installed Monroe OESpectrum shocks/struts - wow!

[chrispitude]

Hi everyone,

At 115k miles, my wife's 2003 E53 X5 was due for some serious suspension attention. The rears were starting to clunk over bumps, the car felt very loose and uncontrolled, "crashed" over potholes on the road, etc.

I installed Bilsteins on my own E91 (and my E36 before that) because I liked the lifetime warranty, but I admit they stiffened the ride a bit more than I liked for a daily driver. Looking around for alternatives, I found Monroe has a line of premium OESpectrum shocks designed to match the factory valving of certain foreign cars:

MONROE SHOCKS & STRUTS :: OESpectrum® Shocks & Struts

It turns out Monroe also offers a lifetime warranty. I decided to order a set. I got a great price through RockAuto.com, plus I used a 5% discount code.

Wow, what a difference! The car is very well controlled, suspension is perfectly behaved on rough roads, no funny noises or clunks. I never drove a brand new E53, but this is how I would expect a new one to drive. It feels solid and planted in that BMW way without feeling overly harsh. I'm very happy with the purchase - just right for a daily driver, and the driving experience still lives up to the roundel.