Long term modification reviews: hindsight is 20/20

[HyeWarrior]

Curious to maybe see if we can start a thread about mods you’ve done and maybe some different options you’ve had to try out. Maybe the coil overs you first got for your E82 wasn’t what you were looking for, but your new set is better for x, y, and z reasons. Or maybe the first downpipe you got didn’t fit correctly, but you love the new one?


Worth a shot so we can get some decent customer/enthusiast feedback in one thread

[xQx]

Yeah, I'll chime in. There've been a few mods I might've done differently.

Downpipes, Intercooler, Chargepipe & RHD Outlets have almost no negative affects and are worth every penny.

Plumb-back BOV's were a lot of money for what they were, I probably would've kept them stock had my time again; and the DCI wasn't a lot of money, but the evidence suggests it gives zero gains, and IAT's are much better on the street with a stock airbox, so I probably wouldn't do them again either.

BMS Cowl Filters & removing the stock cowl do nothing for you except to increase cabin noise; and you get stressed every time you're parked in a massive rain storm because you've removed some water protection from the engine bay, so I probably would've left that stock too in hindsight.

I love my JB4 with the bluetooth gauges, but again, spent way too much cash on buying them new when the MHD does basically the same thing . It does mean that I can use flex feul when I feel like it and don't have to worry too much about getting exactly the right ratio; so I'd still really recommend getting one second hand if you've got e85 nearby.

MHD, SmartTop, XHP and Carly and the Feul-it Stage 2 LPFP I'd buy again without hesitation. Each provides a tangible benefit and was worth every penny.

Leaving inlets and the LSD.

If you're keeping the car forever, do both these things. I did inlets and outlets at the same time, and the car now performs like it's on E25 when it's on PUMP fuel. It lowered turbo-lag and increased top-end power. BUT, they were a PITA to install and basically can't be taken off the car; so come time to sell and that's just dead money.

The LSD is kinda the same - it's rather difficult to take off the car, so you can't easily return to stock to sell; but importantly - if you haven't learnt how to drive the car with the LSD, it gives the driver a very unnerving "man this handles like shit" feeling.

I've expanded on this in other threads, the car doesn't actually handle like shit, but it absolutely feels unsettled and 'wrong' compared with normal passenger cars.

[juld0zer]

While everyone else raves about it, I ended up undoing it: 245/35-18 square on 18x8.5" 261M wheels. I didn't like the feel as you applied more steering input and it felt like after a certain point it led to more understeer. It also messed up the scrub radius which caused the tyres to roll onto the sidewalls and rapidly wear the inner edges - quite possibly this was the cause of the understeer. Oh, and having to run 10mm spacers to clear the dampers doesn't help the scrub radius problem either.

Adjustable camber/caster front strut mounts which would loosen every couple of 1000km becoming noisy at low speeds, a real pain to dial in settings as camber and caster were unable to be adjusted independently. They also took away a lot of the famous BMW steering feel. However, they were required to go square.

To be honest, my engine and transmission is 100% stock so i cant contribute anything there. I may install MHD for a taste next year.
However, in my job i do come across a lot of aftermarket products fitted. My only advice is to use only reputable workshops if you are paying your hard earned for installation. There is nothing worse than paying for professional neglect.

[rocksarntpeople]

Ill contribute to this. Having owned the car for 1.5 years but do about 20-30K miles of driving a year, I think that qualifies: 2008 135i 6MT

Worth It:
-As said before, DPs, IC, CP/BOV and tune. Zero drawbacks other than maybe fleshing out some issues the car already had in the first place.

-CIC/Combox Retrofit: Sounds like a headache on paper, and there are some issues that usually have to be sorted on a per-car basis, however the result is great.

-Whiteline Subframe Inserts: Do these. Now. Cheap. Big difference in how the rear feels, and honestly seems like it will last just as long as full bushings with most of the same benefits.

Not Worth It:
-Cobb tuner:if youre on the fence about tuning, just use MHD. period.

-Catch Can: went through all 3 big ones :BMS, Mishimoto, and even the ECS one with the slick mounting kit...did very little if anything, and all looked like shit from an aesthetic standpoint. Maybe others have better luck, not me. Save your money.

-DCI: I have the AFE Stage 2 setup, and like most I think it actually increases IAT's. Now if that actually adversely effects performance, I dont know, but I can say I FEEL no difference in performance. On the positive side, it really does look and sound cool thats for sure, but is it worth the money? That argument could go eitherway.

[bNks334]

Thing I regret #1: Not trusting my gut in how I was setting my car up. I decided to try what the forum consensus is for my 135i: stiff front spring rates relative to the rear and a BIG 27mm front sway. I hated it. Sold the sway, went back to stock bar, and increased the rear spring rate from 12k to 16k to make the suspension neutral again. I also went back to stock-like F:R ground clearance bias that keeps the rear squatted a few mm lower than the front. That's what keeps the chassis balanced and the dynamic cross-weight in check.

I was just talking to a very fast driver at autocross who was ripping on the 1-series "it understeers constantly until it oversteers from power." uhhh... no... the person campaigning the car just set it up terribly (another very fast driver). Instead of a 235/275 tire setup try 255/275. Instead of running 10k front springs and a 28mm front sway with tiny front tires (for a 3400lb car) try running something more reasonable like 6k w/ M3 sway bar... My car does not understeer it actually oversteers. It's possible.

Thing #2: My custom tune. I wanted to show what the stock turbo can do so we maxed it out on E30. Hitting 23-24psi and making 500wtq is fun on the street, but the power is not very useful at autocross/roadcourse (I was spinning in 3rd gear on track with rcomps). I plan to re-tune the car on as much ethanol as possible while keeping boost lower at like 16-17psi peak. That will keep the low rpm torque down and hopefully pick up some top-end power. Should make for an easier to drive car with a better power curve.

Thing #3: For the way I use my car, I wish I had gone with stiffer bushings everywhere. I went for cheaper instead. specifically, stiffer engine mounts would be nice since the 034 mounts I have don't come close to being aggressive enough to match poly trans mounts and RSFB. Also, forget doing a diff lockdown bracket and upgrade the differential bushings themselves. You DONT want your differential locked in place if you have soft bushings elsewhere... you need the compliance...

[asiflicious]

Originally Posted by xQx

Yeah, I'll chime in. There've been a few mods I might've done differently.

Downpipes, Intercooler, Chargepipe & RHD Outlets have almost no negative affects and are worth every penny.

Plumb-back BOV's were a lot of money for what they were, I probably would've kept them stock had my time again; and the DCI wasn't a lot of money, but the evidence suggests it gives zero gains, and IAT's are much better on the street with a stock airbox, so I probably wouldn't do them again either.

BMS Cowl Filters & removing the stock cowl do nothing for you except to increase cabin noise; and you get stressed every time you're parked in a massive rain storm because you've removed some water protection from the engine bay, so I probably would've left that stock too in hindsight.

I love my JB4 with the bluetooth gauges, but again, spent way too much cash on buying them new when the MHD does basically the same thing . It does mean that I can use flex feul when I feel like it and don't have to worry too much about getting exactly the right ratio; so I'd still really recommend getting one second hand if you've got e85 nearby.

MHD, SmartTop, XHP and Carly and the Feul-it Stage 2 LPFP I'd buy again without hesitation. Each provides a tangible benefit and was worth every penny.

Leaving inlets and the LSD.

If you're keeping the car forever, do both these things. I did inlets and outlets at the same time, and the car now performs like it's on E25 when it's on PUMP fuel. It lowered turbo-lag and increased top-end power. BUT, they were a PITA to install and basically can't be taken off the car; so come time to sell and that's just dead money.

The LSD is kinda the same - it's rather difficult to take off the car, so you can't easily return to stock to sell; but importantly - if you haven't learnt how to drive the car with the LSD, it gives the driver a very unnerving "man this handles like shit" feeling.

I've expanded on this in other threads, the car doesn't actually handle like shit, but it absolutely feels unsettled and 'wrong' compared with normal passenger cars.

What's smart top? I haven't heard of that.
And I'd actually have to respectfully disagree about xhp. I used it for a week, got sick of the sluggish D mode and I feel like the parameters on the stock tcu flash is more "predictable". I'm not sure how to explain it. And I don't know if it's in my head, but the car didn't really engine brake when downshifting and braking simultaneously entering a corner.
Could you also further elaborate on your thoughts on the lsd? I'm not quite sure if you're saying it was or was not worth it.

[HyeWarrior]

Thank you guys for the feedback, keep it coming! I'm sure this will be helpful for a lot more!

Originally Posted by xQx

Yeah, I'll chime in. There've been a few mods I might've done differently.

Downpipes, Intercooler, Chargepipe & RHD Outlets have almost no negative affects and are worth every penny.

Plumb-back BOV's were a lot of money for what they were, I probably would've kept them stock had my time again; and the DCI wasn't a lot of money, but the evidence suggests it gives zero gains, and IAT's are much better on the street with a stock airbox, so I probably wouldn't do them again either.

BMS Cowl Filters & removing the stock cowl do nothing for you except to increase cabin noise; and you get stressed every time you're parked in a massive rain storm because you've removed some water protection from the engine bay, so I probably would've left that stock too in hindsight.

I love my JB4 with the bluetooth gauges, but again, spent way too much cash on buying them new when the MHD does basically the same thing . It does mean that I can use flex feul when I feel like it and don't have to worry too much about getting exactly the right ratio; so I'd still really recommend getting one second hand if you've got e85 nearby.

MHD, SmartTop, XHP and Carly and the Feul-it Stage 2 LPFP I'd buy again without hesitation. Each provides a tangible benefit and was worth every penny.

Leaving inlets and the LSD.

If you're keeping the car forever, do both these things. I did inlets and outlets at the same time, and the car now performs like it's on E25 when it's on PUMP fuel. It lowered turbo-lag and increased top-end power. BUT, they were a PITA to install and basically can't be taken off the car; so come time to sell and that's just dead money.

The LSD is kinda the same - it's rather difficult to take off the car, so you can't easily return to stock to sell; but importantly - if you haven't learnt how to drive the car with the LSD, it gives the driver a very unnerving "man this handles like shit" feeling.

I've expanded on this in other threads, the car doesn't actually handle like shit, but it absolutely feels unsettled and 'wrong' compared with normal passenger cars.

I was looking at your mod list, curious what you think of the VRSF products! How long have you had them? I'm in the market for a FMIC, DP, CP. The VRSF price points are mighty attractive, but I've seen so many questionable things. How are they long term??

[xQx]

Originally Posted by HyeWarrior

I was looking at your mod list, curious what you think of the VRSF products! How long have you had them? I'm in the market for a FMIC, DP, CP. The VRSF price points are mighty attractive, but I've seen so many questionable things. How are they long term??

I've had them on the car for about 2 years, and haven't had a problem with anything. I'm not sure if you're LHD or RHD, but VRSF are one of the few downpipes that fit on RHD cars without causing problems with the steering rack. I'd absolutly buy them again.

Originally Posted by asiflicious

What's smart top? I haven't heard of that.
And I'd actually have to respectfully disagree about xhp. I used it for a week, got sick of the sluggish D mode and I feel like the parameters on the stock tcu flash is more "predictable". I'm not sure how to explain it. And I don't know if it's in my head, but the car didn't really engine brake when downshifting and braking simultaneously entering a corner.
Could you also further elaborate on your thoughts on the lsd? I'm not quite sure if you're saying it was or was not worth it.

The Smart top is a convertible thing, there's a stupid rule that BMW have built into their cars that forces you to hold your finger on the button while the roof activates. The SmartTop allows you to momentary press the button and have the roof do it's thing. It's a really simple thing, but one that used to annoy the hell out of me every time I got in or out of the car.

If you've got the license for XHP Stage 3, it'd be worth checking out 'sport' mode in flash version 1.4+ - it's miles ahead of what version 1.3 and below was. I can't comment on D mode, I so rarely use it
But I found xhp really removed the delay between hitting the shift paddle and the car shifting gear - it made a huge difference to my ability to drive the gearbox hard and fast.

As for the LSD - In the USA and UK it seems to be economically feasiable for you guys to get a whole M3 subframe and diff from a wrecked M3 and put it under a 1er. In Australia, they're hard to come by, cost a fortune and need significant work to fit up. I was speaking to the local shop and they said it often came to about $8k. Conversely, I was able to get a full MFactory clutch/plate diff supplied and fitted for less than $3k.

Would I do it again? HELL YES.
But was I fully informed of the downsides? No.

As juld0zer said, when you start playing with the handling of the car, you need to look at it as a whole unit, and it really pays to get someone who knows what they're doing. Before I had the LSD, the car was pretty predictable and stable, but I couldn't get the power down even at half throttle, and as soon as you lost traction with one rear wheel, the car was unsettled, squirrelley and wouldn't gain forward momentum. Now, with the LSD, every time I put power down, the back wheels lock together and if I loose traction it generally still propels me forward, and very nicely rotates the back of the car in a controlled oversteer.

It's predictable and really, really fun.

BUT, when you drive around a tight corner under anything but the slightest of acceleration the back wheels lock up and force the inside tire to spin/skid/squeel. When you go through a sweeping bend on the street under power, you can feel it pushing your track wide in the steering (because both back wheels are trying to push you straight, while the front wheels are trying to turn you). If you then back off halfway around a corner, the weight rapidly transfers to the front outside wheel - which I haven't tested at speed, but traditionally leads to either snap oversteer or plough understeer.

Because of this, when you power around a corner, it feels like it's going to understeer, it feels like it's starting to understeer, but if you give it more power, you get perfect, wonderful, controlable power-oversteer.

So if you're driving conservatively with the family in the car, or if you're unfamiliar with the behaviour of the car, it feels like something's wrong.

The reason I mention the m3 diff is OEM diffs are typically much less forceful in their application - so you can do a U turn without sounding like someone's welded your diff. I recon' if you'd swapped in a M3 diff on your daily driver, you wouldn't have the same critisisms as I.

All that said, if you know what to expect, dropping a LSD in the back of our cars is one of the most rewarding modifications you'll make.

[asiflicious]

Originally Posted by xQx

I've had them on the car for about 2 years, and haven't had a problem with anything. I'm not sure if you're LHD or RHD, but VRSF are one of the few downpipes that fit on RHD cars without causing problems with the steering rack. I'd absolutly buy them again.

The Smart top is a convertible thing, there's a stupid rule that BMW have built into their cars that forces you to hold your finger on the button while the roof activates. The SmartTop allows you to momentary press the button and have the roof do it's thing. It's a really simple thing, but one that used to annoy the hell out of me every time I got in or out of the car.

If you've got the license for XHP Stage 3, it'd be worth checking out 'sport' mode in flash version 1.4+ - it's miles ahead of what version 1.3 and below was. I can't comment on D mode, I so rarely use it
But I found xhp really removed the delay between hitting the shift paddle and the car shifting gear - it made a huge difference to my ability to drive the gearbox hard and fast.

As for the LSD - In the USA and UK it seems to be economically feasiable for you guys to get a whole M3 subframe and diff from a wrecked M3 and put it under a 1er. In Australia, they're hard to come by, cost a fortune and need significant work to fit up. I was speaking to the local shop and they said it often came to about $8k. Conversely, I was able to get a full MFactory clutch/plate diff supplied and fitted for less than $3k.

Would I do it again? HELL YES.
But was I fully informed of the downsides? No.

As juld0zer said, when you start playing with the handling of the car, you need to look at it as a whole unit, and it really pays to get someone who knows what they're doing. Before I had the LSD, the car was pretty predictable and stable, but I couldn't get the power down even at half throttle, and as soon as you lost traction with one rear wheel, the car was unsettled, squirrelley and wouldn't gain forward momentum. Now, with the LSD, every time I put power down, the back wheels lock together and if I loose traction it generally still propels me forward, and very nicely rotates the back of the car in a controlled oversteer.

It's predictable and really, really fun.

BUT, when you drive around a tight corner under anything but the slightest of acceleration the back wheels lock up and force the inside tire to spin/skid/squeel. When you go through a sweeping bend on the street under power, you can feel it pushing your track wide in the steering (because both back wheels are trying to push you straight, while the front wheels are trying to turn you). If you then back off halfway around a corner, the weight rapidly transfers to the front outside wheel - which I haven't tested at speed, but traditionally leads to either snap oversteer or plough understeer.

Because of this, when you power around a corner, it feels like it's going to understeer, it feels like it's starting to understeer, but if you give it more power, you get perfect, wonderful, controlable power-oversteer.

So if you're driving conservatively with the family in the car, or if you're unfamiliar with the behaviour of the car, it feels like something's wrong.

The reason I mention the m3 diff is OEM diffs are typically much less forceful in their application - so you can do a U turn without sounding like someone's welded your diff. I recon' if you'd swapped in a M3 diff on your daily driver, you wouldn't have the same critisisms as I.

All that said, if you know what to expect, dropping a LSD in the back of our cars is one of the most rewarding modifications you'll make.

Hmm.. I might give xhp another try. I remembered why I removed it, I remember seeing my transmission temp start reaching 215F on MHD and that seemed way too hot. I'm not sure if it was because of xhp or what but it definitely scared me. I'll have to check and see how my temps are doing without it and see if theres a difference

[Mike@N54Tuning.com]

Great idea for a thread...

From the feedback I get from customer a tune (JB4 is pretty much top of the list) and downpipes provide the greatest bang for the buck.

Second would be good tires. Don't skimp on those and don't underestimate their importance..

Mike

[fast1eddy]

Most of the mods I've done on my car so far have been to the suspension. Coming from an E36 M3 the biggest thing I found this car lacked was handling. The first time I took a high speed off ramp I thought wtf is wrong with the rear end of this car. After some research I realized it was the weak rear subframe bushings. I first upgraded the stock suspension to Mperformance suspension and shortly after Whiteline bushing. Both made a huge improvement and I would do both again in a heartbeat. I can't say enough about the Whiteline bushings and how they improved the car in so many ways. The E92 M3 front sway bar was another worthwhile addition. I also installed Dinan rear shock mounts and to be honest I didn't really notice any appreciable difference.
I have font and rear M3 suspension arms ready to install before I put the car back on the road in the spring. I'm hoping those will take the last bit of vagueness out of the handling. Once I've got the chassis dialled in I'll look at power mods but in my opinion that's the last thing an otherwise stock 135 needs.
The other mod I did was a Burger short shifter. I'm not as happy with this mod. The difference in throw was negligible and the refinement is just not there. I have the parts to rebuild the stock shifter and will be going back to stock before I put the car back on the road in spring.
Although it's technically not a mod, I did a walnut blasting on my car this summer and all I can say is wow. It's like I did a tune on my car it's that much smoother and quicker.

[asiflicious]

What's the overall consensus on the M3 front sway bar and control arms? What problems are they supposed to theoretically rectify and are the benefits actually noticeable and worth the money? I've read conflicting opinions on the improvements these mods offer. I have a pretty nice tax refund coming in soon so now I'm serious about sorting out my suspension. I've decided on the Bilstein B12 Pro Kit and whiteline subframe bushing inserts for sure. For those of you who have done the FSB and control arms, are you happy you did or would you have rather saved that money?

[Winn.Nguyen]

Originally Posted by asiflicious

What's the overall consensus on the M3 front sway bar and control arms? What problems are they supposed to theoretically rectify and are the benefits actually noticeable and worth the money? I've read conflicting opinions on the improvements these mods offer. I have a pretty nice tax refund coming in soon so now I'm serious about sorting out my suspension. I've decided on the Bilstein B12 Pro Kit and whiteline subframe bushing inserts for sure. For those of you who have done the FSB and control arms, are you happy you did or would you have rather saved that money?

The sway bar makes the car feel so much more planted/flat when you are taking a turn, theres absolutely very little lean. The control arms for me added camber and gave me better steering response. I think the control arms and subframe bushings is an absolute must if you switch from run flats.

[velociti]

Originally Posted by asiflicious

What's the overall consensus on the M3 front sway bar and control arms? What problems are they supposed to theoretically rectify and are the benefits actually noticeable and worth the money? I've read conflicting opinions on the improvements these mods offer. I have a pretty nice tax refund coming in soon so now I'm serious about sorting out my suspension. I've decided on the Bilstein B12 Pro Kit and whiteline subframe bushing inserts for sure. For those of you who have done the FSB and control arms, are you happy you did or would you have rather saved that money?

My car (selling it tomorrow ) has poly RSFB and front control arm bushings, as well as an E93 front sway. Didn't bother with the arms themselves because I wanted the increased feel and didn't care as much about the camber...because I'm cheap.

Between the front sway and the poly control arm bushings, steering feel goes WAY up. Car feels much more direct and planted at the front. If you value turn-in responsiveness, the bushings (or arms in your case) are the big one, but the sway certainly helps. Worth every penny for me.

And since I have Eibach-branded dampers/springs (the shocks are rebranded Bilsteins...not quite as sophisticated as the ones from the B12 kit, but similar)...yeah, worth it. The car looks a little ridiculous with the 1.2" drop, if I'm honest. In retrospect, I probably would have just bought the B6 dampers and used the stock springs, or sprung -- sorry -- for the BMW Performance springs for their 0.5" drop if I wasn't feeling cheap that day. But the dampers are a must for this car, especially after you ditch the run flats. It's absurd how much slop was built into the car from the factory to offset the stiff sidewalls of the run flats. As others have said, and I found out on my own, once I ditched the run flats I started to change one thing at a time, which would highlight something else that was mushy. But the combination of RSFB, front sway, front control arm bushings, and dampers made the thing super planted and stable with little in the way of harshness.

I think you'll be happy with the end result...

[asiflicious]

Originally Posted by velociti

My car (selling it tomorrow ) has poly RSFB and front control arm bushings, as well as an E93 front sway. Didn't bother with the arms themselves because I wanted the increased feel and didn't care as much about the camber...because I'm cheap.

Between the front sway and the poly control arm bushings, steering feel goes WAY up. Car feels much more direct and planted at the front. If you value turn-in responsiveness, the bushings (or arms in your case) are the big one, but the sway certainly helps. Worth every penny for me.

And since I have Eibach-branded dampers/springs (the shocks are rebranded Bilsteins...not quite as sophisticated as the ones from the B12 kit, but similar)...yeah, worth it. The car looks a little ridiculous with the 1.2" drop, if I'm honest. In retrospect, I probably would have just bought the B6 dampers and used the stock springs, or sprung -- sorry -- for the BMW Performance springs for their 0.5" drop if I wasn't feeling cheap that day. But the dampers are a must for this car. I think you'll be happy with the end result...

I'm assuming the control arms include the bushings? Or do I have to purchase the upgraded control arm bushings separately?

[velociti]

Originally Posted by asiflicious

I'm assuming the control arms include the bushings? Or do I have to purchase the upgraded control arm bushings separately?

The M3 arms include harder rubber bushings than what comes stock on the 1er, yes. But the arms themselves are just giving you camber; it's the bushings that increase feel and responsiveness, which is why I just did those little guys. Worth noting that rubber bushings will deteriorate over the long run, while poly ones won't. Think the poly ones are also cheaper, if memory serves...

[FrostyDC4]

General consensus for an inlet for a stock turbo N55? Is it worth the $$$ to optimize the stock setup?

[FrostyDC4]

Originally Posted by velociti

My car (selling it tomorrow ) has poly RSFB and front control arm bushings, as well as an E93 front sway. Didn't bother with the arms themselves because I wanted the increased feel and didn't care as much about the camber...because I'm cheap.

Between the front sway and the poly control arm bushings, steering feel goes WAY up. Car feels much more direct and planted at the front. If you value turn-in responsiveness, the bushings (or arms in your case) are the big one, but the sway certainly helps. Worth every penny for me.

And since I have Eibach-branded dampers/springs (the shocks are rebranded Bilsteins...not quite as sophisticated as the ones from the B12 kit, but similar)...yeah, worth it. The car looks a little ridiculous with the 1.2" drop, if I'm honest. In retrospect, I probably would have just bought the B6 dampers and used the stock springs, or sprung -- sorry -- for the BMW Performance springs for their 0.5" drop if I wasn't feeling cheap that day. But the dampers are a must for this car, especially after you ditch the run flats. It's absurd how much slop was built into the car from the factory to offset the stiff sidewalls of the run flats. As others have said, and I found out on my own, once I ditched the run flats I started to change one thing at a time, which would highlight something else that was mushy. But the combination of RSFB, front sway, front control arm bushings, and dampers made the thing super planted and stable with little in the way of harshness.

I think you'll be happy with the end result...

How much did the poly bushings affect the NVH on your car? I want to do them on my 1er (my Z33 has poly suspension and subframe all around: like every single bushing) but I'm afraid of the road noise in my daily driver.

[velociti]

Originally Posted by FrostyDC4

General consensus for an inlet for a stock turbo N55? Is it worth the $$$ to optimize the stock setup?

Think the consensus is that an inlet isn't worth it on the stock turbo. Pure Stage 2 seems to see improvements with an inlet, though.

As for the NVH, it's hard to say. I put the bushings in at the same time as I did my suspension, and shortly thereafter I have reliable noise from the front left whenever I hit uneven pavement at low speed. I've had the suspension verified several times so the front end is definitely 100%. It could well be the poly bushings. If I didn't live in the city, though, it'd be a non issue.

[litebulb]

I'm having squeeking issue with the bushings for my H&R from sway. It's so bad that I'm thinking of going back to stock or invest in the M3 sway which comes with rubber bushings.

Originally Posted by Winn.Nguyen

The sway bar makes the car feel so much more planted/flat when you are taking a turn, theres absolutely very little lean. The control arms for me added camber and gave me better steering response. I think the control arms and subframe bushings is an absolute must if you switch from run flats.

[Immaculate]

I've owned my N55 for 3 years now. Within a month I added JB4, VRSF DP, VRSF CP and the K&N panel filter. Only thing I may change is out is the charge pipe. I find mine is a little loose, but hasn't popped off and I have no boost issues.

The second year I added the VRSF 5.5" intercooler, Mishimoto catch can and MHD backend flash for JB4 when it was released. All of which I was completely satisfied with.

This year I've added the BMS intake, BMS oil cooler valve, Eibach front sway bar and a differential lockdown. Unfortunately have to wait for this dang winter to be over and feel how all the new stuff helps.

Overall I'm happy with every decision I've made.

[HondaGoneRogue]

Probably one of the oldest members here. I modded my 1er as soon as she hit 800 mi.

JB3/4 = Amazing and hassle free for 10 years this august and 100k miles. Always on the most aggressive map my mods would support.

Can't recall the name of my DP's but they were dirt cheap from Belgium. 7 years and 70Kish miles. Best bang for the buck along with the JB.

E93 front sway was another cheap mod with great results.

BMW SSK: Every time I drive another 1er with stock shifter (or any other manual car), I am amazed at how nice the SSK is.

H&R Streets and Koni Yellows: Installed around 40k and made the car so stiff, but in a great way. With stock seats it still feels like stock over bumps. With race seats in, you know there's no give lol.

Ditching the runflats: GOLD but I think we all know that by now.

BRRacing Half cage/harness bar: Nothing gets more heads to turn than the cage. But the ability to run harnesses properly and be so snug in the vehicle is other-worldly compared to factory belts.

Clutch Delay Valve delete: Something I wish I would have done a long time ago, I still haven't done it, but on the plus side, I'm at 100k with a perfectly functioning stock clutch. That's with a lifetime of 400ish HP and nice pulls on almost every drive. 2 summers on the Nurburgring, one at the drag strip (where the valve delete would have helped TONS) and a bunch of road courses.

That's about it for things that aren't just cosmetic. All in all I've been a very proud owner and happy with every mod I've done over the last 10 years. Sadly she now has a ton of cellulite and a salvage title due to an apocalyptic South Dakota hail storm.

Edit: ONE REGRET: Messing with the angel eyes/headlights. I fried a control module messing with a popular HID angel eyes conversion kit at the time the cost of repairs were $2k. Luckily there were other people that had failures due to not replacing the covers on the lights properly, so it was covered under warranty. To this day I HATE having to open/close the headlight covers. Not even remotely worth the hassle.