[pdx]

this is a follow-up to: https://www.2addicts.com/forums/show...8#post25562448

i am writing this because i can't seem to find any of these kinds of reviews about the KCDesign strut bars. i like these kinds of reviews, so i would imagine at least one other person does as well. im not a suspension guru. i like the occasional track day. i wish i was a full-time racer, but im a code-monkey instead. i know what feels good, but i dont necessarily know how to improve it. im not looking to abuse my car, my wallet, or my day-to-day driving experience.

the preface: this review applies to *MY* 2018 m240ix (F22 B58) coupe. i have my drive settings setup in the following way:
ECO Pro
Comfort: standard throttle and NO chassis or steering enhancements
Sport: standard "comfort" throttle WITH chassis and steering enhancements enabled
Sport+: everything enabled

i usually drive in "ECO Pro" mode because im trying to consume less gas, and dont mind the cushy feel when mostly city driving. i was interested in the strut bars because i wanted my car to feel flatter when turning.

as i mentioned in my quick review, i installed the following:
BMW F22/F23 Front Member Strut Bar
BMW F22/F23 2 Series Front Strut bar
BMW F22/F23 2 Series Rear Strut Bar
https://www.tw-kcdesign.com/products_6_24.htm

the install: the install was easy, tho the "Front Member Strut Bar" kit came with two wrong bolts and inaccurate install instructions. even for someone that doesnt have a monster set of tools (i buy them as i need them), this wasnt a big deal. the install took far less time than the instructions indicated, and everything went together as it should. and KCDesign support was super-cool.

the review: i guess my impressions have not really changed. i went on a 650mile road trip specifically designed to test the bars. the trip had a good mix of road types, highway driving, and awesome coastal twisties. in an effort to do a vaguely scientific comparison, the drive out was in "ECO Pro" mode and the drive back was in "Sport" mode (with the steering and chassis features enabled). the drive back was the reverse of the exact same path as the drive out.

i read somewhere in "ECO Pro" mode the bars make the car feel "sporty". i guess thats a true statement. sporty because you are being jostled around a lot. like the suspension is so stiff it must be good, right? uhhh, no. i still feel like my table-top analogy from my quick review is a good comparison. pretend you are in a restaurant and one of the table legs is not level and the table wobbles around and you are spending all meal fighting it. to me, it kind of feels like that. and when you are well into a hairpin turn and you are being jostled around on a cliff above crashing waves it isnt sporty, its scary.

but in "Sport" mode, with the chassis and steering enhancements enabled, the three bars make my car absolutely AMAZING. the car finally drives like a dream. in it, i now feel invincible. really, it was an emotional bonding experience. i could not get it to disappoint, freak me out, or scare me. even when i was looking for trouble. at several points i wondered if i was imagining the awesome, so i quickly went back into "ECO Pro" mode and it went right back to scary.

further thoughts: now that i have them installed, and i understand the bars are tightening up the "top" of the table, the driving physics make sense to me. the flatter corners stiffening i was looking for needs to happen lower in the car, not on "top" of the table. most people say to start modifying your springs and dampers first. i didnt want to do this because of the expense and because i wanted to have the ability to keep using the switch to move between the cushy "ECO Pro" mode and the stiffer "Sport" mode. after that, people would suggest swapping out the sway bars. but thats some serious install time, even for someone that knows what they are doing. i picked the "chocolate teapot" mods because they are easy installs, easy uninstalls, and i could do for cheap by myself in my driveway - fully understanding that the changes made could be considered ineffectual or even placebo in nature.

i am COMPLETELY happy i did the three strut bar additions. at the moment they are exactly what i want my handling to do. the only problem is now my cushy "ECO Pro" mode feels really rather unsafe. i sent the BimmerCode folks an inquiry to see if it was possible to turn on the sport steering and suspension features in "ECO Pro" mode and they said it wasnt. does anyone know anything to contradict them?

feel free to private message me if you would like any more details of my experience or the install.

[petrosexxual]

Nice, thanks for the detailed review. I've been waiting for some real world feedback on this upgrade for almost a year now. Interesting to see that when in eco mode, the car felt a bit unsettled, wonder if some other members can comment further on this. Although...I rarely drive in Eco mode, only to leave a neighborhood as quietly as possible(still loud), so the positive feedback you have when testing in Sport/Sport + sounds quite promising!

[mike@x-ph.com]

[brakthru]

Originally Posted by pdx

this is a follow-up to: https://www.2addicts.com/forums/show...8#post25562448

i am writing this because i can't seem to find any of these kinds of reviews about the KCDesign strut bars. i like these kinds of reviews, so i would imagine at least one other person does as well. im not a suspension guru. i like the occasional track day. i wish i was a full-time racer, but im a code-monkey instead. i know what feels good, but i dont necessarily know how to improve it. im not looking to abuse my car, my wallet, or my day-to-day driving experience.

the preface: this review applies to *MY* 2018 m240ix (F22 B58) coupe. i have my drive settings setup in the following way:
ECO Pro
Comfort: standard throttle and NO chassis or steering enhancements
Sport: standard "comfort" throttle WITH chassis and steering enhancements enabled
Sport+: everything enabled

i usually drive in "ECO Pro" mode because im trying to consume less gas, and dont mind the cushy feel when mostly city driving. i was interested in the strut bars because i wanted my car to feel flatter when turning.

as i mentioned in my quick review, i installed the following:
BMW F22/F23 Front Member Strut Bar
BMW F22/F23 2 Series Front Strut bar
BMW F22/F23 2 Series Rear Strut Bar
https://www.tw-kcdesign.com/products_6_24.htm

the install: the install was easy, tho the "Front Member Strut Bar" kit came with two wrong bolts and inaccurate install instructions. even for someone that doesnt have a monster set of tools (i buy them as i need them), this wasnt a big deal. the install took far less time than the instructions indicated, and everything went together as it should. and KCDesign support was super-cool.

the review: i guess my impressions have not really changed. i went on a 650mile road trip specifically designed to test the bars. the trip had a good mix of road types, highway driving, and awesome coastal twisties. in an effort to do a vaguely scientific comparison, the drive out was in "ECO Pro" mode and the drive back was in "Sport" mode (with the steering and chassis features enabled). the drive back was the reverse of the exact same path as the drive out.

i read somewhere in "ECO Pro" mode the bars make the car feel "sporty". i guess thats a true statement. sporty because you are being jostled around a lot. like the suspension is so stiff it must be good, right? uhhh, no. i still feel like my table-top analogy from my quick review is a good comparison. pretend you are in a restaurant and one of the table legs is not level and the table wobbles around and you are spending all meal fighting it. to me, it kind of feels like that. and when you are well into a hairpin turn and you are being jostled around on a cliff above crashing waves it isnt sporty, its scary.

but in "Sport" mode, with the chassis and steering enhancements enabled, the three bars make my car absolutely AMAZING. the car finally drives like a dream. in it, i now feel invincible. really, it was an emotional bonding experience. i could not get it to disappoint, freak me out, or scare me. even when i was looking for trouble. at several points i wondered if i was imagining the awesome, so i quickly went back into "ECO Pro" mode and it went right back to scary.

further thoughts: now that i have them installed, and i understand the bars are tightening up the "top" of the table, the driving physics make sense to me. the flatter corners stiffening i was looking for needs to happen lower in the car, not on "top" of the table. most people say to start modifying your springs and dampers first. i didnt want to do this because of the expense and because i wanted to have the ability to keep using the switch to move between the cushy "ECO Pro" mode and the stiffer "Sport" mode. after that, people would suggest swapping out the sway bars. but thats some serious install time, even for someone that knows what they are doing. i picked the "chocolate teapot" mods because they are easy installs, easy uninstalls, and i could do for cheap by myself in my driveway - fully understanding that the changes made could be considered ineffectual or even placebo in nature.

i am COMPLETELY happy i did the three strut bar additions. at the moment they are exactly what i want my handling to do. the only problem is now my cushy "ECO Pro" mode feels really rather unsafe. i sent the BimmerCode folks an inquiry to see if it was possible to turn on the sport steering and suspension features in "ECO Pro" mode and they said it wasnt. does anyone know anything to contradict them?

feel free to private message me if you would like any more details of my experience or the install.

Nice write up.
Can you give more details on how different the car feels and performs?

I have the m240i coupe. Does your car drive flatter now with the 3 braces? Turn in sharper? Car feel more stable or solid? Also, is there less body roll or lean when turning?

I'm on stock suspension too and don't want the expense of coils and sways.

Thanks