I can't lower my M3CS... spacers?

[jmg]

I can't lower my M3CS due to my damn driveway being too steep. I love the way the car drives, but the wheel gap is slightly annoying. Has anyone put spacers on these cars yet? Any adverse handling characteristics? Better yet, any photos?

[elisiX]

I’ve been meaning to post something similar as I’m unsure whether I can lower my car due to the angle of the ramp at my office car park. I’m equally keen to have my wheels fit as best as possible however.

I’ve seen people post with F:R;

10:5
10:12
12:12
15:15

I have no idea if there would be an issue going with 15:15 without drop, but then choosing to drop later and that 15:15 setup being an issue.

I know when I dropped my F80 CP on HR Springs ran 12:12 spacers without issue. I’d worry going with higher than that and dropping later might be problematic.

[CanAutM3]

Spacers can be just as bad as installing the wrong springs in terms of handling.

Altering the wheel offset affects the suspension geometry. Widening the track on an axle reduces weight transfer during cornering on that axle and results in increased grip on that axle. Changing the track width by different amounts front and rear will alter the handling balance of the car. Further, altering wheel offset also changes the wheel to spring and damper movement ratio which alters suspension tuning. And lastly, what I find being the most detrimental effect, is that changing wheel offset on the front axle alters the scrub radius and required Ackerman angle when the wheels are steered, which significantly affects steering feel and feedback.

But I get where you're coming from regarding lowering. My CS is lowered and boy do I cringe often due to scraping that front lip. But so far so good, it has resisted very well.

[M3SQRD]

Originally Posted by CanAutM3

Spacers can be just as bad as installing the wrong springs in terms of handling.

Altering the wheel offset affects the suspension geometry. Widening the track on an axle reduces weight transfer during cornering on that axle and results in increased grip on that axle. Changing the track width by different amounts front and rear will alter the handling balance of the car. Further, altering wheel offset also changes the wheel to spring and damper movement ratio which alters suspension tuning. And lastly, what I find being the most detrimental effect, is that changing wheel offset on the front axle alters the scrub radius and required Ackerman angle when the wheels are steered, which significantly affects steering feel and feedback.

But I get where you're coming from regarding lowering. My CS is lowered and boy do I cringe often due to scraping that front lip. But so far so good, it has resisted very well.

So do your wider track wheels have the same offset as the stock wheels? If not, then you’ve altered the stock track width.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by M3SQRD

So do your wider track wheels have the same offset as the stock wheels? If not, then you’ve altered the stock track width.

Indeed. Sometimes compromises are needed to ensure a proper fit. However my track wheel alter the offset by a marginal amount (4mm):

Front: ET25 vs ET 29
Rer: ET44 vs ET40

Note that I am not saying that changing offsets is necessarily a bad thing, I m just saying that when not properly done, it can have as much detrimental effect as not properly altering spring/damper rates. Suspension tuning remains a very fine art.

[clutchdj]

Originally Posted by jmg

I can't lower my M3CS due to my damn driveway being too steep. I love the way the car drives, but the wheel gap is slightly annoying. Has anyone put spacers on these cars yet? Any adverse handling characteristics? Better yet, any photos?

Just keep the spacer width below 12MM and try not to go wider in the front than the rear. Spacers slightly increase the turning radius at the front axle depending on how wide you go.

[elisiX]

I'd be keen to know if adding spacers without dropping the height makes the front wheel gap look worse.

I know for my F80 CP last year, prior to adding HR Springs but only spacers, it certainly made it worse.

Once I added the HR Springs it looked perfect, of course.

With that CS lip, there's no way I will drop my car as low as those HR Springs were.

[Maitre_Absolut]

Originally Posted by elisiX

I'd be keen to know if adding spacers without dropping the height makes the front wheel gap look worse.

thats exactly what I was thinking, will look like a monster truck with wheels poking

just get a HAS kit and dial in a height that you can clear your driveway. Go in from the side at an angle. There are much worse obstacles than a driveway when you are lowered.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by Maitre_Absolut

There are much worse obstacles than a driveway when you are lowered.

You haven't seen my driveway!!! Maybe I'll just get an extra lip.

[elisiX]

My home driveway wont be an issue, as the council recently redid our drive and road - it's finally level!

It's my office where I come down a steep ramp, have a tight turn at the bottom, which will prevent any angled approach when getting to the bottom.

[Maitre_Absolut]

Originally Posted by elisiX

which will prevent any angled approach when getting to the bottom.

exactly. these situations are much worse than your driveway when you can normally choose your angle.

i.e. just recently driving between buildings one way and then all of a sudden came to a high speed bump in the middle with no room to go at angle. add a few cars behind you and thats a tough situation.

[NYBulldog]

Spacers look so much better regardless. If I had a CS its my first and maybe only mod.

[EricSMG]

Spacers + stock ride height is usually a no-go in my book... car generally looks worse this way.

Basic rule of thumb is this: high ride heights look best with high offset and low ride heights look best with low offsets.

Your mileage may differ, but spacers will definitely NOT reduce your gap and will probably make the car look worse.

My advice? Leave it alone if you can't lower it. At most, a very mild spacer... like 10mm.

[GordoNx3o9]

Originally Posted by EricSMG

Spacers + stock ride height is usually a no-go in my book... car generally looks worse this way.

Basic rule of thumb is this: high ride heights look best with high offset and low ride heights look best with low offsets.

Your mileage may differ, but spacers will definitely NOT reduce your gap and will probably make the car look worse.

My advice? Leave it alone if you can't lower it. At most, a very mild spacer... like 10mm.

I agree. I'm lowered on Eibach which are known to have most conservative drops. I'm considering swapping out my 12s for 10s.

[elisiX]

As of yesterday my CS is on 10F/12R spacers and it has absolutely helped.

I’m not lowered and the front does not look worse (which I feared it might).

If you can’t drop, 10/12 or 12/12 works and doesn’t make the gap worse.

I’m on Cup2’s which have a different shaped sidewall to the PSS fitted in the US.

The Cup2 are more square and I think this helps not make the gap look worse.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by elisiX

As of yesterday my CS is on 10F/12R spacers and it has absolutely helped.

I’m not lowered and the front does not look worse (which I feared it might).

If you can’t drop, 10/12 or 12/12 works and doesn’t make the gap worse.

I’m on Cup2’s which have a different shaped sidewall to the PSS fitted in the US.

The Cup2 are more square and I think this helps not make the gap look worse.

Can you post any photos?

[elisiX]

I will, but for now please feel free to check my Instagram with the same name, or join the CS Facebook page where I’ve posted regularly this week.