Suspension on BMW 528i vs 528i xDrive

igor
Wed, 24 May 2017 18:48:15 +0000
Maintenance/Repairs

Seems like I need to replace the struts and shocks on my 2013 528i xDrive. The shop quoted me a rather large sum for parts and labor, which led me to wonder if I can do this as a DIY project. I have some questions about it that I’m hoping someone on here can answer:

1. When I search for replacement parts and specify my exact vehicle, I don’t seem to get many or any results, depending on the site. But when I drop the xDrive specification and search for just “2013 528i” struts and shocks I get what appears to be a few decent choices. Do both these cars in fact use the same type of shocks and struts? Or am I missing something?

2. Is this a job I can really do in my driveway? I found a nice video showing how to do the whole thing for an E46, but not for the newer F10. Am I nuts for even thinking about this?

3. Should I replace just shocks and struts, or should I also include coils and mounts?

4. Assuming the answer to #1 is that both 528i and 528i xDrive use the same parts, I am looking at Bilstein B4 parts, which are supposed to be OEM equivalent. Is this a decent choice or should I keep looking?

15 posts - 9 participants