Fast road/light track suspension options

Tue May 05, 2015 3:03 pm

Hi guys , before I start I'd like to make it cleR that I'm new to e30's so please bare with me , this forum has been great so far, very helpful and factual ..
So..I bought my H- reg 320i recently with the plans to build a fast road / light use track car ( 4 or so a year ) , these plans were to swap the weasy two litre for the 2.8 found in the e36 , really enjoyed it in my 328sport , I've sourced 95% of parts so all is going well in that department ..
The car came with what looks like some very cheap eBay style Coilovers , they feel very soft and to be honest , not really up to the job . Especially as it's going to be gaining circa 100bhp in the next month or so ..

So I've been having a look to see what my options are .. The car is mainly going to be used for fast road use so should I go down the shock and spring set up or are there Coilovers on the market that are up to doing both jobs ?
If I decide to shock n spring I.e a bilstein set up , I'm going to have to source new struts to replace the cheap Coilovers .. I've even read of some coilover company's needing your existing legs to modify .. All very confusing and I'm hoping some of you lot can shed some light and point me in the right direction .
What are you guys running and how are you finding them ?
Many thanks jonny

Tue May 05, 2015 3:39 pm

bilstein b12 kit with eibach adjustable ARB's .

F00kin awesome !

Tue May 05, 2015 3:44 pm

I never had coilovers to make a comparison but my H&R cup kit is stiff and I corner totally flat, no swinging or body roll. I had the bilstein kit on the 318i before the 24v swap and it was the sweetest suspension feel I've had on any car I've driven. I went with H&R as its £200 cheaper and... I wish I bought the Bilstein kit, I think its more comfortable for daily use.

Tue May 05, 2015 3:46 pm

Eibach (or H&R) + Bilsteins - Eibach sway bars if you're feeling flush. I love my setup.

New rubber bushes (no real need for poly) and you're in bizness

Tue May 05, 2015 4:08 pm

That's just the info I needed , cheers lads .. Now moving forward I'm going to need to source 2 front struts to house the inserts , I understand that these come in 2 different sizes , will my 320 take the smaller size leg ? Many thanks

Tue May 05, 2015 4:16 pm

to get the full benefit you want 51mm struts mate .

is your car a saloon ?

Tue May 05, 2015 5:01 pm

magpie wrote:to get the full benefit you want 51mm struts mate .

is your car a saloon ?

As its getting a 24v swap and will be seeing fast road/track use, I'd say 51mm struts are a must.

Tue May 05, 2015 7:18 pm

You guys are awesome .. So 51mm struts , bilstein b12 inserts and eibach/h&r springs , is there any difference in charecters sticks between the 2 spring brands ? I.e would either of them more suit my 24v swap for instance . Many thanks guys .. Really appreciate this

Tue May 05, 2015 10:04 pm

Bilstein b12 is the name of the kit, Bilstein shocks matched with Eibach springs. b12 sportline and pro kit are available iirc.

Fri May 08, 2015 10:02 am

I've got the H&R coliover ser up on my touring and while it is fantastic, and not as harsh on the road as people expect - for the cost and mainly road use, I would Def go for the cup kit next time!!!
Had another 2.7 touring for a while on a cup kit and it was plenty good enough!!!
Not enough gain for the cost involved in coilovers imo!!!

Sun May 10, 2015 8:15 pm

How much real world difference is there between the performance of a bilstein b8 damper in a 45mm strut and a 51 mm strut ? Massively noticeable ? , I think the m52 in 1 kg heavier so no real difference there ?
Yes magpie it's a saloon , does that change matters ? Sorry I'm new to the bm's guys so it takes some spelling out .