[JonDiesel@ColemanAutobody]

I\'ve heard a lot of times cars \'engineered\' to feel like they handle well, and cars that just handle well. I come from an 04 maxima before this, had some suspension work done with summer tires and stock 18s. th suspension definitely added some \'crispness\' to the feel, but i still feel the 335 is more \'rubbery\' in the rear end around high speed corners especially with bumps. the max was rock solid, idk if anyone else ever noticed this, any thoughts?

[JonDiesel@ColemanAutobody]

by the way, the point I was trying to make is maybe that the maxima was engineered to feel more solid, even though it may not handle as well at the limit or communicate as well at least

[ciomas]

What you just described is in my opinion one of the biggest flaws of this car. Solid rear subframe bushes are a must

[ndog14]

English.

[krhodes1]

Switching to non-runflat tires pretty much eliminated this issue on my car. The damned things just do not do well in bumpy turns. Too stiff, and too much unsprung wieght. And these are my winter tires - 16" Dunlop Wintersport 3Ds - they both ride and handle better than the stock 17" Continental RFTs. Just as quiet over 15mph too.

The snows are V-speed rated so they are not as soft-sidewalled as one might think. But far softer than H-rated sidewalls that need to be able to support the weight of the car with no pressure in them. I'm pretty sure I am going to get non-RFTs for summer before they have to go back on, despite the cheapskate in my wanting to get my moneys worth out of them.

[JonDiesel@ColemanAutobody]

see I always thought switching to non-run flats made the car mushier, I've had customers with some older e90's tell me about this issue. but u understand what you mean about the unsprung weight, gonna do
some searching on here and see what tires people are liking.. I rarely see BMWs with non OEM tires nonetheless.

[Lexor1704]

One of the first things I did when I got my car was ditch the run flats. They were horrid on bumps. I replaced them with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's for summer and the Dunlop winter sport 3Ds for winter. I agree the winter tires feel more planted on bumps than the run flats and the Michelins make you want to punch the BMW engineer in the face that though run flats was a good idea.

[JonDiesel@ColemanAutobody]

yeah that isn't the first time I've heard of someone saying something about the ps2's maybe I should look into that... thanks !

[gunnerxq]

Originally Posted by JonDiesel

yeah that isn't the first time I've heard of someone saying something about the ps2's maybe I should look into that... thanks !

No get the pss (pilot super sport) they are newer and better.

[linlaoboo]

Jon,

Is yours RWD? On my 07 328xi I don't feel what you describe and I came from an 04 Max too.

[dmatre]

My '11 E90 definitely feels this way.

I thought it was just the low spring/shock rate in the rear, but it may be the bushings also. There's a nice sweeping right-hander with an easy 'hump' mid-corner, on the way home from work. In the old Benz, the corner was smooth & easy at a decent clip, and the bump was barely noticeable. At the same speed, the rear of the E90 moves quite slowly up/down over the bump (not quite in a controlled manner), and the car feels very unsettled. On glass-smooth pavement, this uneasy feeling isn't there, which led me to think that it was springs/shocks (in play over bumps) rather than bushings (which load up on smooth as well as uneven pavement).

[captainaudio]

It is a common misconception that in order to handle well a car needs to have a rock hard suspension. There is a "sweet spot" to suspension stiffness and too stiff can be as detrimental to handling as too soft. It is also necessary to have the correct amount of sidewall flex to generate maximum grip on corners (Google "Slip Angle"). The suspension is supposed to keep the contact patches in contact with the road surface. A poorly sorted out, overly stiff suspension will cause the car to bounce over bumps and the tires to loose contact with the road. This is not a characteristic of what I consider a good handling car.

I had the same issue with my 335 and was able to rectify it by getting rid of the RFTs and replacing the dampers with Koni FSDs.

CA

[gunnerxq]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

It is a common misconception that in order to handle well a car needs to have a rock hard suspension. There is a "sweet spot" to suspension stiffness and too stiff can be as detrimental to handling as too soft. It is also necessary to have the correct amount of sidewall flex to generate maximum grip on corners (Google "Slip Angle"). The suspension is supposed to keep the contact patches in contact with the road surface. A poorly sorted out, overly stiff suspension will cause the car to bounce over bumps and the tires to loose contact with the road. This is not a characteristic of what I consider a good handling car.

I had the same issue with my 335 and was able to rectify it by getting rid of the RFTs and replacing the dampers with Koni FSDs.

CA

Koni FSD have a lower compression weight then stock shocks right? Meaning they are softer.

[JuppiOne]

in a nut shell, firmer front and softer rear suspension give good turn in response but sacrifice some stability, and vice versa, firmer rear suspension give better stability

[tofu-]

The rear of my car is not confidence inspiring at high speed. This is with koni/swift coilover upgrade and 245/275 summer tires as well.

IMO, these 335s just don't handle well at all unless you throw a lot of money at them

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by gunnerxq

Koni FSD have a lower compression weight then stock shocks right? Meaning they are softer.

Most shock absorbers are designed to offer a firmer ride OR to maximize ride comfort. And complete computerized systems can deliver both comfort and performance, but at too high a price for the average consumer's vehicle.
The KONI FSD (Frequency Selective Damping) shock combines excellent road holding and handing characteristics with no-compromise comfort levels. It's a two-in-one solution from KONI that doesn't require the installation of sophisticated electronics, cables or sensors. Firmness for sporty driving on even road surfaces. Smoothness for a comfortable ride on uneven road surfaces.
It's possible via KONI's patented Frequency Selective Damping technology - technology that actively controls the damping level on the basis of the vehicle's body and suspension movement frequency. FSD shocks are a smart suspension system that adjusts automatically and in a fraction of a second to road conditions and driving style.
How It Works

In standard shock absorbers the main damping characteristic is defined by the oil flow going through the piston assembly (1).
Combining it with the FSD feature (2), KONI added a special valve that controls an oil flow parallel to the one going through the piston rod (3). This parallel oil flow is closed by the FSD feature, giving a rise in damping force almost linear to the time that the piston is moving in one direction

Put simply: the FSD feature is a hydraulic amplifier that delays the build up of pressure. In some ways an extra tuning option has been created in order to get the best possible combination of handling and comfort.
Since it is an integrated part of the hydraulic valve system inside the damper, no additional cables, sensors or any other electronic devices are needed to operate an FSD damper.

Benefits:

• Excellent road holding and handing
• Improved grip
• Great stability
• Optimum comfort level
• Excellent body control
• Added comfort for low profile tire applications
• Maximized driving pleasure
• No electronics, sensors or other components needed
• Economical, effective solution

[captainaudio]

There is very good info on the E9x suspension harshness issue here:


http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=401537


CA

[dre_2ooo]

My LSD helped... alot.