Understeer: How much stagger is too much?

Blk_Beemer · 11-16-2010, 08:10 PM

I am considering switching from a square set-up to staggered on my 2007 e90 328xi non-lci. I'm considering going 8.5 wide in the front and 10 in the rear with either Forgestar F14 or Apex ARC-8. I know all about keep the rolling diameters within 1% for an XI, my only concern is about understeer.

I do not plan to track the car, install sway bars or camber plates, and I know that going with an aggressive staggered set-up will only make the existing understeer more pronounced. But how much? My question is under what circumstances, and to what degree do you experience it during daily driving? Is this something you don't notice, maybe just notice only at higher speeds (like on-ramps), or is the difference only noticeable if you track the car?

Also, have you seen your car's performance/acceleration suffer? Although the contact patch increases with a wider rear wheel, does it make the rear feel at all "sluggish" when cornering?

How about with spacers, if I continue to run an 8.5 square set-up but with spacers will the understeer still be just as pronounced if I went with 10s?

Any advice or experiences from both XI and I driver would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

hammerhandle9 · 11-21-2010, 01:58 AM

i'd also like to know what the largest wheel and tire combo are possible with a stock 2011 328i E90 without making any mods.

shanecarmaster1 · 11-21-2010, 11:22 AM

Oh God, I thought it said, "How much swagger is too much?"

spitpilot · 11-21-2010, 12:50 PM

I"d take my cue from BMW's sport option..use wheel/tire widths from that set up...They try hard to maintain balanced handling....But they do spec a bit too much rear air pressure for my tastes...takin the rears down a few psi and the fronts up a few will remove some of the understeering tendency. All mfgs..except maybe Porsche try to dial in enuff understeer to keep you pointing down the road frontways...folks have a tendency to sue car markers if they end up goin backwards into something 'cuz they don't really know how to drive....

11-16-2010, 08:10 PM	#1
Blk_Beemer New Member 2 Rep 7 Posts Drives: 328xi Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Texas iTrader: (1)	Understeer: How much stagger is too much? I am considering switching from a square set-up to staggered on my 2007 e90 328xi non-lci. I'm considering going 8.5 wide in the front and 10 in the rear with either Forgestar F14 or Apex ARC-8. I know all about keep the rolling diameters within 1% for an XI, my only concern is about understeer. I do not plan to track the car, install sway bars or camber plates, and I know that going with an aggressive staggered set-up will only make the existing understeer more pronounced. But how much? My question is under what circumstances, and to what degree do you experience it during daily driving? Is this something you don't notice, maybe just notice only at higher speeds (like on-ramps), or is the difference only noticeable if you track the car? Also, have you seen your car's performance/acceleration suffer? Although the contact patch increases with a wider rear wheel, does it make the rear feel at all "sluggish" when cornering? How about with spacers, if I continue to run an 8.5 square set-up but with spacers will the understeer still be just as pronounced if I went with 10s? Any advice or experiences from both XI and I driver would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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11-21-2010, 01:58 AM	#2
hammerhandle9 Registered 0 Rep 4 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Red Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Rancho Santa Margarita iTrader: (0)	good question i'd also like to know what the largest wheel and tire combo are possible with a stock 2011 328i E90 without making any mods.
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11-21-2010, 11:22 AM	#3
shanecarmaster1 Lieutenant 57 Rep 550 Posts Drives: e90 325i, F01 750Li, e38 740i Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: New Jersey iTrader: (0)	Oh God, I thought it said, "How much swagger is too much?" __________________ A BMW can be described in one simple, yet true statement, "From the outside you don't understand, from the inside you can't explain." How true is THAT?!
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11-21-2010, 12:50 PM	#4
spitpilot Second Lieutenant 64 Rep 261 Posts Drives: 2023 230iX, 2017 X1 M sp X Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Reno/Tahoe iTrader: (0)	I"d take my cue from BMW's sport option..use wheel/tire widths from that set up...They try hard to maintain balanced handling....But they do spec a bit too much rear air pressure for my tastes...takin the rears down a few psi and the fronts up a few will remove some of the understeering tendency. All mfgs..except maybe Porsche try to dial in enuff understeer to keep you pointing down the road frontways...folks have a tendency to sue car markers if they end up goin backwards into something 'cuz they don't really know how to drive....
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