How to de-council my motor!

[Funnybear]

Hi guys.

I'm the proud owner of a lowered black cabbie sitting on 17" Alpina reps. (All done by the previous owner)

I've been steadily sorting the mechanicals out and she's running pucka now. But I'm going through rear tyres like there is no tomorrow due to the camber induced by the lowering.

I do actually quite like how it looks being so low, but my god if I scrape my nice new exhaust system across another speed bump I will have a breakdown.

I know very little about this stuff, but is raising the back up a tad just a case of swapping out the springs? How do I know what springs I have in there already? Should I just do the back? Or do front and back? Can I adjust the camber without raising it back up? And would I want too?

I am possibly looking to swap the 17's for 16's Alpies as I understand this will improve the ride. But thats for the future, at the moment I'm looking at the tyre bill and thinking this should really be a priority.

Thankyou in advance chaps.

[johnono]

its a matter of taste

Is it your first E30? Classic style is always a safe bet
40/40 springs and 15" basket weaves, and the majority will

[Funnybear]

By 40/40 do you mean thats a 40mm drop? I'm sorry, really am a layman here. Just been reading up on the wiki.

And yes, first e30, and don't mean it to be my last. Currently in the position of having spent too much to part with it readily but also lusting over lovely well maintained bigger engined varients.

The problem is that whilst I would love to be underneath it doing and learning, I have no garage and very little drive space and with it so low I can't readily get underneath it to poke around. So to the garage I have to go, so I like to know what I'm talking about and asking for when I turn up with 'MUG' plastered across my forehead.

[faze30]

my ride is sooo low and its my daily. the only downfall is that it scrapes.

me personally, i go for looks rather than practicality, i just avoid speed humps. lol

[Brianmoooore]

, i go for looks rather than practicality

The " my car is so clapped out that the suspension has totally collapsed look"? Can't understand why anyone would find this a 'good' look, but I suppose it would be a boring world if we all liked the same!

[leeparkes]

The problem is that whilst I would love to be underneath it doing and learning, I have no garage and very little drive space and with it so low I can't readily get underneath it to poke around. So to the garage I have to go, so I like to know what I'm talking about and asking for when I turn up with 'MUG' plastered across my forehead.

Once the rear wheel is off you only need to undo the bottom shock bolt, the trailing arm will lower down and the spring comes out.
Pretty much as simple as that to change the rear springs, if you can change a wheel you could do this job.

[faze30]

, i go for looks rather than practicality

The " my car is so clapped out that the suspension has totally collapsed look"? Can't understand why anyone would find this a 'good' look, but I suppose it would be a boring world if we all liked the same!

your right. we all cant be looking the same. Plus everyone likes to be different.

[johnono]

sorry im answering you first now , i was on weekend manouvers with the other half..

But yep, 40 mm lowering on both front and rear axles,
This would give you a reasonable drop, but not sump-scrapingly low ;)

The zone is a top place for info and friendly advise, so not long before you're on the inside of whats what

By 40/40 do you mean thats a 40mm drop? I'm sorry, really am a layman here. Just been reading up on the wiki.

And yes, first e30, and don't mean it to be my last. Currently in the position of having spent too much to part with it readily but also lusting over lovely well maintained bigger engined varients.

The problem is that whilst I would love to be underneath it doing and learning, I have no garage and very little drive space and with it so low I can't readily get underneath it to poke around. So to the garage I have to go, so I like to know what I'm talking about and asking for when I turn up with 'MUG' plastered across my forehead.

[magpie]

i sell many sumps

[Funnybear]

It's not the sump thats the problem, it's the silencer. Bloody thing hangs down at least an inch lower than the cills.

But regardless, I've come to my senses with regards to arse scraping, tyre chewing, butt clenching lowness. I gave it it's fair dues and tryed living with it, but whilst I do like a low slung hunk of metal, in this country you just don't do yourself any flavours. Even if I just get a few mm on the arse just so I'm not going for another set of tyres every six months.

How do the E30's look with uneven coil heights? How do they handle? Am I being completely naive in thinking thats an option? Does my bum look big in this dress? Do I ask too many questions?

[zd3bx]

You can buy cheap second-hand genuine springs on ebay, sell the rubbish replica 17's, put original BBS 15's on it and you're done

[Fastroad]

Pictures may help us give a better opinion on the car and council parts/look the car may have.

[Speedtouch]

You could, perhaps, raise the exhaust up a tad using shorter rubber hangers.

Some lowering springs from decent makers such as Eibach, have the part number stamped on them, while many cheap budget ones don't and are usually red or yellow in colour.

[B7]

I hurts me when I pick up the bill for tyres under normal cicumstances. Add the odd exhaust into the bills and it begs the question, "WTF would you anyone perform modifications that end up costing money as well as f*ck your head up by having to either take a different (longer?) route?"

I suppose it' "coz it looks sic guy!"

OP. Put some proper springs on it and enjoy it anytime and put the saved money into petrol......

[Speedtouch]

And yes, your bum does look big in that dress, and you do ask too many questions!

[Funnybear]

hehe