading the shocks and springs to one of the Bilstein Kits,I've been told not to put my motor on coilovers as that would completely ruin the comfort and ride of it. These are the Bola wheels I want need to also figure out what width and offset I want on them. Bola CSR Alloy Wheels In Gloss Black Set Of 4

Can anyone please help,any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Simon Site Manager]

It is my first post on this forum so hello my fellow BMW enthusiasts I'm in need of some help/ advice.

I have a 2014 M135i,want to upgrade the wheels to a set of 19 inch staggered Bola rims. Now I want to also lower my car to go along with that to improve the handling also but so it does not look like my car is on stilts to. But I don't want to lower it so much that I feel everything on the road(like it was with my E46) just to the right amount,want that handling to be perfect along with it being lowered to the right amount looking great. So I was thinking of upgrading the shocks and springs to one of the Bilstein Kits,I've been told not to put my motor on coilovers as that would completely ruin the comfort and ride of it. These are the Bola wheels I want need to also figure out what width and offset I want on them. Bola CSR Alloy Wheels In Gloss Black Set Of 4

Can anyone please help,any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Just to let you know, you're not being ignored. Sorry, I haven't a clue! But welcome to the forum. I'm sure someone will be along shortly to help.

 

[danb21t]

Firstly you need to establish if you have passive or active suspension.

If you don't want to replace with a "kit" then you can buy the Bilstein B8 shocks separately and then pair those with whatever springs you wish, for desired height and spring rate.

If you don't really want any drop but want a better spring rate, then a popular kit is the Billy B12 ProKit.

 

[14M135i]

I have passive suspension on my M135i. I definitely want a drop but not by much,don't want it scraping the ground or scratching my splitter every time I go over a speed-up. If I was to pair the Bilstein B8 shocks with some springs what would you recommend it? H&R or Eibachs?

 

[msej449]

From reading the forum, other than the suspension it seems to be the consensus that adding a limited slip differential will make the most difference to the handling - way ahead of wider 19" wheels. You can go to wider wheels but all it'll do is amplify the issue with the open diff' anyway. Budget £2K for a retro-fit LSD, although forum users report they can be had for a bit less, if you shop around.

Also (and regulars will sigh at my constant repetition of the point) wider tyres means you're more prone to aquaplaning in heavy rain and deep surface water conditions. If the wider 19" are for summer only, and you have a different set of winter wheels, then that's fine, because you're not getting better summer handling at the expense of worse winter handling. And the M135i/140i models are already notorious for being tail-happy. Otherwise, the narrow vs wide choice is a zero-sum game: it's always a compromise if you're running the same tyre all year 'round.

Trouble is that £2K is a big investment and it's obviously cheaper to go for the secondary option of wider tyres. But there's no getting 'round the issue that all the M-Lites should have come with the LSD as standard (factory-fitted it would probably have been more like £1200). It's arguable that once you've done the primary mod of better suspension, if you can't afford the £2K for an LSD then it's not worth making amy more mods - you'll just notice the shortcomings of the open diff' all the more.

Of course, if the 19" wheels are a costmetic mod, then that's another thing and it's perfectly reasonable to fit them - it's your car to do with what you want. But all they'll likely do is give you a harsher ride and even twitchier wet weather handling in the winter, albeit with some improvement in traction in the summer.

 

[Simon Site Manager]

I agree with msej449, first stop is an MP LSD.

Organise a group by here:-

Williams Performance

Williams Performance specialise in the M-Lite range of BMW's and the supply of GENUINE BMW parts at cheaper than main dealer prices. We carry a range of common M-Lite service parts in stock and all other parts can be quickly sourced. We stock and supply performance aftermarket parts for BMW...

www.babybmw.net

Three of us went up to Marc in Jan 2021 and paid £2k for the M Performance variety fitted. The good thing about the MP LSD is that you get your open diff back and when you come to sell the car, put the open diff back on and flog the MP.

 

[rob180bhp]

In my opinion 1st steps are rear axle bushes or inserts as the whole back end is based around it ,and if the frame can move independently from the chassis whats the point adding better suspension or lsd / get the basics right 1st

 

[msej449]

The other thing about a dealer-fitted M Performance LSD is that you're still eligible to take out BMW Extended Warranty at a later date, if you decide it's cost-effective. If it's a 3rd-.party LSD or an MP LSD but fitted by an independent, the cover wouldn't be available or voided if you had it.

And just the choice of tyre can have a huge effect on handling. A primary issue is certainly just getting the existing rubber right. See the tyre thread for lots of recommendations.

 

[Vetus]

Follow my experiences on my m135i, with MP LSD I had a great improvement on handling, during high speed, high acceleration even in braking. The lsd transform literally the car, this is REAL!
After that M4 brace LCA and TS make a great impact on front axle stability, more camber and caster give you the right feeling during the corners. In the end, after above modification, I suggest a better dumper Like bilstein B8.