eibach vs h&r across the board!

[big_jof]

The H&Rs transformed mine - especially as its sitting high - just watch out for the different handling, I got cocky and ended up in the wall!!!

[e30_Turbo]

H&R & Billies on mine, gotta say it was very hard/harsh to start with, I very nearly removed them a few days after as they didn't work for me BUT having done a 1000 miles or so they've settled and either my arse has gone soft or I'm just used to it but they're fine.

Can't argue with the performance of them, feels like it's on rails if you're smooth through bends, potholes and bad roads sound aweful in the car but nothings fallen off and I'm looking forward to tracking it very soon.

Now the engines fine, suspension working I'm sure it will show up my brakes next.... more money to spend

[Dave_M3]

Think I'm leaning towards Eibachs at the moment with a good ARB set up...
Must see how low this Reiger and splitter lip that's in the post is going to make the front of it.
If it's still abit high, I might get KW

[Bob_S]

H&R springs and roll bars on mine and billy shocks.. it works for me not ridden a car with eibachs at all so cant comment tbh but at the end of the day its personal preferance so go put the H&R on and then see if your happy if not try eibach

[Dave_M3]

Of the two, Eibach would more than likely be the better for soaking up bumps on poor roads I'd imagine....
Wouldn't they?

[Bob_S]

Of the two, Eibach would more than likely be the better for soaking up bumps on poor roads I'd imagine....
Wouldn't they?

faster you go the smoother the roads seem to get so answer is drive quicker and read the road too

[o22ie]

ive got Eibach Srings on B8 Bilsteins with Eibach ARB, also a Sparco Brace front and rear with rouge engineering rear top mounts.
all this was put on at the same time and it totally transformed the car.....

like big_jof said though, just be aware of the new set up, i caught myself going round corners at 70 last weekend on country roads... coped with it amazingly but i guess it makes you a bit over confident

[Demlotcrew]

Eibach over H&R for four pots anyday!

A

[e30bmlover]

this thread is just what i need to make my mind up about the suspension setup. im definatly going to buy bilstein b8 shocks.. i want to know if anyone has tried the b8's with m technic springs???
i dont want to feel every bump in the road if you know what i mean... but at the same time i want good cornering with minimal body roll, i have a 325is rear antiroll bar fitted and i also have a front one to go on at some point. i have got some 51mm front legs to accomidate the b8's.

[reggid]

I find Eibach with bilstein B6 too rough for the amount of increase in stiffness they provide (which wasn't overly stiffer) and would not recommend this setup, though i think B8 would suit the eibach better and i know many who like this combo.
ARB are the way to reduce body roll and i did these with stock springs and it was better incorners but they won't stop pitching, you shouldn't need much rear ARB unless you like oversteer.

[Bob_S]

this thread is just what i need to make my mind up about the suspension setup. im definatly going to buy bilstein b8 shocks.. i want to know if anyone has tried the b8's with m technic springs???
i dont want to feel every bump in the road if you know what i mean... but at the same time i want good cornering with minimal body roll, i have a 325is rear antiroll bar fitted and i also have a front one to go on at some point. i have got some 51mm front legs to accomidate the b8's.

b8's and tech springs work well not very low but such a complient ride! worth getting some arb's to help that bodyroll tho mate

[bss325i]

I have H&R 35mm's on the touring and eibach 40mm's on the sport. Both cars have Bilstein B8's. The ride on the eibach's is better but not by a vast amount and i prefer the handling on the eibachs as they aren't progresivly wound like the H&R's. I'm not keen on the charachteristics of progresively wound springs but this is just my preference.

[e301988325i]

I've got B8s, Eibach springs with standard roll bars.
I didn't notice a difference in comfort when the Jamexs' came off, unfortunately on the car when I bought it. What I did notice was a massive improvement in roll with powerflex ARB bushes and front eccentrics with 4 new drop links. The ride is not annoying and it corners on rails!!!

[Dave_M3]

Mind made up for me so I think.
Especially from the last coments from Bob_S Demlot and bss325i
Eibachs it is and plus the fact I can get them cheap helps too

[e30bmlover]

i think im going to go for b8's with bmw motorsport springs( m technic )........ the choice of winners! with a suttle 15mm drop...

[Dave_M3]

Should be a nice improvement on the 320 set up
I'd probaly do the same if I was running 15s with maybe 50 profile tyres since a friend of mine has Alpina re-valved Bilsteins and M-tec springs on his touring and it has amazing road holding in the corners smooth or abit rough and the ride is excellent too

[e30bmlover]

currently i am running( the worst mistake iv ever made ) 30mm gsf(im embarrassed to say) springs on standard sachs suspension. the car skips over bumps. check the ebay link for schnitzer 16'' alloys link for 16'' schnitzer alloys... im the highest bidder. do you know anyone who has both 15'' and 16'' schnitzers??? thats an obsession mate... i rang schnitzer(in germany none the less) the other day about e30 parts.. they gave me some numbers of suppliers who '' might '' have e30 schnitzer parts left... very helpful people.

[hennabm]

Well I've just come across this thread.

I bought an Eibach ARB kit from a company called Automac cos the H&R kits were out of stock for a while and the Evolve thread said no more for a while.
That gave me one choice.

I'm using the ARB purely to stop the roll on a standard SE spring set up. I'm planning to put both on the hardest setting unless anyone can offer first hand experience.
I'll let you know my impressions next week after I fit the ARBs at the weekend.

[Andy335Touring]

ARB's is my next suspension mod, a fact high lighted by the comical amount of body at my last track day !

[Morat]

I'm really pleased with the Eibach Springs/Rollbars with Bilstein Shocks I got from EVO-S. This is on a 325i touring. I live in the country and its not crashy over the grim roads but the ride is well controlled. Roll is way down, and mid corner bumps don't knock it off line. The car also settles quickly into a corner and doesn't wallow at all.
All this is a bit false at the moment because I've still got bottletops on for now

[Simon13]

why all the H&R bashing eibachs are not £70 better springs than H&R which is the price difference on the 35mm springs

Nothing can touch cupkit springs on the 60mm drops either.

H&R are progressively wound which imo give much better feedback on the limit than normally wound springs like M-tech and eibach. i find you get more feel of the mechanical grip with the progressive springs

[Bob_S]

why all the H&R bashing eibachs are not £70 better springs than H&R which is the price difference on the 35mm springs

Nothing can touch cupkit springs on the 60mm drops either.

H&R are progressively wound which imo give much better feedback on the limit than normally wound springs like M-tech and eibach. i find you get more feel of the mechanical grip with the progressive springs

I agree Si, not used cup kit springs but std H&R 35mm springs are my first choice

[bss325i]

eibach 40mm's for me!

[Bob_S]

eibach 40mm's for me!

with all the composure of blanc monge!

[Morat]

blancmange? Nah, you can't accuse Eibachs of that.

On the other hand, I think we're building a classic zone thread here where people who've only driven one half of the argument make unscientific statements. I'd be interested to hear comments from people who've driven both setups on the same car/tyres/wheels.

[reggid]

why all the H&R bashing eibachs are not £70 better springs than H&R which is the price difference on the 35mm springs

Nothing can touch cupkit springs on the 60mm drops either.

H&R are progressively wound which imo give much better feedback on the limit than normally wound springs like M-tech and eibach. i find you get more feel of the mechanical grip with the progressive springs

i think Eibach are a bit overated aswell after having them for 2 years or so. Most of the US guys hate them as they aren't that much stiffer than stock springs. I've been in a few E30 which were firmer but also rode better though not sure what they were using. i would like something else just don't want to go much lower.


From E30tech if its not been posted

The List:

Spring---------------------Front(lb/in.)-------------Rear(lb/in.)

Stock 325i*-----------------------106------------------------245
Stock 325is*----------------------118------------------------265
Stock 325ix*----------------------106------------------------308
Stock M3*-------------------------114------------------------314
Stock M3--------------------------140------------------------250
Dinan Sport-----------------------172------------------------300
H&R OE Sport---------------------180------------------------380
H&R Sport-------------------------180------------------------380
H&R Sport (29664)---------------200------------------------285
H&R Race-------------------------315------------------------ 570
H&R Coilovers***----------------340------------------------380
Eibach Pro-Kit--------------------102-------------------------277 (E2003-140)<10/88
Eibach Pro-Kit--------------------143-------------------------274-377 (E2019-140)>10/88
Eibach Race----------------------160-------------------------445
IE SIII----------------------------315-------------------------570 [Group Buy - $285]
Koni Coilovers-------------------342-------------------------407
Cosmo Coilovers----------------450-------------------------560
Tokico----------------------------165-------------------------265
TMS J-Stock**-------------------680------------------------1026
Alpina(est.)---------------------~200-----------------------~350
FK 60/60 cup kit-----------------379--------------------------379
Vogtland Standard***--------115/197-----------------------360
Vogtland CS***---------------137/200-----------------------400
Vogtland--------------------------225--------------------------360
Intrax-----------------------------126--------------------------250
Apex: --- ---
KW: --- ---
Spax: --- ---


*= Sourced from June, 1987 article of "Motor"
**= Alternate rates available
***= M3 Application

[march109]

I've driven e30's with the cup kit and own an e30 with the billie/eibach combo but not on the same car same set up, but both were sports and both had uprated H&R anti roll bars and normal bushes (no poly wrongness here!). For normal road driving on my local roads my choice would be the billie/eibach combo.

I really like and rate the billie/eibach combo, in short I don't want a crashy ride and not having them as 'stiff' as other springs is an advantage to me. In my humble opinion at £100 less than buying new stock M-Tech springs and shocks from BMW and with the same feel as stock springs (and not a vast difference in stance either IMO) but with more percieved handling and control available when your pushing on (if that makes sence) than stock springs I am thoroughly happy with them. For the record I have a full set of stock shocks and springs with less than 4000 miles on them in the shed. They will go back on when I sell but only to keep the originality.

That said H&R do feel more planted, with more road feel and more control than even b/e's, but I don't think I could put up with the ride on UK roads certainly round here. Roads around here are pretty poos in places especially when out in the New Forest, snd even with the recent price hikes they are still great value. I never drive my car on track or particuarly hard, I suspect if I did I would go with a H&R set up but then it would be a compramise, I would compramise road comfort for more ability on track. Neither set up in my opinion have it all and is the 'definitive' set up for the e30.

The stock sport suspension is very good, but not good enough when after market suspension is still being developed today and is sold cheaper than new BMW M-Tech suspension.

[Simon13]

Morat i hope thats not a dig at me, i've driven cars on both setups. I'd like to drive a eibach springed car on the ring though!

H&R 35mm springs ride just like m-tech or eibachs

obviously the cupkit springs are harder but it's alot lower than the other setups. The ride isn't horrific with this kit either. Anyone driven a new mini on 17's and sport suspension? Or an E46 on 18's and sport suspension? Both of these cars ride and crash about more than the cupkit setup

[Morat]

No Simon, If I'm digging at someone I quote them

I'm not in the position of having driven all the E30s you have, so I'm genuinely interested in your opinion... just pointing out its not worth driving one option and blindly saying thats the best - which is what I'd be doing if I said eibach were better than H and R...

if you see what I mean.

edit: ooh, the other half has an E46 on sport suspension and 17s which I have to say, does feel the bumps sometimes especially at low speed. 18s must be quite evil if they have the same rolling diameter. The 17s are 45 section front and 40 section rear already!

[Andyboy]

I like Eibach springs for the very reason that they aren't rock hard. You do not need hard springs to make a car handle. Look at all the best handling cars ever made - E30 M3's, Alfa Suds, 405 Peugeots. They all had a fairly soft ride but clever geometry and enough roll stiffness and grip. Compared to standard springs they don't look a lot shorter off the car but the coils are noticeably thicker. On the road I love the way it rides with a nice thud over pot holes and not a crash. Hard springs just make the tyres work a lot harder. I'd favour the Eibach springs with B-4 Billies and adjustable anti roll bars. We are talking about road going cars, not track heroes. All I can say is that they made a massive improvement over the standard stuff and I'm still running a stock front ARB and no rear - plus an LSD.

[SHAKEELE30]

Arrrr Ali, you back on the e30 scene or what? Not been on here for awhile,so you got an e30 then?

[e30bmlover]

well this has sold me...... B8's and eibach for me i dont wonna feel every lump and bump on the road around here... our roads are sh1t.

[bss325i]

well this has sold me...... B8's and eibach for me i dont wonna feel every lump and bump on the road around here... our roads are sh1t.

I hive in an area with very poor condition road festooned with speed bumps, eibachs and B8's are fine.

[hennabm]

Having fitted the Eibach kit on Saturday I spent today driving it around.

They were a piece of cake to fit. All done in two hours. Had to drop the OR wheel and shocker off to get the new bar in.
The front bar was even easier. All the bolts came undone easily and then just dropped the lollipop brackets from the rear of the wishbones and hey presto old one out and new one in. Just a little difficulty getting the brackets round the new arb bushes but with the help of molegrips, jpb done.

First impressions are very favourable . Mind you when the car didn't have a rear ARB in the first place things can only be better . I checked the diameter of the Eibach rear against the std rear one on my 323. It makes the 323 one look like a match stick.

Anyway with a new arb front and rear plus strut brace on the front, I'm very happy with the cornering of it now.

[bss325i]

Having fitted the Eibach kit on Saturday I spent today driving it around. First impressions are very favourable. Mind you when the car didn't have a rear ARB in the first place things can only be better . I checked the diameter of the Eibach rear against the std rear one on my 323. It makes the 323 one look like a match stick.

Anyway with a new arb front and rear plus strut brace on the front, I'm very happy with the cornering of it now.

Which springs and shocks do you have?