[tkong]

I apologize for the multitude of suspension threads recently. This summer I upgraded my suspension to koni yellows and swift spec r springs along with m3 front control arms all in one go.

My car is a daily driver/canyon carver. Sadly, I am not quite happy with the set up. I do feel a small amount of lean and unstableness in tight hairpin turns on the switchbacks near where I live, so I want to tighten it up a little bit more.( but I have been reading that some lean is good), and of course, the dreaded rear bounce is still there.

I’m now planning on doing solid aluminum subframe bushings along with an mfactory LSD and mfactory differential bushings, but I had a couple questions.

I plan on doing one or the other this summer and then waiting until I get back from school in December to do the other. Which one would you recommend doing first?

Prior to finding an affordable shop to do the LSD and bushings, I was planning on doing the e93 front sway bar to help improve body roll. From my research, rear sway bars don’t seem to be that popular of a mod, because of the labor cost and the lack of an LSD in our cars.

If I decide to do the subframe bushings first( and since I plan on doing an LSD later on), do you guys recommend upgrading to the e92/e90 22.5 mm rear sway bar at the same time since the subframe will be dropped or will I be fine with the stock one since I’m not tracking?

Thanks in advance.

[Dhillon92]

I would definitely suggest doing the rear sway bar upgrade while you're in there to change the subframe bushings. I've had an m3 rear bar sitting in my closet for a year now, literally waiting for subframe bushings and then I will install it all in one go.

Unfortunately I haven't done either of them yet so I can't tell you what they're worth, but I would hate to drop the subframe twice, its not cheap labour, and its not necessarily fun to do yourself.

[jin]

Pretty sure that rear sway bar is not advisable without LSD.

[brocklanders]

I have had two e90's and now an e82, on my previous e90 I had m3 subframe bushings and eibach sways. I liked it so much that I had to have it on the uno. Now I have whiteline full poly bushings and eibach sways on the 1er, there is nothing wrong with a mild increase in the rear sway unless you're serious about racing, it is a huge improvement up to 80% of the cars limit and I would be willing to bet not many people take this car to the limit on any public road.

[brocklanders]

BTW good choice with the solid rsfb if I did it over I would use them. I have poly and there is absolutely no nvh.

[CALWATERBOY]

.

OK - LSD cures many ills, and M3 rear subframe bushings make the rear much less vague. After LSD - not before - M3 rear sway is very good or, if high rate springs, no sway.

But you're still gonna be unhappy if tires are rolling on sidewalls! That's where high spring rates [way firm] or increased negative camber can really make your day.

On the street, -2.5° camber front & rear is a satisfying, confidence inspiring experience - seems like there's no limit, and the car drives with ease & grace it never had before. Um....don't expect long tire life. Do expect poop eatin' grin!

[avocet]

I did a Hotchkis front sway with the small hotch rear and found it very unbalanced. I put a 20mm h&r rear and found it to be much, much more balanced.

I have a 328, so don't experience alot of the issues you n54/55 guys experience putting power down, but if you have alot of really tight off camber hairpins that will create alot of rear end weight transfer it might be an issue.

[Aced16]

Originally Posted by tkong

I apologize for the multitude of suspension threads recently. This summer I upgraded my suspension to koni yellows and swift spec r springs along with m3 front control arms all in one go.

My car is a daily driver/canyon carver. Sadly, I am not quite happy with the set up. I do feel a small amount of lean and unstableness in tight hairpin turns on the switchbacks near where I live, so I want to tighten it up a little bit more.( but I have been reading that some lean is good), and of course, the dreaded rear bounce is still there.

Can you provide a little more details here? I am looking at the same combo, with some whiteline inserts for the rear subframe. Where you on stock sport suspension? How much was the drop after? was it an equal drop? Thanks!

[Tom Droze]

I have been down this path with my 328i (please see my signature for mods). I noticed a significant improvement with the RSF bushing inserts, which can be purchased for less than $100 and can be installed in less than two hours, as all that is required is to lower the subframe and not remove it. I have both the MFactory LSD and their differential bushings and I am very pleased with the performance of both. Prior to the MFactory differential bushings I had polyurethane bushing, which created a significant amount of NVH, which the MFactory bushings don't. Given how you drive your car, I would forgo the RSF bushing replacement and opt for the RSF bushing inserts along with the MFactory LSD and differential bushings. By the way, I do track my 328i and the instructors have been impressed with how it handles.

Out of curiosity, how much front negative camber are you running right now?