Quote:
Originally Posted by ezmaass
The dampers, as far as I know and can tell in practice, are only set to a particular stiffness via the Dynamic Drive rocker switch. So, if you set them to Comfort+, they're going to be soft. If you set them to Sport or Sport+ they're going to be stiff. I don't believe they'll change stiffness on their own. I could be wrong. If they do, I haven't noticed it, and it would have to be very instantaneous. Keep in mind that the dampers control RECOIL only. The spring rate is fixed. So I highly doubt that the car would change the damper rate to help with a nose dive... someone correct me if I'm wrong here?
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Remember the dampers are variable and continuously adaptive, so any manoeuvre which benefits from a harder setting will be signalled a stiffer damping rate. We don't have a simple triple setting damper. Each mode has a variable characteristic map around each base setting.
The variable map is applicable to braking, cornering, etc. So the question about braking hard does mean to reduce dive, the damping rate will increase, helps to shorten the braking distance with more body stability. In a similar way if we make a sharp turning manoeuvre, say to the right, the left hand front damper (among other functions) will instantly change to a firm damping rate, to slow weight transfer and help reduce pitching and roll.
So to the issue of more potential wheel damage, with active systems... I suppose we first have to compare a comfort setting to a "non sport" passive suspension. Clearly we will have an increased front damping rate in the heavy braking event, a reaction we can't have in the passive system.
If we are already running a passive "sport" suspension with higher damping rates as standard, then the active damping system will only be stiffening up to a similar rate in that same manoeuvre. Even our active system does not over damp, it can only trigger the firmest setting within the design.
From my understanding of suspension function, I don't see Adaptive Drive making braking over rough pavement significantly worse for the wheel loads than the M-sport suspension, (maybe marginally, if the stiffest VDC damper setting is slightly higher than the M-sport damping rate). But more wheel load if we are comparing standard non sport suspension to AD.
I feel wheel choice is the bigger issue for wheel/tire damage. It is why I run 18" on my 535i, more rubber with greater ability to cope with rough pavement and road impacts, whatever the suspension we run.
HighlandPete