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Spring ride heights
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:59 pm
by tuna
Hello, i've recently fitted a brand new set of Weitec Ultra GT shock absorbers + springs, supposedly dropping the car by 60mm both ends, however the rear wheels have a much bigger gap inbetween the wheels and the arch than the front end. I would like to purchase a new set of springs to lower the rear a little more but need some advice on what brand to go for and what springs to choose for my desired height.
Here's a pic of how its sitting now
As you can see at the moment its got more of a nose heavy racing-like stance however i dont race my car about, therefor there being no need to have that particular stance.
I would like the rear tyres to meet the arch, if not, tuck under the arch ever so slightly
Any advice would be highly apreciated - Thanks!
Re: Spring ride heights
Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 10:27 pm
by Rtaylor2208
Is it possible you got cab or touring rear springs as on a -60 drop that should be very low at the back, the cab and touring springs are different as the back of them both is heavier than the saloons.
Re: Spring ride heights
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 3:25 am
by tuna
Thats a good thaught, i think perhaps ill call demontweeks tommorow and find out. On the receipt it say at the end of the item description '60/60 BMW E30 LIM'. Does the LIM have any relavent meaning?
Re: Spring ride heights
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:03 pm
by Rtaylor2208
Not sure about the the LIM bit, possibly Limosine, which I am pretty sure means saloon
Re: Spring ride heights
Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:23 pm
by tuna
Okay just been on the phone to DT and after being converted to classical orchestral music, he comes to tell me that it probably just needs to settle. Realy? I fitted these on monday, 3 days ago, and have covered about 200 miles since, does it realy need to settle?
Is there anything else that can cause the car to sit like this? just seems a little odd how DT confirm its the correct parts and yet the car sits so high.
Re: Spring ride heights
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 1:05 pm
by Rtaylor2208
I would have thought it would have settled by now, possibly some encouragement of putting some heavy stuff in the boot for a few days may help. Daimlerman knows his stufff on the suspension side of things may be worth PM him.
Re: Spring ride heights
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 1:07 pm
by Sanchez
Springs will need a bit of time to settle but looking at your pic should be lower than that at the start.
Did you compare spring height before you fitted the new ones.
Re: Spring ride heights
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 3:31 pm
by Norledge
Don't forget the standard 20+ year old springs will have sagged anyway, meaning a 60mm drop might not be a 60mm drop...
Re: Spring ride heights
Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 3:46 pm
by toby
500 miles will settle them in. Sure you put the springs in the right way up on the rear?
Re: Spring ride heights
Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 1:16 am
by tuna
Rtaylor2208 wrote:I would have thought it would have settled by now, possibly some encouragement of putting some heavy stuff in the boot for a few days may help. Daimlerman knows his stufff on the suspension side of things may be worth PM him.
Thanks for mentioning Damiler, i will pm him soon. I do have subs and 6x9's in the back so that should weigh it down a little
Sanchez wrote:Did you compare spring height before you fitted the new ones.
Nah i dident but maybe i should of, however the front has deffinately dropped more mm than the rear.
toby wrote:500 miles will settle them in. Sure you put the springs in the right way up on the rear?
I've done about 300 miles since fitting them, i guess ill just wait another 200 odd miles before i come to conclusions, although saying that it seems to off dropped 10-20mm over a few days after fitting and hasent moved any more since, so it seems unlikely it would drop any more.
And am i right in thinking the right way up is when the writing on the spring is upright?
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:01 pm
by tuna
Ok so its been 9 days since fitting and deffinately over 500 miles, this is how its sitting now.
Does this look right to you guys? If so, could some of you post some pictures of your cars and tell me what springs you have fitted please

.
i still want the back to be another 15-20mm's lower and the front just another 5-10mm's lower.
Re:
Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:17 pm
by toby
No it doesn't look right. What's the wheel and tyre size?
Here's mine with a roughly 40-50mm drop from standard.

Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:04 am
by Stu_Bee
This is 70mm front, 50mm rear on 16" wheels.
Yours is sitting higher than standard so something is definately not right.
Re:
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 4:10 pm
by tuna
Sitting on 15 inch wheels. Any suggestions on what i should do? Weitec claim that they've sent the correct parts and im almost certain that they are fitted correctly, is it even possible to fit them wrong?
Re:
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 4:14 pm
by Stu_Bee
Nope, pretty sure there is no incorrect way to fit the spring. The ones you have fitted are either longer than stated or most likely stiffer for a heavier model.
Re:
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 5:20 pm
by tuna
Okay so my best bet is to buy some more springs and hope they do the job right?
A set of 60/60 from apex here:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-E30-316-3 ... 4159a9b13f
Any objections to this company?
Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 10:04 pm
by parkin10
this is my touring 325 on apex springs suppose to be 30mm drop
[img][img]
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/8434/e30015.jpg[/img][/img]
Re:
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 1:26 am
by tuna
wow that seems pretty low on 30mm!
Re:
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 9:46 pm
by parkin10
from the center of the wheel to the wheel arch measures
front 320mm
rear 290mm
i put apex springs on because
the car failed its test on the rear springs two years ago i think new standard springs were £65 for two or £105 for the apex lowering set
and apex were the highest lowering spirngs i could find at 30mm drop and they are proper touring springs
sits a bit low on the rear for me
Re:
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:13 am
by toby
Apex springs are fine. My touring has Apex springs for the same reasons parkin10 has said.
(Tourings do come with M-Tech springs as standard with a 15mm drop.
So a 30mm drop really equates to 45mm in total.)
But why not get a second opinion on your installation from someone before buying more springs, just for peace of mind.
Get someone to have a look at the car and see why it sits so high. If Weitec are sure they sent you the right bits then it is surely worth getting a second opinion on the fitting of them. It is a bit odd. It is as if they have sent you springs for a heavier car.
Re:
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 3:33 pm
by tuna
toby wrote:
But why not get a second opinion on your installation from someone before buying more springs, just for peace of mind.
Get someone to have a look at the car and see why it sits so high. If Weitec are sure they sent you the right bits then it is surely worth getting a second opinion on the fitting of them. It is a bit odd. It is as if they have sent you springs for a heavier car.
Well im taking the car in to my local mechanic over the next week to have a few things looked at so will get him to take a quick look at the rear spring fittings. However im 99% certain they are fitted correctly.
Re:
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 4:32 pm
by DHFiS
That does not look like a car that has been lowered by 60mm to me.
Re:
Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 9:14 pm
by parkin10
they look like standard springs to me
Re:
Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2011 4:02 am
by tuna
lol, well the front has deffinately gone down a fair amount, pherhaps like 40-50mm though, its just the back thats most noticable. When i get my new springs ill probably sell my weitec springs, what would you say they lower the car by? 50/50 for a touring or something?