Air shock to coil spring conversion with 3rd row seat

[DLarcombe]

Have a 2008 X5 with 3rd row seat. I’m switching from air shocks to coil springs.
My situation is, what do I do to get to the top side of the spring with the seat mounted in that area?
My 2005 didn’t have that seat so it was easy to make air spring repairs.
I also have a 2011 with the 3rd seat and also want to bake the same conversion.


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[ard]

Assume just buy the right parts for a 2008 without air suspension?


realoem.com/bmw or any of the many BMW dealer parts sites...two different strut part numbers for w and w/o air

[TriX5]

To get the air springs out you do not need access from above. Just need to turn the top of the bag 1/4 turn and it releases from the top perch. The airline also is accessible from below.
Curious, why are you switching to steel instead of air? I have 3rd row with air and not had any problem with it in 7 years apart from swapping in a new set of OEM bags a few months after I got the car.

[DLarcombe]

Originally Posted by TriX5

To get the air springs out you do not need access from above. Just need to turn the top of the bag 1/4 turn and it releases from the top perch. The airline also is accessible from below.
Curious, why are you switching to steel instead of air? I have 3rd row with air and not had any problem with it in 7 years apart from swapping in a new set of OEM bags a few months after I got the car.

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[DLarcombe]

Originally Posted by TriX5

To get the air springs out you do not need access from above. Just need to turn the top of the bag 1/4 turn and it releases from the top perch. The airline also is accessible from below.
Curious, why are you switching to steel instead of air? I have 3rd row with air and not had any problem with it in 7 years apart from swapping in a new set of OEM bags a few months after I got the car.

The ‘05 I had also had air shock problems as well as the ‘08 I own now AND the ‘11 my wife has. I use mine as a work truck (stop grimacing). I carry o s**t load of tools in it as well as 750-800 lbs of horse feed weekly. The coil spring conversion seems to be the better alternative to habitual air shock problems.


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[ard]

FWIW..it is my understanding that the air bags only adjust the body posion. It isn't an 'air suspension' or 'air shockl' per se, but just an air adjustable height on the 'end' of a steel coil system....

[Falkon]

Originally Posted by ard

FWIW..it is my understanding that the air bags only adjust the body posion. It isn't an 'air suspension' or 'air shockl' per se, but just an air adjustable height on the 'end' of a steel coil system....

Not Correct. The Air Bags are real Air Suspension system taking advantage of the Compressibility nature of Air as Gas. And because of this, the pressure in the system can be controlled to achieve a variety of ride quality and height, self-leveling.

At least, the one I have in my Bimmer functions solely on its own as a complete Air Suspension system and not just a mickey mouse attachment at the end of any steel coil.

[ard]

Welp, after you price the new struts with the spring perch, that $200 a pop for air bags every 2 years will seem very reasonable... Plus, carrying so much weight I'd actually want it to self level.

[Viktimize]

Originally Posted by DLarcombe

The ‘05 I had also had air shock problems as well as the ‘08 I own now AND the ‘11 my wife has. I use mine as a work truck (stop grimacing). I carry o s**t load of tools in it as well as 750-800 lbs of horse feed weekly. The coil spring conversion seems to be the better alternative to habitual air shock problems..

I don't know about that. The entire point of the air suspension is to adjust for extra weight, which springs will not do. The air suspension is such a simple system with so few things that can go wrong. If you just fix it properly in the rare event it has an issue, it should continue to operate just fine.

[ard]

Originally Posted by Viktimize

I don't know about that. .

Somehow you quoted the OP but attributed it to me....


But we agree- coils will not adjust ride height due to loads