[Sidewinderpb]

Originally Posted by bomiheko

The xDrive is the problem, which is a pity since Audi's don't have this problem. =[

I believe that BMW is the only AWD car with lowering issues. Perhaps not the only one, but one of the few.

[JC335xi]

Originally Posted by Drock28

ok so whats the solution for the strut brace..?
as Raptor001 mentions above.. strut brace does not clear the adjuster knobs..
and I also spoke with Chris at FA.. I thought maybe could just remove the knobs after desired dampening is achieved, and then screw back brace.. but Chris confirms that the brace will still not clear cause the nut from the strut still pokes up too high.

this is due to their design to get the lowest range possible in front on Xi cars.. if they allowed the knobs to clear the brace, it woud give up .5-.75" of range in front.

so I guess this is a good thing.. but at the same time im not too keen to have to buy a new brace, neither to drive without one at all..??

so what are the solutions here..brands/Part#'s etc... JC335xi above mentioned M3 works..?

Depending on how much additional clearance is needed the solution to retaining the factory braces may be as simple as just sticking a spacer under them to clear the adjusters.

[Qchau1987]

Could also be a good excuse to replace your OEM strut brace with a better one

[Raptor04]

Originally Posted by JC335xi

Depending on how much additional clearance is needed the solution to retaining the factory braces may be as simple as just sticking a spacer under them to clear the adjusters.

yes, this is a solution, but not one that I wanted to do. I don't like the idea of placing all thee stress on a spacer/bolt. You also may run into clearance issues between the strut bar and the hood.

[bomiheko]

Hmm. Now that adds to the overall cost. Another strut braces around an extra $100-300 depending where you get it. Does the sonic tuning ones have the same problem?

[Drock28]

Originally Posted by bomiheko

Hmm. Now that adds to the overall cost. Another strut braces around an extra $100-300 depending where you get it. Does the sonic tuning ones have the same problem?

the Sonic kit does not have this issue.. the adjusters clear..
but this is the reason why Sonic has limited range in front.. max 1.5" with no compression.

FA, redesigned the entire front strut for Xi cars.. so that these cars can get the same range in front as rwd cars.

the stuts are shorter.. therefore the rod that stick ups through the upper mount is too long.

I spoke to Chris at FA, and confirms OEM strut brace will not fit at all. even if you take off the knobs, still wont fit.

so the idea mentioned above to add a spacer under the bace, could work, but chances are, the brace would not clear the hood after.

[JC335xi]

Originally Posted by Raptor001

yes, this is a solution, but not one that I wanted to do. I don't like the idea of placing all thee stress on a spacer/bolt. You also may run into clearance issues between the strut bar and the hood.

True, it is definitely not ideal but it may be an option. I took a look at it yesterday and the head of the existing bolt just touches the insulation on the hood so the only wiggle room available will be equal to the thickness of the insulation plus anything extra we could get by using a bolt with a lower profile head. It's not very much but maybe its enough. I will investigate in more detail tomorrow.

[JC335xi]

One thick washer underneath and a little massaging with the BFH to flatten the brace out slightly and it fits without issue.

As far as how low it will go... I have only done the front so far but I currently have a 3/4" gap and another 1/2" of exposed threads on the damper so it should only take a little preload to get it flush if that's what your looking for.

[Raptor04]

Originally Posted by JC335xi

One thick washer underneath and a little massaging with the BFH to flatten the brace out slightly and it fits without issue.

As far as how low it will go... I have only done the front so far but I currently have a 3/4" gap and another 1/2" of exposed threads on the damper so it should only take a little preload to get it flush if that's what your looking for.

What length spring did you go with in the front? and did you reuse your oem front swaybar endlinks without issues?

[JC335xi]

I'm not certain but I think it was a 7" spring and I did reuse the oem endlinks.

[Raptor04]

Originally Posted by JC335xi

I'm not certain but I think it was a 7" spring and I did reuse the oem endlinks.

Ok, thanks. I went with the 6" spring, but can't reuse the oem endlinks because they are too short. Did you have to rotate your swaybar all the way up to get it to reach?

[JC335xi]

Originally Posted by Raptor001

Ok, thanks. I went with the 6" spring, but can't reuse the oem endlinks because they are too short. Did you have to rotate your swaybar all the way up to get it to reach?

It was either a 160 or 180mm spring (roughly 6" and 7") and I don't remember which.

For the endlinks I left one end disconnected and hooked it back up with the car on the ground. Easy peasy.

How long are your rear springs?

[JC335xi]

So all four corners are done and I went for a short drive. I am sitting at 25" in the front and rear with about 1/2" of adjustment left all around.

[bomiheko]

That looks close to eliminating the rake. I think I'll go for these coilovers. ^^ How's the ride performance and comfort btw?

[JC335xi]

Originally Posted by bomiheko

That looks close to eliminating the rake. I think I'll go for these coilovers. ^^ How's the ride performance and comfort btw?

Obviously I havent spent much time with it yet but so far I would say its surprisingly comfortable. I was worried that such a drastic increase in spring rate would adversely affect daily drivability but it overall it is actually more comfortable than the stock suspension. Given, it had 80k miles on it but still... it soaks up smaller imperfections, sunken manhole covers, etc with ease. I'm guessing large bumps will be a different story but I haven't run into any yet.

As far as performance goes. General feel is great but I definitely need to get an alignment and put my summer wheels on before giving it a workout. I have my first auto-x of the year in a few weeks so that will be the real test.

[Drock28]

looks good.. and if you say still .5" of thread left.. it would definitely make it flush if your summers are 19's..

overall.. I beleive the FA kit is the best overall application for Xi cars..

but as mentioned in another thread.. i gave up on the Sonics, wanted to go for FA kit, but went for KwV1 in the end..as had better price on these then FA..

[awawd335]

Any updated reviews on this? JC335xi...how did these perform at autocross?

[JC335xi]

Originally Posted by awawd335

Any updated reviews on this? JC335xi...how did these perform at autocross?

Great. The car rotates much better now and combined with the new wheel/tire combo I have much more grip. I dropped a ton of time and am now actually somewhat competitive with the more experienced folks which is nice. I actually led the class for most of the day at my last event but was overtaken on the last couple runs by one of the instructors in his STi and somebody in an E46 M3 by about a tenth. Managed to hold off an E92 M3 and a 370Z though.

I do want to upgrade the sway bar(s) as well but at this point I feel that the car already has more in it as is than I have been able to extract so I will leave that for next season. I might change to swift springs and bump up the rear rate somewhat first though as that could get me where i want to be without needing to mess with the bars.

Now that I have had a good amount of time with the suspension I would rate the ride comfort as acceptable (7/10). Generally its fine and in some instances it is actually more comfortable than stock but it can be pretty harsh at times.

Overall I am very happy with what I got for the price. The height adjustability was more than I needed, for me camber plates were a requirement, and I have been pleased with the performance. As long as they prove to be reasonably durable I have no regrets.

[awawd335]

Thanks for the update JC335xi. I am planning to get a set of these coilovers. They seem like the best option for performance coilovers for a reasonable price. I'm curious, what spring rates did you use?

[JC335xi]

Originally Posted by awawd335

Thanks for the update JC335xi. I am planning to get a set of these coilovers. They seem like the best option for performance coilovers for a reasonable price. I'm curious, what spring rates did you use?

Its in my sig 400#F/600#R

I wanted higher in the rear but that is the max rate they had for the rear without going with swift springs.

[Raptor04]

Mine are 450 front and 672 rear, but only my front struts are fa. My rear shocks are double adjustable konis. I installed rear subframe bushing inserts and it made a big difference in making the rear less bouncy. The higher spring rate you go in the rear the more you will need to address the rear subframe bushings.

[awawd335]

Raptor...how would rate the comfort of your setup? If you track/autocross your car at all, how do you like your setup for this?