The truth about lowered suspension...

[Royalratch]

Nice and dramatic to start!

Let me start by saying I use my car hard. It's been in Germany with me in crazy winters where I'd go to the car in the morning and couldn't see the wheels for snow, been in Holland with me for 4 years. Driven through the alps with 3 snowboards on roof, all across Europe and has done London to North Africa (a sort of tarmac version of Paris-Dakar) a couple of times. I almost shipped it to California with me this summer for 8 months because I couldn't bear to drive some yank sack of shit whilst there. It's never let me down ONCE -

Now, I'm not really one for the whole lowered look. I'm a 100% factory original kind of guy. I've heard that messing with suspension alters the original geometry and unless done specifically for track use will ruin the ride of the car or worse cause undue wear and tear.

That said - I've never really like how stock E30 suspension let's the the front wheel arch sit higher than the rear.

I was wondering if I could lower just the front by about 10mm to give the car a more balanced look.

Can you get spring kits that are that subtle? Can you do it another way, by maybe preloading the exisiting springs (318iS stock)?

One more thing, do you guys lower your cars just for aesthetic reasons? How low is too low?

Thoughts are appreciated, let's try and stay on track with it, like my intro did.

[WillG]

lowering will give a negative camber and toe in which helps with handing to an extent but it you want to change it back there are kits you can fit so its all adjustable. If you want to just lower the front a little you could fit mtec springs which are -15mm i think

[Royalratch]

I may already have MTEC springs I think. Do you know what I mean about that big gaping front wheelarch gap that E30's have?

[hammoj28]

Yeah, that gap annoys me too. Just go for a 40mm suspension kit and that wont make it too low but it should look a whole lot better. Thats wat im gonna do anyway.

[Royalratch]

40mm is quite a lot man. I want to throw 16" Alpina's soon and that wopuld doa bit to fill it up.

Maybe 20mm is enough? Don't want to alter the ride of the car in any way, just close that gap a bit.

Biggup.

[hammoj28]

Hmmm, 40 is what most people do and it keeps practicality. You could always get a 20mm kit but i dont really know who does them Sal is prob your man to speak to.

[Royalratch]

Does everyone do front and rear? Is it stupid doing just the fronts?

Sal, whoever you are, wisdom is to be shared.

[Bob_S]

I'm taking a slightly lurid guess you have a 318is?
If so Myself and Sal will heartily recommend H&R springs. They will lower the car just 15mm.. I use them on mine and this is how it sits now...

[Royalratch]

Looks pretty decent. No visibale after effect of self-pimping.

Did it affect the ride at all?

[320Touring]

Bob_s that looks good dude!

just the right drop- much were the springs?

[Bob_S]

thanks guys

the springs were off Sal, £90 but the box was opened I was in there like a whippet and snapped them up. Otherwise they are about £110 I think, they are in the zone shop (link at the very top of page)

The ride is noticable harder but not crashy, My mate has spax springs on his is and it looks a right chav-chariot and rides like one too crashing in and out of everything in the road.

Also, a little knowledge I've picked up off here is that alpina used to use springs which made the arse higher than the front for handling purposes, these springs give the same effect and after driven cars on cheaper springs I would definately say it's worth spending the money!

[Andyboy]

Nice and dramatic to start!

Let me start by saying I use my car hard. It's been in Germany with me in crazy winters where I'd go to the car in the morning and couldn't see the wheels for snow, been in Holland with me for 4 years. Driven through the alps with 3 snowboards on roof, all across Europe and has done London to North Africa (a sort of tarmac version of Paris-Dakar) a couple of times. I almost shipped it to California with me this summer for 8 months

Alice in Wonderland!


BTW you cannot import an E30 into California..........

[pacerpete]

Before everyone laughs , a very worthwhile and free way of getting rid of the 'on stilts' front end look is to remove the front springs and cut 1 coil off. This will lower the car approximately 20mm and since you are effectively shortening the piece of steel the spring is made of , raise the spring rate slightly and tighten the front end up nicely.
Contrary to popular opinion this is not dangerous or dodgy and best of all it is free !

[Andyboy]

I had that suggested to me Pete when my gold plated E30 DTM car (fresh from being serviced by BMW on the good old Petuelring) broke a spring whilst halfway up the Matterhorn in 1989. Dude, that was a real drag.

[orangecurry]

Also, a little knowledge I've picked up off here is that alpina used to use springs which made the arse higher than the front for handling purposes, these springs give the same effect and after driven cars on cheaper springs I would definately say it's worth spending the money!

Hartge also drop the front more than the rear.

http://www.birdsauto.com/

I've got AVO springs 10-007, drop is more than 25 at the front and slightly less at the back on a 6-cyl cabbie

http://www.avouk.com/pm/89

best photo I have I'm afraid

[E30_Aza]

40mm alround i think

[dazleeds]

best photo I have I'm afraid

thats sitting spot on mate

[Bob_S]

orangecurry - I think you should sell me your wheels

AZA I'm not sure on yours it looks pretty low at the back, or have you stashed a couple of dead bodies in the boot? lol

[orangecurry]

why, thank you Daz!

I think if I added M-tech1 kit front and rear, it would balance out the lardy cabbie sills.

I should have said - the car handles very well - you can press-on, and the front sticks like glue; you have to be ready to catch the rear in the wet still

[Bob_S]

a tech1 kit would suit it well now you mention it, would you paint the sills body colour though to be in keeping?

[E30_Aza]

orangecurry - I think you should sell me your wheels

AZA I'm not sure on yours it looks pretty low at the back, or have you stashed a couple of dead bodies in the boot? lol

all jokes aside, i cant have anyone in the back until i get my arches done. which should be soon

[cliffybabe]

all jokes aside, i cant have anyone in the back until i get my arches done. which should be soon

Im not allowed in the front let allown the back

na all jokes aside az's motor sit's well nice, Im going throught he motions of lowering my cab aswell, I got some 40mm springs an dim only going to lower the front as the back looks low enough already with the pina's on there

[orangecurry]

a tech1 kit would suit it well now you mention it, would you paint the sills body colour though to be in keeping?

no - looks stupid in the photos I've seen.

[kam-325i]

Before everyone laughs , a very worthwhile and free way of getting rid of the 'on stilts' front end look is to remove the front springs and cut 1 coil off. Contrary to popular opinion this is not dangerous or dodgy and best of all it is free !

Feck to cutting springs........That is Real chavness.........

[Royalratch]

Andyboy, you can ship a car to California.

New Jersey. Maine. Portland. Los Angeles are the ports of entry for shipping a car/ freighters.

Don't be a knob for the second time in an evening and ruin this thread.

[Andyboy]

Andyboy, you can ship a car to California.

New Jersey. Maine. Portland. Los Angeles are the ports of entry for shipping a car/ freighters.

Don't be a knob for the second time in an evening and ruin this thread.

Ratchet my Dear, dear Boy. You can ship a car to the States though any one of the ports you mention. You could freight it to Halifax and drive it into the USA. I daresay you could even drop it via parachute. But please do tell how you would register it for road use in California given that the car does not conform to California FMVSS (Federal motor vehicle safety standards)..................?

As for the knob comment - well, words fail me!!! mad:

Needless to say, I bow to One so wise and well travelled and, as they say in Freistadt Bayern, Gruss Gott!

P.S please feel free to send me another threatening P.M!!

[Andyboy]

Back on topic;

Chopping a coil out the front springs in okay because when compressed the coils still sit okay in the spring platform. It's when the braver soulds start chopping two coils out that it gets tricky because the spring won't be under any tension when the suspension is dropped - meaning the spring could 'unwind' from the platform. Not Good.
Given the choice though I'd always buy a set of springs - they aren't that much to buy new and there seem to be plenty on Ebay. 30mm lower on the front seems to make E30's nicer to drive but on crap roads that is 30mm less suspension travel. That might be a problem in Tripoli or Timbuktu but for lesser mortals here in the U.K (and snowy Southern Germany) it's not a problem in the least.

[orangecurry]

Back on topic;

30mm lower on the front seems to make E30's nicer to drive but on crap roads that is 30mm less suspension travel. That might be a problem in Tripoli or Timbuktu but for lesser mortals here in the U.K (and snowy Southern Germany) it's not a problem in the least.

you're wrong there - Tripoli has excellent roads.

[Conan]

Back on topic;

30mm lower on the front seems to make E30's nicer to drive but on crap roads that is 30mm less suspension travel. That might be a problem in Tripoli or Timbuktu but for lesser mortals here in the U.K (and snowy Southern Germany) it's not a problem in the least.

you're wrong there - Tripoli has excellent roads.

[Royalratch]

With regards to importing a car to the U.S. If 'andyboy' or anyone else would ever need to do it, non-US citizens may for the period of 12 months import a car without any modifications nor would it need to meet any US Federal Regulation - except it must not be sold inside the U.S. and must exported back again within that time frame. You can even keep your foreign plates on. I don't think they'd let andyboy do it tho as he wouldn't meet 'certain' U.S. crtieria to be let in the country.

There was nothing threatening about my PM, I just wanted to divert your childish attention away from wasting everyone's time and killing threads - which is what I'm now doing.

Vielen Danke mein geschätzter Kollege.

Stick to lowered suspension/brain cell capacity (if you're andyboy) now.

[dobbie82]

On Topic... I am sure if 40mm lower was best for an e30, i'd have thought BMW would have designed it that way. M-tech suspension is just right i think (-15mm?) I dont want my ar*e scraping on the floor and i dont like the way my 318 floats in the air!

Guess i best start saving for my 325i touring!

Off topic................


Take your pick..

[stuartgallafant]

indeed hannah, there is a bit of hand-bagging going on here!!!

royalratch does seem to kick up a fuss. Albeit, he doesnt understand Andy like we do!!

[Royalratch]

I totally agree. I thnk MTEC rides perfect. Not too hard for long trips but still sporty enough for confidence on track or country blasts. I think you really need 2 or 3 E30's in the garage in the end. I'll have an M3 JC to practice polishing on, 318iS to blast and 325i Sport Touring for everything else.

Two out of three ain't bad, just got to wait for M3's to become reasonable again

[dobbie82]

I think you really need 2 or 3 E30's in the garage in the end.

I usually have 2 or 3 at a time

at one point i had a 4dr daily drive, hubby had his 2dr/coupe whatever, and we had an SE spec Touring as well Just Right.

Now we have a 318i 4dr breaker (my ex daily drive) His 2dr which will end up as a breaker as the sills are knackered, and a low milage 320i SE.

I am never going to have an M3

But the 320i SE for me daily drive, 325i Sport for hubby (as he rarely drives and if he does, he drives for fun) and A Touring 325i for long trecks would be ideal!

[Royalratch]

Why will you never have an M3?

You never know...

Love to throw an Alpina in there at some point. Maybe the Touring could be an Alpina. They are so cool but parts and stuff are out-of-this-world-expensive.

You know, all the cars mentioned are so much cheaper in Germany - how come? I know the germans don't really like old cars much, it's always about the next new 'mo-torr'. But all these cars, including M3's aren't that costly. I think the UK has some kind of weird(ish) interest in older german cars. I haven't looked at a 3-Series since the E30, they're all gross.

Try this place www.autoscout.de