TC Kline Smart DA - HP Autowerks Review (long)

[mkPOTO]

very good review, this is getting harder and harder to find the right suspension lol

[bigjae1976]

Good hear...I just went with these for my E46 over the KWs and ASTs. Haven't installed them yet.

[klammer]

Originally Posted by mkPOTO

very good review, this is getting harder and harder to find the right suspension lol

Exactly... What to do... What to do....

[bigjae1976]

IMO, you have to decide how much you are willing to spend first.

Does the E9X kit use a beehive spring for the rear? This is what makes the TCKs unique for the E46s. Apparently a straight 60mm coil tends to bind since it is not spring on shock design in the rear.

[veritas]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

IMO, you have to decide how much you are willing to spend first.

Does the E9X kit use a beehive spring for the rear? This is what makes the TCKs unique for the E46s. Apparently a straight 60mm coil tends to bind since it is not spring on shock design in the rear.

The E9X kit does not use the beehive springs in the rear like the E46M's did.

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by veritas

The E9X kit does not use the beehive springs in the rear like the E46M's did.

That is correct. On the E46 M the beehive style springs were designed to give the spring more stroke or travel. The E9x M cars do not have issues with spring stroke so a regular type constant ID coil over spring can be used.

[E90335iflyer]

Originally Posted by Blade929

Update: After the weekend install I can say overall I'm very happy. In all honesty, any negatives I would say are my fault rather than TCK or HPA. The good: the suspension is outstanding. I would say, in terms of ride quality, it is actually better than the stock EDC comfort setting. Granted this is all based on street driving. With the H&Rs the car would never settle while in a turn. I would constantly be fighting the car as the stock dampers probably could not handle the spring rates. I notice on their site it does say they highly suggest aftermarket dampers paired with those springs. The TCKs truly transform the handling. The car is planted and very compliant. The settings for rebound and compression are both set is the mid range so there is considerable amount of adjustment left. I will also put up my alignment settings but the camber is at the max of the BMW factory acceptable range which I believe was around 1.5 neg front and 1.7 neg rear. Like I said I drive about 90 miles each day and I don't want to much inside edge tire wear. The less than good: I probably should have gone with a higher spring rate. Ride quality is very subjective and I know for myself I could have easily tolerated a higher spring rate. The other concern for me is an aesthetic one. The front is set at its lowest and with a 7" spring there is still about 1 - 1.25 inches of gap. I'm sure if the car was corner balanced that performance wise this is appropriate however for me visually I would prefer the suspension was lower. I'm talking to Harold today to discuss my options. Again none of these "issues" are TCK or HPA issues they are purely mine and from the performance stand point I could very well be lessening the performance to gain appearance. The last issue has nothing to do with suspension but I feel important to share. I had been running 295/30 Hankooks on my Volk TE37s and switched to Michelin Pilot Super Sports. Well, the profile and a slight difference in the width is making them rub in the rear even though the rear is now actually a bit higher than it was with the springs. I plan on adding some more negative camber and this might be enough that it won't rub.

OP, do you have a long term review on these coil overs? I am considering replacing my 335i with a late model M3 and am looking for a nice street coil overs.

I have heard good things about this Koni based system, but few of my buddies with these double adjust on previous generation M3's all reported ping and knock noises, have you experienced any on your M3?

[Blade929]

Originally Posted by E90335iflyer

OP, do you have a long term review on these coil overs? I am considering replacing my 335i with a late model M3 and am looking for a nice street coil overs.

I have heard good things about this Koni based system, but few of my buddies with these double adjust on previous generation M3's all reported ping and knock noises, have you experienced any on your M3?

I do have some noise when going slow over bumpy roads. I would not call it knock or ping. I had similar sounds with the PSS9s on my e46. The suspension is still excellent. I'm considering higher spring rates this spring.

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by Blade929

I do have some noise when going slow over bumpy roads. I would not call it knock or ping. I had similar sounds with the PSS9s on my e46. The suspension is still excellent. I'm considering higher spring rates this spring.

As long as the noise is not a knock, then its not a anti roll bar endlink or bad camber plate bearing.

Give us a heads up on what spring rates you need and we can check stock for you.

[Black Gold]

any updates on how these are working out for you?

the 3k range is crowded with coilovers, these, ast 4100, ohlins rt, jrz......

[Blade929]

Originally Posted by KennyPowers

any updates on how these are working out for you?

the 3k range is crowded with coilovers, these, ast 4100, ohlins rt, jrz......

Sorry for the delayed response. They are still excellent. I have about 25k miles on them now.

[TC Kline Racing]

Originally Posted by Blade929

Sorry for the delayed response. They are still excellent. I have about 25k miles on them now.

Glad to hear it!