Aftermarket front shock dilemma with X5 Variable Dampening Control option.

[cmore]

Hi everyone.


I have a 2007 X5 E70 4.8i.



My front shocks are dead and they need to be replaced.


I also have H&R sport springs on the stock shocks, which contributed to their failure as their they didn't have enough travel.


I know there are Koni and other aftermarket shocks for the E70, but none of them have the electronic dampening controls, which I personally don't care about. I would prefer to just disable VDC as I barely feel any dampening difference when the shocks were newer.



Question.


1) If I disable VDC / electronic control system for the OEM shock system, can I use normal aftermarket shocks on the E70 that don't have that feature?



2) Has anyone had luck with any shocks on the E70 that work better with the lowering springs without bottoming out?


3) If #1 is true, does anyone know if VDC can be disable in any simple way? Splicing any wires together? Making the system think it is connected.


Thanks in advance.


Chris

[smassey321]

Variable Dampening Control meaning Adaptive Drive? Sport button behind the shifter right? You can probably code to disable but I think you will need to also replace the sway bars and power steering pump. Search disable Adaptive Drive for better info.

[cmore]

Eeeek... that's too much to worry about. I assume disconnecting the shocks would throw a code that would show up in the displays. I could just unplug the shocks to see what would happen now as a test.

[cmore]

Originally Posted by smassey321

Variable Dampening Control meaning Adaptive Drive? Sport button behind the shifter right? You can probably code to disable but I think you will need to also replace the sway bars and power steering pump. Search disable Adaptive Drive for better info.

Yes, the sport button behind the shifter that when I press it, I don't notice any difference in shifting, handling, shocks or anything. I race cars and have been racing my whole adult life and I personally feel no difference. I even have tried blind testing of the button and I wasn't able to guess the status of the button by how the X5 was driving.

[AlpineX]

Originally Posted by cmore

Yes, the sport button behind the shifter that when I press it, I don't notice any difference in shifting, handling, shocks or anything. I race cars and have been racing my whole adult life and I personally feel no difference. I even have tried blind testing of the button and I wasn't able to guess the status of the button by how the X5 was driving.

They may have been bad at that time too. Ive never driven this system on the E70, but on the F30 and X3 adaptive dampening is definitely noticeable, though those are both electrically adapted. The scope of the X5s adaptive drive is different though, as it is also designed to reduce jarring on rough roads.

[cmore]

Hmmm. Seems like my only option is to go back to stock shocks and stock springs.



If I put new shocks on these springs, I am just going to continue to bottom them out and ruin them faster.


Does anyone know for certain what would happen if I unplug the stock shocks?

[ard]

So sad to hear about these frankencars that got hacked up and neglected