E92 SE handling upgrades - where to start on a budget

E92 SE handling upgrades - where to start on a budget

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SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Friday 6th March 2015
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Hi all,

Where is the best place to start when trying to tighten up my E92 330i SE? It is my daily driver and I have no plans to use it on track, I want to reduce body roll and understeer.

I've looked at -
  • Anti-roll bars
  • Bushes, specifically Powerflex
  • Control arms
  • Shocks, specifically Koni STR.T / orange
  • Springs, specifically the Eibach Pro-Kit
I have a budget of £250-600 for parts and a good independent mechanic for fitting on top of this budget. I know that I need to cherry pick from the above list but am not sure where to start to get to my goals of reduced body roll and understeer.

Thanks in advance :-)

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Friday 6th March 2015
quotequote all
Thank-you for the replies. It is on 17" wheels, 225/45 non-run flat tyres all round.

helix402 -

ARBs - Based on the front / rear effects I should be looking for a thicker rear ARB, leaving the front alone? That way I will reduce under steer.

Shocks - I'm not interested in adjustable shocks, naively I thoyght Koni orange were like sports but not adjustable. I've found mixed reviews. My attraction to STR.T was price / performance - are they a bit underwhelming? I'd like Bilstein shocks but they come in at a lot more money, I'm guessing it's worth the jump in price?

For a budget of a few hundred quid which would be the best place to start? ARBs first, see if I'm happy then if not go for springs and shocks?

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Saturday 7th March 2015
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Thanks again for all of the replies. The Birds kits look amazing but are out of budget (sadly!).

The Bilstein B12 kit looks to be a good compromise, how stiff are Bilstein shocks? What attracted me to Konis was their fixed adjustment / cheaper price and reputation for balancing comfort / sport. I think the Koni STR.T shocks are out, they're perhaps too cheap and seem to get mixed reviews. Koni FSDs are meant to be the business and paired with Eibach Pro-Kit springs there is nothing between the Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit in price. In my head the Koni FSDs would be better suited to daily driving than Bilsteins - this could be horribly misguided though!

Looking at the ARB choices at the links the rear E92 M3 ARB would be a good fit with the Pro Kit springs, stiffer but not ridiculous. The point about it buggering up the handling worries me a bit. Would it be better to upgrade both front and rear to keep overall "balance" in play, I know that my original post mentioned understeer but I don't want to dial that out if a rear ARB upsets the back!

ftypical - it's a 2009/59 car with 133k miles (!) so your point is a valid one. I've had it in the air with my mechanic and the rear bushes do not appear to be split and there doesn't look to be any play. Rear bushes were on an earlier MOT advisory with the previous owner and may not have been replaced (and missed from the later MOT). Not checked the front so these could be worn. The shocks do not wobble around when rocked and my mechanic didn't find anything seriously wrong with the setup. It's sat on Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres all round which I put on in October with balancing, I check the pressure monthly. The tyres have plenty of tread left etc, I've not checked in detail if they are wearing evenly. Tracking seems spot on too. It seems Bits which I've not checked are alignment / geometry. There are no knocks / bangs / horrible noises from the suspension but with 130k+ I am realistic that things will need to be replaced.

Edited by SoupAnxiety on Saturday 7th March 21:35

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
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Monkey_boy - have you tried giving the sunken side of your car a wobble? Do the shocks bounce around or stiffen up quickly on the rebound? What is making you think the shock is gone (would like to see if I have the same symptoms on mine)? The Koni FSD kit looks good, I'm with you on lowering as I do not want to do it. I think at 133k my car is due new shocks and springs (despite no horrendous noises etc) and my logic with doing springs as well as shocks was that they all live together and getting all fitted doesn't take much more time than just one component.

I'm thinking the Bilstein B12 kit is the way to go, the 25mm / 35mm drop worries me slightly. Are spacers a bad idea to offset the drop? From the pictures it doesn't look to severe but I don't want to bottom out over speed bumps or have a chavtastic car.

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
quotequote all
It could be that a shock is on the way out. Bit of a silly one but have you checked tyre pressures? I checked mine three months ago, noticed my car was sitting lower on the drivers side and it turns out last week I was 8 psi down on both tyres on the drivers side! If the shock doesn't wobble around too much it might still be on the way out. Your mileage isn't that high but the age of the car will contribute. Might be worth using it as an excuse to buy fancy shocks and new springs wink

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Tuesday 10th March 2015
quotequote all
The Birds kit would be the dogs bks but is very pricey. The Bilstein B12 kit is on my list, £700 with one days labour for installation. If I'm still upset with the handling might look at thicker ARBs (as the springs will cope). I've come from a hot hatch and miss the handling of it, I accept limitations of the E9x when balancing comfort but the roll is bizarre. Logically the car could still be comfy and not roll! Is yours an M Sport?

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
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I've changed from a Suzuki Swift Sport as my daily car, the E92 is a brilliant car in every way and I've warmed to it but still have some way to go to love it. The handling does make me a sad panda - roll is really unsettling.

I'm trying to find the best price on the B12 kit, it's coming in at £700 on eBay / Larkspeed / Amazon / anywhere which I can find.

Get the bits whenever I can and take the car to an independent mechanic (who has been a life saver) as the E92 looks to be a royal pain in the arse to do with axle stands at home. Hopefully May / June / July this year - I should have my E30 back on the road next month which can act as my courtesy car!

I'm saving for a wedding smile whilst overpaying the mortgage frown so the only way I'll get it done sooner is if a shock / spring fails so that I can justify the suspension upgrade as a "necessity" (!). The insurance still puts me off as I know I'll be setting myself up for a hike when declaring this!

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
If I had my way it'd be a wedding on a beach somewhere - forget money, the amount of people involved is overwhelming enough on its own!

Thanks for the link - that is the cheapest price I've seen for the B12 kit. What would your plan be with Koni FSDs - pair with existing / fresh OEM springs?

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
How about Eibach springs with spacers? It's what I'm considering to soften the 25mm / 35mm drop with the Pro-Kit!

Out of interest does your 335i have the staggered wheels? 18" or 19"? I'm on 17" wheels at the moment, 225 all round, and wondering if a set of staggered wheels would help. I prefer the look of 18" and suspect 19" ride horrible.

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
How does it ride on the 19" wheels? I appreciate it's a tough question to answer as M Sport springs are known for being harsh. Gut says 18" would be the sweet spot for looks, have you got any pictures handy?

P.S. I've got the same Goodyears on mine, albeit on the Fisher-Price 17" wheels! I'm really happy with their performance in the wet, much better than my previous favourite Yokohama tyres.

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Thank-you for the pictures - that is a brilliant motor which you have there! You have rekindled my love of Alpina wheels - I've been eyeing up replicas for my E30 but they are too big. 19" wheels look to sit well, I think when I win the lottery I'll go for 18" wheels to balance vanity but keep (a degree) of comfort. I ditched the RFTs after two days of ownership - bloody awful! Next job is to take out the clutch delay valve, much cheaper than the replacement spring job. Will keep you posted on my experience when I get the new springs and shocks - don't tbink I'll be able to restrain my wallet until May!

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Friday 27th March 2015
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Thanks for the update - £50 was indeed a bargain! You've set my mind at rest with regard to the lowering too, 35mm sounds a lot but it looks to translate into something which is still "real world" friendly. Keep me posted when you have them fitted - would be keen to know if the springs balance comfort / spirited driving. Some folks seem to rave about H&R but I suspect this is too far one way without any of the balance. Eibach were in the BMW owners mag this month for an E36 but they seem to have a brilliant reputation.

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Thursday 9th April 2015
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Monkey_boy - A proper job makes sense since you are stripping things. I plan to do shocks, springs, mounts and bushes together. Keep me posted!

phil_cardiff - I replaced RFTs a few days after getting the car. If you have a manual your next job needs to be the removal of the clutch delay valve!

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Friday 10th April 2015
quotequote all
The benefits are that you can feel the bite through the clutch, changes go from being jerky and inconsistent to working the way a manual should. I removed mine as I was fed up of the clutch operation, particularly when manoeuvring and having to wait for the fluid to work its way around despite me pressing the pedal. Take it out, it's straightforward to removal and as said in the other posts you will need to bleed the clutch. Took me less than 30 minutes with a buddy to press the pedal for me whilst I bled the system from underneath. It's a night and day difference and should never have been installed on the car!

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Saturday 11th April 2015
quotequote all
Can you gauge where the bite point is? If you're able to change gears without fluffing them then chances are it's been done - to say it was terrible with the CDV in place is an understatement. I spent six months trying to "learn" the car, convinced I was being a numpty!

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Sunday 12th April 2015
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The hold is deliberate - the car applies the brakes automatically for three seconds. It is a really handy feature.

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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Nice work - you are right in saying it is like Christmas! Get some man wrap on it and unwrap it for a more immersive experience.
The Koni FSDs get a good write up, particularly for real world driving. Whereabouts are you based? I know a cracking independent if you are in Cheshire who's kept my E92 and E30 happy and will be the go to guy when I get round to getting my new shocks and springs. He's warned me against getting Powerflex bushes all round saying the ride would be too hard - recommended that you renew bushes whilst fitting the new shocks etc but aftermarket rock hard bushes are not always a good thing.

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
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I'm doing the E30 myself at home but i've heard the E9x can be a bit of a pig. I'm on mates rates at £200 for the day to do the work, if it's a day for a mechanic with a proper garage your bank holiday weekend suggestion would be doable. Stock up on beer and WD-40 and you'll get through it.

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
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Nice work! Thanks for taking photos. Besides spring compressors did you need any special gear? Were you surprised that your old shocks were worn out - were you having any problems when driving?
Let me know how it is on the road.

SoupAnxiety

Original Poster:

299 posts

110 months

Sunday 26th April 2015
quotequote all
Sounds easier than what I was expecting, and good to see you have used axle stands. I've convinced myself most jobs need a ramp and therefore cannot be completed at home!
The ride height isn't silly high, if you want silly arch / tyre clearance try fitting the wrong profile (ordered in error) to 14" wheels on an E30. Never have I been so ashamed!
Keep me posted on the front and your opinions on the setup! The wedding fund may find itself lighter to the tune of the Bilstein kit if you are impressed with yours!