[Mr Bump]

Hi all

Apologies for another suspension thread but I’ve searched and read most of them here, and it seems most f30/f31 owners who change suspension setups and go the Birds or AC route are 330d drivers changing from the SE suspension so report great improvements in handling.

I’ve got a new F31 340i with standard M-Sport suspension and I’d like to ask if anyone has changed from M-sport to Birds or AC? How did it change things?

My goals are;

Reduce the understeer
I don’t want to lower the car if it can be avoided
I don’t want to make low speed driving any firmer
Improve ride quality a bit more when on back roads

Cheers

[JNW1]

The Birds or ACS suspension kits must be around £2k fitted so if you're contemplating one of those it suggests you're not exactly enamoured with the standard set-up?!

[Mr Bump]

I’m contemplating improvements

[NISFAN]

Number 1 contender has got to be Bilstein B16 Komfort. Over 100k miles on them on my 330d and still over the moon with them.

[Mr Bump]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

Number 1 contender has got to be Bilstein B16 Komfort. Over 100k miles on them on my 330d and still over the moon with them.

What did you have on there befor the change to b16? Do you adjust the dial settings at all?

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Mr Bump

What did you have on there befor the change to b16? Do you adjust the dial settings at all?

My car had M Sport suspension on it.

Yes, the car has been on track numerous times, and used to switch the settings around occasionally just to mix it up. Admittedly don't do that so much anymore now I have an M240i to play with.

[Mr Bump]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

My car had M Sport suspension on it.

Yes, the car has been on track numerous times, and used to switch the settings around occasionally just to mix it up. Admittedly don't do that so much anymore now I have an M240i to play with.

I’m not interested in track use but did you suffer in ride quality changing to the b16s compared to the m sport can you recall?

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by Mr Bump

I’m not interested in track use but did you suffer in ride quality changing to the b16s compared to the m sport can you recall?

It's stiffer than standard, but much more comfortable....I know that doesn't make sense, but trust me. No crashing and banging on potholes and manhole covers. Instead the car glides over bumps as a unit rather than one wheel smashing through something to be followed by the next wheel, etc.

[330XDave]

I think Bilstein B12 would do the job for me. Not adjustable which is fine by me but significantly cheaper than others.

I'm now just waiting for a damper or spring to break to make it an easy sell to the missus!

[bishbosh]

I'd also recommend Bilstein B12 if you aren't intending to track or don't need adjustment.

[NISFAN]

Originally Posted by bishbosh

I'd also recommend Bilstein B12 if you aren't intending to track or don't need adjustment.

That's an interesting point but I'm not sure it's as simple as that?!?!?

The B12 is almost a fixed set B16.

The B16 has 10 adjustment levels. Now, if the standard B12 setting equals setting 5 (middle) of a B16, is that a good thing? I'd say No. Setting 5 is quite stiff, I usually use setting 2-3 for a comfortable all round setting. In this case, I'd find the B12 to be compromised. A great example of why I'd pay the extra for B16.
Of course B12 could be more like setting 3-4 which should be great as an everyday setting.

[Mr Bump]

Originally Posted by NISFAN

That's an interesting point but I'm not sure it's as simple as that?!?!?

The B12 is almost a fixed set B16.

The B16 has 10 adjustment levels. Now, if the standard B12 setting equals setting 5 (middle) of a B16, is that a good thing? I'd say No. Setting 5 is quite stiff, I usually use setting 2-3 for a comfortable all round setting. In this case, I'd find the B12 to be compromised. A great example of why I'd pay the extra for B16.
Of course B12 could be more like setting 3-4 which should be great as an everyday setting.

That's exactly the sort of useful info I'm after thanks.

I guess that's a recommendation for any coil over set i.e. I can adjust the ride height with coilovers to exactly what I want (I'm not after anything very much lowered at all over m sport) and I can adjust the comfort level myself.

Any fixed set and you're stuck but you pay for the privilege with coilovers

[Lorcan]

We recently fitted a set of Bilstein "comfort" coilovers for a customer. Feedback from the workshop was that there is no setup information, as you would get with a set of AC Schnitzer RS Suspension and that they were no where near as comfortable in their softest setting as our RS suspension is.

[Cootie]

I was very surprised how good the ride quality was on my mate’s AC RS equip M3 Competition despite being on 20s and set up with fast road and track driving in mind. Can imagine that in its softer settings the suspension would be very comfortable particularly on smaller wheels.

[Mr Bump]

Originally Posted by Lorcan

We recently fitted a set of Bilstein "comfort" coilovers for a customer. Feedback from the workshop was that there is no setup information, as you would get with a set of AC Schnitzer RS Suspension and that they were no where near as comfortable in their softest setting as our RS suspension is.

Hi Lorcan

Thanks for chipping in - do you have any f30 or f31 cars fitted with your set ups available for a test drive please?

Cheers

[flashollie]

Originally Posted by Mr Bump

Hi Lorcan

Thanks for chipping in - do you have any f30 or f31 cars fitted with your set ups available for a test drive please?

Cheers

Where are you?
I've got ACS sport set up non adjustable in Bristol on a 335d on 19s.

[Mr Bump]

Originally Posted by flashollie

Where are you?
I've got ACS sport set up non adjustable in Bristol on a 335d on 19s.

Ah thank you very much but I’m in London so a bit of a trek out your way.

How do you find the set up?

[flashollie]

Originally Posted by Mr Bump

Ah thank you very much but I'm in London so a bit of a trek out your way.

How do you find the set up?

It's so so much better than the adaptive I had before.
it's much more comfortable. it's not as harsh or jarring and it's more settled less secondary rebound. this is around town and on motorways.

yet it's so much better for body control with less roll and more steering feedback. powering out of a corner feels more BMW if that makes sense. even with the X drive I can feel the back end pushing giving a feeling of wanting to step out much more than on the adaptive. this is still less of course than a rwd car.

at some point I will swap the rear ARB for the thicker one off the 235i.

it is a more composed and balanced car. it gives a greater feeling of confidence and now the handling matches the engine performance.

[Lorcan]

Originally Posted by Mr Bump

Hi Lorcan

Thanks for chipping in - do you have any f30 or f31 cars fitted with your set ups available for a test drive please?

Cheers

Not at the moment, we've run two demo cars this year with sports suspension so maybe a third one will be along in a bit

I have a B12 kit on my own car (not a BMW) and it's firm. Firmer than AC Schnitzer sports suspension and about on the limit of what I consider to acceptable on a daily driver. I do like it though.

It's worth remembering that suspension manufacturers don't usually have access to every car on the market. They will have access to the original components, and will have a fair idea of what to shoot for based on the axle weights of a vehicle, and their lengthy experience of course, but there is no substitute for real world testing.

AC Schnitzer is part of the Kohl BMW Group, so has the luxury of access to all the current models. The end result of testing, as @[NISFAN] alluded to, is the sweet spot of handling and comfort combined. AC Schnitzer, and Birds to be fair, are very good at doing this and it's why our suspension gets such favourable reviews.