let's talk about the M3 suspension...

[Chuck]

I'm rather disappointed in the ride quality of my E46M3. I realize BMW had to compromise design to appeal to the widest demographic possible, but I can't imagine why they didn't dampen better. This is one bouncy car. On an even road, the ride is fantastic, and very comfortable, but I'm not satisfied otherwise. Even when my E36 was on the stock suspension, it wasn't as bouncy as my E46. When I switched to Koni S/A struts, my E36 had nearly no bounce, and it stuck to the road like a rollercoaster on its track.
It feels like most of the bounce is in the rear suspension, since its my chair moving up and down, not the steering wheel.

I'd like to see people's ideas and opinions on this, and what they did to correct it.

[Kevlar]

I have no complaints towards the E46 M3 suspension. I had a E36 M3 with strut bars front and rear. The only complaint about the car when I got it was excessive sway, but I've gotten used to that now so it's not an issue anymore.

My car is not bouncy... I've done triple digit speeds over smooth and not-so-smooth roads without any problems... the car definitely is smoother than my E36 M3 was ... no doubt about that.

To correct the problem... for something like that, sound like you would need to change the suspension. Since you sounds like you know what you like, I'd recommend a KW or Bilstein suspension set.

[tlaselva]

E46 M3 rear Bouncy? :

Not any bouncier than any stock suspension on any mass-produced cars..................

Now if you talking comparing to aftermarket, then I can see you have a point, or if your talking about launching the car hard. I found that the M's rear tires do hop a bit under that circumstance.

Or is it possible you have an issue with your rear suspension?

But an E46 M3 bouncy; that is the last adjective from my mind when I'm thinking of a word to describe a stock suspension on an E46 M3............

[SDbboy]

I find the rear end easier to break loose than the e36 m3 but I think this has to do with a lot more power not any suspension problems.

I've never found the suspension bouncy but I also have OEM 18s maybe its different with the OEM 19s?

Brian

[zenon]

Originally posted by tlaselva
E46 M3 rear Bouncy? :

Not any bouncier than any stock suspension on any mass-produced cars..................

Now if you talking comparing to aftermarket, then I can see you have a point, or if your talking about launching the car hard. I found that the M's rear tires do hop a bit under that circumstance.

Or is it possible you have an issue with your rear suspension?

But an E46 M3 bouncy; that is the last adjective from my mind when I'm thinking of a word to describe a stock suspension on an E46 M3............

You get wheel hop in your M3? Wheel hop is caused by an overly compliant suspension as a whole, not just springs.

You'd need to go to Polyurethane (Energy Suspension) Bushings to properly eliminate that.

[tlaselva]

Originally posted by zenon
You get wheel hop in your M3? Wheel hop is caused by an overly compliant suspension as a whole, not just springs.

You'd need to go to Polyurethane (Energy Suspension) Bushings to properly eliminate that.

Anyone make such a thing for a E46 M3?

Thanks

[Chuck]

Originally posted by tlaselva
E46 M3 rear Bouncy? :

Not any bouncier than any stock suspension on any mass-produced cars..................

Waaaaay more bouncy than anything else I've owned, with the exception of my 1991 Isuzu pickup. Even then, its close. Of course, it outhandles everything I've owned except for my 98 M3.

Originally posted by tlaselva
Or is it possible you have an issue with your rear suspension?

Like what? What could cause the rear to act like a lowered ricer?

Originally posted by tlaselva
But an E46 M3 bouncy; that is the last adjective from my mind when I'm thinking of a word to describe a stock suspension on an E46 M3............

Well, its the first adjective that hits my mind as I drive over bumps. If it was a bit worse, I think my butt would fly off the seat.
In my E36, hitting a bump was like this:

bump BUMP

And thats it - front wheels hit the bump, follwed by the rears. No bounce.

In my E46, its like this:

bump BUMP..BOUNCE..Bounce..bounce

Way too much suspension oscillation here. Reminds me of a mid-70's Corvette ride. The front barely notices but the rear shakes its groove thing. Its almost as if there were no shocks in the back, or a completely out of tune spring rate or maybe no upward valving in the shocks. Its not worth reporting to the dealer, because from what I've seen posted here, most techs can't get the oil level or type correct, much less search out a supposed problem in a new rear suspension.

The car has a lot of positives to it, but between the suspension and the hideous exhaust note, I'm a little disappointed.

[Chuck]

Originally posted by Kevlar
To correct the problem... for something like that, sound like you would need to change the suspension. Since you sounds like you know what you like, I'd recommend a KW or Bilstein suspension set.

Well, I'm not ready to spend that kind of money- drop $2k on a car I just paid $52k for. I'm interested in coilovers, but I know next to nothing about them. I suppose I'm looking for the Holy Grail: comfortable ride, flat and controlled in the turns, no bounce, nothing harsh. Or at least as nice a ride as my E36 was, new.

BTW: what is "KW"?

[Kevlar]

Originally posted by Chuck
BTW: what is "KW"?

KW is www.kwsuspension.com

[M3 2 NV]

Take it in to the dealer and have them check it out. Maybe they forgot to take out the shipping blocks, never hurts to ask, it's happened before

[rayster]

Agreed- it sounds like the rear suspension blocks were not removed. You might be able to see them if you look in your rear wheel wells. Raises the ride height too.
If you're not sure, or can't see up into the rear suspension, take it to the dealer and have them put it on a lift.

Good luck!

[tlaselva]

Chuck, you and I must be driving two different cars.
Too bad you're so far away, I'd really like to compare our two cars to see if there's that much difference between both.

It's either you and I prefer our suspensions completely different, or as unlikely as it sounds, there really is a diff between our cars.

I still maintain that the suspension on my M is as tight as anything I've ever driven in my 23 years of driving.

[Chuck]

Originally posted by M3 2 NV
Take it in to the dealer and have them check it out. Maybe they forgot to take out the shipping blocks, never hurts to ask, it's happened before

You may be right. I'll check it out later this afternoon. The guys at that dealer are severely challenged. They ruined the wheels on my last M3, and I went through all sorts of hassles there. Doesn't look like I'm off to a good start with this car, since I took it in for the 1200 mile service and an oil change, and I saw the tech spilled some oil on the head cover. They didn't bother to clean it off either.

[Chuck]

Originally posted by tlaselva
Chuck, you and I must be driving two different cars.
Too bad you're so far away, I'd really like to compare our two cars to see if there's that much difference between both.

Well, get down here before you freeze to death, and I'll hook you up with a beachfront condo. Bring girls.

[zenon]

Doesn't seem like they offer much for BMW's.
http://www.energysuspension.com/bmw.html

Chuck, I'm hooking the ladies up righ now... I'll be right over.

[Chuck]

Originally posted by zenon
Doesn't seem like they offer much for BMW's.
http://www.energysuspension.com/bmw.html

Chuck, I'm hooking the ladies up righ now... I'll be right over.

Cool... I forgot to mention I'm picky: Christian. No tats, piercings, toe rings, or bi-chicks. Long hair, no makeup. Slim, hates sports, doesn't like clubs. Libertarian is a plus.

I'll be watching the news reports to see if hell freezes over...

[aus]

I agree with you Chuck. Most BMW's give a decent ride and seem over-dampened, meaning the springs would compress and release and that's it, no follow-up bouncing. The new M3's have more bounce in them after the spring is compressed. I've driven 3, an they're all like that. Guess it's what you're use too. This characteristic has also been mentioned in a couple magazines as well. It's almost like the springs are too stiff for the struts/shocks. This is just my opinion.

[Chuck]

Originally posted by aus
I agree with you Chuck. Most BMW's give a decent ride and seem over-dampened, meaning the springs would compress and release and that's it, no follow-up bouncing. The new M3's have more bounce in them after the spring is compressed. I've driven 3, an they're all like that. Guess it's what you're use too. This characteristic has also been mentioned in a couple magazines as well. It's almost like the springs are too stiff for the struts/shocks. This is just my opinion.

No, you're right. I was coming back from Tampa tonight, doing between 80 and 110 over the Howard Frankland bridge, and it was just one continuous oscillation the entire way. I'm thinking to myself, "No way am I ever going to use this car to go out on a date! No woman would put up with this." City driving isn't too bad, but at speed, I could mix drinks. Too bad I sold my video camera to help pay for this thing, or I'd rest it on my shoulder and shoot a video to prove it. Its getting on my nerves really bad.

So what do you think would be a cheap way out of this problem? Complain to BMW until they do something about it, or go buy a set of Koni SA's to fix it? I really can't afford a set of coilovers, but the money I get back from the owner loyalty program should just about cover some Koni's.

[Kevlar]

Originally posted by Chuck
So what do you think would be a cheap way out of this problem? Complain to BMW until they do something about it, or go buy a set of Koni SA's to fix it? I really can't afford a set of coilovers, but the money I get back from the owner loyalty program should just about cover some Koni's.

I'd complain to BMW... maybe part of the suspension assembly is defective. It might be a good idea to try and get a ride in another M3 to see if it is truely the car ... or just your car. If it's your car, then I'd complain to the service department... if it's true to the M3 model ... then it looks like you'll be buying a set of Koni shocks.

[aus]

The Koni's for the E46 M3 are suppose to be out by the end of the year... cross your fingers. At that point, you might as well get some springs to get rid of all that wheel gap too.

Keep at eye out for GC to have c/o sets for around $1000 that are based on Koni's and height adjustable; camber plates won't be necessary anymore since they'll be made for the M3 and not the regular E46.

[Chuck]

Originally posted by aus
The Koni's for the E46 M3 are suppose to be out by the end of the year... cross your fingers. At that point, you might as well get some springs to get rid of all that wheel gap too.

Keep at eye out for GC to have c/o sets for around $1000 that are based on Koni's and height adjustable; camber plates won't be necessary anymore since they'll be made for the M3 and not the regular E46.

Y'know, the gap doesn't bother me that much. It does seem a bit high up front, but these cars are plenty low as it is, especially the front lip area. I love the lowered look and center of gravity, but sometimes there are too many tradeoffs, and I don't think ground clearance should be one of them. I will definitely be looking at the Koni's though, and maybe the GC's, if my home construction doesn't tap me too much (who am I kidding?)

BTW: nice stereo you've listed in your sig. Exactly what I would have done had I kept my E36 M3, except I would have used Canton drivers. Locally, the CD45z and the MF51 combo are going for less than $500 installed by a Nak authorized dealer. I guess the MF51 is getting EOL'd or something. Personally, I want the MB100, but after buying my new M3, I decided to leave everything alone.

For now...

[Chuck]

Originally posted by Kevlar
I'd complain to BMW... maybe part of the suspension assembly is defective. It might be a good idea to try and get a ride in another M3 to see if it is truely the car ... or just your car. If it's your car, then I'd complain to the service department... if it's true to the M3 model ... then it looks like you'll be buying a set of Koni shocks.

Well then, I'd say us West Coast people and you SoBe/Metro Dade area people need to do a meet so I can try other cars. You, me, TC, t00h0t from roadfly, who else can you think of? Maybe around Sebring? Whoo hoo! :

[Enigma]

Originally posted by aus
The Koni's for the E46 M3 are suppose to be out by the end of the year... cross your fingers. At that point, you might as well get some springs to get rid of all that wheel gap too.

Keep at eye out for GC to have c/o sets for around $1000 that are based on Koni's and height adjustable; camber plates won't be necessary anymore since they'll be made for the M3 and not the regular E46.

Huh, I have had a GC kit (koni) on my car for several months now. They are already out.

[aus]

Enigma, Do you have the ones with the front camber kit? That kit actually uses regular E46 front struts and won't work without the camber kit, at least that's what Jay said the last time my friend talked to him a couple months back. Have the E46 M3 struts have been out and I've just missed the boat?

And Chuck, I LOVE the MB100 but just a little too much money for me. That's a great deal you could get at an authorized Nak dealer for the CD45z combo.

[Chuck]

Originally posted by aus


And Chuck, I LOVE the MB100 but just a little too much money for me. That's a great deal you could get at an authorized Nak dealer for the CD45z combo.

I couldn't believe it myself. A friend of mine bought a 528, drove over there to see what they had, and came back with that combination in the dash. Unfortunately, he wired it all up to PPI amps.
And they had a beautiful Xtant 404m there - the last of the good ones before MTX bought them out, new in the box. Has he no sense?