Springs - GSF, ECP, or BMW?

[e30pigeon]

Ok, I'd like to know your thoughts and any specific experiences on how quality of ECP and GSF springs compare to BMW spec ones.

So I am moving closer to getting my 325i Tourer back to -15mm/Mtech ride height as its present -40mm is too low round London ...

I found out today from 'Classic BMW' that the rear springs for the e30 325i Touring chassis are the same whether you have 'standard' or 'sport' spec, while the fronts are the ones that differ + or - 15mm.

So assuming I go for BMW Mtech fronts, can I get away with saving some money by fitting the rear springs from GermanSwedishFrench (£50/pair) or EuroCarParts (£60-90/pair), or are they not as good as the BMW ones (at £148/pair)?

Your advice/experiences greatly received!

[BMracing]

With regards to performance. it's very unlikely you'd notice the difference between any of them. Springs are springs (within reason!)
However corrosion proneness/resistance could be an issue with cheaper springs.
In my experience GSF stuff is significantly better than ECP.

[GWB]

springs are springs?
a car is a car; tyres are tyres and a holes a hole?
maybe the OE are overpriced and cheap ones can be bought on ebay for peanuts but I know what I would not fit.
Have just had new shocks and springs all round on my touring and have got apex springs with billistiens.
Nowt wrong with Apex and not silly money either.The ones I have are a 40mm drop but for a little drop on the back look at the rubber mounts that sit between the beam and spring, you can fit thinner rubber mounts. Worth fitting the washer on the top of the shock upside down. It'll make sense when you see it.

[daimlerman]

Seem to remember that the options when new were;

Standard
Sport(stiffer but stock hieght)
M-tec(stiffer and -15mm)

Now certainly -15mm springs for the rear are available for saloons,I have a pair sat on my garage shelf that I bought for a now departed saloon,and I would therefore expect that similar springs are available for the touring shell.I certainly bought a pair of rear M-tec springs for my cabbie only last year,at a cost of about £120ish....

I am,though,undecided what to fit to my touring,I broke a pair of rear springs recently whilst liberating a load of wine from France,so it's sat on a spare pair of saloon rears!
My thoughts mirror the OP's,M-tec at the front and stock GSF supplied at the rear....

[e30pigeon]

I'd always understood that BMW 'Sport' springs were the Mtech(-15mm) ones. I'd not heard that they were different before??

What I was told about rear touring being the same sport or not-sport was by 'Classic Parts Consultant' for BMW Battersea.

Where did you get your cabbie rear's from, I've heard they can fit as good match for tourings too?

[daimlerman]

That's the M-tec rear cabbie alongside the original...the original one's went onto the touring and are the one's I broke a few weeks back!

They were supplied by Cotswold BMW,they have their own section on this forum and will give you 10% if you ask them nicely!



That's how the cabbie sits....

[BMracing]

springs are springs?
a car is a car; tyres are tyres and a holes a hole?
maybe the OE are overpriced and cheap ones can be bought on ebay for peanuts but I know what I would not fit.
Have just had new shocks and springs all round on my touring and have got apex springs with billistiens.
Nowt wrong with Apex and not silly money either.The ones I have are a 40mm drop but for a little drop on the back look at the rubber mounts that sit between the beam and spring, you can fit thinner rubber mounts. Worth fitting the washer on the top of the shock upside down. It'll make sense when you see it.

I did say within reason, and I was referring to OE spec. springs, which is what e30pigeon is after. Although my opinion still stands, albeit to a lesser extent with 'uprated' springs. With regards to performance, choice of damper is far more critical.

[e30pigeon]

Thanks. Will look up Cotswold section.

Has anyone here ever actually put rear Mtech springs from a cabbie on a touring?

The shocks on my car were new shortly before I bought it last year, when the previous owner lowered it all, so hoping I won't need to change them when I change the springs.

[GWB]

springs are springs?
a car is a car; tyres are tyres and a holes a hole?
maybe the OE are overpriced and cheap ones can be bought on ebay for peanuts but I know what I would not fit.
Have just had new shocks and springs all round on my touring and have got apex springs with billistiens.
Nowt wrong with Apex and not silly money either.The ones I have are a 40mm drop but for a little drop on the back look at the rubber mounts that sit between the beam and spring, you can fit thinner rubber mounts. Worth fitting the washer on the top of the shock upside down. It'll make sense when you see it.

I did say within reason, and I was referring to OE spec. springs, which is what e30pigeon is after. Although my opinion still stands, albeit to a lesser extent with 'uprated' springs. With regards to performance, choice of damper is far more critical.

yep dampers are much more critcal. Worth nothing that the monkeys a ecp are now the importers for Billies and surprise, surprise the fronts are on back order. So I'm going to have to do the fronts twice as ecp were quick enough to take my money for dampers that arn't even in the uk and no one knows when

sorry for jumping up and down like a frustrated child with delusions of grandure. Was having a bad day with getting parts and had a comment along the lines of springs are springs but replace with dampers. If I wasn't so busy I would have driven down to the store and demonstrated to the idiot the differences with the aid of his jaw.

[BMracing]

No worries

Yeah i've come across some special ECP staff in the past too!

[GWB]