I am going to do my next mod and I want to know what should I go with on my 11' R56. I wanted to go with lowering springs but I believe everyone says to go with coilovers but I hear that if you go with coilovers you when you discover a problem with them it will be more expensive to fix than normally. So thank you for future advice!

 

To throw in a small kink in your equation, remember with lowering springs it's HIGHLY recommended you replace the struts / shocks too.
Why? Because the increased spring rate on the lowering springs will overpower the OEM units creating a bouncy ride.

The springs / shocks combo is good because it's a fixed ride height, and damping is set (assuming you purchase non-adjustable dampers).
Its great for those who don't want to necessarily set an aggressive ride height or deal with damper changes for rebound and compression.

Coilovers are fantastic for those who want to have their own ride height and you able to preload the springs for corner balancing weight across the vehicle.
Entry level coils don't have adjustable dampers, but for just a few more bucks, you can have adjusting damping that can smooth or stiffen your ride as needed.

Repairs aren't costly (if any) when you drive normally and follow the manufacturers details.
Since your in Michigan, if using them in the winter, you will want a stainless body coilover and use a anti-seize compound on the threads to reduce material galling.
Plus with a name-brand coilover, you can rebuild them as pieces can be sourced independent.

- Erik

 

Would pairing lowering springs with the JCW sport struts and shocks be ok? Or would you still be overpowering the OEM units?

 

Even though the JCW suspension struts are different than the OEM sport, I don't believe they'll get the job done especially for the price point.
You can spend about the same amount for some really good Koni's or Bilstein's.

- Erik