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Blog Archives for November 04
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24 November 2004. Blog entry by Bimmerman.
Having sorted out the car suspension, I find myself driving the car more aggresively
(not dangerously) particularly when it comes to taking corners. The car is flatter
through corners and without distraction from bodyroll, I can concentrate on taking it
smoother and faster. Having said that, the better suspension shows deficiency in other
areas. The rear wheels sometimes feel like giving way - I think the Falkens need to be
replaced soon as it probably has about 40% thread left. Also I could definitely do with
more braking power. Between the tyres and brakes, I'll most likely work on the brakes
next since I've got a replacement set of original brake hoses lying idle. I will
initially just change the hoses, flush the existing brake oil and get some fresh fluid
in. I will then see if that provides sufficient improvement. The brakes feel vague and
are lacking bite - a definite worry with my current driving!
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16 November 2004. Blog entry by Bimmerman.
I think the car is now less bouncy compared to when I initially changed the suspension.
However, this is based entirely on feel and perception. It could also be due to me having
adjusted to the current suspension. Nevertheless, I'm satisfied with the present ride
quality and handling provided by the Eibach/Bilstein set up. The only area I hope could be
changed (a little) is the ride height on the rear. It's a bit too low and the bottom of
the car occasionally scrapes speed bumps. Besides that, the right rear end of the car is
still noticeably lower than the left rear end. I say 'still' because I knew this to be
the case before changing the suspension. The right rear absorber were badly damaged and
it was an inch shorter than the left rear absorber when it was removed. I was concerned
that the time spent driving the car with damaged right rear absorber had somehow
contributed to this, i.e. the right rear end being lower than the left (right hand drive
car). I went back to the workshop to have it inspected and found out (it seems) it is
normal for the rear right to be lower than the rear left! The height of the car is pretty
much fixed by the Eibach Pro Kit springs according to the workshop. However, I haven't
given up on finding ways to fix the ride height on the rear yet!
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5 November 2004. Blog entry by Bimmerman.
After the suspension job, the car definitely feels tighter and handles sharper. I guess
it should - because the suspension mounts; upper and lower control arms; and the bushings
have all been changed. It's definitely more stable with less body roll through corners
given the Bilstein/Eibach setup. The ride comfort is not much worse than stock. In fact,
it's quite good, i.e. not at all bumpy when going through uneven surfaces. However, the
problem is that the car seems more 'bouncy' compared to the stock-ride quality. I was
expecting a bumpier/harder ride as the Bilstein touring shocks is stiffer than standard
Boge. Anyway, I've only covered less than 500 highway miles over the past week since
changing the suspension. We'll see if there are any changes over the next 500 miles.
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2 November 2004. Blog entry by Bimmerman.
I finally managed to put the Bilstein/Eibach suspension combination on my car after a
long delay. The suspension job cost much more than what I had anticipated since I took
the opportunity to refresh every suspension-related bit that were worn or looked worn.
It's a long, long list but the main culprit that caused my suspension replacement budget
to skyrocket was the top mounting for the front absorbers (original BMW) - a pair of
these cost almost as much as the price of the Bilstein touring shocks! The total cost for
the replacement parts were more that the Bilstein shocks and Eibach springs. Anyway, the
difference the suspension job made to the car made it worthwhile. The car now sits much
lower - especially up front making the car look more aggresive. What I enjoyed more was
the significant improvement to the car's handling. More on that later...
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