hey guys....

I used to have bmw 3 series....

Recently I bought 08 TL used...

I need some recommendation to improve on handling...

I noticed that the stock comes with front strut bar...

Any recommendations...?

Thanks...

 

you're coming from a RWD vehicle to a FWD.
you're going to have to adjust yourself and learn the characteristics of FWD.

with that being said; an aftermarket rear sway bar can help with the handling woes.

 

^nice avatar..

 

Like justnspace said, RSB will help. There's a decent amount of choices out there.

 

If the car is an auto, you can buy a rsb from a MT for cheap to see how it feels before going to an aftermarket bar.

 

suspension and RSB....handling will improve quite nicely.

you have a base 08 TL? it has the softest suspension of all available OEM supensions. with aspec suspension as the firmest with a 1 inch drop, then a close second, type s suspension.

(from firmest to softest for OEM) Aspec (and a 1 inch drop)-->Type-S-->04-06 MT-->04-06 AT--> 07-08 AT

but for a quick inexpensive mod to help...RSB to start. if you decide on suspension mods...then that's a whole other beast of research. have fun

 

Dont piss off the moderators.

 

Right on the spot.

 

1. Tires
2. RSB
3. Shocks/Springs/Coil-overs
4. FSB (if needed)

 

^ big emphasis on good tires. often overlooked, this can play a major factor in how well the car sticks while cornering.

 

stick with race winning tires like michenlin or dunlop. you can improve handling up 10%-15%(may vary) with rubber alone. second, i do strongly agree with TLGIRL that a aspec suspension is a great choice. with the pre-assembled units installed the handling should increase up to 18%.

 

I found few sites for rear sway bar...

But, Where's cheap place to get aspec suspension...?

 

ebay

 

Thanks...

Which is better... H&R sports springs or ASPEC set up...?

I'm sure ASPEC set up is...???

 

lots of threads on aspec suspension. and other set ups. you need to ask yourself what are you looking to get out of it? handling, looks, a little of both? somebody actually had both (aspec and aftermarket) and recently changed to coilovers. he liked the handling part, but wanted a bigger drop (at least that was my impression of why he changed) and keep the handling close to aspec.

i can only speak on behalf of aspec and the reasons why i chose it over aftermarket set ups. i chose aspec for performance not so much the drop (that was a little bonus-emphasis on little) and it was essentially tuned for the TL by acura r and d peeps. they dont' invest all that money into this stuff without endorsing the kit. i was not looking for a super duper drop. if you're looking for a drop, go aftermarket.

everyone will have their opinions and tell you their set up is the best. bottomline, its your car, and you have to decide what will be the best for YOUR car and what YOU want out of it. if you search "aspec suspension" and search only in 3G TL...you'll find a ton of threads. i did a lot of reading when i was shopping, but i tend to be a little more conservative to the modding scene.

 

Thanks everyone...

 

Both are good. Depends what you want and how you want to go about it. Cost is a factor too with the A-Spec kit being ~2.5 or 3 times the cost of springs only.

OTOH, a good spring/shock combination (or pre-matched coil-overs, like A-Spec) are probably better for handling over-all if properly selected (i.e. not for a slammed look only).

 

Tires will make more of a difference than every suspension mod together. I chose my suspension based on the tires I planned to run, not the other way around. You need much less in the suspension department if the tires don't grip as well. You can use the swaybars to fine tune the handling balance which will make a huge difference if you care enough to. I ended up with custom rear springs that are about the same rate as the fronts.

 

Cool numbers. Where did you get them from? That's like a 33% increase in handling from tires and suspension. How do you define a "handling increase" anyway? Stick with Michelin if you have the need to lighten your wallet. Much better performance tires out there for half the price.

 

^ Thanks for the call out on that post. I wanted to be "that guy" but didn't want to waste the energy on the book I would have ended up posting. I spend a lot of time researching tires, oil, fuel, filters and suspension components... if there's one thing I've found.. price does not indicate quality.

 

Freebie: Car Diet.

 

yeah i was wondering where he pulled these magical percentages from. can you site your source kingkingdave?

OP-i agree tires will make a difference in what the car will be able to do. even in stock form, i had toyo's which were great, except in snow. i had good years which were great for the first 5k mi and then they pretty much died on me (treadwear) after 9k mi, now i have the conti DWS. good tire but sacrificed some of my confidence in turns even after my supension mods (but i knew that when i bought the tires). slap on some summer stickies...that may make my ride much more exciting than what it is right now.

as IHC says...start with tires then go from there. my only limiting factor right now is my tires to really take turns and corners with a

 

the hardest thing for me; was adjusting my driving style to fit FWD.
when I first got the car, there were many many instances where I thought I was going to slam into a barrier while in a turn.