Suggestions for Dual-Purposed Coilovers for Tracking and Spirited Driving

[SQ13]

Super helpful, thank you! I've been considering reverting my E46 back to daily duty now that I picked up a GT4 (and want to remove a car from the fleet), and also have the Hotchkiss front bar. Would you daily them? I'm on GC with 440/550 right now, which is a bit much for LA roads day to day.

NP. Idk what LA roads are like, but some Austin roads are terrible and driving on them in any sports car sucked ass. But to me, the benefits outweighed the cons since most of my driving was done on decent roads. So yes, I would daily drive on the Ohlins. Worst case, you can switch out the 336/628 springs for softer springs.

I imagine the ride quality with the Ohlins and Nogaro seats in my M3 is similar to a GT4 with LWBS. But it’s been a few years since I last rode in a GT4 so I can’t say for sure….just basing this off the ride quality of my 981 GTS with X73 suspension and the 18 way seats.

[elbert]

Did you all notice any increase or benefit in steering feel with spherical bearing camber plates over stock or street style plates? EthanolTurbo elbert

I'm going to be piecing together a TCK DA set when they're back in stock and need to pick some plates.

For me, there were too many variables changed at the same time to say how much came solely from the plates.

[elbert]

Ah ok cool, that makes sense. I guess I'll just sell my Vorshlags and put it toward the rebuild cost. They've been flawless for the last 4 years so I'm kind of reluctant.

I had TCKR plates that were getting noisy (I think the bearing was gong bad), so I replaced them with the Vorshlag.
My memory is hazy but I think the Vorshlags *appeared* to be more substantial.

I'd keep the Vorshlags and sell the TCK.

[bigjae46]

It was my understanding that the aftermarket plates using a spherical bearing is an inferior design because it's putting all that load through a bearing axially which it's not really designed for. The plates using a separate OE style thrust bearing and only putting damping forces through the spherical would be ideal, such as the TMS hybrid or street. Maybe some brands get away with it just by using a massively over rated bearing which can handle the load.

That could be correct but...

The Vorshlags for whatever reason last way longer. I've been through 2 sets of strut mounts on my E90 since buying the Vorshlags. My car routinely sees 1.3-1.4g in corners, peak is about 1.7g on grippy tracks like COTA so I guess the bearing is so massive I can take the load.

I recommend using the OE reinforcement plate because the plate is smaller than the OE strut mount. So the loads are transmitted to a smaller and likely weaker area.

[IamFODI]

It was my understanding that the aftermarket plates using a spherical bearing is an inferior design because it's putting all that load through a bearing axially which it's not really designed for. The plates using a separate OE style thrust bearing and only putting damping forces through the spherical would be ideal, such as the TMS hybrid or street. Maybe some brands get away with it just by using a massively over rated bearing which can handle the load.

TMS Hybrid and GC camber plates use OE style thrust bearings as you said. On the E9x at least, TMS Hybrids use the actual OE thrust bearing. So, the damper is still located by a spherical bearing up top, but the real loads go through the thrust bearing. Still not ideal because of the direction of load on the spherical, as you pointed out. But at least the spherical doesn't take a lot of load.

On Vorshlags, everything goes through the spherical bearing. And yes, their sphericals are accordingly huge.

Ostensibly, everyone's doing the same kinds of calculations to make sure everything can handle the relevant loads. I guess Vorshlag just does them better...

[cobra]

I think the TCK plate used a similar large spherical bearing. That’s the key feature of the Vorshlags.

Most camber plates have a sealed roller ball bearing,
same as the OE mount. Those bearings still get contaminated and that’s when you start getting noise.

It was my understanding that the aftermarket plates using a spherical bearing is an inferior design because it's putting all that load through a bearing axially which it's not really designed for. The plates using a separate OE style thrust bearing and only putting damping forces through the spherical would be ideal, such as the TMS hybrid or street. Maybe some brands get away with it just by using a massively over rated bearing which can handle the load.

Did you all notice any increase or benefit in steering feel with spherical bearing camber plates over stock or street style plates? EthanolTurbo elbert

I'm going to be piecing together a TCK DA set when they're back in stock and need to pick some plates.

I noticed a slight improvement in road feel, steering precision. But not that much. I am still running stock plates since I run stock camber.

[bavarian3]

Did you all notice any increase or benefit in steering feel with spherical bearing camber plates over stock or street style plates? EthanolTurbo elbert

I'm going to be piecing together a TCK DA set when they're back in stock and need to pick some plates.

[EthanolTurbo]

I think the TCK plate used a similar large spherical bearing. That’s the key feature of the Vorshlags.

Most camber plates have a sealed roller ball bearing,
same as the OE mount. Those bearings still get contaminated and that’s when you start getting noise.

Ah ok cool, that makes sense. I guess I'll just sell my Vorshlags and put it toward the rebuild cost. They've been flawless for the last 4 years so I'm kind of reluctant.

[bigjae46]

I too have Vorshlags and they've been flawless. That being said, I have a set of TC Kline DA I plan to rebuild. Should I reuse the TC Kline camber plates that came with them or use the Vorshlags?

I think the TCK plate used a similar large spherical bearing. That’s the key feature of the Vorshlags.

Most camber plates have a sealed roller ball bearing,
same as the OE mount. Those bearings still get contaminated and that’s when you start getting noise.

[EthanolTurbo]

I too have Vorshlags and they've been flawless. That being said, I have a set of TC Kline DA I plan to rebuild. Should I reuse the TC Kline camber plates that came with them or use the Vorshlags?

[elbert]

Funny…I have the same Vorshlag plates from 2008. I got a new perch when I switched to TC Klines. Then also put them on the M3. I’m going to replace the bolt plate as preventive maintenance. The Vorshlag
plates have been flawless!

Same here. I've been through three different struts, but the same Vorshlag plates (and bearing) for about 15 years. And I'm not gentle with them.

[IamFODI]

Not yet. Still silent. About 50k miles, 50/50 street and track

Nice. Good to know.

I'm still on "TMS" (really ECS) Hybrids. Love the idea of them but not the longevity I got. I'd have thought that, being sealed, the Hybrids' bearings would be the longest-lived. But Vorshlags seem basically immortal, so maybe their approach of just using a massively oversized bearing is the better approach.

I have a spare set of Hybrids I had intended to rebuild for when my current ones fail. Maybe I'll just go Vorshlag instead...

[bigjae46]

Never had to replace a bearing on those Vorshlags?

Not yet. Still silent. About 50k miles, 50/50 street and track

[IamFODI]

Funny…I have the same Vorshlag plates from 2008. I got a new perch when I switched to TC Klines. Then also put them on the M3. I’m going to replace the bolt plate as preventive maintenance. The Vorshlag
plates have been flawless!

Never had to replace a bearing on those Vorshlags?

[bigjae46]

I like my pss10s with vorshlag plates. But hate Bilstein customer service.

PSS were my first coilovers with the Vorshlag plates on my 330ci. For what they were I had no complaints. I just needed something more track focused.

Funny…I have the same Vorshlag plates from 2008. I got a new perch when I switched to TC Klines. Then also put them on the M3. I’m going to replace the bolt plate as preventive maintenance. The Vorshlag
plates have been flawless!