[DrRobert]

Greetings all,

So I recently bought an E90 as my DD and I gotta say so far I've been pretty disappointed with the way it handles. My daily drive is about 2 hours on a combination of country/mountain back roads as well as freeways and city streets. My previous car was an E46 coupe (01 330Ci), and it had a very good balance of power, handling and comfort on all of these roads without any mods except tires. The new car is definitely faster but seems more suited to freeway driving. On the back roads it feels like the suspension can't keep up with the engine. I have to slow down too much going into turns because the steering is too mushy and there's way too much body roll. I've already replaced the tires, springs and shocks (see sig) and that definitely helped a lot, but the car still has a long way to go before it carves up the mountain roads like a 3 series ought to IMO.

I've been reading a lot here and on other boards and have received some advice in other threads, and from that I'm considering an LSD, stiffer anti-roll bars, M3 subframe bushings and other M3 suspension parts as my next step(s). I'm still unclear on a few things though and could use some further advice on:

1. Which specific suspension parts will improve the aspects of the ride I find problematic? I must increase steering precision and decrease body roll but hope to maintain some measure of ride comfort (thus the FSDs).

2. The benefit of installing an LSD on a DD. Everyone seems to agree that an LSD is great on a track or race car, but advice is mixed on installing one on a street car. Its obviously an expensive mod and I want to make sure I'll get the return on my investment in the form of increased driving fun on the mountain backroads.

3. Whether or not to upgrade the rear sway bar if I do install the LSD. Some folks (including Dinan) say to always upgrade both anti roll bars at the same time, but here's what Harold at HP Autosport (Quaife LSD distributor) said about this in a recent email:

"I don't recommend a rear bar as it takes away traction in a turn that you just added with the LSD. The car will feel flatter in a turn, but actually has less traction."

He did recommend M3 front control arms, front anti roll bar, and subframe bushings along with the Quaife LSD, and at this point that is the combination of upgrades I am considering. I am not a DIYer and it is a real hassle for me getting the car into the shop, so I'm thinking of having all of these mods done at the same time. I don't mind spending the money but want to make sure it is money well spent, and that I get the ride I want from these mods.

I'd appreciate any comments or recommendations any of you might have on these topics!

Thanks,
Robert

[The HACK]

I don't often disagree with Harold, but when I do...

First, you came from an E46. A car that's probably around 300-400 lbs lighter than your 335i. THAT, is one of the primary reasons why the E9X doesn't feel like it "handles" as good as the E46. In order to make a car that's that much more heavier than the other, while still retain some comfort for the street, some sacrifices had to be made in terms of spring rate and damper rate. It's simple physics, no matter how much we all like to defy it.

Having said that. For a daily drive? A car that'll likely never see the hot side of the pit? LSD is overkill. Putting an LSD in a 335i that already uses the eLSD function that doesn't see the extreme conditions and foot past the floor right at the crest of apex ALL THE TIME is a waste of money, no matter how much you think the lack of LSD is holding you and your car back.

This is a case where front AND rear sway bars will help you. Sway bars, despite my mantra of only use it to fine-tune the last stage of suspension tuning, is one of the BEST BANGS FOR THE BUCKS for a car that will likely never see the last 2/10th of what it can do, because the way it affects the suspension. They tie both sides of each axle to distribute the load, thus limiting their movement in corners. So what little grip you give up, you give none of the comfort in straight line (which would probably be 90% of your driving time) and you actually GAIN traction for the first 3/10-5/10th of suspension travel, which is what you'll typically see on street use. Sway bars don't actually really "rear" their ugly head until you're coming close to pushing beyond the limits of adhesion, because they really only remove a small percentage of the top grip limit per axle.

So for those who make their living and fun on track, someone like Harold, it makes absolute sense to add LSD (because he doesn't want the rear brakes to overheat on track trying to keep the inside wheel from spinning) to improve rear grip, and not add a sway bar because on track, that's counter-intuitive. But since you mentioned the car is going to be DD'ed? I'd do it the other way around. Do the rear sways without the LSD because it'll accomplish everything you need/want for a lot less. Although you'll need to drop the subframe to install the rear sways anyway, and that's probably why it's popular to recommend both the LSD AND rear sways.

Having said all that. And before I go into answering each of your questions one by one, I must say, it is REFRESHING to find someone who actually has a clear agenda as to what their needs are, can articulate it well, and isn't beyond admitting that they're not after the last bit of performance for their use. I command you for your understanding of your own needs and your honesty. It is a trait rarely seen and frankly, I have yet to encounter on THIS particular forum. So thank you.

1. Steering precision comes from stiffening up suspension bits. One of the reason why people are gaga over the M3 control arm bits, and I'll bet most people miss this, isn't that the control arm give you more camber. It's because the control arms have stiffer bushings, thus have less deflection and provide more precise feedback. If nothing else, upgrade the control arm bushings alone will likely achieve what you're looking for. The obvious, logical extension to that, is if you're going to change out the bushings, might as well change the control arms because, well, it's the same amount of work. The added camber will provide more grip and marginally increase front end response because the camber will likely add toe-out (unless you re-align the car).

2. See my dissertation above.

3. There's some truth to what Dinan says, since Dinan's package deal usually comes with shocks that DECREASE rebound control. See, when people ask "should I get a sway bar in the rear" or "what springs should I use" they don't often take a look at the suspension system as a whole. EVERYTHING is interconnected. Alignment, springs, shocks, sway bars, LSD, BRAKES, EVERYTHING. All the suspension does, and its goal, is to keep the tire contact patch on the road surface as big as possible while retaining a smooth and comfortable ride. Altering one element will change the balance and compromise another. When Dinan says "you should install rear sway bars with our LSD" they probably mean "if you've got our Stage II suspension installed already." Or vise versa. You can't take one element of the suspension, change it, and not expect it to affect the system as a whole. So, by taking away some rebound control, but adding sway bars to spread the load in the corner, and adding LSD to keep the inside wheel from spinning in a corner, they've essentially retained some degree of comfort (or even increased it since the rebound control is softened) and shifted some of that responsibility to the sway bars. But what Harold is telling you, is if you simply upgrade to an LSD, then upgrade the rear sway bar, without any other parameter to be altered, you're in essence asking the LSD to do extra work because the sway bar is going to redistribute the load while lowering the overall grip level from way up top. Doesn't make sense. Unless you ADD that grip back some how by softening the rear suspension via lower compression/rebounding in rear shocks.

If you're not confused enough yet. I don't blame you. It took me over 15 years of tinkering, asking, and hanging out with people who know much more than I do on track to get to this point, and I'll be honest. There's much more I don't know than what I DO know.

If you're still reading, I'm going to leave you with the following nugget. A simple alignment may get you 90% of what you want. More camber, less toe-in will make the front end more responsive to turn-in*. Far more than some bushings. The biggest impact will come from, assuming you're not going to touch the tires (that's another can of worms) or lighten the car: Alignment > Springs > Dampers > Anti-roll bars. But it all goes back to the beginning...

What do you want your car to do? And depending on that question, the actual order of impact (again, taking lightening the chassis and changing tires out of the equation) may be Anti-roll bars > Dampers > Springs > Alignment. You may get more out of a daily driven car (even for a car that sees a couple of track events per year) by upgrading the sway bar and dampers, but keep the springs stock and a relative stock alignment because it'll preserve your tires and make them last much longer in the daily driven environment, maintain a comfortable ride, but still reduce body-roll to create the illusion that it handles better for your driving needs.

*I'm only adding this because it may appear that my statement is contradictory...And it is, as long as you lump steering precision and responsiveness as the same thing. They're not. Steering precision is whether or not the front end does exactly what you ask it to do. Steering responsiveness is when it does what you ask it to do when you ask it to do it. Slight difference in language, but a world apart in real world applications. On my MZ4 Coupe, it's got 3º of negative camber and very little toe-in (1/16" total). The front end is very responsive. But it also has 8 years of track and nearly 45,000 miles, with a large percentage of it being used on track. So the ball-joint and the FCAB (front control arm bushings) are worn, and while the front end responds to what I ask it to do, it doesn't always do it in a way I like (lacks precision). So you need to figure out if you want precision, or responsiveness, or BOTH. Because the bushings will improve precision, while alignment will improve responsiveness.

[solishe]

Originally Posted by DrRobert

Greetings all,

So I recently bought an E90 as my DD and I gotta say so far I've been pretty disappointed with the way it handles. My daily drive is about 2 hours on a combination of country/mountain back roads as well as freeways and city streets. My previous car was an E46 coupe (01 330Ci), and it had a very good balance of power, handling and comfort on all of these roads without any mods except tires. The new car is definitely faster but seems more suited to freeway driving. On the back roads it feels like the suspension can't keep up with the engine. I have to slow down too much going into turns because the steering is too mushy and there's way too much body roll. I've already replaced the tires, springs and shocks (see sig) and that definitely helped a lot, but the car still has a long way to go before it carves up the mountain roads like a 3 series ought to IMO.

I've been reading a lot here and on other boards and have received some advice in other threads, and from that I'm considering an LSD, stiffer anti-roll bars, M3 subframe bushings and other M3 suspension parts as my next step(s). I'm still unclear on a few things though and could use some further advice on:

1. Which specific suspension parts will improve the aspects of the ride I find problematic? I must increase steering precision and decrease body roll but hope to maintain some measure of ride comfort (thus the FSDs).

2. The benefit of installing an LSD on a DD. Everyone seems to agree that an LSD is great on a track or race car, but advice is mixed on installing one on a street car. Its obviously an expensive mod and I want to make sure I'll get the return on my investment in the form of increased driving fun on the mountain backroads.

3. Whether or not to upgrade the rear sway bar if I do install the LSD. Some folks (including Dinan) say to always upgrade both anti roll bars at the same time, but here's what Harold at HP Autosport (Quaife LSD distributor) said about this in a recent email:

"I don't recommend a rear bar as it takes away traction in a turn that you just added with the LSD. The car will feel flatter in a turn, but actually has less traction."

He did recommend M3 front control arms, front anti roll bar, and subframe bushings along with the Quaife LSD, and at this point that is the combination of upgrades I am considering. I am not a DIYer and it is a real hassle for me getting the car into the shop, so I'm thinking of having all of these mods done at the same time. I don't mind spending the money but want to make sure it is money well spent, and that I get the ride I want from these mods.

I'd appreciate any comments or recommendations any of you might have on these topics!

Thanks,
Robert

Hi,

1. Are you open to upgrading to a comfort oriented coilover kit with stiffer front springs and rebound adjustability(ie Ohlins or KW Street Comfort are 2 of the best you will read about in that comfort department)? Or at least rebound adjustable dampers...I'm thinking that PS springs with FSDs are not an optimal solution. But to answer your question, the M3 front arms will help with precision/road feel and will allow more negative camber (along with pulling alignment pins too)..and the thicker front bar will obviously reduce front roll...

2. Are you currently expriencing any slip or DSC light frustrations? If not, I would recommend upgrading to a matched shocks/springs or comfort coilover kit before doing this LSD upgrade (unless you want to do both!). But make no mistake, an LSD is a sweet upgrade if you are having traction issues with your current driving style/conditions/power levels....you will want to do this at some point I would imagine, just not sure if now is the time...only you know I suppose..

3. I'm with Harold on the rear M3 subframe bushings (and since subframe is dropped go for the E93 15mm rear bar or the dinan 15.7 mm rear bar, but I would advise not to do the M3 rear bar, I did and it was too thick and I did lose traction..15mm did provide some improvement without traction loss)..Go for the M3 e90 front bar or the M3 E93 front bar too and M3 front control arms..

If you want to add more road feel with more quality components, you could also upgrade the rear wishbone and rear guide rods to M3 arms if you wish, and if you are going to do the rear toe arms, Megan Racing are the proven ones so far...but these are probably the last things you would want to do (for when you are further down this slippery slope...)

Anyway, just my 2 cents..based on what I've felt with my mods..I'm sure there are other folks that will chime in with higher level of expertise and advice..

[DrRobert]

Wow, thanks for the detailed replies guys. To be fair to Harold, I did tell him it is a DD, but I did not ask him if he thought I should install an LSD, but rather asked what other mods he recommended I do at the same time as an LSD.

I am open to anything, but since I just installed the springs and shocks (and got an alignment) 2 weeks ago I would not want to upgrade to coilovers as my next step. I did put a lot of thought into my choice of springs and shocks (and considered the KW Street Comforts), and my reasoning was:

1. I read lots of good reviews of the FSDs and they were recommended by several posters here and on other boards, and I wanted to see if they really do improve both cornering and ride comfort as claimed. Seemed like a good compromise, especially if my other complaints about the suspension can be addressed with other mods. Would be willing to swap them out for something else later on if need be.
2. Koni recommended that the FSDs be used with stock springs (either sport or performance) or Eibach ProKit. I wanted to try some stiffer springs but didn't want to lower the car much, so that's why I went with the BMWPS springs.

I do not experience much slippage (gotta slow down in turns too much as stated in OP), and the only times the DSC light has blinked is when I hit a bump mid-turn, which I think the subframe bushings should address.

And thanks for the explanation of steering precision and responsiveness. I want BOTH!

Also, just so you know, there are no high-end performance shops in my town, but I do have a decent indy BMW shop who did the spring/shock replacement. They don't do a lot of aftermarket performance stuff but said they'd install any parts I supply and will charge me by the hour for labor. I wouldn't want them to do an LSD, not sure about the subframe bushings either but would trust them for easier swaps such as M3 bits and front sway. They do standard alignments but I don't understand this stuff well enough to tell them exactly how I want my car aligned (x degrees of camber, toe-in, etc). Just being straight with you. So for bigger jobs its more of a hassle to take it to a better shop that's farther away, and would be hard to take it back for further tinkering. I don't see myself endlessly modding this car forever like some seem to do, but am willing to do whatever it takes until the car drives the way I want it to. Once there I'll probably revert to "set it and forget it" mode.

Edit: forgot to mention the car has AT; I do use the paddle shifters a lot on the back roads but enjoy the AT around town. It has sport package as well, so sport suspension and staggered 18" wheels.

Adding more negative camber up front (via pulling the pins) and swapping in the E93 M3 FSB absolutely transformed the way my car "bites" going into a turn. Very highly recommended and should be a good next step to the mods you currently have; especially from a budget perspective.

[TSM330i]

I've upgraded everything that you are thinking about and have feedback for you on all.

1. LSD: Yes, it will help you get OUT of a tight corner and balance the car mid-corner along with the added benefit of when you're pulling out into traffic you'll have more traction. Your 335 has 300hp and 300 ft lbs of torque. Should the car have in LSD from the factory - yes. Will you feel the difference in handling - no. Will it make the car more driveable and able to do the things I noted above to make the driving experience better - yes, but to a lesser extent because you're not on a track. A definite negative is the cost. In the end, I'm NOT sure that will be worth it for you. TBH - a set of coil-overs without the LSD would make a bigger difference and they'll be around the same price when all is said and done.
2. M3 bits: Yes, they definitely make a difference and I would change them if I were you. The durometer (hardness) of the material used is much stiffer and deflects less. One of the main bits to change is the rear subframe bushings to the M3 style. This entails dropping the entire rear subframe assembly, but it tightens up the rear for you and gives you better feedback. At this point, installing a rear sway bar is very easy.
3. Swaybar: I'm running front and rear UUC adjustable sway bars. I did these when I installed my coil-overs (in 2007) so there wasn't as much information about e90's at the time. My car went from feeling like a sports sedan to a sports car. This is mostly because of the coil-overs, but I can tell you, there is NO way the rear sway bar is causing me to lose traction! My car is flat and responds VERY well. The nice thing about the UUC is you can adjust how stiff you want to go.

You can look at my sig for all my mods. Whenever someone would complain about how the e90's have lost their soul and don't handle as well as the e46, my mechanic wants them to take a ride in my car. The e90 chassis is stiffer and allows for better tuning of the suspension. It doesn't twist as much either.

You have to remember, as someone pointed out earlier, your e46 did weigh about 3-400lbs less than this car. That will make a difference for sure. My car weighs 3,250lbs, so around the same as your e46 (I have a 330, which is lighter than the 335 to start with). I have no problem keeping up with e9X M3's on the track with only 270hp.

Lastly, IMHO, in order to make your car the way you want it, I'd get coil-overs, sway bars (F/R) and the M3 bits. You wouldn't believe the difference in how the car will ride and handle.
Personally, my car, while stiffer, reacts SO much quicker to mid-corner bumps (tires do not stay off the ground as long and it just hangs on to the road) and handles so much better than the stock suspension ever could.

BTW: Lighter rims and wider tires will help too. I'm running 255/35 up front and 265/35 rears. My rims are also 10lbs lighter per wheel!

[Manxman]

For a daily driver, you may want to consider installing rear subframe bushing inserts - Whiteline is the best value I have found. This is a self install with a bit of research and IMO provides most of the benefit of M3 bushings for about $60 vs up to $1000 for a professionally installed set of M3 bushings.
I have just put these on my 335is and they have made a huge improvement in tightening up the squirrelly rear end.

[DrRobert]

Tischer has this package for the front, is this a good way to go for the front along with the E93 M3 FSB?

Genuine BMW E90/92/93 M3 Front Control Arm/Tension Strut Retrofit Set
Upgrade your stock E90/92/93 BMW 3 Series' suspension with these OEM M3 Suspension components*. M3-like handling at a fraction of the cost! Kit includes: Left and Right M3 Control Arms(311022283577-8), Left and Right M3 Tension Struts w/ Bushings(31102283575-6), and front regulating rod for headlights (37142283867). $534.95

[DrRobert]

For the rear I'm thinking M3 SFB and RSB (E93 non-M3 15mm?). Will the 15 mm E93 RSB balance well with the E93 M3 FSB, given the other M3 bits and springs/shocks I already have?

Which pins are you talking about removing in order to increase negative front camber? If I do that will my tires wear out faster?

Sounds like I can hold off on the LSD for now. Might consider the coilovers down the road - hope I didn't blow it with my choice of springs and shocks!

Thanks again you guys.

[solishe]

Originally Posted by DrRobert

Tischer has this package for the front, is this a good way to go for the front along with the E93 M3 FSB?

Genuine BMW E90/92/93 M3 Front Control Arm/Tension Strut Retrofit Set
Upgrade your stock E90/92/93 BMW 3 Series' suspension with these OEM M3 Suspension components*. M3-like handling at a fraction of the cost! Kit includes: Left and Right M3 Control Arms(311022283577-8), Left and Right M3 Tension Struts w/ Bushings(31102283575-6), and front regulating rod for headlights (37142283867). $534.95

If you want maximize your coin, get the TRW branded ones for significantly less expensive (TRW makes the BMW branded ones). Exact same arms minus "BMW" stamp = more $ toward labor or other parts.

[solishe]

Originally Posted by DrRobert

Tischer has this package for the front, is this a good way to go for the front along with the E93 M3 FSB?

Genuine BMW E90/92/93 M3 Front Control Arm/Tension Strut Retrofit Set
Upgrade your stock E90/92/93 BMW 3 Series' suspension with these OEM M3 Suspension components*. M3-like handling at a fraction of the cost! Kit includes: Left and Right M3 Control Arms(311022283577-8), Left and Right M3 Tension Struts w/ Bushings(31102283575-6), and front regulating rod for headlights (37142283867). $534.95

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-12...t-e82-e9x.aspx

[DrRobert]

[DrRobert]

OK, so I've decided to hold off on the LSD and focus on the suspension first. I will be keeping the Koni FSDs and BMWPS springs (for now at least), so no coilovers just yet either.

I took the car in to Edge Motorworks in Mountain View today, seems like a good place and they had lots of nice beemers all over the place. They recommended starting with the M3 front control arms/bushings and M3 front sway bar, and said that should both improve steering precision and reduce body roll, which are my two main complaints about the car at present. They didn't think there'd be as much bang for the buck in replacing the rear SFBs or RSB. What do you guys think?

Thanks again, this thread is really helping a lot!!!

Robert

[solishe]

Originally Posted by DrRobert

OK, so I've decided to hold off on the LSD and focus on the suspension first. I will be keeping the Koni FSDs and BMWPS springs (for now at least), so no coilovers just yet either.

I took the car in to Edge Motorworks in Mountain View today, seems like a good place and they had lots of nice beemers all over the place. They recommended starting with the M3 front control arms/bushings and M3 front sway bar, and said that should both improve steering precision and reduce body roll, which are my two main complaints about the car at present. They didn't think there'd be as much bang for the buck in replacing the rear SFBs or RSB. What do you guys think?

Thanks again, this thread is really helping a lot!!!

Robert

Sounds like a good start. Try those first and re-assess.

[cvc 22349a]

Originally Posted by DrRobert

OK, so I've decided to hold off on the LSD and focus on the suspension first. I will be keeping the Koni FSDs and BMWPS springs (for now at least), so no coilovers just yet either.

I took the car in to Edge Motorworks in Mountain View today, seems like a good place and they had lots of nice beemers all over the place. They recommended starting with the M3 front control arms/bushings and M3 front sway bar, and said that should both improve steering precision and reduce body roll, which are my two main complaints about the car at present. They didn't think there'd be as much bang for the buck in replacing the rear SFBs or RSB. What do you guys think?

Thanks again, this thread is really helping a lot!!!

Robert

Edge is a good shop. They race BMW's. Had my LSD installed by them way back when. Sonic MS probably does more tuner suspension work than Edge and they're cheaper. The front M3 control arms will provide better steering feedback; they won't reduce body roll. As solishe mentioned, get the M3 control arms by TRW; same thing but cheaper; ///M logo is just ground off. If you're going to stick with that spring/shock combo and want to further reduce body roll, try the front E92 M3 roll bar first. If you do install the M3 rear subframe bushings to reduce the movement of the rear subframe relative to the chassis (one of my favorite mods), that'd be the time to consider a rear roll bar like solishe mentioned: Dinan or 15mm E93, not M3.

[CALWATERBOY]

Originally Posted by DrRobert

Greetings all,

So I recently bought an E90 as my DD and I gotta say so far I've been pretty disappointed with the way it handles. My daily drive is about 2 hours on a combination of country/mountain back roads as well as freeways and city streets. My previous car was an E46 coupe (01 330Ci), and it had a very good balance of power, handling and comfort on all of these roads without any mods except tires. The new car is definitely faster but seems more suited to freeway driving. On the back roads it feels like the suspension can't keep up with the engine. I have to slow down too much going into turns because the steering is too mushy and there's way too much body roll. I've already replaced the tires, springs and shocks (see sig) and that definitely helped a lot, but the car still has a long way to go before it carves up the mountain roads like a 3 series ought to IMO.

Whelp, if you do what I did, can spank E46 and many M3's.

I find adjustable ride height a boon if ya play with camber to get what you want....eye poppin' grip in excess of any BMW you've driven before possible....ride compliant but firm at that level!

[DrRobert]

solishe - thank you

cvc 22349a - Yep, planning on TRW M3 front control arms AND E92 M3 front sway. Trying to decide whether to do those mods first, then the follow with the SF bushings and 15 mm non-M3 rear sway as the next step if I'm still dissatisfied after that, or take the plunge and do it all at once. Waiting for Edge to come back with their estimate...will give Sonic a call next week. Only thing about the TRW stuff - Edge said that they only order OEM parts and that they will not warranty their work if I provide the parts. So I'll save money on the parts but will lose the warranty on the job if I buy TRW arms. Seems kinda lame.

CALWATERBOY - I value your opinion and appreciate your input here and on my earlier thread on Bimmerfest. Thought long and hard about the springs and shocks, time will tell if I made the right decision. Gonna hold off on LSD right now due to high cost, and because steering response and body roll are more pressing issues than traction/slippage right now, plus I'm getting very mixed opinions/advice on the benefit of putting an LSD on a street car.

Robert

P.S. Come to think of it CAL, part of the reason I got the FSDs was because YOU recommended them so strongly in this other thread just a few weeks ago. Now you're suggesting coilovers? C'mon man, you're killing me!

[CALWATERBOY]

Originally Posted by DrRobert

CALWATERBOY - I value your opinion and appreciate your input here and on my earlier thread on Bimmerfest. Thought long and hard about the springs and shocks, time will tell if I made the right decision. Gonna hold off on LSD right now due to high cost, and because steering response and body roll are more pressing issues than traction/slippage right now, plus I'm getting very mixed opinions/advice on the benefit of putting an LSD on a street car.

Robert

P.S. Come to think of it CAL, part of the reason I got the FSDs was because YOU recommended them so strongly in this other thread just a few weeks ago. Now you're suggesting coilovers? C'mon man, you're killing me!

Have no doubt about LSD - the effect is felt at all speeds. Yup, just going down your driveway, all the way to your rev limiter.

FSD's are coilovers.....but you're using existing springs. The good thing about the setup I got from Ground Control is adjustability, which you want if you're always fiddling with it. Yeah! FSD's are excellent for set & forget; enjoy....

Also cost of FSD's very favorable.

[cvc 22349a]

^ I actually had FSD's on my car for a couple years and gave my experience with them; hope you like them better than I did and hope you used the PS bumpstops. Forget Edge; get the TRW control arms from the internet and have Barrett at Sonic MS install them and align your car to M3 specs; he knows.

[DrRobert]

I'm more of a set it and forget it kind of guy, want to see if I can get it dialed in with this next round of mods without necessitating further tinkering. If not will consider ditching the FSDs for coilovers. Did not replace the bump stops, don't recall reading that recommendation about the FSDs. Must have missed that if you suggested it earlier. Will give Barrett a call on Monday.

Thanks again guys

[DrRobert]

Who knows, I might possibly wind up getting an LSD some day just for fun (despite The HACK's wonderful and much appreciated advice), but right now the suspension is top priority and needs to come first. If I drop the subframe to replace the bushings seems like I ought to replace the RSB as long as I'm there, but I want to pick a RSB that will be match well with the FSB and won't need to be replaced if I do get LSD later on. Seems like the E93 M3 FSB and the E93 non-M3 RSB are a good combo for my car with or without LSD - agreed? (sorry if I'm starting to sound redundant, just want to be sure I've got it right before proceeding)

BTW, the reason I went to Edge is because Harold recommended them for LSD install. Since I'm holding off on LSD have no problem going elsewhere to save some $$$!

[solishe]

Originally Posted by DrRobert

Who knows, I might possibly wind up getting an LSD some day just for fun (despite The HACK's wonderful and much appreciated advice), but right now the suspension is top priority and needs to come first. If I drop the subframe to replace the bushings seems like I ought to replace the RSB as long as I'm there, but I want to pick a RSB that will be match well with the FSB and won't need to be replaced if I do get LSD later on. Seems like the E93 M3 FSB and the E93 non-M3 RSB are a good combo for my car with or without LSD - agreed? (sorry if I'm starting to sound redundant, just want to be sure I've got it right before proceeding)

BTW, the reason I went to Edge is because Harold recommended them for LSD install. Since I'm holding off on LSD have no problem going elsewhere to save some $$$!

Yes those bars should be a good combination to run. I can't speak for running the 15mm rear bar without LSD. I do know that with an LSD the m3 rear bar caused corner traction issues for me and the 15mm rear did not. But since you are lowering subframe for RSBs it's best to put on now if you ever are planning to do it.