[rothwem]

Okay guys, bear with me here. The X1 is based on the E90 chassis, but it’s got longer shocks and springs to lift it. That would tell me that the front suspension control arms (which are the same P/N as ours) would be drooped more, and therefore the knuckle would have to have some more camber build into it. Has anyone tried swapping an X1 steering knuckle into an xi-chassis car to try to get some more camber at a sane ride height? I’m trying to avoid going to camber plates, it always seems like they increase NVH.

[matteblue3er]

Why don't you just install Dinan fixed camber plates?

I am running -2.4 degrees of camber in the front of my E90 330xi with these plates.

I'm on the lowest setting for H&R coilovers. Strut tops are moved in too. (Dinan plates make you remove the alignment pin anyway.)

Of course camber plates will increase NVH. You are converting the soft, stock rubber mount, to a hard, mechanical bearing.

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by matteblue3er

Why don't you just install Dinan fixed camber plates?

I am running -2.4 degrees of camber in the front of my E90 330xi with these plates.

I'm on the lowest setting for H&R coilovers. Strut tops are moved in too. (Dinan plates make you remove the alignment pin anyway.)

Of course camber plates will increase NVH. You are converting the soft, stock rubber mount, to a hard, mechanical bearing.

So do the Dinan plates increase NVH? I drive an automatic, AWD wagon, and I have no illusions about it being a racecar. I just want it not to understeer so much on exit ramps and tight turns. I don't want clunking or front end vibration.

[matteblue3er]

Originally Posted by rothwem

So do the Dinan plates increase NVH? I drive an automatic, AWD wagon, and I have no illusions about it being a racecar. I just want it not to understeer so much on exit ramps and tight turns. I don't want clunking or front end vibration.

They they simple bolt onto the OEM strut tops and offset them to increase negative camber.

You are still using the soft, OEM rubber mount/bearing.

Also, there is a reinforcement plate on xDrive models, between the strut tower and strut hat. This can be removed if you install the Dinan fixed plates.

[ajsalida]

Or you could just remove the pins in the strut hats. You'll get approx an extra .5 deg of neg camber for approx total of -1.5 deg each side. Also consider the UUC front sway bar. Due to peculiarities of McP front susp you'll actually reduce understeer and reduce body roll.

[ruquik]

I actually reduced understeer and now can have the rear slide ever so slightly on the auctocross course after doing rear subframe inserts and the uuc rear bar in my e91.

Works perfect.

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by ruquik

I actually reduced understeer and now can have the rear slide ever so slightly on the auctocross course after doing rear subframe inserts and the uuc rear bar in my e91.

Works perfect.

I thought about doing that, but the rear bar basically takes away grip from the rear, biasing the grip towards the front. The issue with doing that is that your total grip is reduced, unless you then go and put big fat tires on the car.

I've decided to not do the knuckles, it seems like a lot of trouble. When I finally swap out the shocks, I'm going to do the Dinan plates, they seem like a well thought out product.

[PrematureApex]

Couple comments:

I don't necessarily think that the X1 knuckle has more camber built in. Perhaps it either runs less from the factory and/or has a slight different in the location of the slotted upper strut tower mounts.

The X1 guys normally run E90 coilovers, and I'm not sure they see more negative camber as a result.

For reference, I run H&R lowering springs, have the pins on the top hats pulled, and don't even see -1 up front.

The knuckle opening for the strut is larger than the rest of the E90 family. Companies have been slapping a sleeve over E90 coilovers to fit them to the E90.

All that being said...interesting thought. It would be cool if they indeed did. I'll have to look into it a bit further.