The Straw that Broke The Captain's Back

Originally Posted by captainaudio

Never refer to a Sicilian as a "Guinea Pig" or I will be forced to make you an offer you can't refuse.
I am very happy with the FSDs and after 3 years I am finally driving the car that I tought I bought.

In spite of my frustration and my on-line rants there was so much about this car that I loved that I was determined to try to solve the "Pothole Explosions" issue.

From my experience I don't think the FSDs have any advantages (but no disadvantages) over the stock setup on good surfaces but there is no comparison with the way they handle poor surfaces.



CA

I wonder if the FSDs will result in noticeably different cornering characteristics on the track. Granted, only 1% or less of my time is on the track, but it's an important 1%. If I lived in your area I would probably opt for the FSDs, but I'm lucky enough to live where the infrastructure is still a priority.
In your case, and if I were married to Mrs. CA, and a more compliant ride was what it took to keep her comfortable, I'd def get the FSDs!

Just checking back into this thread. The GF and I went out to dinner to Uva Wine Bar (77th and 2nd) in CA's 'hood last night. Didn't see any tow trucks, shredded tires or 335i remains. Glad to hear it all worked out as intended. I would not recommend Uva Wine Bar.

Originally Posted by DSXMachina

I wonder if the FSDs will result in noticeably different cornering characteristics on the track. Granted, only 1% or less of my time is on the track, but it's an important 1%. If I lived in your area I would probably opt for the FSDs, but I'm lucky enough to live where the infrastructure is still a priority.
In your case, and if I were married to Mrs. CA, and a more compliant ride was what it took to keep her comfortable, I'd def get the FSDs!

1% or less of your time and mileage may be on the track but I understand your desire to not compromise track performance, particularly if you have no issue with ride quality. As we saw on our "Cimb to the Clouds" trip last year the infrastruture in your area is in good shape and ride quality is not anywhere near as much of an issue in NH as it is in NYC.

For those who are satisfied with the stock suspension there is little incentive to change out the shocks but for those who are unhappy with the ride quality of the stock setup (and if this and other forums are any indication their numbers are legion) the FSDs will resolve most of the problem and in the process improve the handling. The only downside is the cost.



In Tire Rack's three way comparo of OEM suspension, Koni Sport Shocks and Koni FSDs, the FSDs improved track performance over the OEM setup.

Click on the link below to read the entire Tire Rack test. The test vehicle were E46s so there is a possibility that the results on an E46 would be a bit different.

Test Report

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Conclusion
The factory BMW 3-Series suspension is well engineered and finely tuned for everyday use. KONI Sport dampers do a good job livening up the vehicle's handling, with the traditional feel of a sports suspension (handling versus ride quality). The user-adjustable design of the KONI Sport dampers does allow for fine tuning the ride or handling to your specific preference, and also provides some suspension tuning flexibility for the weekend autocross or track day event. But if you are not going to the track regularly, the KONI FSD dampers may just provide the improvement to road handling you want while also smoothing out many of those bumps along the way."

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Originally Posted by CALWATERBOY

Do 2011 BMW shocks & springs fit my 2009, yielding 2011 ride & handling?

And are 2011 shocks Made In Japan?
.

Failure to obtain my answer is as July grunion slipping from my hands

My entreaty met with message service, then expanding silence

The wrath of those that crash on broken pavement

Am I unworthy
.

Took the 335i to BMW Manhattan for routine service and state inspection yesterday. The car failed inspection due to a bubble on the inside of the right front tire. This did not really upset me because I was about to get new tires. I also found out that 3 of the rims were bent. I knew that 2 of them were bent but I had not felt anything as I drove the car. BMW Manhattan would only sell me the original RFTs and would not accept a delivery from Tire Rack. They said they would install tires if I brought them there. The idea of having the tires shipped to my home and then trying to fit them in the car to get them accross town did not seem very practical.

I ordered a new set of rims (style 196, the same ones I had) from Davis Automotive Group (BMW Cleveland) and a set of Conti Extreme Contact DWS from Tire Rack, Eveything is being shipped to Autobahn Service on Park Ave. and next week I'll have the new rims and tires installed on the car. The car is out of service for a few days that is not really a problem.

It will be interesting to see if rims and tires continue to get damaged now that I have Koni FSDs on the car. I have not had a pothole explosion since I had them installed. And the tires and rims that are on the car were on it before I installed the FSDs.

I am considering getting the old rims repaired and keeping them in storage just in case.



CA

Originally Posted by captainaudio

Took the 335i to BMW Manhattan for routine service and state inspection yesterday. The car failed inspection due to a bubble on the inside of the right front tire. This did not really upset me because I was about to get new tires. I also found out that 3 of the rims were bent. I knew that 2 of them were bent but I had not felt anything as I drove the car. BMW Manhattan would only sell me the original RFTs and would not accept a delivery from Tire Rack. They said they would install tires if I brought them there. The idea of having the tires shipped to my home and then trying to fit them in the car to get them accross town did not seem very practical.

I ordered a new set of rims (style 196, the same ones I had) from Davis Automotive Group (BMW Cleveland) and a set of Conti Extreme Contact DWS from Tire Rack, Eveything is being shipped to Autobahn Service on Park Ave. and next week I'll have the new rims and tires installed on the car. The car is out of service for a few days that is not really a problem.

It will be interesting to see if rims and tires continue to get damaged now that I have Koni FSDs on the car. I have not had a pothole explosion since I had them installed. And the tires and rims that are on the car were on it before I installed the FSDs.

I am considering getting the old rims repaired and keeping them in storage just in case.



CA

Outrageous. I imagine that CA is a good customer of BMW Manhattan? But he can't go to the "other" BMW dealer on the island. Nice.

I was trying to calculate the cost of the "pothole tax" on NYC residents and commuters for vehicle damages each year. Obviously in the 10's of millions of dollars. And this would be for relatively low mileage drivers in the city. What do the taxi fleets pay in maintenace per year? What "countermeasures" have they adopted to reduce fleet damage? Hmmm. Although CA may have the answer, I'd be inclined to put on my "investigators" hat and start asking some questions to the taxi operators.

I checked UPS tracking and the Tires are out for delivery to the installer as of 10:30 this morning. Impressive performance by Tire Rack as I ordered them late Tuesday,
Unfortunately the rims wont be arriving till the middle of next week.

CA

What springs are you using in conjunction with the FSDs?

Originally Posted by captainaudio

BMW Manhattan would only sell me the original RFTs and would not accept a delivery from Tire Rack. ...

I am considering getting the old rims repaired and keeping them in storage just in case.

Well that's irritating. I have been drop-shipping tires to my local dealer for as long as I've owned BMWs. I hope they don't follow suit....
I did the same with my damaged wheels, BTW.

Originally Posted by captainaudio

I checked UPS tracking and the Tires are out for delivery to the installer as of 10:30 this morning. Impressive performance by Tire Rack as I ordered them late Tuesday.

Tire Rack opened a warehouse in Delaware some years back. If the tires are in stock and you order early enough in the day, standard ground shipping often works out to next-day service for our area. (I think the next-nearest warehouse is in Indiana.)

Originally Posted by pointandgo

What do the taxi fleets pay in maintenace per year? What "countermeasures" have they adopted to reduce fleet damage? Hmmm.

Valid points, but: The bulk of the NYC cab fleet is still comprised of Ford Crown Victoria sedans. At typical mid-town speeds, these have about the same ride quality before, after and during a direct asteroid strike. Throw in high-profile tires and steel wheels that can be trued-up (by hack standards) with a sledgehammer and suddenly the roads don't seem that bad. (We civilians beg to differ.)

Originally Posted by Strongmad

What springs are you using in conjunction with the FSDs?

Stock. The last thing I wanted to do was lower the car,

CA

I saw some of the pictures that the Mars Rover is sending on the news today,

It appears that there are better roads on Mars than there are in New York City,

CA

Originally Posted by captainaudio

I saw some of the pictures that the Mars Rover is sending on the news today,

It appears that there are better roads on Mars than there are in New York City,

CA

Mars has fewer tax cheats and road construction isn't controlled by organized crime.

Originally Posted by captainaudio

Took the 335i to BMW Manhattan for routine service and state inspection yesterday. The car failed inspection due to a bubble on the inside of the right front tire. This did not really upset me because I was about to get new tires. I also found out that 3 of the rims were bent. I knew that 2 of them were bent but I had not felt anything as I drove the car.

I had also 3 bent wheels and 1 blown tire with the 90mm height tires. A lot of undue costs and hassles. Also add 856$ for changing front struts last May.

My best move was to change from 225/40/18 to 225/45/18, as on the F30. Very small change indeed, but fact is that I have nothing to report this season. Nada. Harshness over bad pavement is gone. Unlike years 2007-2011, 2012 is the first year that I can recommend 18" I was about to "downgrade" to 17".

Picked up the car with the new rims and the Conti DWS tires today. I am sending the old rims to be refurbed.

Didn't get much of a chance to drive the car with the new tires yet. I'll post my impressions after the weekend.

CA

Bring the car to Boca..No potholes here as you know. My non-RFTs have had no problems and no bent rims on my Continentals. I keep a spacesaver donut tire in the trunk just in case however. Now approaching 40,000 miles with no worries

Originally Posted by slant83

Bring the car to Boca..No potholes here as you know. My non-RFTs have had no problems and no bent rims on my Continentals. I keep a spacesaver donut tire in the trunk just in case however. Now approaching 40,000 miles with no worries

I actually bought the car at Braman in WPB and kept it in Florida for a while. We will be in Boca for several weeks later this year. I had no issues with the suspension or the RFTs in South Florida.


CA

I totally agree. The switch to Run Flat Tires (RFT) coupled with the lack of a storage area for a spare tire has ruined the BMW brand. My passengers and I are reminded of RFTs every time I drive. It's a harsh, noisy ride but also a dangerous one if you hit a pothole. Maybe the autobahn doesn't have potholes but here in the US, we have plenty of them. There were a few times when I nearly lost control of the vehicle after hitting a pot hole because of the RFT. That is a design flaw. Not giving us the choice of RFTs and then not giving us a storage area for a spare is just unacceptable. I want choice. I see some benefits of RFTs but the costs outweigh them for me.

Took the car to Danbury CT today. First drive with the Conti DWS tires. Very impressed so far. Very quiet, ride quality is notcitably better than the Pirelli P_Zero Nero M&S that they replaced and they feel very planted. Good steering response and plenty of grip.

CA

CA...first ...i Lived in NYC for over 8 years...and i know it has the WORLDS WORSE roads. and when i think of the CHUCK HOLES that I have hit....well you can just FORGITTTT ABOUTTTT iTTTt...your suspension, tires and rims all take a major hit. The first time i hit a small chuck hole in my 325i ...i thought i dropped the tranny. So...what can you do about it...well...sadly, nothing. IT IS WHAT IT IS. No car is safe from hitting a chuck hole in NYC and denting a rim. Frigging rims are no longer steel...but aluminum or Magnesium. and they dent and crack like nobody's business. I like you went away from RTFs b/c of the noise and hard ride and installed some AS radials (especially for snow and rain). And while i carry 2 cans of "fix a flat" in the car since i too, have no spare, there is no way of fixing a sidewall failure on the road except with a spare. I would recommend carrying a "donut" while you are running around in the "city". You certainly dont need the trunk to carry stuff during that time, that you cant carry in the back seat. You can get them in most junkyards around the country have them. I know all my Volvos had them. Make sure you know the dimensions of your axle to marry up the donut into the bolt hold pattern and axle. On a side note, if you buy a full size steel rim, make sure count all the holes in your current rim and match the radial distance your studs are off the axle. ...i say that b/c i got rid of my donut spare on my old volvo in favor of a full size rim. and while the Bolt hole pattern was identical, it turns out, i had not accounted for the "6th" hole in the rim that volvo has so they can spin balance the tire on the axle. so...I had to roll the spare wheel to a mechanic and get him to "drill" a 6th hole in the rim to get it to fit.

Originally Posted by Txjohnslaughter

CA...first ...i Lived in NYC for over 8 years...and i know it has the WORLDS WORSE roads. and when i think of the CHUCK HOLES that I have hit....well you can just FORGITTTT ABOUTTTT iTTTt...your suspension, tires and rims all take a major hit. The first time i hit a small chuck hole in my 325i ...i thought i dropped the tranny. So...what can you do about it...well...sadly, nothing. IT IS WHAT IT IS. No car is safe from hitting a chuck hole in NYC and denting a rim. Frigging rims are no longer steel...but aluminum or Magnesium. and they dent and crack like nobody's business. I like you went away from RTFs b/c of the noise and hard ride and installed some AS radials (especially for snow and rain). And while i carry 2 cans of "fix a flat" in the car since i too, have no spare, there is no way of fixing a sidewall failure on the road except with a spare. I would recommend carrying a "donut" while you are running around in the "city". You certainly dont need the trunk to carry stuff during that time, that you cant carry in the back seat. You can get them in most junkyards around the country have them. I know all my Volvos had them. Make sure you know the dimensions of your axle to marry up the donut into the bolt hold pattern and axle. On a side note, if you buy a full size steel rim, make sure count all the holes in your current rim and match the radial distance your studs are off the axle. ...i say that b/c i got rid of my donut spare on my old volvo in favor of a full size rim. and while the Bolt hole pattern was identical, it turns out, i had not accounted for the "6th" hole in the rim that volvo has so they can spin balance the tire on the axle. so...I had to roll the spare wheel to a mechanic and get him to "drill" a 6th hole in the rim to get it to fit.

i just take my Subaru beater to NYC.

Originally Posted by pony_trekker

i just take my Subaru beater to NYC.

I only use the 335i as a weekend fun car to get out of the city and the way it is currently set up with the Koni FSD shocks and the Continental Extreme Contact DWS tires it is not that bad in NYC, It is orders of magnitude better than is was with the stock shocks and the OEM run flats.

For driving in the city I use the 750i which is relatively oblivious to NYC pot holes.

CA