E30 Zone

Is there a maximum the car can be lowered on standard shocks?

Want to get some lowered springs for the front of my 320 touring, and unsure if there is a limit.

I would like either -35 or -60mm, would this be a problem on the standard shocks?

Running standard 15in BBS.

Cheers Bri

main problem with doing this at all is that your car will bounce all over the place. Ideally you want to get uprated dampers to match the springs.

If you don't mind this too much, then I don't see why there should be a limit.

going too low ( i am talking about 60mm+) on stock shocks will do two things
1. the shock absorber is no longer is working in it designed range, so it will not work properly and lead to poor road holding and poor braking, and reduction in the life of the shockabsorber. It will feel stiffer as shortened springs are generally stiffer, but it will not and cannot improve the handling of your car. then you must realign the wheel geometry and fit eccentric bushes etc (this should be done even if you fit shocks and spring BTW)
2. when it comes to MOT time when on the jack the spring can become loose on thier mountings/rubbers (especially the rears) this will constitute an MOT failure, i would imagine shocks designed for lowered suspension will not allow the trailing arm/control arm to drop down enough to allow the springs to become loose, but someone will confirm this or not!!

i am not sure if the same applied to lowereing 40 mm, but have read on this site that a 40mm drop does not alter the above significantly to warrent all the additional shocks, alignment , bushes etc etc

again hopefully someone more in the know will comment

mrlee

Thanks fellas

Will see if I can get hold of some cheap -35 or 40mm springs and see if it lowers it enough.

Cheers Bri

you will be surprised at how much 35-40mm will lower the car, it normally drops the front end by 1-1/5 inches and the rear by about an inch due to the supension geometry. this is a 40mm drop. note you will need springs specific to the touring as the coupe/4dr springs are deisgned for different weight of cars , 4cyl and 6cyl also differ.

this is 40mm only on springs and Mtech shocks, note the front end difference, the rims are the same only painted in the first pic.





and before....

That looks about right, mine sits fine at the rear but the front is far far too high.

I think tourings came with the equivalent of mtech shocks (may be wrong) so that will work out aswell.

Cheers Bri

Dont drop anymore than 35mm if you want to use the standard dampers, I tried -60 on the front of mine and when 'unloaded' there is a gap of about 20mm between the spring and top mount. I didnt want to have to buy shortened dampers as mine are only a month old Bilsteins, ive asked a local engineering company if they could shorten them but they said the steel will be too hard to cut a new thread onto them.
Im going to try and 'pack out' the spring or maybe U-bolt it to the strut.

Hopefully sorted this problem with a bit of a bodge up on some old struts I had
All ive done is raise the spring seat 20mm to take up the slack.

Anything more than 35-40mm on standard shocks WILL definetly fail at MOT time. DanThe nice work mate but wont it raise the drop again- if you know what I mean

Yeah it will, but you should see how low it is at the moment with the -60mm front springs, the sump is less than 4 inches from the ground and you can see the neg camber on the wheels.
IMO its too much so a 20mm raise is welcomed

Ive got some 60mm springs to go on my Cab yet!

Dan, did you see my comment on your thread regards the exhaust on your beast?

Yeah I did Steve,

If you want the same doing to a set just say and i will get it sorted for ya.

exhaust needs are more important!