Best set of coil overs(or other options) for my M3 for my very specific needs?

[BigDave]

Start with 18” wheels, drive for a while, and re-evaluate. 19’s really are terrible. Avoid too many changes at once to ensure you know what works and what doesn’t.

I have had D-Force 18x9.5 inch wheels for 10 years. I am running them now in the street with 4x 265/35-18 tires....Michelin PS 4s when I can afford them. Or Achilles or Vredestein when funds are limited. Both those brands in their Summer only extreme HP tires are amazing value and work great in the street,.
I have only had the run-out on my D-force wheels corrected once in all that time. They are tough as nails despite their "racing only" recommendation. They only weigh about 18lbs too..

[BigDave]

May I suggest having a look at Bilstein PSS10 (B16) with Turner Camber plates. They have progressive springs but vastly superior to the KW V2. I daily drive the car and track it often. Running -4.2 camber upfront with some nice Toe out. Turns on a dime. More comfortable than stock suspension, lowest dampening setting is too soft/floaty for my liking, but the option is there for unforgiving roads and takes 30 seconds to adjust. Stiffest setting on the dampers is harsh but that is meant for track and not road use.

KW V3 is also a good option from what I have heard but do not have any experience there.

I ran a slight toe out for a track session ONCE. It was a significant improvement for turns. But I could not live with toe out in the street as it made high-speed straight line (Florida!) stability scary. Really scary. I just run a tiny bit of toe in ever since. Even for track sessions. If only I had my own alignment shop!!

I know Doug at Turner pretty well. Most of my suspension comes from them except coilovers. Their Bilstein PSS10 (B16) with Turner Camber plates .might just be the ticket for me without spending a fortune. I will speak to him about it.
Thanks.

[cobra]

Damn, how did I miss this thread. Always love me a suspension thread.

You will continue to bottom out on those TCK struts because they don't create much compression damping. No amount of rebound will fix that. You cannot lower your car in front without running a shorter strut body because there just isn't much travel to play with.

It's true - you don't need rebound, high- and low- speed compression, but it's sure nice to have to play with. In reality you will find a setting you like and never touch it again. That Penske felt good because Penske makes high quality shocks that are tuned with good principles. There are a lot of shocks out there that are so far off to start with that no amount of adjusters will get you in the ballpark.

Hard to recommend a good shock option these days because it's information overload especially on the forums.

If you have some money to spend, check out the JRZ RS Two.

If you have really deep pockets - buy this: https://3dmmotorsport.com/products/b...suspension-kit

[BigDave]

Just my experience over the past decade trying mostly everything for these cars but under 3k you're going to be highly unsatisfied. Ohlins with flat ride and soft springs might be "OK" but unless you go FCM you're going to be continuously longing for something else. My FCM setup was close to 6.5k with almost 20hrs of consulting and setup all said and done it is fucking amzazong and I'm needy AF. I want max comfort and compliance with track rates that I can take to the racetrack, blow through a canyon road and focus on driving not what rut in the road is going to upset the car at 80mph) and still drive around town on r comps without fuss and jarring bs. Not one person has ridden in my car without being amazed and I tried to get people from all levels of suspension knowledge

Under 3k I'd do struts and springs. Everything else is honestly going to be annoying if it's a street car. Flat ride is an absolute must too if you dont want a bouncy pogostick, but you're just not going to get everything you want at that price point.

I am changing jobs and tripping my income, so I can start thinking about spending $6.5K. I did speak with him years ago. I will reach out to him again. Yeah, I am needy AF too. I do know....that in the end: "Its Cheaper To PAY"

[BigDave]

Well it's $3k minimum for qualty monotubes with blow off and much more for double adjustability, or 3way hi/low comp. Then add in $1000 in mounts (plates, weight jacks, rsms) $300 in springs $200 in adj endlinks/hardware.

I did it "cheap" right before inflation and still spent over $3k.

Ohlins R&T or TCK DAs are your best kits under $3k, but still require some more parts.

I am getting a better job and will hopefully be prepared to spend $6K+ which I may have to do with this rampant inflation.

[BigDave]

Flat ride is the spring rates. But if you want a truly optimized damper that has been 4 way valved set and forget config that is built to your specific car setup and needs and not some off the shelf marketing big name brand, then yeah that's about the cost after you factor in the coilover with springs and mounting hardware (camber plates and shock mounts, etc). I will tell you, I have never been happier.

If you want to play (and I DO) you got to PAY. I get it. I am re-thinking about shelling out more than double my original budget of $3K

[9kracing]

http://farnorthracing.com/autocross_secrets18.html

http://farnorthracing.com/autocross_secrets6.html

Long read but probably worth it in your case

[Cronenberged]

I wouldn't dismiss FCM as unable to meet your requirements. I just installed custom FCM rear shocks yesterday and am waiting for my fronts. Any reputable builder, whether it's FCM (Bilstein) or 3DM (Ohlins), should be capable of addressing your concerns and creating what you need. Yes, you'll have to invest to get the performance you want, but with this car, it's important to make the right choice initially; otherwise, you'll end up paying more in the long run. cobra 's custom suspension write-up is a fantastic resource to follow, and many, including myself, have used the FCM Flat Ride, which has received a lot of positive feedback on the forums. The inexpensive Flat Ride setup starts at around $1400 and goes goes as high you'll spend. Your options are quite extensive, depending on your preferences and needs.

[bigjae46]

I wouldn't dismiss FCM as unable to meet your requirements. I just installed custom FCM rear shocks yesterday and am waiting for my fronts. Any reputable builder, whether it's FCM (Bilstein) or 3DM (Ohlins), should be capable of addressing your concerns and creating what you need. Yes, you'll have to invest to get the performance you want, but with this car, it's important to make the right choice initially; otherwise, you'll end up paying more in the long run. cobra 's custom suspension write-up is a fantastic resource to follow, and many, including myself, have used the FCM Flat Ride, which has received a lot of positive feedback on the forums. The inexpensive Flat Ride setup starts at around $1400 and goes goes as high you'll spend. Your options are quite extensive, depending on your preferences and needs.

The biggest cost with a new suspension is the time to get it right. Nevermind the labor, corner balance, alignment - $1500ish?...but the track time to dial the suspension in. That has far outweighed the money I've spent on the actual suspension which is why I have a fear of changing the suspension. I'd rather have my engine spin a bearing.

If FCM can provide a susension that pretty much works out of the box, then $4000-ish is an outright bargain.

[gaiakai]

The inexpensive Flat Ride setup starts at around $1400 and goes goes as high you'll spend. Your options are quite extensive, depending on your preferences and needs.

I spoke with Shaikh a few weeks ago because I couldn't find definitive pricing for an FCM setup, but these days he only does stage 2 and stage 3. Stage 2 starts at $2800 and stage 3 is at $4400 with him mentioning that he thinks this pricing is more in line with the type of work he does and that he has no plans to increase it anytime soon. Those prices do not include the cost of the H&R dampers/springs/mounts; unless I'm misunderstanding and you're talking about a different flat ride setup other than the Dinan/Koni set.

[Cronenberged]

I did the stage 3 and my rears where customized to accommodate an eyelet because I have clevises. Correct it didn't include the cost of the H&R street performance kit $1200 on sale plus springs so it came out to around 5500. This included him making sure all my calculations for spring rates, sway bars so forth were correct. I've driven the car for two days now and in comparison to the last set up I really don't notice bumps anymore, it rides smoother, and quieter. I do need to get the car corner balanced so forth so that is another factor.

Bigjae you're far more experienced than I am and I feel much more technical, going with FCM relieved a lot of the pressure of things idk and gave me something that was ready to go.

[Sharocks]

FCM is basically Redshifts but with extra steps/hand holding.

TBF, no suspension is going to be the best at everything.

Just like no car is going to be the best at everything.

As others have said, I would consider going to 18's, increasing tire sidewall, raising your ride height, and getting some normal shocks and decent springs.

You can't make an M3 ride like a Rolls Royce and handle like an S2000.

It is not possible.

Also, you're in a vert so you're even more limited.

[bigjae46]

I did the stage 3 and my rears where customized to accommodate an eyelet because I have clevises. Correct it didn't include the cost of the H&R street performance kit $1200 on sale plus springs so it came out to around 5500. This included him making sure all my calculations for spring rates, sway bars so forth were correct. I've driven the car for two days now and in comparison to the last set up I really don't notice bumps anymore, it rides smoother, and quieter. I do need to get the car corner balanced so forth so that is another factor.

Bigjae you're far more experienced than I am and I feel much more technical, going with FCM relieved a lot of the pressure of things idk and gave me something that was ready to go.

I am not a suspension guru either. It was a painful and frustrating experience re-dialing in the suspension after removing 800lbs and installing a rollcage. I felt lost and stumbled across the flat ride concept. If someone can setup dampers to my specific requirements...seems like its worth it!

Definitely keep us posted on how your setup turns out. If it's better, it should be more comfortable AND easier to drive aggressively.

[BigDave]

I wouldn't dismiss FCM as unable to meet your requirements. I just installed custom FCM rear shocks yesterday and am waiting for my fronts. Any reputable builder, whether it's FCM (Bilstein) or 3DM (Ohlins), should be capable of addressing your concerns and creating what you need. Yes, you'll have to invest to get the performance you want, but with this car, it's important to make the right choice initially; otherwise, you'll end up paying more in the long run. cobra 's custom suspension write-up is a fantastic resource to follow, and many, including myself, have used the FCM Flat Ride, which has received a lot of positive feedback on the forums. The inexpensive Flat Ride setup starts at around $1400 and goes goes as high you'll spend. Your options are quite extensive, depending on your preferences and needs.

I have not dismissed him at all. Just initially when I had an unrealistic budget of $3K all in. I am doubling the budget now to $6K or even more.

[BigDave]

Damn, how did I miss this thread. Always love me a suspension thread.

You will continue to bottom out on those TCK struts because they don't create much compression damping. No amount of rebound will fix that. You cannot lower your car in front without running a shorter strut body because there just isn't much travel to play with.

It's true - you don't need rebound, high- and low- speed compression, but it's sure nice to have to play with. In reality you will find a setting you like and never touch it again. That Penske felt good because Penske makes high quality shocks that are tuned with good principles. There are a lot of shocks out there that are so far off to start with that no amount of adjusters will get you in the ballpark.

Hard to recommend a good shock option these days because it's information overload especially on the forums.

If you have some money to spend, check out the JRZ RS Two.

If you have really deep pockets - buy this: https://3dmmotorsport.com/products/b...suspension-kit

Oh..me likey!!! But my needs would option that set up to over $10K. If I do go adjustable, I MUST have high and low speed damping capabilities.
But fiddling with four dampers instead of one on my Honda Blackbird XXX, does sound like a nightmare, if I can get a Flat Ride system already dialed in to my needs.