[ebruder]

This is my initial post here, and I just moved it from the general forum to this one.

I recently picked up a 2014 228i base coupe as I was forced to sell my Z4MCoupe due to a back condition that was being aggravated by my using the clutch. The 228i, naturally, has much more dive and roll when hard braking and cornering. I don't expect this car to be a canyon carver, but I would like more car control particularly in turns.

Despite what 2 local and a national BMW "Genius" have insisted, Sport mode does not firm up the suspension. The ride tells me so and there is also no mechanism with my "dumb" shocks to do so.

I will be swapping the RFT out for sticky conventional tires, which is a simple initial step for more grip, but that will not affect the chassis.

So here's my real question. Will Koni FSD struts and shocks give me better chassis dynamics in turns and during braking/acceleration? I will not be lowering the car, so coilovers or Koni or Bilstein sport units seem unnecessary.

The Konis FSDs are not ridiculously costly, but installation seems to be, so I don't want to make a foolish purchase.

All comments appreciated.

EB

[SteveInfante]

Swapping out the shocks to performance oriented units will change the driving dynamics of your base car. I happen to like the stock shocks for mostly daily driving. I've gotten used to the predictability at the limit on track and curvy back roads for the last 65k+ miles. I have been on regular tires for about 38k miles.

I went with the BFG Sport Comp 2 A/S in 215/40-17 and they have worn very well on the stock 17" wheels. I'm running 1.6 degrees of Neg camber in the rear. Just a little more than stock and it's great fun how I drive.

Eventually I will swap out for either coil overs or shocks/springs but for now the ride is great for me.

[BEEMeUp]

Originally Posted by ebruder

This is my initial post here, and I just moved it from the general forum to this one.

So here's my real question. Will Koni FSD struts and shocks give me better chassis dynamics in turns and during braking/acceleration? I will not be lowering the car, so coilovers or Koni or Bilstein sport units seem unnecessary.

The Konis FSDs are not ridiculously costly, but installation seems to be, so I don't want to make a foolish purchase.

All comments appreciated.

EB

Hey ebrunder... my first 'anything' here as well, so take my gleaning of this forums learnings with a grain of salt..

If you're looking to firm things up with just a shock and strut replacement, your dive and roll reductions will most likely will be minimal.

If you do decide to utilize a coilover setup instead, you'll have much more control over dive and bumps absorbtion, thanks to the additional adjustments and its ability to lower the car (which should be a bigger improvement on roll issues than the aforementioned shock/strut option).

Ideally swaybar replacements are gonna be the best option to minimize roll (not as initially pricey as coilovers... but you'll get bit real hard on installation since it requires about 6-7 hours to get those puppies replaced).

If it was me, and I will be dealing with a base 228i as well. Bang for buck, I'd simply go with a decent set of coilovers.

Again, my 2 cents

[ebruder]

Thanks for your comments.

I really do not want to lower the car at all. I'm coming from a Z4M, which besides being a great driver's car, was also great at scraping the "fangs" on the front splitter, as well as any other part of the splitter and the under carriage that got in the way.

I twice high centered the car in (two separate) parking garages, and have had more than a few impacts with the road in front of me.

I know the sound of scraping/breaking fiberglass all too well. It was, however, a price I was willing to pay to drive the Z4M ever day. And the repairs were not inexpensive at all.

I'm not expecting the 228i to be a sports car, but a sporty coupe without being a prima donna.

I just ordered the Koni FSDs about 2 hours ago, and I'll have them installed next week. I'll post again after driving the car for a few days after installation.

Again, thanks.

EB

[SteveInfante]

Originally Posted by ebruder

Thanks for your comments.

I really do not want to lower the car at all. I'm coming from a Z4M, which besides being a great driver's car, was also great at scraping the "fangs" on the front splitter, as well as any other part of the splitter and the under carriage that got in the way.

I twice high centered the car in (two separate) parking garages, and have had more than a few impacts with the road in front of me.

I know the sound of scraping/breaking fiberglass all too well. It was, however, a price I was willing to pay to drive the Z4M ever day. And the repairs were not inexpensive at all.

I'm not expecting the 228i to be a sports car, but a sporty coupe without being a prima donna.

I just ordered the Koni FSDs about 2 hours ago, and I'll have them installed next week. I'll post again after driving the car for a few days after installation.

Again, thanks.

EB

Thanks for the update. Please do update us once you have them installed and have had a chance to drive around a bit with them. One day I will daily a Z4M of some sort. My work commute is now 2 miles long so here's to crossing my fingers for that day to come soon.

[ebruder]

Lengthy - Report back on the Koni FSD struts and shocks on my 2014 228i base model

Installing these struts and shocks followed by a wheel alignment has had a marked positive affect on the handling of my car. I took the gamble on the cost of the units and installation while not really knowing if the results would be to my liking or even apparent.

I’ve tried not to fool myself by believing the huge change in handling is just in my mind only because I spend a bunch of money. I believe I have factored that totally out.

Saying that the car handles like a different car would be too much, but not by a lot. The car now feels absolutely “planted” in turns and on the highway. In turns the chassis stiffens with the previous soft roll being replaced by a firm lean. Amazing!

I can easily place the car anywhere. I have not had a chance to see if any over or under-steer problems were introduced as my speeds have not been nearing any driving limits.

On the highway, there is no more of the modest “floatiness” that I found objectionable. I did still feel minor road irregularities such as tar strips, which some people report are attenuated. I hit no chuck holes, happily, so nothing to report on how the supposed improvement there works.

A pleasant surprise to me is that steering has been significantly affected. I don’t know the mechanism, but steering in Comfort mode is nearly firm and responsive enough, and in Sport mode, the steering feel is as I wish. I just wish the car had a faster turning ratio so I do not have to crank in as much steering wheel movement. It is OK for ordinary driving, but for some of the very sharp switchbacks that I used to drive with my ZBimmers Club I would have to regrip the wheel mid-turn; not good at all. I guess I’ll not be hustling those roads any longer in any case.

I cannot compare the ride and handling to any of the other F22-23 cars as I know there are a few handling options. If my stock base car was representative, I can say that the change attributable to the Koni FSD units is a huge improvement.

I am extremely pleased.

I no longer drive a sports car, but this is now a very good handling sport coupe.

EB