E70 front coil springs

[Hatchet87]

Hi All,

I need to replace the front coils springs on the X5 as one of them has snapped . I acquired two - both Sachs, however one was NoS (from random online supplier) and one was new (from ECP). However now i have them both the look a bit different, overall length is the same but where the coil starts and ends are different.

Annoyingly the ECP one does not show the true Sachs part number but what seems to be their own part number. I have sports suspension so ensured i ordered both for the this application, according to Sachs Catalogue the Sachs part is 993 532 which is what the NoS items says on the box.

Are these going to be okay, I am kind of assuming they have changed production line or something hence why they are slightly different, and the Spring mounting rubbers 'rotate' meaning its not a problem the end of the coil is not identical? Or have ECP sent me the wrong one, it clearly states on the box for BMW E70 with sports suspension!

Has anyone got any experience here, its going in on Friday and am trying to avoid them calling me half way through saying one of them is not right!

Here is a picture of them side by side, I lined up the top but as you can see the bottom seems to have a longer trail....

[Leslie]

Best thing you can do for now is fit the one that matches the snapped one assuming both parts are still there , things like this give aftermarket parts manufacturers a bad name as if you are going to make something it should be identical although it may not matter in this case but could alter ride height a bit . Also don't like the way ecp charge far more for a sport spring when they would cost exactly the same to make

[X5Sport]

Except they don’t. The sport spring is likely a different alloy and also needs additional hardening and heat treatment steps during manufacture. That means more time & labour so more cost.

The springs themselves can also vary depending upon engine, fitted options and year. For example, having a tow bar on mine means a different rear spring (no air on my X6). There was an on line tool which used the VIN to look up exactly the right spring. Annoyingly I can’t find the link to it now (or BMW have had it taken down). This is the reason for a number of part numbers missing from RealOEM. You have to look up your actual car to get the right one.

[Hatchet87]

After a bit more digging it seems this may have happened before with ECP and Sachs parts in particular...

The label on the box from ECP actually has a number, which when googled comes back as the LESJÖFORS item (still for the E70 with sport suspension).

So either ECP are boxing them up as Sachs, or Sachs has now outsourced the production to LESJÖFORS. I also read some comment that ECP have some right to use the Sachs name in the UK, so again maybe boxing up something else but allowed to sell it in a Sachs box. Either way this is one of the reasons i generally avoid ECP!

I'm hoping that actually they will be fine and the that is the reason they are different but still both right for the car as both applications are for the E70 with sport suspension. Will mention beforehand to the garage to tackle the broken one first and see if they think the other side will fit with it being slightly different - although as said the overall height is the same so maybe it will just it in the spring mount a little differently!

[Leslie]

Best to buy 2 from the same source they you would hope they would be the same

[Leslie]

Except they don’t. The sport spring is likely a different alloy and also needs additional hardening and heat treatment steps during manufacture. That means more time & labour so more cost.

or maybe exactly the same material but just a tiny bit thicker as manufacturers don't tend to spend monies where they don't need to

[StuBeeDoo]

Personally I would only fit springs in pairs from the same source. ..........But that's just me.