Coilovers and wheel clearance

[lowside67]

Thanks for the link - they certainly look a bit "shady" but in your experience they have been reputable and good to you? I am leaning towards KW Clubsports but both springs would have to be replaced - the front for a shorter spring and the rear for a higher springrate.

Mark

[dcaron9999]

Originally Posted by lowside67

Thanks for the link - they certainly look a bit "shady" but in your experience they have been reputable and good to you? I am leaning towards KW Clubsports but both springs would have to be replaced - the front for a shorter spring and the rear for a higher springrate.

Mark

I have to agree with you - definitely hard to trust sending your hard earned paypal money to a vendor who has no web site. No excuse for that in this day and age.

I exchanged a few emails with him, but did not buy my springs + dampers from him.

Bought my dampers from http://www.bilsteincanada.com/ directly, as they sold them for the lowest price in Canada ...

Had my indi shop order the Swift Spec-R Springs...

Quite happy with the results. Car is so flat in the corners, during hard acceleration, and braking now!
No more rolling and diving and massive weight transfer.

Im going to repeat what many have said - the stock 135i should have come with better suspension, at least better dampers. The Bilstein B8's are $720CAD (+taxes) for a whole set, and put the stock dampers to shame!

[lowside67]

Originally Posted by dcaron9999

KW V3 inox : 2365$CAD

KW ClubSport: 2850$CAD

He replied to me, and the prices are considerably higher now - $2885 for the V3s or $3385 for the Clubsports, inclusive of taxes and shipping. A lot less interesting and makes it considerably easier to think about some of the alternatives out of the US.

Mark

[dcaron9999]

Originally Posted by lowside67

He replied to me, and the prices are considerably higher now - $2885 for the V3s or $3385 for the Clubsports, inclusive of taxes and shipping. A lot less interesting and makes it considerably easier to think about some of the alternatives out of the US.

Mark

Sorry to hear that. The quotes I got are only about 2 months old. Cant say I had full trust in this vendor anyway. He pretended he had connections with distributors in Germany, and because of that, could offer the best deals to Canadian customers on any German suspension products such as ST, KW, Bilstein, etc.

[_Ryan_]

Originally Posted by dcaron9999

Sorry to hear that. The quotes I got are only about 2 months old. Cant say I had full trust in this vendor anyway. He pretended he had connections with distributors in Germany, and because of that, could offer the best deals to Candian customers on any German suspension products such as ST, KW, Bilstein, etc.

How did NH Tuning compare? Known to be one of the cheaper european vendors.

[dcaron9999]

Quick update:

I took a quick look at my clearance with my new suspension setup yesteday. With the Swift Spec-R springs, Im sitting lower now.

With my 18x8.5 ET52 and 10mm spacers, and 255/35R18 Dunlop Direzza ZII tires, the Bilstein B8 damper to wheel clearance is now about 4mm.

I shaved off some plastic on the inner fender to bumper tab to remove minor rubbing. I also rolled the inner lip with a wooden hammer handle.

Im heading to the local track this evening and will determine if I still rub. If I do, I will order 7mm or 8mm hubcentric spacers to replace my current 10 mm spacers, to tuck the front wheels in just a little more.

April 28 update: After hittting the track last evening, Im happy to report that I have resolved my rubbing issue! I will not need to replace my current spacers with thinner ones! Both of the approaches helped (minor shaving of the plastic tab combined with minor DIY rolling of the lip).

[KRyn]

lowside67, do your self a favour and don't buy the KW V3. If you are serious about auto-x or any sort of road racing they are not the coils for you in my opinion.

For those of you who care (no one I am sure) once my differential arrives I will be putting together my car and report all findings here. I have decided on a square 245/35/18 PSS setup for this year as I am 100% confident I can make it fit.

[lowside67]

Originally Posted by KRyn

lowside67, do your self a favour and don't buy the KW V3. If you are serious about auto-x or any sort of road racing they are not the coils for you in my opinion.

For those of you who care (no one I am sure) once my differential arrives I will be putting together my car and report all findings here. I have decided on a square 245/35/18 PSS setup for this year as I am 100% confident I can make it fit.

While I was considering the ClubSport which is a step up, I would encourage you to not underestimate the V3s. About half the STX field at 2014 Nationals including the car that won were on V3s. You would need to replace the springs with linear rate springs, but the dampers themselves are very capable.

What did you settle on for a diff?

Mark

[KRyn]

Originally Posted by lowside67

While I was considering the ClubSport which is a step up, I would encourage you to not underestimate the V3s. About half the STX field at 2014 Nationals including the car that won were on V3s. You would need to replace the springs with linear rate springs, but the dampers themselves are very capable.

What did you settle on for a diff?

Mark

The dampers are very well built, I can't deny that. I ran them on my STI and they held up to the snow and generally terrible weather conditions here in Canada. However, I would rather just purchse a set of coils that don't require me to buy new springs out the gate. That's why I picked up a set of TC Kline D/A coils, hopefully I don't need to have them rebuilt often.

I purchased a Mfactory differential. The deal they offered me was way to good to pass up. I might try and put together a DIY for the differential & solid rear subframe bushings. Keep us informed of what decision you make regarding coils.

[arcticcat522]

Originally Posted by KRyn

lowside67, do your self a favour and don't buy the KW V3. If you are serious about auto-x or any sort of road racing they are not the coils for you in my opinion.

For those of you who care (no one I am sure) once my differential arrives I will be putting together my car and report all findings here. I have decided on a square 245/35/18 PSS setup for this year as I am 100% confident I can make it fit.

Have you ordered the tires yet? I'm looking to pull the trigger on 245 pss also, but would like to know how much wider than my current v12's are

[KRyn]

Originally Posted by arcticcat522

Have you ordered the tires yet? I'm looking to pull the trigger on 245 pss also, but would like to know how much wider than my current v12's are

I haven't ordered my tires yet, I will be purchase them at the end of the month. My buddy just picked up a new set of PSS and they have changed the tread since the last production run. After the first auto-x event we were very pleased with them. What size V12 are you running?
Tirerack has the sectional width of the PSS 245/35 on a 8.5" at 9.8" not sure if this is what you are looking for.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes check the specs on whatever size you currently have and compare the sectional widths.

[arcticcat522]

Originally Posted by KRyn

I haven't ordered my tires yet, I will be purchase them at the end of the month. My buddy just picked up a new set of PSS and they have changed the tread since the last production run. After the first auto-x event we were very pleased with them. What size V12 are you running?
Tirerack has the sectional width of the PSS 245/35 on a 8.5" at 9.8" not sure if this is what you are looking for.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes check the specs on whatever size you currently have and compare the sectional widths.

I have looked into that, but not sure how accurate those numbers are. I was at the event on the Saturday btw. Too bad I missed you

[KRyn]

Originally Posted by arcticcat522

I have looked into that, but not sure how accurate those numbers are. I was at the event on the Saturday btw. Too bad I missed you

I will be at all the Sunday events (minus the May 17th as I don't think I can get my car done that quickly), if you see a white 135i beside a black Grand Sport Vette come and introduce your self.

I am not sure when you plan on ordering new rubber but I found a KILLER deal locally, PM me for more info. Cheaper than 1010 and tirerack with install. If I order before you I will take a proper measurements for you.

[fe1rx]

An observation for JPuehl regarding strut spacers - my design will not work with B8 or other struts that have nubs (B) that sit in the steering knuckle gap. In this case, no roll pin is required, no notch, but a cutout on the ID is required for the spacer to slip past the nubs.

[dcaron9999]

Originally Posted by KRyn

I will be at all the Sunday events (minus the May 17th as I don't think I can get my car done that quickly), if you see a white 135i beside a black Grand Sport Vette come and introduce your self.

I am not sure when you plan on ordering new rubber but I found a KILLER deal locally, PM me for more info. Cheaper than 1010 and tirerack with install. If I order before you I will take a proper measurements for you.

Kryn: What's the latest? How did your event go? Did you get a chance to install the LSD? How's the tire/wheel/clearance situation?

[KRyn]

Originally Posted by dcaron9999

Kryn: What's the latest? How did your event go? Did you get a chance to install the LSD? How's the tire/wheel/clearance situation?

I installed the Mfactory differential as well as front and rear Whiteline Sway bars. The differential and front sway bar installed very easily. The rear swaybar on the other hand was a nightmare. My buddy and I opted to drop the rear subframe and thread the bar through the small space between the car and subframe. We got the bar through the first time only to realize it was pushed through incorrectly. Ugh!

The rear differential has really brought this car to life; it works very well. I found before the rear end of the car was very unpredictable when pushing into corners. All of a sudden the rear end would break loose and you wouldn’t necessarily be able to control it or use it to move the car. Now the rear end feels very predictable and you can actually use the gas pedal to help the car rotate. The sway bars contribute greatly to the overall feel of the car as well. The rear end as I mentioned has come to life, something missing before. The car feels much more composed as well. Body roll has been substantially reduced (the rear sway bar on our cars is pathetic) and the front is okay. I should also mention that the car turns in much more accurately and precisely. Overall the ride has been improved greatly by just the sway bars.

Unfortunately I have made an executive decision that no more money will be spent on the car. As such I will not be installing the coil overs; I am currently attempting to sell them. I also feel that as this car is my daily driver (even though I don’t drive much) the coils would make daily commuting such a painful experience. However, I will be buying some camber plates and moving to a square 245 setup as mentioned. Based on your results I have no fear that everything will fit very well. I recently acquired a girlfriend so part of my tire fund was depleted paying for her birthday present. The 215 run flat tires upfront are absolutely terrible. I have to run so much pressure in the front tires to stop them from rolling it is ridiculous. I can’t wait to have some negative camber dialed in up front with a proper tire. This will make a world of difference and help the car really turn in sharply and precisely. I believe with a square setup, proper rubber, some negative camber, a differential and sway bars this car will drive and perform as it should have from the factory.
Unfortunately BMW builds the ultimate driving machine for the average consumer that doesn’t really drive their machine!

On the plus side my friend and I will begin building an Exocet Race car within the year!

[arcticcat522]

I have gotten my 245 pss's installed on the front and am going to try not replacing with shorter springs just yet. I will have to keep a close eye though. Im talking about maybe 1-2mm of clearance between tire and height adjuster. TCK SA for reference. Also, KRyn, m control arms and Dinan camber plates would probe suffice for what you want. If you want to check out the set up, let me know.

[KRyn]

Originally Posted by arcticcat522

I have gotten my 245 pss's installed on the front and am going to try not replacing with shorter springs just yet. I will have to keep a close eye though. Im talking about maybe 1-2mm of clearance between tire and height adjuster. TCK SA for reference. Also, KRyn, m control arms and Dinan camber plates would probe suffice for what you want. If you want to check out the set up, let me know.

You should shoot me your number in a private message. I wouldn't mind meeting up to take a look at your setup and go for a little drive. Did you get the tires from the guys I suggested? Also how much negative camber are you running up front and what rim / off set?

I think at the end of the day getting a set of GC Camber plates will be cheaper than going the Dinan route. I am also not a fan of the fact that with the Dinan plates the car gets raised in the front. I like the slighly raked look. Hopefully we will be at an event or two at the same time this year.

[arcticcat522]

Originally Posted by KRyn

You should shoot me your number in a private message. I wouldn't mind meeting up to take a look at your setup and go for a little drive. Did you get the tires from the guys I suggested? Also how much negative camber are you running up front and what rim / off set?

I think at the end of the day getting a set of GC Camber plates will be cheaper than going the Dinan route. I am also not a fan of the fact that with the Dinan plates the car gets raised in the front. I like the slighly raked look. Hopefully we will be at an event or two at the same time this year.

I didn't get the tires from your suggestion. I found a buddy who had a hookup. Front camber is -1.5, the least possible with m control arms and Dinan plates. Off set is 45 with 3mm spacers. I'm probe. going to add some camber -2 ish and may use 5mm spacers. Depending on how it looks, I might also get the vac hub extenders. I'm sure the GC camber plates will be a cheaper option, but will you handle the noises that are sure to come with them? Since you daily the car. Note, I have no actual experience with them.

[kobeballer96]

What size spring would you Guys recommend? I'm on kW coilovers and running a 8 inch spring and it sits pretty high. Collar is just right near top of tire but I have a 2 to 3 finger gap now. Car looks like it's ready for off roading lol

[arcticcat522]

I installed 245/35R18 in the front with 42offset and 3mm spacers they are close, but don't rub

[kobeballer96]

Originally Posted by arcticcat522

I installed 245/35R18 in the front with 42offset and 3mm spacers they are close, but don't rub

My problem is I want the car to sit lower. Collar is above tire. I have a 8 inch swift spring now. Not sure if I should get a 7 or 6 inch spring on my kW coilovers.