[ASAP]

Tell us how it feels compared to stock!!!

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Tell us how it feels compared to stock!!!

I haven't driven it much, but I can tell you it feels more bouncy. I don't mean to say it's a bad thing, just generally the car moves more when driving, if that's a better description. However, just like everyone says, it's less "crashy", so it feels less harsh (moves more, but less harsh movement). I'm going out to take some pix later and will get a better impression then.

BTW, I went 1-click softer on everything than BMW ships the suspension with. I had been speaking with a friend of mine that does suspensions for a living and he said that softer isn't always better, and recommended that I only do one click at at time for a 2-week minimum before making any other changes.

[Matt Devo]

Originally Posted by Wei718

I ordered the hardware kit along with my coils, I’m still debating if I should remove my strut and spring by releasing the nut on the strut using a jack to support the lower control arm. Going this route will save me a bunch of time from removing my carbon fiber brace and leaving my top hat alone and no need to use spring compressor. I will have a bunch of extra hardware laying around.

there's zero reason to remove the top hats unless replacing (either with new ones, or camber plates). I just did this yesterday to install new springs, was very easy just to pivot the assembly down and out.

[omasou]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

<snip>

I'm going to sell the entire kit I used to make this install as used only once so someone doesn't have to search for it all.

The second you sell it, you'll need it.

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

Not at all. Tried it every possible way, and nothing worked at all.

Not saying you didn't but I do agree that the lower gasket in the picture should be rotated clockwise by one hole to align ALL the holes.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

OK, so I should go ahead and use the new bolts, or not?

And if I do, I just take out one at a time, in a star pattern, torquing it to spec as I go? I can't imagine removing them all at the same time, but that would probably be ok as well, no?

OK, but I wonder why, when what came off of the car is the same as the front. Is it because of the MPS?

That's good to know, but if I do it, I'll need some different tools, or a different technique. The rear struts weren't kind to me at all. I used what I thought was the correct technique, but the nut was just going all the way down, and then I was trying to torque it to spec, which isn't much at all, and it just wouldn't go. It had me questioning if I was suppose to torque the nut somewhere on the shaft instead. The front was much the same, nut went all the way down on the threads, then I tried to torque it to spec, but it was quite hard.

And thank you for all your input man, much appreciation!

I think leave the exiting bolts in place. Those new bolts are for use with the reinforcement ring. So maybe fit those next?

For the nuts on the strut/damper shafts - not sure. I'm going with the part numbers on RealOEM. It could be the other way round?

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by omasou

The second you sell it, you'll need it.

Wise words.

Originally Posted by omasou

Not saying you didn't but I do agree that the lower gasket in the picture should be rotated clockwise by one hole to align ALL the holes.

We rotated it every single way possible, both sides, and there was no way to get all 6 holes to line up. My friend suggested to just cut the notch, and some additional holes, but since the original was in decent shape, no need.

Originally Posted by M Fifty

I think leave the exiting bolts in place. Those new bolts are for use with the reinforcement ring. So maybe fit those next?

I don't even know what a reinforcement ring is, so no worries on that.

Originally Posted by M Fifty

For the nuts on the strut/damper shafts - not sure. I'm going with the part numbers on RealOEM. It could be the other way round?

They were all 4 identical, the taller one. Maybe some come with shorter ones? Maybe they updated the part number to use the shorter one in the rear for some reason? No idea. I'm going to send an email to the BMW parts for sure.

[M Fifty]

Okay. For me, I'd want the taller ones on the front. So probably stick with what you've got.

The rings can be seen on all M3/4 and reinforce the body shell where the strut tops attach.

How are you finding the driving experience? Having fitted it yourself you might be feeling a little tired, but hopefully you'll get to enjoy the fruits of your labour soon.

[Wei718]

Originally Posted by Matt Devo

there's zero reason to remove the top hats unless replacing (either with new ones, or camber plates). I just did this yesterday to install new springs, was very easy just to pivot the assembly down and out.

Definitely! Thanks for the reassurance. I’ve used this method when I installed the KW HAS kit on my E92 M3 before but at that time I wasn’t sure if it were the right way or not.

[Bee Pee]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

Oh yeah, and the car is done. Quick driveway pic with the phone. It looks even here, but the front is still a bit high with 3.5 threads showing. Hope it settles a bit. More pix soon.

loving the FG 437m 😍

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

I haven't driven it much, but I can tell you it feels more bouncy. I don't mean to say it's a bad thing, just generally the car moves more when driving, if that's a better description. However, just like everyone says, it's less "crashy", so it feels less harsh (moves more, but less harsh movement). I'm going out to take some pix later and will get a better impression then.

BTW, I went 1-click softer on everything than BMW ships the suspension with. I had been speaking with a friend of mine that does suspensions for a living and he said that softer isn't always better, and recommended that I only do one click at at time for a 2-week minimum before making any other changes.

hmm bouncy is not the word I expected, i do understand it being more stiff but bouncy is never good... is your rebound set too high?

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by ASAP

hmm bouncy is not the word I expected, i do understand it being more stiff but bouncy is never good... is your rebound set too high?

1 click softer than original-spec. The car definitely moves more than it did before.

[M Fifty]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

The video I used was this one:

He does it the hard way IMO. If I were to do it again, I'd do it differently, leaving the strut bolted to the top and using the weight of the brake/knuckle assembly to pull it out. As it was, I did it his way, then had to bolt the strut back up, and do it the other way to get it out. Both sides.

I think you can do it any way you want, but don't be afraid of the spring compressor, it was only $119 and worked like a charm, so easy to use.

I'm going to sell the entire kit I used to make this install as used only once so someone doesn't have to search for it all.






Not at all. Tried it every possible way, and nothing worked at all.

That gasket is for the strut top on an M2C. So it will never fit.

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Tell us how it feels compared to stock!!!

OK, just got back from a long drive and wanted to share my thoughts. I first drove my normal daily commute twice (only 5.4 miles round-trip), and then twice on my "fun" roads (about 11 miles round-trip on dreamy curves). I did this same drive last week and made notes so I could compare them exactly. I also matched the tire psi, and even the time of day to be as accurate as possible.

Here's a list of what was obvious to me.

1. The car definitely moves around more on everything from rough to super smooth pavement. I'm literally moving in the seat a lot more than what I was before. Another way to describe it would be that it's like the stock suspension was kind of floating on top of the road, whereas the MPS is following it much more closely.

2. All bumps, from the very smallest to the largest, feel quite a bit (20-40%) less harsh than before, which is fantastic. The noises I used to hear on certain bumps are now gone, or much reduced. Just wow, didn't expect that.

3. Most would consider the handling increased, as the car feels like it changes direction better now, but it also finds the limitations of the tires earlier and easier, so there is actually more sliding around than there was before with the same tires.



Final thoughts.

The whole reason I got the MPS was to drop the car, and it has done that perfectly IMO. And there are a few perks to the MPS as well, like bumps being less harsh, and the car feeling more point-and-shoot. However, since I use the car as a daily driver, I do miss the stock suspension's increased low-speed grip, and generally how it caused me to move around less in the car.



And if you need that in list form:

Stock:
- Increased low-speed grip
- I moved less in the car

MPS:
- Great drop
- Bumps are much less crashy
- More point-and-shoot feel

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

OK, just got back from a long drive and wanted to share my thoughts. I first drove my normal daily commute twice (only 5.4 miles round-trip), and then twice on my "fun" roads (about 11 miles round-trip on dreamy curves). I did this same drive last week and made notes so I could compare them exactly. I also matched the tire psi, and even the time of day to be as accurate as possible.

Here's a list of what was obvious to me.

1. The car definitely moves around more on everything from rough to super smooth pavement. I'm literally moving in the seat a lot more than what I was before. Another way to describe it would be that it's like the stock suspension was kind of floating on top of the road, whereas the MPS is following it much more closely.

2. All bumps, from the very smallest to the largest, feel quite a bit (20-40%) less harsh than before, which is fantastic. The noises I used to hear on certain bumps are now gone, or much reduced. Just wow, didn't expect that.

3. Most would consider the handling increased, as the car feels like it changes direction better now, but it also finds the limitations of the tires earlier and easier, so there is actually more sliding around than there was before with the same tires.



Final thoughts.

The whole reason I got the MPS was to drop the car, and it has done that perfectly IMO. And there are a few perks to the MPS as well, like bumps being less harsh, and the car feeling more point-and-shoot. However, since I use the car as a daily driver, I do miss the stock suspension's increased low-speed grip, and generally how it caused me to move around less in the car.



And if you need that in list form:

Stock:
- Increased low-speed grip
- I moved less in the car

MPS:
- Great drop
- Bumps are much less crashy
- More point-and-shoot feel

Thank you very much for that thorough comparo...

I too was interested in these and even this week was asking around about qoutes for install prices.

My main consideration for this was the improvement for the car in terms of it being settled on uneven surfaces, bumps and any uneven undulations. I think the stock suspension is incredibly bouncy due to rebound settings that are simply too firm... From what you are seeing, it seems that you are seeing the opposite effect w the mpss... I am concerned about this.

As far as your grip issues, those could probably be easily resolved with more aggressive tires.

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Thank you very much for that thorough comparo...

I too was interested in these and even this week was asking around about qoutes for install prices.

My main consideration for this was the improvement for the car in terms of it being settled on uneven surfaces, bumps and any uneven undulations. I think the stock suspension is incredibly bouncy due to rebound settings that are simply too firm... From what you are seeing, it seems that you are seeing the opposite effect w the mpss... I am concerned about this.

As far as your grip issues, those could probably be easily resolved with more aggressive tires.

Maybe I didn't explain, my comments are explanations of minor things. The bounce is minor, the slip is minor, most everything is minor.

The thing that ISN'T minor is how composed the suspension is. So much less crashy, and wonderfully so. This is the suspension that should have come on the car IMO.

And a shot from tonight.

[VisualEcho]

After driving the car a bit yesterday, and taking some pix, I did a measurement.

All the way down on the rear gave me a 19mm drop.
3.5 threads showing on the front gave me a 25mm drop.

Spacers are 10mm rear, 12mm front.

The car sits pretty much where I wanted, but I may lower the front just a bit more. The weirdest thing is that I can't for the life of me get a decent picture. This is as clean as I can make it, and it still doesn't show what reality looks like (looks much lower in real life). It's the shadow on top of the tires, it makes the gap seem more and the sidewalls seem skinnier than they really are.

[VisualEcho]

This one shows it a bit better because the light is directly on the sidewalls. And you can see what a marked difference there is between the look of the gap and tires between the two pictures, though they were taken just minutes apart.

[Caduceus]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

3. Most would consider the handling increased, as the car feels like it changes direction better now, but it also finds the limitations of the tires earlier and easier, so there is actually more sliding around than there was before with the same tires.

If the car has less grip then the compression damping is too high.

Reduce the front compression by several clicks (not just one) and go for another drive. Keep reducing until you are satisfied with front end grip. If the car dives under brakes go back the other way a bit.

Find a safe sweeping bend and push the speed to the limit of grip. Don’t give it a boot full and force power oversteer. Just feel how it grips at constant throttle. At the limit, the rear will probably want to slide first now (oversteer). Soften the rear compression progressively until the car retains neutral handling. If you can get a gentle four wheel drift out of it you’ve nailed it.

Once you have the grip and balance where you want it you can tweak the rebound settings. Those will depend far more on the type of roads you drive and the speed you intend to drive at than the grip or balance of the car.

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by Caduceus

If the car has less grip then the compression damping is too high.

Reduce the front compression by several clicks (not just one) and go for another drive. Keep reducing until you are satisfied with front end grip. If the car dives under brakes go back the other way a bit.

Find a safe sweeping bend and push the speed to the limit of grip. Don’t give it a boot full and force power oversteer. Just feel how it grips at constant throttle. At the limit, the rear will probably want to slide first now (oversteer). Soften the rear compression progressively until the car retains neutral handling. If you can get a gentle four wheel drift out of it you’ve nailed it.

Once you have the grip and balance where you want it you can tweak the rebound settings. Those will depend far more on the type of roads you drive and the speed you intend to drive at than the grip or balance of the car.

After I drive it a few weeks I'll tweak it a bit.

[csbear]

Great thread and detailed explanation VisualEcho.

The front definitely settled for me a little. It looks aggressive in a good way...without being slammed.

The rears were adjusted somewhat recently, so I will have to see how far they settle.

I do believe the car needs wider rubber, and am going 255/275 next...at the minimum. Although, I do want to tweak the front compression as Caduceus mentioned as well.

I also agree, the M2 (and Comp) should have came with this suspension as stock. I am enjoying the car even more so with the MPSS installed. But obviously then it would not be a sub $60K car. Which is a magic number price wise in the car industry.

[omasou]

Measurements
595mm/600mm August 2019 installation
590mm/593mm March 2020 after sitting in garage all winter
590mm/595mm P/A; 585mm/590mm D/S September 2020

I find it strange that the springs would settle this much or that the set screws on all four sides are not set? Either way seems I need to pull a wheel and definitely raise it back up before installing a front splitter.

I know it's a bit late but finally got around to taking a picture of my front suspension and surprised it's set so low.

[ASAP]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

This one shows it a bit better because the light is directly on the sidewalls. And you can see what a marked difference there is between the look of the gap and tires between the two pictures, though they were taken just minutes apart.

looks perfect to me