[DVC]

I'm usually not one for lengthy review posts, especially given that there have been a couple posts on the Dinan sport spring kit already, but I know there are members who are still on the fence about this, so I thought I'd share my experience as well. This will be long.

Car details:

• 2014 335i M Sport with DHP;
• Apex ARC-8 18x9" wheels;
• 245/40 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3s;
• OEM -0.5° front camber bearings;
• Apex 10mm front spacers, H&R 12mm rear spacers

Installation Notes:
Installed 3/27 at Redline Speedworx in Green Brook, NJ; installation took 4.5hrs. For Central/Northern NJ folks, I highly recommend these guys...very reasonable prices, and excellent quality work at their new state of the art facility.

Here's a quick and dirty pic of the car when I picked it up from RSW...




Street - Initial impressions:

Comfort Mode -
I immediately noticed that the ride actually felt "smoother" in comfort mode, due to the springs dialing out the float and wobble.
The ride felt a touch bouncy in this mode on the drive home after install, but still every bit as compliant over bumps.
Comfort mode is much more usable now

Sport Mode -
Ride quality felt about 95% as compliant over pavement imperfections and bumps. Body lean on hard corners reduced a bit.
Body "wobble" significantly reduced; this is most noticeable with small/sharp steering inputs, pavement undulations (especially mid-corner), and at high speeds (100+). The car feels a bit more planted as a result
Steering/turn-in feels a bit improved, but not paying too close attention to this until alignment is performed.


Street - Week 2 (post-alignment) impressions:

Comfort Mode -
The bounciness is all but gone; ride quality is still totally civil, but without the excessive float. Improvements in this mode are a pleasant surprise; it retains 90% of its compliance, while being vastly improved in terms of body wobble.

Sport Mode -
Body lean on hard corners is noticeably reduced. After settling, the car now feels about 90% as compliant over bumps, and no more body "wobble" when going over a mid-corner bump - the suspension reacts, and snaps back to equilibrium cleanly without that unsettling floaty feeling. Overall the car feels appreciably more planted and confidence-inspiring.



On the Track - NJMP Thunderbolt, 4/7-8:
Compared to the NJMP Lightning track day back in October on the stock M Sport springs, the car felt somewhat improved. (Thunderbolt is much more technical than Lightning, so it provides tougher demands on suspension.) With the lower center of gravity and stiffer, linear spring rates, body control is significantly better, which lends to confidence in pushing the car toward the friction circle limits. There were still times (rapid transitions and max-G tight corners) where I felt firmer dampers would have offered improvement, but I am amazed that the springs alone actually make such a difference. With Shockware (providing a remapped, firmer sport EDC damper calibration), I think this car could really be impressive on the track - looking forward to testing this theory ASAP... : )

Here are a couple of pics from the track (day-1 was very wet, day-2 started to clear up by the last couple of sessions)...









Overall takeaways:
Dampers and springs feel perfectly matched now on the street, and the overall chassis dynamics feel commensurate for the power level of the car. My suspicion that the progressive springs were the weak link in the OEM suspension seems to be accurate, as the linear Dinan springs have significantly improved the EDC dampers ability to maintain the car's composure with negligible detriment to ride comfort. Body control and compliant ride are now balanced very well for a road car with sporting intentions.
Sport mode now offers markedly improved body control, and Comfort mode is still very...well, comfortable - and actually smoother, due to the absence of excessive body wiggle (I really don't mind a bit of driving in this mode now) ... This is how the M Sport 335i should have been equipped from the start.
I wouldn't say the difference is "night and day", or that it's like "a different car", as the changes are subtle. It's still by no means a "stiff" suspension, but the refinements vastly improve the overall feel. I think with these springs, EDC dampers tuned with Dinan Shockware will be fantastic.

**** Shockware was released May 7th, installed on May 8th - review added within this thread <here> ****

[FotiosF90M5]

Well thought out thread and my thoughts completely summed up. I'm going to ask Derek to call dinan again to get a real eta on shockware. We need it mostly for the rebound. It will be perfect. I'll email you with details.

[JMK007]

Nice well-thought out review. Thanks for sharing.

[ckrieg]

Agreed with JMK007, that was a good read. It's affirmed my decision to go with the Dinan springs when they are released for the x-drive. Thanks for taking the time.

[reprod]

This really has me thinking about my 435i w/ DHP. Coming from coilovers on all of my previous BMWs, I feel like I am missing something and that I need to be in Sport mode for any type of freeway driving.

[cjack]

Originally Posted by reprod

This really has me thinking about my 435i w/ DHP. Coming from coilovers on all of my previous BMWs, I feel like I am missing something and that I need to be in Sport mode for any type of freeway driving.

Agreed.

Thank you OP for posting.

[stevehecht]

Thanks, DVC, for your report. Very helpful for someone like me who's "on the fence". With the Dinan being ~30% stiffer than the H&R Sport according to reports I'm surprised that the harshness factor seems to be a non-factor with these springs. If anything, you indicate the opposite. That says a lot for the time and expertise Dinan puts into their products. Since Shockware should be released "any day now" I think I'll wait to see what you and others say about the whole package. I just got my 328d Sportline w/DHP and I'm just beginning to learn how she rides.

[R12ax7]

Thanks for the post, just pulled the trigger on these today and your post now really has be excited for them to get here. Your post describes exactly what I am hoping for.

As of now I dont have spacers and have the OEM staggered 18" wheels - anyone have thoughts on how the spacers would impact the new springs/OP's review (if at all)?

I know there are some other threads on the install/DIY side. I plan to install these myself (with the help of a far more experienced friend) - did the RSW guys happen to mention any particularly tricky aspects of the install?

[reprod]

I'm very interested in these springs. I did tell myself I wouldnt modify this car (outside of wheels) but this is quite tempting. I don't want an aggressive drop at all. I just want a better (more sporty) ride.

[frenchfries]

I am really considering Dinan springs over H&R sport. My car is DHP equipped so i do not want to replace it with coils. This car will be my DD by the end of this year. What are the chances of having blown shocks or problems in the future?

[ckrieg]

It's covered under warranty with Dinan.

[JMK007]

DVC,

With the Dinan springs and OE swivel bearing, did you ever re-measure your front camber? On know this is slightly off topic, but the search for camber plates that work and are not super loud has been brutal on this car. With your current set up, I'm curious whether you are near 1.5 degrees negative camber.

[DVC]

Originally Posted by JMK007

DVC,

With the Dinan springs and OE swivel bearing, did you ever re-measure your front camber? On know this is slightly off topic, but the search for camber plates that work and are not super loud has been brutal on this car. With your current set up, I'm curious whether you are near 1.5 degrees negative camber.

I did an alignment about a week after getting the springs installed; the drop added -0.2° of camber.

The OE swivel bearing is a great mod, as it really does add -0.5° without any aftermarket part drama. (The only aspect to be cognizant of is that it accomplishes this by angling the hub more toward the strut, so you lose a few mm of wheel/tire clearance on the inside of the wheel well - but of course you gain a few mm of clearance on the outside of the wheel well, so not big deal.)

Also, from the camber plate offerings I've seen so far for our F30s, the max they provide is about an additional -1.4°, so the extra half degree from the swivel bearings is nice to have.

[izzyM2]

Mine will be installed tomorrow... looking ahead for better handling and proper stance.

[Gastoys]

People, stop replacing OEM springs to lower your car for looks without replacing the stock shocks with comparable aftermarket to new springs, stop, seriously!

You are better off spending the money on something else rather than ruining your stock suspensions setup, handling.

[DVC]

Originally Posted by Gastoys

People, stop replacing OEM springs to lower your car for looks without replacing the stock shocks with comparable aftermarket to new springs, stop, seriously!

You are better off spending the money on something else rather than ruining your stock suspensions setup, handling.

Ruining the handling?

[ronin951]

Do you have any more inside corner or hard braking shots? Dinan's rear seems much more composed than the MPS rear. Though that might be the dampners?

[R12ax7]

Originally Posted by DVC

I did an alignment about a week after getting the springs installed; the drop added -0.2° of camber.

The OE swivel bearing is a great mod, as it really does add -0.5° without any aftermarket part drama. (The only aspect to be cognizant of is that it accomplishes this by angling the hub more toward the strut, so you lose a few mm of wheel/tire clearance on the inside of the wheel well - but of course you gain a few mm of clearance on the outside of the wheel well, so not big deal.)

Also, from the camber plate offerings I've seen so far for our F30s, the max they provide is about an additional -1.4°, so the extra half degree from the swivel bearings is nice to have.

Can you elaborate on the "OE Swivel bearing mod"?

Also, to the OP or anyone else, I know the Dinan springs come with suggested alignment specs and I am installing these on an otherwise stock DHP suspension (no spacers, OEM 18"s). Should I be sticking with the Dinan recommended alignment settings? How would the Swivel Bearing Mod impact these settings? I know JetBill posted his alignment specs here (http://www.f30post.com/forums/showth...springs&page=8) - i dont have the slip that the Dinan's came with on hand so i cant compare, but is this something that will be different from car-to-car?

I am installing my Dinan springs this sunday and I guess it would make sense to do this swivel mod at the same time if i am going to do it at all.

[DVC]

Originally Posted by ronin951

Do you have any more inside corner or hard braking shots? Dinan's rear seems much more composed than the MPS rear. Though that might be the dampners?

I'll take a look through all my pics from the 2 days and send you any that may be what you're looking for.

[DVC]

Originally Posted by R12ax7

Can you elaborate on the "OE Swivel bearing mod"?

Also, to the OP or anyone else, I know the Dinan springs come with suggested alignment specs and I am installing these on an otherwise stock DHP suspension (no spacers, OEM 18"s). Should I be sticking with the Dinan recommended alignment settings? How would the Swivel Bearing Mod impact these settings? I know JetBill posted his alignment specs here (http://www.f30post.com/forums/showth...springs&page=8) - i dont have the slip that the Dinan's came with on hand so i cant compare, but is this something that will be different from car-to-car?

I am installing my Dinan springs this sunday and I guess it would make sense to do this swivel mod at the same time if i am going to do it at all.

I first learned about the OE swivel bearing from this thread.

They're simply wheel hubs that provide another 0.5° of negative camber over the stock parts... They do so by angling the wheel inward more in relation to the strut (which reduces clearance by a few mm on the inside of the tire, and adds a few mm from the outside of the tire to the fender). As long as the reduced clearance on the inside isn't an issue, I think the swivel bearings are a great OE mod.

In terms of the alignment, they don't add any special considerations to the specs (other than increasing the negative camber a bit, of course). Other than toe, there's really not that much that can be adjusted in the front during an alignment on the F30s; caster is fixed, and camber can only be tweaked by about 1/10th degree. Toe is the only area that you may want to consider... I went with 0.02° in on each front wheel - which is aggressive, but still (barely) within factory spec.

[izzyM2]

Like I said, I just had mine installed via Eurocode here in Torrance, CA. They usually deal with VW's and Audi's but I know they can do the job and are a bunch of professional people. So here it goes... It's definitely a big improvement. My car looks proper in my eyes as well. The stance is perfect and I still have great road clearance 98% of the time. I was worried that the 30% increase would be too stiff... but not at all. It just feels right how I would have want it straight from BMW. I'm going to keep the alignment stock since everything feels straight. I hope to get good pictures and post them tomorrow after a good wash. Thanks for everyone input. I glad I waited and not jump on H&R. But I'm sure they are good as well.

[stevehecht]

Originally Posted by izzyM3

Like I said, I just had mine installed via Eurocode here in Torrance, CA. They usually deal with VW's and Audi's but I know they can do the job and are a bunch of professional people. So here it goes... It's definitely a big improvement. My car looks proper in my eyes as well. The stance is perfect and I still have great road clearance 98% of the time. I was worried that the 30% increase would be too stiff... but not at all. It just feels right how I would have want it straight from BMW. I'm going to keep the alignment stock since everything feels straight. I hope to get good pictures and post them tomorrow after a good wash. Thanks for everyone input. I glad I waited and not jump on H&R. But I'm sure they are good as well.

Yes, pics please.