Correct. They will have steel spring or air spring not both.

If you hear the compressor you have air suspension. You can also look at your axle just inside the wheel. You will see either coil spring or a rubber air bladder (air SPRING) (not air bag that's part of crash safety and installed in the dash/doors/steering wheel etc).

2007 x5 very harsh ride
 

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...af36bdc956.jpg
This is air spring suspension.


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d9e7cbecc8.jpg
This is coil spring suspension.

I took these photos just holding phone up behind rear left tire.

I don't consider an E53 or E70 a modern BMW. And the majority have well over 100,000 miles on the clock. Many spent their lives in the North in the snow and salt. IMO owners should be DIYers that can save the labor cost associated with repairs. I agree that if performance and handling don't make one smile it is likely the inherent costs associated with an E53 or E70 will be a major issue.

I have never owned a vehicle that required so much preventative maintenance to keep ensuing larger cost repairs at a minimum. I think that is the key to keeping the overall repair costs down.

Unfortunately, we can't get away from the cost of parts and I expect the cost of parts to increase as more are discontinued or production runs become too small to manufacture parts efficiently.

No, there are obviously different approaches but the BMW system has similarities. The point is that BMW air suspension for an E53 and E70 is not just for maintaining ride height. The air springs replace the rear coil springs, improving handling and delivering a smoother ride.

^ Yikes. For the last 13 years I had always seen every e70 has springs in the rear…the ones with ‘air suspension’ just have Arnot Airbags that adjust the height in addition. Importantly the spring and struts are different with and without airbags

Guess my understanding has been wrong……

Never seen coil plus air suspension. Never heard of don't know why that would exist. There were some changes between e70 e53 the e70 it's installed from under the car Nott through the trunk and I think it might not have the external tank which may explain the harsher ride if true.

I'd say look under and see if there's a steel spring or not to find the right length shocks.. It could have been converted from air to steel spring.

VIN would give you what it left the factory with..

Very goood point. Look at my photos. You can clearly see if coil spring. It's a little more difficult to "not see" the spring because the air spring is just a lot of black.

So I called fcp today and they told me that the shocks and struts I ordered are the correct one for my suv based on the vin. It’s an air suspension with self leveling. I’ll check this week how it looks From underneath but I’m pretty sure it’s air suspension since I can hear the bags inflate and deflate for height adjustment. So still can’t figure out why the car is so harsh in the back. Maybe I just need to live with it


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