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  • If you are considering upgrading the handling of your MC....

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    /// Exdos ///
    "Men who try the impossible and fail spectacularly are infinitely superior to those who reach for nothing and succeed" --Napoleon Bonapart

  • #2
    Fantastic post that John, and with my wallowy barge I may well follow some of your findings.

    Simon.

    Comment


    • #3
      WOW what a great post - cheers for taking the time to put it together. I havent time to read it all tonight but will soon.
      I agree - my MC is like a boat on the track and so i do want to change the set up. The only thing is, our roads here are awful country, lumpy roads and comfort must be maintained.
      Have just got a StrongStrut front brace but wont get it fited til next week.
      Fitted a GruppeM induction kit on Saturday - this is the business. There seems to be better power and response but maybe this is due to the powerful sound. It sounds so cool that it makes it great value
      BigFish
      www.justbeaut.com

      E60 touring,
      E83 X3 Sport
      Z M Coupe - the FUN one with GruppeM induction kit and StrongStrut front brace

      Comment


      • #4
        For me personally I would say the damping is the area most needing upgrading to get rid of the boaty feel and provide better body control on poorer roads.

        I've got the Bilstein Sprintline kit on mine and I've come to the conclusion that the springs that come with this kit (VENTURA) are too soft which is what I initially thought when I inspected the springs; they are not shorter in height than the standard springs yet the car sits up to 30mm lower on them and the actual spring coil thickness (particularly at the rear) is much thinner too suggesting they are softer (I remember the standard spring being stiff off the car when pressing down on them, if that is anything to go by!!). I think Sprintline shocks on standard springs might work quite well, and that the VENTURA lowering springs rely more on lower CoG than a stiffer spring rate. This probably also why mine has bottomed out on undulating roads.

        With regards the butt strut, I don't think this can be considered an alternative to uprated bushes since they are doing two different jobs; the butt strut is bracing the large stud bolts from the body where the subframe bolts too; the subframe still has the same amount of movement on the bushes (as the subframe "floats" on the bushes), just that the location of the studs is more "positive" (the studs are really flexible when the side brackets are removed). However I do find the butt strut a noticeable improvement and I've also "uprated" my rear bushes by pushing some DIY inserts in to the gaps of the bush which seems to have tightened up the handling and also made it feel more stable but at the expense of some harshness.

        Comment


        • #5
          Very well written, I will be up to this standard in the next few weeks, I already have the strut-brace, KW3 suspension, 19" rims, and have just ordered H&R ARB's, will be swapping the front top mounts over at the same time as fitting the bars.
          As Exdos says, it does take a bit of time to set the car up, I am still tinkering, but once done you will not believe it is the same car.
          A lot of people talk about BHP and how to get more, and that is fine, but, if you can't carry what speed you already have into corners because your car isn't sorted, then all the BHP in the world isn't going to help.
          And if you want proof, then come along to one of our meets, ( couldn't resist a plug ).

          Steve.
          2002 phoenix yellow. "V3RY M" lives on, but on another beast.

          Comment


          • #6
            Very good post with good information(without being too overly technical) and advice that should be of great benefit to a lot of owners in the future 8)

            Its posts like these that really make this forum such a great resource for owners....Well done John and thanks for taking the time to share your findings :wink:
            Black S50

            Comment


            • #7
              Good post John. Thanks for taking the time out to write out such a useful resource.

              I've been intending to get some rear spacers for a while. I will probably do that, swap the front top mounts and ARB's before the Welsh Weekend so that I can try and keep up with Steve again :wink:

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              • #8
                Thanks Exdos,

                Very much appreciated!

                Regards

                Comment


                • #9
                  ...
                  /// Exdos ///
                  "Men who try the impossible and fail spectacularly are infinitely superior to those who reach for nothing and succeed" --Napoleon Bonapart

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    You've got that bloody anorak out of the cupboard again haven't you. :wink:

                    Look forward to putting this to the test when the stuff arrives.

                    Steve.
                    2002 phoenix yellow. "V3RY M" lives on, but on another beast.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      ...
                      /// Exdos ///
                      "Men who try the impossible and fail spectacularly are infinitely superior to those who reach for nothing and succeed" --Napoleon Bonapart

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        2002 phoenix yellow. "V3RY M" lives on, but on another beast.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Exdos

                          Not been posting for a while for reasons explained in my PM to you. Needless to say work is still killing my life.

                          The other problem is that I still cannot access the Technical Forum on this site unless I go in through someones posting history!!

                          But, having been accused of putting work first and the car second and everything else a distant 3rd, I may as well indulge myself!!

                          I thought your article was superb. Hugely informative and written by soeone who has gone out and done it. Well done.

                          I now have a problem and am hoping for some advice.

                          I upgraded to ACS suspension about 18 months ago and have also fitted the Strong Strut front brace. The car runs on 18" BBS Le Mans alloys. I have ordered the ARBs but not yet collected or fitted them.

                          Problem. ACS suspension has now done about 80K miles. Is it worth fitting the ARBs?
                          Do I need new dampers? Should I stick with the ACS springs and try amd get hold of a new set of ACS dampers?

                          Any help gratefully received

                          Roger
                          GT3 Cobalt Blue. PCCB. Roll Cage. Buckets.

                          Ex M Coupe.

                          Now Gone

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Wow, excellent post exdos, shame I haven't still got the MC to play with ! Will be in an S54 one day... ;-)
                            -------------------------
                            Ex Ex Ex: 1998 M Coupé, Estoril/Estoril+Black. HK+ MD+CD Changer, roof, side bags, lamp wash.
                            Ex Ex: 1998 M3 Evo Coupé, Estoril / Blk with all the toys.
                            Ex: 2004 Z4 3.0i, Silver / blk with no roof.
                            Now: 2003 M3 CSL, Silver Grey, lots of carbon fibre.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              ...
                              /// Exdos ///
                              "Men who try the impossible and fail spectacularly are infinitely superior to those who reach for nothing and succeed" --Napoleon Bonapart

                              Comment

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