AC Schnitzer 335d x-drive springs
Discussion
Wills2 said:
You need a KDS geo done if you're fitting lowered springs, ACS include it in there fitted price.
I was going to ask my local BMW dealer to fit them as they deal with ACS parts and I had assumed they would adjust the geo as necessary as part of the price but if not the price for fitting springs seems excessive. I didn't think a custom geo setup would be the way to go yet but perhaps I'll have a chat with ACS as I could whip over to them. DocSteve said:
Wills2 said:
You need a KDS geo done if you're fitting lowered springs, ACS include it in there fitted price.
I was going to ask my local BMW dealer to fit them as they deal with ACS parts and I had assumed they would adjust the geo as necessary as part of the price but if not the price for fitting springs seems excessive. I didn't think a custom geo setup would be the way to go yet but perhaps I'll have a chat with ACS as I could whip over to them. If you speak to Lorcan at ACS he'll sort you out.
Wills2 said:
Your dealer may well do but it will involve a full KDS to do that, ACS use the local BMW dealer for that, it's not "custom" but they reset the calibration on the KDS to reflect the lowered ride height front and rear then adjust to BMW approved specs as far as I'm aware and that's what happened when ACS fitted springs to my M5.
If you speak to Lorcan at ACS he'll sort you out.
Great, thanks. Will give him a buzz. If you speak to Lorcan at ACS he'll sort you out.
Had a chat with the ACS guys whilst down at Goodwood and have booked it in at Rossiters to have it done. They charge less than half the price of the BMW stealer and seem very knowledgeable. Rossiters can now do their own alignment so don't have to send to BMW. The amount of money BMW charge for alignment is frankly ridiculous. Not long ago, the BMW dealer local to me used to send their cars to an alignment firm that I know well. BMW charged customers several hundred pounds but if you go in there yourself it is c 75-80 quid.
Cheers
Steve
Cheers
Steve
DocSteve said:
The amount of money BMW charge for alignment is frankly ridiculous. Not long ago, the BMW dealer local to me used to send their cars to an alignment firm that I know well. BMW charged customers several hundred pounds but if you go in there yourself it is c 75-80 quid.
Cheers
Steve
I never pay more than £100 inc VAT for a full KDS at my local BMW stealers. Ask nicely and though shall get Cheers
Steve
DocSteve said:
Had a chat with the ACS guys whilst down at Goodwood and have booked it in at Rossiters to have it done. They charge less than half the price of the BMW stealer and seem very knowledgeable. Rossiters can now do their own alignment so don't have to send to BMW. The amount of money BMW charge for alignment is frankly ridiculous. Not long ago, the BMW dealer local to me used to send their cars to an alignment firm that I know well. BMW charged customers several hundred pounds but if you go in there yourself it is c 75-80 quid.
Cheers
Steve
Nice one, enjoy the car once its been fettled. Cheers
Steve
Wills2 said:
Nice one, enjoy the car once its been fettled.
Cheers. In the meantime I've just changed the tyres to MPSS - my local tyre dealer got me a very decent price on them and I just couldn't resist getting rid of those runflats. Took it out for a shake down on some roads that I like to use as a good testing route and I think they have made a big difference. I will agree that the difference in ride is not night and day but still noticeable, which probably reflects the improvement the newer runflat technology has made in that regard. However, the improved feel and grip available when really pressing on and a noticeable reduction in tramlining have made it a much better car. Look forward to the spring change!
Oh dear - this was meant to be a family estate / tow car / workhorse....... :-)
Update - had the springs fitted by Rossiters this weekend and had a good opportunity to test them out on the way back with a variety of A-road, dual carriageways and then some excellent Rutland B roads.
The springs have genuinely made a massive improvement - much more "planted", less body roll and feels less like a boat through a series of quick corners.
My thoughts are - if you are a driving enthusiast, these are worth spending the money on. They certainly don't damage the ride quality and the handling is much improved in my opinion. As above, the tyres make a difference but not as much (I did the tyres first, then the springs). My car is a LCI model with the apparently improved stock suspension.
Steve
The springs have genuinely made a massive improvement - much more "planted", less body roll and feels less like a boat through a series of quick corners.
My thoughts are - if you are a driving enthusiast, these are worth spending the money on. They certainly don't damage the ride quality and the handling is much improved in my opinion. As above, the tyres make a difference but not as much (I did the tyres first, then the springs). My car is a LCI model with the apparently improved stock suspension.
Steve
Really tempted with the springs.
On the seat - yes it's awful so I retrofitted lumbar support which helped a lot
http://www.corbeau-seats.com/accessories/inflatabl...
On the seat - yes it's awful so I retrofitted lumbar support which helped a lot
http://www.corbeau-seats.com/accessories/inflatabl...
julian64 said:
I've seen a few of these threads now, and they are all very positive for the springs but very information light
Half the claims made for the swap in springs in the way the car handles can't be right. People claim damping improvement and cornering improvement and cornering feel which aren't directly spring linked.
One suspects that when someone buys new springs they automatically want to justify their purchase. I have driven a car with 18" wheels and AC springs and found it worse than my 20" wheels and standard springs in terms of harshness of ride. There was little or no difference in cornering feel which makes sense. I suspect there is an element of wheel size affecting the spring rate.
No one even seems to know what the spring rate is on the upgrade springs for any sort of comparison.
My advice would be to try and find a car with them and try it out rather than take advice on here. Be aware though that an F30 with adaptive suspension does feel a lot different to a car without so you must compare like with like.
I agree with this train of thought. I have a 2014 335d xdrive with adaptive suspension, 19" and still on the original Pirelli run flats. Half the claims made for the swap in springs in the way the car handles can't be right. People claim damping improvement and cornering improvement and cornering feel which aren't directly spring linked.
One suspects that when someone buys new springs they automatically want to justify their purchase. I have driven a car with 18" wheels and AC springs and found it worse than my 20" wheels and standard springs in terms of harshness of ride. There was little or no difference in cornering feel which makes sense. I suspect there is an element of wheel size affecting the spring rate.
No one even seems to know what the spring rate is on the upgrade springs for any sort of comparison.
My advice would be to try and find a car with them and try it out rather than take advice on here. Be aware though that an F30 with adaptive suspension does feel a lot different to a car without so you must compare like with like.
I like the car the way it is, it feels to big and heavy for me to be happy in driving it hard so if the ACS springs are all people say they are I don't know that it would change the way I drive the car which is very smoothly and normally most of the time with the odd blast of speed. I can drive hard, I have owned Caterhams, Westfields, Type R's, Evo's, I just don't want to drive a big heavy BMW in the way those cars need to be driven.
I am more interested in the change I would see going to normal tires like Eagle F1's and buying a tin of sealant.
I don't think £600 on springs would be a good move for me.
mike150 said:
I agree with this train of thought. I have a 2014 335d xdrive with adaptive suspension, 19" and still on the original Pirelli run flats.
I like the car the way it is, it feels to big and heavy for me to be happy in driving it hard so if the ACS springs are all people say they are I don't know that it would change the way I drive the car which is very smoothly and normally most of the time with the odd blast of speed. I can drive hard, I have owned Caterhams, Westfields, Type R's, Evo's, I just don't want to drive a big heavy BMW in the way those cars need to be driven.
I am more interested in the change I would see going to normal tires like Eagle F1's and buying a tin of sealant.
I don't think £600 on springs would be a good move for me.
It's an interesting point about how you drive the car. I have a 535d F11 and had the ACS springs fitted last week, and they are everything that people have said they are. The car reminds me of all the best bits I missed about my E39 530i. I have however noticed that I am driving the car differently. Maybe this is because the sensations are new and will wear off but I'm not so sure. The car feels like it has less mass and inertia when turning (which kind of makes sense as the CoG is now lower). The result is where as before I would be quite happy to bounce along in comfort mode, or even normal mode, drving a bit like a grandad and slow for corners, the car now feels happy taking corners much faster, even when if comfort mode.I like the car the way it is, it feels to big and heavy for me to be happy in driving it hard so if the ACS springs are all people say they are I don't know that it would change the way I drive the car which is very smoothly and normally most of the time with the odd blast of speed. I can drive hard, I have owned Caterhams, Westfields, Type R's, Evo's, I just don't want to drive a big heavy BMW in the way those cars need to be driven.
I am more interested in the change I would see going to normal tires like Eagle F1's and buying a tin of sealant.
I don't think £600 on springs would be a good move for me.
With the stock suspension I think the Sport and Normal modes were closer together, with Comfort (being bouncy and soft) feeling quite different. Now with the ACS springs Normal and confort seem closer together and Sport has the more dramatic effect on the car.
Overall the car is much more enjoyable, and feels more conected to the road, similar to the effect of moving from RF's to normal tyres. Comfort is still smooth but doesn't bouce like it used to. Maybe I just need to select a more relaxing track on ther stereo when I drive
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