Steering feel

R

Rene_Z4MC

Member
Comming from an S1 Elise I'm a bit underwhelmed by the steering feel of the Z4 M.

I've read all about extensive modifications to make the car stiffer and more direct but since mine is a daliy driver I don't want to turn it into a trackday monster (yet :P ).

What is considered to be the must have mod to improve steering feel without going full race? (e.g. like RTAB limiters)

Any advice is welcome.
 
The lack of steering feel is all down to the gross imbalance of the springs of the OEM suspension: the front is too soft and the rear is too stiff. As such, the front end lifts on acceleration and pitches on braking, which makes the steering totally inconsistent, because the front end loading is always changing. I don't know whether the OEM dampers would cope with stiffer springs at the front and softer springs at the rear, but upgrading the suspension to one of the adjustable set-ups, such AC Schnitzer, KW, Bilstein, will definitely do the trick. I know it's an expensive fix, but it will transform your car. It was the first thing that I did when I bought my Z4MC and, for me, will always be the best and most essential mod for the Z4MC, because I couldn't live with a Z4MC with OEM suspension.
 
would a sort of half fix till enough dosh saved for kw or similar, be just a set of ac schnitzer springs ? anyone done this and how would you know which ones to order ? :?
 
Hi Exdos,

I fully agree on the OEM setup being :thumbsdown:
The Eibachs are already a great (and cheap) improvement but yeah I should invest in better dampers as well, is the Bilstein B12 a good alternative or is there no other way then going for a full blown coil-over kit?

Concerning the steering feel I was aiming at something like the RTAB limiter kit, this improves the feel of the car without ANY drawbacks.
My car feels a little skittish (is that the word?) around center point, so I suspect too soft anti roll bar rubbers.

Don't mind spending some serious money on the ///M but it would be great to try it out first.
 
I would never buy an aftermarket suspension kit which did not have adjustable dampers, otherwise you could find that you've jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. When I recently fitted Michelin PSS tyres, I found that, for road use, my AC Schitzer Racing suspension needed to be softened to account for the stiffer construction of the PSSs. If my suspension didn't have adjustability, then the overall suspension package would have been made worse, whereas I've been able to dial out the increased stiffness from the tyres. As I see it, there's no other way round the problem and no cheap fixes. For me, my suspension mods are all money very well spent. :thumbsup:
 
exdos said:
I would never buy an aftermarket suspension kit which did not have adjustable dampers, otherwise you could find that you've jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. When I recently fitted Michelin PSS tyres, I found that, for road use, my AC Schitzer Racing suspension needed to be softened to account for the stiffer construction of the PSSs. If my suspension didn't have adjustability, then the overall suspension package would have been made worse, whereas I've been able to dial out the increased stiffness from the tyres. As I see it, there's no other way round the problem and no cheap fixes. For me, my suspension mods are all money very well spent. :thumbsup:
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does this mean my ride will be decidedly worse when i fit the pss's ? !!
 
how does the ac system compare pricewise with the kw3's ? feel more money going west soon, but if results as good as exdos says then I cant wait !! :driving:
 
mad4slalom said:
does this mean my ride will be decidedly worse when i fit the pss's ? !!
Click to expand...
It won't make it better, but because the rear springs are so damned stiff, it shouldn't make it too much worse.

mad4slalom said:
how does the ac system compare pricewise with the kw3's ? feel more money going west soon, but if results as good as exdos says then I cant wait !! :driving:
Click to expand...

The ACS Racing and KWV3 are similar money. I only opted for the AC Schnitzer Racing suspension, rather than anything else, because I got it for an absolute bargain price. I was prepared to try it and move it on if I didn't like it, but it does the job very well. I would've preferred a genuine front coilover system, but I don't see any reason to change unless I come across another decent secondhand coilover kit at the right price. I think I've seen just one secondhand suspension kit for the Z4M for sale since I bought mine over 2 years ago.

Gary, if you're ever in my part of the world, then I'll happily give you a demo of the suspension and you can experience for yourself the difference. :thumbsup:
 
exdos, that sounds superb, forgotten where you are, but I am in london every second tuesday, i am collecting pianos in herts next trip too and also have a trip up to the wirral fairly soon so that gives a bit of scope, really feel i want to move my car into a more enjoyable and dynamic ride. :thumbsup:
 
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