I have the EDC on the current V8 Sedan. Supple, with fairly flat cornering when set on the stiffest setting. However, still a bit soft for those of us who like more firmness, less dive under braking, etc. I had a fabulous adjustable TEIN FLEX system on my EVO III.
What have people done regarding suspension mods that will work with the EDC–I assume Dinan and some others? I would be interested in how the car feels and turns in with a stiffer, lowered suspension.
Right now this is the road I am going down… when I decide to go down that road.
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=301533
DINAN suspension without the DINAN cost.
Kev, what springs will you be getting? The Eibachs seem to be closes to the Dinan, but it’s not much of a drop.
H&R ftw.
Very good advice. Not being a mechanic, let me see if I fully understand. Are you saying that if I get coilovers by KW or Macht Schnell or Schnitzer etc, that these replace the stock setup of springs and shocks at each wheel? And that this would lower the car, reduce roll and give a stiffer ride without ruining the suppleness of the suspension? Do all of these products require an EDC emulator (whatever that is) in order for the EDC to still be adjustable and function properly without warning lights?
Your other alternative was just springs alone, but it sounds like the coilovers are a better choice overall. How do I find the right person to order and install these, as I was simply going to take the easy way out and use a local Dinan-BMW dealer–but it sounds like some of the other products you mention may be better and/or less expensive than Dinan.
I’m waiting to see if I can get my hands on the M3 GTS springs… if those don’t become available, then I’ll go with Eibach. The car stiffness is fine for me the way it is, just could be a little bit lower.
The coilover’s will not be adjustable from the cabin, like the EDC shocks are. The emulators just prevent the "EDC Malfunction" light from showing up on the dash. They do not make aftermarket coilovers adjustable; you will loose that feature if you get coilovers. It’s the trade-off of a flatter ride and what should be better handling. Most coilover are still adjustable, but have to do it by hand at each shock/strut. Most are also height adjustable, so you can get the car at what ever height you want.
If you just get the springs, you can continue to use the stock shocks, which will mean you can still adjust them with the EDC button.
You could just get springs and skip all the shorter bump stops and shaved hats that are in Kevlar’s post, but since it’s not a lot of money, I think it’s worth doing. If you dont’ do the shorter bump stops/shaved hats, you’ll be riding on the stock bump stops all the time since there is very little suspension travel up front even with the stock supsension.
So you are saying I could just do springs if I want to. The car would be lowered, the ride stiffer and the EDC would still work? No emulators needed? If that sounds right, what springs ( manufacturer and order number) would you suggest?
H&R springs are fully compatible with EDC. They lower the front 1" and the rear .6". (Don’t judge by my sig, the photo is pre-slam)
I like the ride and love the look.
Can you still drive that in the winter? or it doesn’t get taken out in the snow. Even mine is tough to get through the snow without scrapignng every little snow ball on the road . Inclined driveways are a pain too.
I have a Tacoma Off-Road for this time of year. Unfortunately, there won’t be a lot of fun to be had until the spring.
It’s just as well. With the Powerchip flash I just did this week, an M3, summer tires, and cold pavement don’t play well together.
VERY well said. I highly suggest H&R Sports to firm up the suspension and lower the car without disabling EDC and maintaining daily comfort. If you want a bit more performance, you can do the H&R Sport Plus (or Race) springs which drop the car the same as the sports but run stiffer to reduce body roll.
That sucks , esp. if your winter is as long and freezing as ours.
indeed, neither does the lower clearance. Makes you envy Kevlar doesn’t it .
You’ve got it. You don’t need emulators with springs because you’re still using your stock shocks/struts.
You’ll have to ask other’s about which springs to get since I haven’t even sat in a car with springs. Nick’s comments seem to be what other’s have said.
Again, the Eibach/Dinan’s drop the car the least and are suppose to offer a ride that’s almost stock with the H&R/RDSports maybe a little stiffer. And like Nick said, there are different H&R springs you could choose from.
Thanks. I guess the next step would be for me to contact H&R and see which springs are compatible with my M3. I put a set of H&Rs on my 2000 S4, which in retrospect were too stiff and spoiled the ride. On the other hand, that Audi pushed like a pig, had no steering feel and was a big deal at the time with 250 stock hp.
I have heard stories of some people who have used the H&R race springs that they get EDC faults because the car is too low and is riding on the bump stops. If the DINAN white paper is right, there is only 1/2" of suspension travel up front, so if you lower the car without fixing the bump stops you are essentially riding on the bump stops which negate the use of the springs.
Just contact one of the board sponsors. JLevi, Modbargains, EAS all sell the springs. I would at least get the shorter bumpstops for the reasons Kevlar mentioned. It also shouldn’t be too hard to sand/grind down the hats a little either.
I haven’t heard about EDC malfunction with springs alone, but it makes sense since the EDC computer and the shocks talk to each other and this allows the EDC to change the valving acitively. If the shock is giving information that is out of set parameter’s, it will set off a malfunction.
Having said that, someone did contact H&R about this and their response was the springs are designed to work while the car is on the bumpstops.
Thanks to everyone. However, it sounds like more research is needed, especially if the change of springs alone can lower the car enough to hit the bump stops. Since I’m a bit lazy and not mechanically inclined, it may be easier just to go with Dinan for the complete suspension upgrade, as this setup is clearly compatible with the EDC. Although I would hate to pass up better or less expensive options if I’m guaranteed it would work without complications.
Just get the bumpstops in that link Kevlar provided. It even has the part numbers. That should give you enough clearance for any of the springs mentioned above. It’s not a common thing to have the EDC warning. I haven’t seen anyone mention it on other sites.
When the 1 series came out, I didn’t enjoy it. Perhaps if it ended up being closer to what the 2002 was and was (much) lighter, less expensive, and had a very great I4 (turboed or not, I don’t care) then I would like it greater, but whatever. What side tracked me further was the expected M unit that might rationally be called the M1. I thought that it just couldn’t be proper to compare and contrast the two M1s. Then again, since the 1 series came out in the US, the M division has created 2 SUVs that don’t even come with a manual. The Porsche Cayenne has one, was it that hard? Anyways, times are changing so go on and call it an M1. More desirable to manufacture a respectable, or possibly remarkable, car rather than not come up with it whatsoever just due to the fact a mess of fanboys would get harmed.