[blaze739]

I have an 08 E92 335i (sport package w/ 19" rims) and ive done all the typical powertrain upgrades (tune, downpipes, modified CDV, SSK), but now i'm ready to make some handling improvements. from what i see on the forums, coilovers are the most common mod, followed maybe by sway bars.

i've decided i definitely don't want to do coilovers because the car is pretty low as it is, and with the hills and potholes in my area, its not a good idea to be any lower or more rigid. so that leaves sway bars, but i'm not sure that sway bars will really provide much of an improvement since the stock sway bars seem decent.

any advice on what the best handling mod for an e92 is? thanks.

[odariel]

Well, starting on the basis that all recommendations depend on your style of driving and the use that you'll give the car, seen that you have even more power now, if you are a spirited driver i guess the most sensible upgrade will be a LSD.. It will help you put all that power down and make your corners a lot of fun.

Another major handling upgrade is proper sport tires (non runflat) (in case you are still on runflats...) and if handling is more important than looks, 18" wheels will improve your ride quite a lot too. It will be more comfortable and offer you more feedback than 19"s... the car lets you know progressively when its losing grip.. with 19" is grip, grip, grip and you are out without warning...

Cheers

[Richwm]

M3 control arms front and rear.

[subieworx]

WHat do you do with your car and what are your goals?

[blaze739]

LSD is great but not worth the cost IMO. i like to do some spirited driving every now and then, but not enough that I am spinning the tires in the corners. i do some autocrossing which would be great with the LSD, but i'm looking for something that will give me some more responsiveness and a more planted feel in the corners.

i ditched the RFTs 2 months after buying the car and its probably the best "mod" ive ever done. those tires were awful on the bumpy roads here in NY.

i guess sway bars would give me part of what i am looking for, but i have mixed feelings about it because the rear is too much work, and i hear the front can introduce some understeer. it doesnt make sense to me to take a perfectly balanced RWD car, and then add understeer.

i did alittle reading about the M3 control arms and i'm thinking that might be a great option. i havent looked at a DIY yet but is that something I can do myself? does that mean replacing 8 total control arms (upper, lower, front, rear)?

[blaze739]

Originally Posted by subieworx

WHat do you do with your car and what are your goals?

i just want to be able to take the turns alittle tighter when i'm having some fun. i'm not looking to compete or really track the car anymore than 1 or 2 autocrosses per year. the car handles pretty well, but i want to take a step towards the M3 in terms of handling. ultimately, i guess im am looking for the best value in a handling mod (kind of like how a tune is the best value in a power mod).

Best bang-for-the-buck at that point? Alignment. Pull the pins and grab some M3 bits if you have to in order to achieve some more aggressive settings.

[kaede]

Would've said tires but you've already got them xD

+1 for M3 parts, control arms front and back + bushings. Dial max camber in the front, if you don't have enough for your purposes, do camber plates. Tighten up the car completely. LSD will also make your car much more planted and much easier to handle (assuming you are a autox/track junky). Open diff/E-diff thing really screws you up easy. Stock sways are going to be good enough, probably one of the last things you want to do for final touches/adjustments. Stock suspension is good too, not the most comfortable/sporty, very well compromised. Good Luck and have fun!!

[turo]

I'll vote for camber plates. They are fairly low-cost, and some negative camber really makes a difference in the handling of these cars.

[rwalker]

I understand camber plates require smaller-diameter springs on our cars... Anybody have a counter example?

[cvc 22349a]

^ Ground Control, Dinan and Vorshlag sell camber plates that fit stock profile springs.

[JayP]

Originally Posted by Richwm

M3 control arms front and rear.

I am also interested by this,

Can i get these for an lci e90 using kw v1's ?
Can anybody show a link to these pieces please?


You guys says the oem sway bar are good enough and isn t worth getting a new one?

[CALWATERBOY]

Originally Posted by blaze739

i just want to be able to take the turns alittle tighter when i'm having some fun. i'm not looking to compete or really track the car anymore than 1 or 2 autocrosses per year. the car handles pretty well, but i want to take a step towards the M3 in terms of handling. ultimately, i guess im am looking for the best value in a handling mod (kind of like how a tune is the best value in a power mod).

Then you want a LSD. The diff is pronounced and noticeable just moseying down a driveway - in a turn, big stuff. As suspension deficiencies are very real in other than M3, and enhanced power magnifies that, this is an excellent mod.

Confidence. Torque vectoring. Not depending on differential braking to apply torque. Directional stability. Stock e-diff performs poorly compared to Wavetrac and Quaife. Hey, once you have it you won't want to go back.

You should always ask: 'What would M Div do?'

[CALWATERBOY]

Originally Posted by JayP

I am also interested by this,

Can i get these for an lci e90 using kw v1's ?
Can anybody show a link to these pieces please?


You guys says the oem sway bar are good enough and isn t worth getting a new one?

Stock rear sway is sourced from surplus spaghetti from the look of it. And performance.

But thicker/stronger rear sway not recommended w/o LSD....is that speaking to you 'bout stock e-diff?

[ajsalida]

OP how old are your OEM shocks? Why not do something simple and cheap first like upgrading to aftermarket shocks, see how that goes. Not coilovers, no springs just new shocks, everything else the same.

edit: frankly I would not put an LSD M3 bits or sway bars onto a car with old OEM shocks.

[Richwm]

Originally Posted by JayP

I am also interested by this,

Can i get these for an lci e90 using kw v1's ?
Can anybody show a link to these pieces please?


You guys says the oem sway bar are good enough and isn t worth getting a new one?

The M3 parts do not fit the XI, the Suspension is different.

[Doyle]

1) most tire you can fit
2) alignment to maximize contact patch
3) springs/struts/shocks
4) sway bar to balance
5) bushings/control arms to ensure dynamic geometry is maintained

[ajsalida]

Originally Posted by Richwm

The M3 parts do not fit the XI, the Suspension is different.

Rear fits, front is different.

[blaze739]

ive heard a lot of good things about the LSD but i didnt want to put that much money into something that is really only experienced when driving at the limit. i dont think the LSD will be felt much during daily driving so it doesnt warrant the cost to me since i dont do much tracking.

so i think i am between control arms and camber plates. i'll have to find out more about how they affect handling before deciding. i didnt think camber plates would have a huge affect but at least theyre relatively cheap. i'm guessing i would just need front right?

Originally Posted by ajsalida

OP how old are your OEM shocks? Why not do something simple and cheap first like upgrading to aftermarket shocks, see how that goes. Not coilovers, no springs just new shocks, everything else the same.

my shocks have about 38k miles/5 years on them. i'm not sure how long they last but i expected something more like 75k even on these bumpy NY streets. i'm afraid to do anything that will make the ride any harsher since i am already going through rims like toliet paper

[paddy335]

All that power is for nought until you have a mechanical LSD installed. So I'd go with that first as well as stiffer sway bars to dial out your understeer, then suspension including lowering a bit further over stock M Sport.

Next look at your brakes. Either a BBK or the cheaper initial gains from ss lines, good fluid and better pads.

Bigger wheels is an expensive upgrade for the return against the items above. I would make wheels last on the list. Unless looking good is higher on your list.

[paddy335]

p.s. the Quaife LSD packages beautifully into the E9x 335i's because it was originally planned to be released with a mechanical diff....until the bean counters had their way with final design.

[cleex024]

I don't think any of these people are listening to you lol... you are right about lsd being too expensive for it not to be used on a daily basis. It probably is not worth it to you andi would agree. The car is not balanced either. ..this car gives you a bit of understeer from the get go as BMW feels this it the safest way to drive which it is. But as far as driving experience goes not so much.

I would probably stay of with front m3 bits as this will give you more camber and feel for pretty cheap price. Then take it from there. I would not go with upgraded day bars til you go adjustable camber for front and rear cause as you stiffen your roll the less traction you get with no camber