SLS Elimination Part 2
Well, after a month of the e34 M5 being at Phaedrus, here in San Francisco, I picked her up Friday afternoon. I was a littl apprehensive as there was so much work that had been done, I almost forgot some if not all of it. The main thing on my mind was obviously the suspension work that had been done. Talking to people on line, you will find that there is a division among "purists" who say removing the self-leveling system is sacreligious and others that are very happy with the "new" suspensions they have put on their e34 M5s. My situation was simple, the left rear SLS "shock" was frozen up. It managed to do some other damage while it was frozen and that cost me some extra money to have the shock mount repaired. But, I will rarely have more than just me in the car and I have probably had more than two people in the car less than a handful of times. Translation, I really don't have a use for a SLS system.
The decision was made that for about the same money, I could replace shocks/struts all around, replace the springs at all four corners and "eliminate" (plug) the SLS system for about the same money as it would cost to repair the SLS shock. So, I decided to go with a set of H&R springs and Bilstein shocks and struts. What really concerned me was the talk of the ride being MORE harsh than a stock e34 M5's ride. Well, I am not sure if it was the fact that I could not remember the original ride or that the system was messed up for so long, but the car rides like a dream to me. Bumps are pronounced, but they will be on a car whose suspension is setup to be responsive. So, I took the car over to Marin and drove it up Hwy. 1 for a little suspension test.
The car was incredibly tight and responsive. Spencer and the boys at Phaedrus did a remarkable job with my car. The steering was tigher, a result of their work and maintenance items that must have needed attention. Bumps can be an issue at speed as the suspension's new bump stops are apparently a little more "up close and personal" than the stock units. You will find these if an unexpected bump comes up. But, the trauma is not "that" bad. My car was fitted with Dinan springs up front when I purchased it, so my "stock" suspension outlook is probably different than someone with a bone stock setup. Let's run down a few things:
The car turns in very well, but I will be dropping the tire pressure up front just a few lbs. to see if that can correct some of the built-in understeer. If that doesn't do it, then some camber plates may be in order. But, the car turns in very well, and to be honest, it is perfect for the street. If your steering has a little off-center play, I would take it in or do some maintenance work, replacing all of the serviceable items up front. My steering is quite a bit tighter and it really gives you a whole different feel when driving the car.
I was warned that a setup like this would have less overall travel and that the bump stops (internal in the Bilstein setup) would come into play a lot sooner. I found this to be true as I travelled over the (very bumpy at times) Hwy 1. BIG bumps can come up, but to be honest, the suspension ate them up much better than expected. Maybe it was my keen driving skills, but the suspension actually performed better than expectations over "hidden" bumps.
Overall, I am very excited about the new setup. It has exceeded my expectations. I think that if I had to do it again, I would like to see what some adjustable Konis would add the the equation. There was one or two times that I felt I would like to tweak with the rebound settings on the shocks, but overall the Bilstein units are VERY impressive. Shock performance was up there, beyond where I expected them to be. The ride is smooth and not harsh. I am taking into account that the car is setup to be performance driven and one should expect a semi-harsh ride to begin with. If you own an e34 M5 and you think the ride is too harsh, get a different car. I would definitely recommend this setup to any e34 M5 owner.
The decision was made that for about the same money, I could replace shocks/struts all around, replace the springs at all four corners and "eliminate" (plug) the SLS system for about the same money as it would cost to repair the SLS shock. So, I decided to go with a set of H&R springs and Bilstein shocks and struts. What really concerned me was the talk of the ride being MORE harsh than a stock e34 M5's ride. Well, I am not sure if it was the fact that I could not remember the original ride or that the system was messed up for so long, but the car rides like a dream to me. Bumps are pronounced, but they will be on a car whose suspension is setup to be responsive. So, I took the car over to Marin and drove it up Hwy. 1 for a little suspension test.
The car was incredibly tight and responsive. Spencer and the boys at Phaedrus did a remarkable job with my car. The steering was tigher, a result of their work and maintenance items that must have needed attention. Bumps can be an issue at speed as the suspension's new bump stops are apparently a little more "up close and personal" than the stock units. You will find these if an unexpected bump comes up. But, the trauma is not "that" bad. My car was fitted with Dinan springs up front when I purchased it, so my "stock" suspension outlook is probably different than someone with a bone stock setup. Let's run down a few things:
Turn In
The car turns in very well, but I will be dropping the tire pressure up front just a few lbs. to see if that can correct some of the built-in understeer. If that doesn't do it, then some camber plates may be in order. But, the car turns in very well, and to be honest, it is perfect for the street. If your steering has a little off-center play, I would take it in or do some maintenance work, replacing all of the serviceable items up front. My steering is quite a bit tighter and it really gives you a whole different feel when driving the car.
Bump Stops
I was warned that a setup like this would have less overall travel and that the bump stops (internal in the Bilstein setup) would come into play a lot sooner. I found this to be true as I travelled over the (very bumpy at times) Hwy 1. BIG bumps can come up, but to be honest, the suspension ate them up much better than expected. Maybe it was my keen driving skills, but the suspension actually performed better than expectations over "hidden" bumps.
Overall Impressions
Overall, I am very excited about the new setup. It has exceeded my expectations. I think that if I had to do it again, I would like to see what some adjustable Konis would add the the equation. There was one or two times that I felt I would like to tweak with the rebound settings on the shocks, but overall the Bilstein units are VERY impressive. Shock performance was up there, beyond where I expected them to be. The ride is smooth and not harsh. I am taking into account that the car is setup to be performance driven and one should expect a semi-harsh ride to begin with. If you own an e34 M5 and you think the ride is too harsh, get a different car. I would definitely recommend this setup to any e34 M5 owner.
posted by JG at 8:15 AM
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