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Matt
I have some interest with a little more info.
I am very happy with my X5 bushings as part of my Dinan stage 3 suspension. It is a perfect daily driver. With your bushings, I would expect less flex and a little better turn in for hard or track drivng. But how much harsher will it be in everyday street driving?
The car is primarily a street car, so I am sensitive to maintaining a comfortable ride when I transport people.
Regards,
Jerry
The dinans are cushy soft in terms of nvh Oddly enough. I'd expect the same from these.
The dinans are cushy soft in terms of nvh Oddly enough. I'd expect the same from these.
Not my experience with the Dinan monoballs. Ride quality is unaffected, but high frequency noise/harshness from stuff like Botts lane markers or broken pavement is significantly increased. Note I have the Ground Control camber plates which feature a stiffer/harder rubber mount, so I think it's the combo of the two that makes it so noticeable, but the monoballs were the last thing I added, so the change was immediately noticeable (this was about 4 years and ~10k miles ago). If I still had the stock front upper strut mount, I bet the NVH difference would be minimal.
Performance-wise they are superb. Turn-in is sharper and more precise feeling, you get a better sense of the front tire's contact patch communication on stuff like heavy trail-braking and then turn-in, especially with R-comp tires mounted up. That aspect of the monoball change is really enjoyable.
2001 M5 LeMans Blue/Silverstone Dinan: springs, Konis, rear sway bar, monoball bushings, and exhaust;
Ground Control camber plates, Stoptech front BBK, Brake ducts opened,
Evolve AlphaN tune,
OE 9.5" rear wheels all around & 275/35-18 Pilot Super Sport
2011 M3 sedan 6MT Silverstone, no sunroof!
2006 330i sport 6MT Electric Red/Black
1996 Volvo 850R wagon
herd has been thinned, looking for some new acquisitions...non-sunroof E90 M3 = found
Not my experience with the Dinan monoballs. Ride quality is unaffected, but high frequency noise/harshness from stuff like Botts lane markers or broken pavement is significantly increased. Note I have the Ground Control camber plates which feature a stiffer/harder rubber mount, so I think it's the combo of the two that makes it so noticeable, but the monoballs were the last thing I added, so the change was immediately noticeable (this was about 4 years and ~10k miles ago). If I still had the stock front upper strut mount, I bet the NVH difference would be minimal.
Performance-wise they are superb. Turn-in is sharper and more precise feeling, you get a better sense of the front tire's contact patch communication on stuff like heavy trail-braking and then turn-in, especially with R-comp tires mounted up. That aspect of the monoball change is really enjoyable.
I have steel spherical pillow ball mounts, and NVH was virtually unaffected. I've noticed that tire choice does make a more significant difference in NVH now though.
I have steel spherical pillow ball mounts, and NVH was virtually unaffected. I've noticed that tire choice does make a more significant difference in NVH now though.
I know we've always had a difference of opinion/experience on this issue, and I can't explain it. Definitely agree on tires though -- PSS make a huge difference in reduced NVH from the Star Specs, both on my M5 and E46.
I know we've always had a difference of opinion/experience on this issue, and I can't explain it. Definitely agree on tires though -- PSS make a huge difference in reduced NVH from the Star Specs, both on my M5 and E46.
You could build a skyscraper on the sidewalls of the starspec...but boy did they sure grip nicely
You could build a skyscraper on the sidewalls of the starspec...but boy did they sure grip nicely
PSS were awesome in 55F temps a couple of weekends ago...was able to PAX in the ZHP within 0.9 seconds of the H-stock National Champion which only barely is an STX car (just a rear sway bar and 8.5" front wheels puts it out of stock class). I think the cool temps really played in their favor as I was amazed at the grip and feedback. Other STX competitors in better prepared cars were all on Star Specs I think.
PSS were awesome in 55F temps a couple of weekends ago...was able to PAX in the ZHP within 0.9 seconds of the H-stock National Champion which only barely is an STX car (just a rear sway bar and 8.5" front wheels puts it out of stock class). I think the cool temps really played in their favor as I was amazed at the grip and feedback. Other STX competitors in better prepared cars were all on Star Specs I think.
Yeah, they (starspec) dont like cold. Sub 40 degrees, they slide around noticeably until you scrub them in very hard. No such issue with PSS..same goes for flat-spotting after being driven on hot tarmac.
Thanks for the feedback!! Sometimes it can be hard to find an unbiased review of expensive parts - the 'ol brain-wallet bias often takes hold.
With your Kelleners springs, have you changed the shocks to account for the altered ride height? It is my understanding that the monoballs remove some spring rate and damping from up front due to the now-unrestricted movement about the axis of the thrust arm bushing/bearing - as the bushing flexes the spring rate would increase (within the normal range of motion), similar to a urethane bump stop, without the harshness (you've got a 15" lever atached).
Folks have reported slightly lower ride heights after doing monoball installs, and that may be causing you to hit the bump stops?
Still running the stock shocks, I was planning on replacing them with coilovers, just haven't got around to it yet. Being undecided on the brand doesn't help.
If it's lower, it's not by much. I still have a 1 finger gap between the tire and the fender lip with stock rims/tires, so it's not excessively low. Any lower and I can't get into my driveway without scraping.
As far as NVH goes, noise and vibration are fine, barely there, it's the harshness. The worst is my street, where the concrete slabs are uneven. If you have decent streets it will probably be OK, but around here, there is the occasional stretch of road that is really bad, and I start seriously thinking about getting some X5 bushings.
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