touring lowered or not??

[savagehenry]

I'm new to e30's so don't know much about ride heights. My touring is said to have schnitzer springs on but I'm trying to work out if it is standard or not. And if it has by roughly what amount?

Then I can get some idea of how low I'm going to go. I'll be running 15' BBS with 45 profile tires when it's done. but as I'm going for shocks and springs rather than coil-overs (which I'm used to) I need to get it right. I've seen 40mm 60/40mm and 50mm and from what I've read on here 60mm all-round is too low for daily and as I'm in the process of fixing a cracked sump I'd tend to agree with that!

I know with 15's and 45 profile I'm not going to get close to the arches but I don't mind as long as it looks and drives well.

[Grrrmachine]

Mine runs 195/50/15s on with the standard ride height, as that's as close as I can get to the proper tyre size. Remember that 45 is a percentage, not a length, so 205/45's will have a taller profile than 195/45.

As you lower it, you'll upset the camber, and this eat into the inner side of your tyres fairly quickly. A saggy spring on one side of my touring dropped the ride height by about 30mm, and the tyre on that side lasted 5000km before needing to be replaced.

I'm sure you can go down to 60mm drop without scrubbing the tyres; just be aware that you'll still be destroying the tyres at that angle, even if they're not actually rubbing.

[_Jay_]

It wont 'destroy' tyres. I have my cab lowered about 40mm all around, and yes it does wear more on the inner tyre, but lasts alot longer than 5000km.

[SimonTemplar]

And if you are also asking whether your car is currently lowered (I think you are, apologies if not) then I would say that it certainly looks as though it is, it is certainly sitting noticably lower than mine, which is standard and currently wearing 14'' bottle tops.

ST

[savagehenry]

I was told it has been lowered and I don't doubt my mate really.. I'm just thinking if my touring has been dropped by say 40mm then I know that is not enough for me.

Any pictures of drops with 15' wheels would be a great help.

Thanks.

[Morat]

That looks like it has been lowered to me, by about the correct amount.
If you want it to look and drive well then stay with 55 profile tyres, or 50 if you don't mind an arch gap.

This is on Eibach Pro kit springs (35mm approx) with 205/55/15 tyres



it DOES scrub the rears in about 10-15k miles. The inside of the tread goes before the outside looks half worn. Camber correction is the only cure.

[hongkongfuey]

mine is lowered 30mm on apex springs no issues

[oomz1975]

-60mm all round, no inner tyre wear here.

[Morat]

How long have you had the drop? I strongly suspect that if you take a back wheel off you'll see wear right on the inside "shoulder" where the tread meets the sidewall. If not - I need to know your secret!

[harry_p]

for any standard beamed e30 not to have loads of negative camber at -60 it must have smacked the rear wheels sideways into a few curbs at some point!

[oomz1975]

Only done about 4500 miles on these wheels & tyres, but before I changed all my bushes, I was running 17's that would eat the inner side of tyres.

[savagehenry]

Cheers lads........right I know I'm gonna get bashed but I won't be running standard tires. The wheels are 8-9x15 with 185/45 and 195/45 respectively.

My last car was running coil-overs and was fully poly bushed, so I'm not going to say some bullshit like " I had mine wound down as low as they would go and the ride was quite good" Yeah right. I don't want to go right back to that with this touring but I do like a firm ride ( ). that should read I don't mind.

I'm just worried about going for a 40mm kit then not being happy with the arch gap.

Your 60mm (above) is slammed, in a good way but how close is your sump?? I'm sure I have seen a 50mm advertised somewhere.

Morat: your touring looks very well, I love the standard OE look but I have my splits and so I have to do them justice. My car will be completely standard apart from wheels, drop and satin kidney and yellow lights.

[Morat]

Nothing wrong with staggered splits on an e30

I'm just concerned that you'll find it hard to pull off a stretched look on 15s without a huge drop or quite an arch gap. Some stretch and poke deviant will be along shortly to give you their experience I'm sure....

[harry_p]

i don't think ive ever seen an e30 properly pull off a set of 15in splits.

as has been said, they have to be absurdly low to not have an arch gap and run tyre's that don't look like baloons.

the standard 15in bbs look great, but 15in splits have smaller centres which visually shrinks the wheel.

[savagehenry]

Only done about 4500 miles on these wheels & tyres, but before I changed all my bushes, I was running 17's that would eat the inner side of tyres.

Have you got any clearer pics of your tourer??

Cheers.

[Phill172]

Only done about 4500 miles on these wheels & tyres, but before I changed all my bushes, I was running 17's that would eat the inner side of tyres.

Have you got any clearer pics of your tourer??

Cheers.

Excuse my gay offset wheels but to give you an idea of the amount of camber that can happen. The fronts have 8.5d of camber...

This is on HSD coilovers, not horrifically low as I had raised the ride height but this kills tyres on the road, its got brand new bushes all round.
I doubt id get 4500 miles
I need the camber correction kit badly



Saying that I also find with lowered e30s they always look saggy at the back, the white on on eibachs above looks spot on mind

[oomz1975]

Hope this helps...

[savagehenry]

Cheers oomz, now I can see that you are running standard ish tyre profiles . The pic of your car in the shadow makes it look on the deck, but 60mm is not looking too bad now.

I think I'll be needing new top mounts and some bushes.

Thanks.

[Cotty]

60/40 on 15"

[greentouring]

Your touring deffo looks lowered to me......

Here's mine sitting on a 70/50 set-up.

[savagehenry]

Your touring deffo looks lowered to me......

Here's mine sitting on a 70/50 set-up.

Thanks people.

As my car is a later model with the lower rear arch, is a split set-up better??

I take it your 70/50 is obtained with coil-overs???

[savagehenry]

I'm also thinking my 185/45 and 195/45 will have to become 195/45 front and 195/50 rear.

[greentouring]

Your touring deffo looks lowered to me......

Here's mine sitting on a 70/50 set-up.

Thanks people.

As my car is a later model with the lower rear arch, is a split set-up better??

I take it your 70/50 is obtained with coil-overs???

Nope, no coil-overs here. Bought a shock and spring kit....it was either from Germany or Belgium - I can't remember now. The ride isn't too hard, although my rear tyres are worn on the inside and now need replacing (first new tyres for 4 years).

P.S. I broke and engine mount in a pot hole I failed to see in time. A member of this forum kindly sent one to me for free and a mate fitted it. If I were to have the chance of lowering it again, I would not go this low.

[Cotty]

If I were to have the chance of lowering it again, I would not go this low.

Yep that does look low. I have run 60/40 for years without problems apart from the occational scrape (IS lip). However the local Sainsburys have installed a huge sleeping policeman at the entrance to one of their car parks which is taller than my IS lip. Will I raise it? Will I Ill use the other car park and walk a little further.

[savagehenry]

If I were to have the chance of lowering it again, I would not go this low.

Yep that does look low. I have run 60/40 for years without problems apart from the occational scrape (IS lip). However the local Sainsburys have installed a huge sleeping policeman at the entrance to one of their car parks which is taller than my IS lip. Will I raise it? Will I Ill use the other car park and walk a little further.

Interesting.......I was thinking IS spoiler too.

[Cotty]

Interesting.......I was thinking IS spoiler too.

IS lip and 60mm drop. Don't try bumping up any curbs

[savagehenry]

Ha ha......I don't want to see that Cotty!

Great pic. I'm just in love with that IS look. Are you running -60 on the front on the pics below??
looks higher.

[Cotty]

-60 on the front, -40 on the rear. KW kit

Also have H&R ajustable antiroll bars but the front one is temorarrily removed as it fouls on the wheels. I have a second set of wheels in the garage with differnt offsets that would cure the problem but they need a refurb.

I won't mention the full Hartge body kit in the loft ..... DOH

[Cotty]

Great pic. I'm just in love with that IS look. Are you running -60 on the front on the pics below??
looks higher.

I supose it depends where you start from.
Before Pic

After

I prefer the after stance

[savagehenry]

Looks very well indeed...cotty.

I'm going to have to change my tyre profiles'

But suffice to say at least 60/40 is on the cards.

Thanks for posting.

[Cotty]

I'm going to have to change my tyre profiles'
.

I have kept to the factory spec on my tyre profiles on 15" rims. I was driving down a duel carrage way and turning left onto a motorway slip road (also duel carage way) on a freezing cold night like tonight and the back let go. It was gentle and a little opposite lock corrected it.

[savagehenry]

I'm going to have to change my tyre profiles'
.

I have kept to the factory spec on my tyre profiles on 15" rims. I was driving down a duel carrage way and turning left onto a motorway slip road (also duel carage way) on a freezing cold night like tonight and the back let go. It was gentle and a little opposite lock corrected it.

Nothing like a little nip-up moment to let you know you're alive!

I can't wait for the weather to lift so I can crack on with the touring once the service stuff is done and dusted then on to the cooler suspension/wheel fitting. (bushes and top mounts too)

Did you say KW?? awesome quality kits.. £400 ish???

[Duke137]

Great pic. I'm just in love with that IS look. Are you running -60 on the front on the pics below??
looks higher.

I supose it depends where you start from.
Before Pic

After

I prefer the after stance

That is a nice touring

[hongkongfuey]

here are a few of mine, mine is dropped by 30mm apex springs

these on 17" wheels


16"



15"

[Cotty]

Did you say KW?? awesome quality kits.. £400 ish???

£350 second hand. A Zoner bought them for a project that fell though. They were unused and still the box.