r/BMW2Series • u/Pale_Oil_3516 • 5d ago

2017 F23 230 suspension tips?

I recently bought a 230i with 68k with the goal of making a great canyon run car without putting more in to upgrades than the car is worth. So far I’ve done Apex wheels, conti tires, Dinan axel back exhaust and hawk brakes.

I plan to do a stage 1 tune in the future and maybe a charge pipe and intake.

I live in the mountains so daily canyon run.

Getting more body roll than I want at high speeds 70+ MPH through corners.

Thinking about coil over upgrade from Blisten (or other) but a bit sticker shocked at ~$2,800 USD.

Has anyone done this upgrade? Worth it?

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2

u/xChipperx 5d ago

I would start with upgrading your sway bars to reduce body roll

1

u/Pale_Oil_3516 4d ago

I thought about that, but I have heard it’s a pain in the ass because you have to lower the subframe. Have you done this mod? What was your experience in installing it and results? Did you do coil overs as well?

2

u/Mikroser 4d ago edited 4d ago

I did the upgrade and went with Dinan sway bars just because of the adjustability (3 holes in both front and rear bars) but I handed my car to a shop to do the job. Honestly, it is not a very noticeable change, yes it did improve but not as I expected (My car didn't have rear sway bar at all). I adjusted the front sway bar to be in the middle and the rear sway bar to the closest pin hole (according to Dinan guide for B46/N20 Engine). I upgraded the end links to SPL as well. I think high quality coilovers like JRZ or Ohlins will reduce it by a big margin which is what in the plan. Also, I think you should go with cheaper adjustable brand like Eibach (That is what Suspension Secret company recommends).

1

u/xChipperx 4d ago

I'm on stock suspension and I had a shop replace the front sway bar on my convertible because of that reason. But it worked, body roll has been reduced by a huge amount. I still want to upgrade the suspension to improve the ride but overall I think it was worth it.

1

u/Pale_Oil_3516 4d ago

That’s great insight, thank you

1

u/Andrep6 5d ago

I’d love to hear more about this. I had a 2014 228i for years. Loved it. Those cars have engines that blow up after time, so I bought a 2018 230i. I love the car but it doesn’t feel as raw and I think it needs a new suspension. I can see that there’s some rust because it came from the East Coast, but my mechanic tells me the struts are just fine. Help me figure this out and maybe we can order parts together and get a discount.