Electronically (Iphone) Adjustable KW V3 for 1M

[eeghie]

Originally Posted by LotusBoy

Thanks for the link ! I got my Baby back form the DDC install yesterday. Total man-hours was 10 hours to perform the installation, set-up, alignement not included. My installer managed to keep the ride height at the same level as OEM, and said he could even rise it slightly if needed ! As I left the garage in Comfort mode, the difference was huge. It's pliant and nicely damped, like a standard 1-Series with non-runflat tires. What a breeze to drive in traffic or on a bad road ! Of course, there is a little more roll than stock, and the steering isn't as sharp. But when the road clears up, you can switch to Sport mode. It's obviously firmer than Comfort, but more "controlled" than stock: the car isn't unsetled by bumps or potholes like it was. General ride comfort is similar to stock.
I tried Sport+ mode as well. It is bearable on a good road. Pitch and roll are largely reduced but I couldn't test it on track yet. Track times could perhaps decrease by 2 or 3 seconds per lap, to be confirmed. These are just my first impressions. I just don't see any drawbacks, except of course for the price. 3000 euros is quite a big amount !!
So my temporary conclusion is overly positive. Top-notch stuff, realy !!

Congrats and thx for the review. Assume you mean both front and rear are at OEM height: That would also be my target, though I'd settle for the marketing spec of -10mm front and -5mm rear that Aussie has.

Originally Posted by clived

Very interested to hear that they managed to keep ride height as standard - any info on if they had to do anything special to achieve that?

+1, can you detail on the front and rear solution to achieve this setting: Is it as easy as extend the included adjustable perches or use the OEM springs (rear) or ...

[Aussie_in_London]

Nice one mate and glad to hear you are happy overall with the kit, really does make a difference in all areas, and all at your own control.....I have been spending some time in sports, it just feels spot on and I have much more confidence throughout corners while on the power, just last night I was out for a drive along the river and catching up with a mate at his touring car work shop (roads well quite for London due to the euro football/soccer game) and on my way back home I came at a fast sweeping left hander and was caught out by a tight right that hit into a round-about, now I am sure on the stock set up at the speed I was travelling and the condition of the road (dual carriage but very lumpy) I would have bounced into the green, but in sports (+MDM) I had full contact all round and control with a small amount of input with the wheel, here I was thinking oooh no this could get messing, but nope the turn in was very smooth and totally controlled..........

So where did you end up fitting the 3 way button in the end?

[clived]

Originally Posted by LotusBoy

Not really, according to the Betriebsanleitung/Instruction Manual from KW (page 8), the height adjustment range is 40mm. This is perhaps slightly different from the V3 ? Anyway mine is at OEM height. So I'd guess it ranges from -30mm to +10mm, according to your requirements...

Hmmm Shane, you said "10mm/5mm are the minimal with a 35/25mm max range" - could you talk to your man at KW and find out which is correct? ;-)

Cheers, Clive

[Aussie_in_London]

Originally Posted by clived

Hmmm Shane, you said "10mm/5mm are the minimal with a 35/25mm max range" - could you talk to your man at KW and find out which is correct? ;-)

Cheers, Clive

I will ask mate as that is what they informed me of before fitting and what is on the data system, maybe some modifying was done during fitting but I will see what I can find out......

[LotusBoy]

Distance from wheel hub to wing, after KW installation is actually 1mm lower than OEM for the front, and 4mm lower than OEM for the back, as measured by the installer. But then the ride height depends on fuel load as well, so I regard this as almost OEM. The springs are the ones from KW. See the link for pics:
http://www.facebook.com/BM.Performance.Store

[LotusBoy]

Originally Posted by Aussie_in_London

Nice one mate and glad to hear you are happy overall with the kit, really does make a difference in all areas, and all at your own control.....I have been spending some time in sports, it just feels spot on and I have much more confidence throughout corners while on the power, just last night I was out for a drive along the river and catching up with a mate at his touring car work shop (roads well quite for London due to the euro football/soccer game) and on my way back home I came at a fast sweeping left hander and was caught out by a tight right that hit into a round-about, now I am sure on the stock set up at the speed I was travelling and the condition of the road (dual carriage but very lumpy) I would have bounced into the green, but in sports (+MDM) I had full contact all round and control with a small amount of input with the wheel, here I was thinking oooh no this could get messing, but nope the turn in was very smooth and totally controlled..........

So where did you end up fitting the 3 way button in the end?

I agree with you, where surface condition and traffic permits, Sport is great. The car feels totally planted ! I copied your solution for the button: in the ashtray... Another great place to fit it would have been on the panel just below the AC and ventilation control, where it would be easier to reach.

[Aussie_in_London]

Originally Posted by LotusBoy

I agree with you, where surface condition and traffic permits, Sport is great. The car feels totally planted ! I copied your solution for the button: in the ashtray... Another great place to fit it would have been on the panel just below the AC and ventilation control, where it would be easier to reach.

The best of 3 worlds as I see it ah yeah for me driving a RHD the location is right within easy reach where as yourself you have to lean over and around the gear lever but it is a great location to keep the button out of site when not in use, I also looked to see if there was room next to the i-drive....

[eeghie]

Can any one summarize or post the EVO review of (Aussie's) DDC setup?

[Aussie_in_London]

John Baker only spent a short period of time behind the wheel with a bit of that made up of photos, he didn't make any changes to the set up using the app, he did suggest Nick Trott give it a shot as he spent most of the time in their longer termer 1M....

[eeghie]

slightly confused by ranking of comfort as bumpier ('too bumpy for British B roads'). What do you guys think?

[eeghie]

Originally Posted by LotusBoy

Distance from wheel hub to wing, after KW installation is actually 1mm lower than OEM for the front, and 4mm lower than OEM for the back, as measured by the installer. But then the ride height depends on fuel load as well, so I regard this as almost OEM. The springs are the ones from KW. See the link for pics:
http://www.facebook.com/BM.Performance.Store

So they fitted at the minimum drop you think? Or could they have achieved this small drop by 'special' measure?

[Aussie_in_London]

Originally Posted by eeghie

slightly confused by ranking of comfort as bumpier ('too bumpy for British B roads'). What do you guys think?

In comfort it does feel a little wallowing with possibly a bit to much damper travel when at speed but it isn't bumpy by any means, it feels a little like floating as it soaks up the ruts and bumps rather than jarring and there is not hitting home hard on the pump stops, I usually use comfort for light driving and motorway cruising, fast road use on a & b roads sport has been working very well and stable at best, at the moment I am trying to find an in-between of comfort and sport, there I think it would be perfect for fast b-road blasts ......

[LotusBoy]

Hi guys , sorry for the late reply, but i am on some tropical island without my laptop...
i would say the article is a bit confusing at best. wondering if Mr Barker, otherwise an excellent journalist, had enough time to test the different modes long enough. Comfort isnt in any case bouncy. But sport+ could indeed be too hard for most B-roads. I am once again backing up our Aussie friend on his analysis ! The only issue I noticed is that one shoudnt take speed bumps any faster in Comfort mode than with an OEM car. I tried, and on the other side of the bump my front spoiler touched the asphalt, luckily with just a bruise. It actually does what it says on the tin, providing suppleness in Comfort, great chassis control in Sport, and a very sharp ride in Sport+. But it is still the driverS responsability to select the most appropriate mode...
To Eeghie> no, nothing special to adjust the ride height to same as OEM, to my knowledge. I definitely woudnt go too low, unless you drive mostly on a race track, as the front spoiler is already quite vulnerable to start with ...

[Aussie_in_London]

Originally Posted by LotusBoy

Hi guys , sorry for the late reply, but i am on some tropical island without my laptop...
i would say the article is a bit confusing at best. wondering if Mr Barker, otherwise an excellent journalist, had enough time to test the different modes long enough. Comfort isnt in any case bouncy. But sport+ could indeed be too hard for most B-roads. I am once again backing up our Aussie friend on his analysis ! The only issue I noticed is that one shoudnt take speed bumps any faster in Comfort mode than with an OEM car. I tried, and on the other side of the bump my front spoiler touched the asphalt, luckily with just a bruise. It actually does what it says on the tin, providing suppleness in Comfort, great chassis control in Sport, and a very sharp ride in Sport+. But it is still the driverS responsability to select the most appropriate mode...
To Eeghie> no, nothing special to adjust the ride height to same as OEM, to my knowledge. I definitely woudnt go too low, unless you drive mostly on a race track, as the front spoiler is already quite vulnerable to start with ...

Nice and alright for some hey soaking up the rays

John didn't have a lot of time with the car that I am aware of, he also spent some time driving the evoque also equipped with DDC.

I totally agree re speed bumps and comfort, I have scrapped a couple of time now (far back of middle of front bumper).

10mm front and 5mm rear is my max drop and I wont consider going any lower due to front bumper clearance I am already finding, otherwise it is a great set up .........

[LotusBoy]

Hi everyone ! I was a bit puzzled to read from Evo that our Baby-M with KW's DDC would be snappier when braking traction. So I did yesterday what I did before the install of my suspension: a drift session. Actually twice a 30 min session on a dedicated drift track.
See the link for the place: http://www.maitriseduvolant.be/
Anyway, I didn't felt a difference in drift control on that wet track. If anything, the instructor/pilot and my pal Nico reckoned I was getting better at this. I even started mastering the tricky Scandinavian Flick, so I don't think it's any more difficult with DDC. What I realized is that Comfort mode is too soft for this kind of fun. Videos will follow, hopefully next week. And a proper, 'grippy' track session is coming up, too ...

[eeghie]

Originally Posted by LotusBoy

Hi everyone ! I was a bit puzzled to read from Evo that our Baby-M with KW's DDC would be snappier when braking traction. So I did yesterday what I did before the install of my suspension: a drift session. Actually twice a 30 min session on a dedicated drift track.
See the link for the place: http://www.maitriseduvolant.be/
Anyway, I didn't felt a difference in drift control on that wet track. If anything, the instructor/pilot and my pal Nico reckoned I was getting better at this. I even started mastering the tricky Scandinavian Flick, so I don't think it's any more difficult with DDC. What I realized is that Comfort mode is too soft for this kind of fun. Videos will follow, hopefully next week. And a proper, 'grippy' track session is coming up, too ...

Excellent test, if you have the ipod app I'd be interested if front=comfort/soft and rear=Sport+/hard makes drifting even more fun/easy?

[Aussie_in_London]

Aug Performance BMW magazine has a feature on the DDC kit in the 1M......

[Aussie_in_London]

[eeghie]

THX, looking good, (ur rim color is superb, even from this angle). Once the review is out of embargo, looking forward to reading it here !?

My install should be within 2 months or so, can't wait.

Just saw in an older article that the aluminum housing of the OEM suspension is part of the 1M weight-saving measures. Did anyone check on the stainless DDC system weight vs stock?

[Aussie_in_London]

I will scan the rest shortly mate, you will appreciate the changes the set up brings...

[LotusBoy]

Originally Posted by eeghie

Excellent test, if you have the ipod app I'd be interested if front=comfort/soft and rear=Sport+/hard makes drifting even more fun/easy?

Hi Eeghie ! I had no time to play with the i-phone app when drifting the car, as my allowed time was limited. But theoreticaly, softening the back improves traction, so it would decrease slipping. Note that the app allows a maximum axle offset of 30%, so that is the max difference between front and rear stiffness ...

[eeghie]

Originally Posted by eeghie

... Just saw in an older article that the aluminum housing of the OEM suspension is part of the 1M weight-saving measures. Did anyone check on the stainless DDC system weight vs stock?

Came across the thread of the guy who had the very first test KW V3 DDC install (see OP) and it confirms that this setup (Inox steel) is weight neutral with stock (aluminum); both 32Kg, although presented as apple2apple compare, it is not described what the measurement includes.

http://www.1erforum.de/bmw-1er-m-cou...ml#post1183735