If you want to show off, you build your engine. If you want your car to perform well around corners and put all your power to the ground, you tune your suspension. Of course, you can just lower your car for looks, and that’s fine, but you aren’t receiving all the benefits from a lower ride height if you don’t address the geometry changes, binding, and bump steer associated with dropping the car to the ground. This is true for every car, but not everyone is super concerned with ‘perfect’ suspension settings if all they want is that Instagram clout. If you drive a BMW, chances are you want it to perform and handle better than it could stock all while looking incredible. That’s where the boys at Turner Motorsport come to your rescue to help you maximize your suspension’s capabilities and work with specifically lowered vehicles to push it past what it could ever have done from BMW’s factory. Today, we are taking a look at the new Turner Motorsport Adjustable Suspension Links for your BMW 1, 2, 3, or 4 series.
As BMW suspension technology improved, they have moved to multi-link style rear ends that increase the capability but also increase the complexity of your suspension system. One thing they have not changed, however, is the adjustment ranges for the suspension. In the rear, it is still completely fixed. That means when you lower your car, your camber, caster, roll center, and toe are all way out of spec, even with an alignment. What’s more, your end links and tie rod ends are affected which can drastically reduce their lifespan, the lifespan of associated components, and the effectiveness of their function.
Tie rod ends, what connects your steering rack to your front knuckles, are responsible for the toe angle and pivot point as you steer your BMW. When you lower your car, this causes the pivot point to change, which causes binding and what is known as ‘bump steer’ (your car darting when you hit uneven surfaces) as well as changes the roll center. With Turner Motorsport Performance Adjustable Tie Rod Ends, you can bring that pivot point back down to eliminate bump steer as well as make the necessary adjustments to set your toe back within factory specs, even with an extremely lowered BMW. These are a must if you don’t want to chew through your tires and make the most out of your car’s handling capabilities.
Sway Bar End Links connect the sway bars to the suspension, linking the left and right sides together. The sway bar is responsible for reducing your body roll in the corners. While you are also reducing weight transfer and body roll with a lowered center of gravity, you are not getting the most from your sway bars since their effectiveness is reduced by the binding caused by the lower suspension height. This means, while you may have less body roll than before, you are not anywhere close to where you could be with proper end links. Turner Motorsport Performance Adjustable End Links allow you to eliminate the preload on your sway bar caused by lowering your BMW and regain their full effectiveness for further reduced body roll and weight transfer. This means you’ll have the most control possible from your BMW without upgrading your sway bars and bushings. For even further reduction in body roll and better cornering, turn-in response, and the adjustment you need to bias which tires lose grip first, upgrade to Turner Motorsport Adjustable Sway Bars.
Rear Lower Control Arms connect the wheel hub to your subframe. When you lower your BMW, these fixed-length arms result in excessive negative camber. It may look cool, but it means less contact patch for your tires on the road, which means less grip, and causes uneven tire wear. To return your suspension geometry to factory settings, you need Turner Motorsport Performance Adjustable Rear Lower Control Arms so you can dial your camber in for optimal handling and maintain proper geometry.
Without upgrading the associated parts to your BMW’s suspension when you lower it, you aren’t receiving all the benefits you could, which makes the new Turner Motorsport adjustable suspension links mandatory. The adjustability from these links will allow you to maximize your BMW’s handling and retain long lifespans for otherwise tough to replace parts like ball joints, bushings, and even your steering rack as they are affected by the new drop in height. Thanks to these Turner Motorsport links, developed and tested on the track, you can have your Instagram clout and effective suspension dynamics all at once with none of the downsides associated with slamming your BMW on its face.
