318is ride height issue still!!!!

[Weeman]

Hi guys, yesterday I purchased and fitted some bbs crossspokes and brand new toyo proxes onto the ring tool. previously it had 55 profile tyres on which filled the arches slightly better.

anyway, long story short, I set off with H+R 35 mm drop springs from a touring, and some used bilsteins (not sure of type) that came from a 325i challenge rally car.

Car was uber high!!! seen here



Then I took off the H+r's thinking the lack of weight difference from the touring was the cause.

I changed for KW 55/55 springs, and they were noticably shorter than the H+R items.

When changed the car dropped 5cm's from where it was before (which was waaaaay higher than std as you can see)

But it was still in my eyes higher than standard. The 55 profile tyres helped kill the gap seen here



But yesterday as expected when I changed the balloon tyres to 50 profile, once again the gap returned, apologies for the crap pics, the sun still wasn't up when I awoke at Ungodly hour this morning.






I dont want to buy coilovers, its been handling great as it is, and I'm trying to keep to a budget, although after all these changes i could of purchased coilovers anyway

Anyone have experience of the full kw springs and shocks 55/55 drop???? I'm at my wits end, and i dont wanna buy the KW sports shocks to find they do the same thing as the Bilsteins, if it is the bilsteins at fault.

Help me pleeeeease

[StuBeeDoo]

Firstly, shocks will have no inpact on ride-height whatsoever.
The Touring rear springs will make the back of your car too high as they are intended to take more static weight than your car has.
If the KW's are brand new, they will take time to settle-in. If they are not new, are you sure they aren't Touring ones as well?
HTH
Stuart.

[Weeman]

I'm sure they were 318is Mtech springs, I triple checked and everything was ok. Bought them brand new, they have been on the car for 3 months now, so they should have settled by now. Some people are telling me that the dampers are at fault, others that they cant effect the height, this is why i'm well and truely stumped

[StuBeeDoo]

I'm sure they were 318is Mtech springs, I triple checked and everything was ok. Bought them brand new, they have been on the car for 3 months now, so they should have settled by now. Some people are telling me that the dampers are at fault, others that they cant effect the height, this is why i'm well and truely stumped

The only thing that dampers do is damp - ie stop the car bouncing around.
If you bought the springs new, are they genuine BMW ones? If so, do you still have the invoice? If you do, it will have the part numbers on - what are they?

[Weeman]

Nope KW

These ones

http://www.fahrwerkdirekt.de/content/in ... op&Itemid=


E30 4 CYLINDER 51mm, 55/55 drop

[StuBeeDoo]

Mate, I think that's where the problem is.
According to them they supply the same kit for the saloons and convertibles.
WRONG!
The convertible uses stiffer rear springs than the saloon - they're even stiffer than the Touring ones.
Convertible springs on the saloon will cause exactly the problem you've got.
If you want MTech ride-height, you need pukka MTech springs - ie iS ones.

[Weeman]

But surely that doesn't explain the fronts sitting high?? a 4 cyl cabrio is going to be roughly the same weight over the fronts orso, and with a 55/55 drop over std they should at least drop a little, arghhhh the whole thing is puddling my brain lol

[StuBeeDoo]

I've just been through all the E30 springs listed on that site.
I'm suspicious that they are really only supplying one set of springs for all the E30's
They don't list 60mm or 60/40 drop for 4-cyinder cars, and what they do list is 55mm and 55/35mm.
In my experience, if you put the "wrong" springs on (4-cyl springs on 6-cyl car or vice versa) there is approx. 5mm difference in ride-height.
Seems to add-up to me.
In your first picture, I wouldn't say the front

was waaaaay higher than std

..... When mine was standard, I could easily get 4 fingers between the tyre and wheel arch with 205/55x15 tyres on.
I'd lay money that if you put on a correct 4-cylinder 2- or 4-door kit sourced from the UK, your problem will be sorted. Those springs you have appear to be generic - that's not going to get you what you want. Saying that one set of springs will be ok on saloons and convertibles is wrong.

Also, don't forget that on an iS, the quoted drop (ie -40mm) will actually be 15mm less. Drops are always quoted for standard suspension. So "-40mm" springs will only lower an iS 25mm.

[Weeman]

I've fecked this up to be honest by the looks of it, I need the performance for the ring, and the current set up is good, but i dont think I can live with those tractor looks, I might have to start saving for coilovers

[StuBeeDoo]

Think of it this way. Most suspension suppliers list.....

4-cylinder 2- and 4-door
4-cylinder convertible
4-cylinder Touring
6-cylinder 2- and 4-door
6-cylinder convertible
6-cylinder Touring

Then you've got -40, -60/-40, or -60.
That's 18 different kits. Minimum.

As I said above, I'm suspicious of the 35mm and 55mm drops for the 4-cyl. cars. I don't say they aren't listed by anyone else, just that I haven't seen them - and I have personal experience of what happens when you put the "wrong" springs on the "wrong" car.

Sorry if I've rambled a bit here, but I feel you've been stitched.

[iDreamBeemer]

If your shocks are OK why not just get the right springs...?

http://www.evo-s.co.uk/shop/product_inf ... s_id=31714

Nowhere near the price of coilovers!

[Weeman]

Thanks guys, ideally i need to see pics of peoples cars with the setup they run, bearing in mind mine is stripped out, so will weigh less, I'm reluctant to go down the H+R/ Eibach racing springs road, as I dont want to end up with another set of springs and still have the higher ride height. Some people I've spoke to say that 55 -60 mm is whats needed, I'm put off with the 35mm option especially if the fact its lighter means it only drops say 20-25 mm

[iDreamBeemer]

Couple of pics of my old iS with the H&R/Bilstein combo, you might want to go lower for looks but for track performance these were really nice!

[Weeman]

Thats not far away from where I am now, although you cant tell from those crappy pics of mine, and are those 16's???? would explain why mine is a bigger gap with 15's.

people talk about the H+R cup kit, but I cant seem to find them specified for the is

[iDreamBeemer]

They are 16s but with the correct tyres will have the same diameter as 15s so the gap should be the same.

[HairyScreech]

the is should take the same springs as any other 4 cyl e30.

[bimmaman]

Here's mine lowered 40mm on GSF cheapie springs with 14" BBS fitted...



And with 17" Alpina reps...

[Weeman]

Heres some better pics, popped home and got some

[e30-320i]

heres mine when i 1st got it standard touring shocks and springs

and this is after fitting a set of 60/40 springs only

[StuBeeDoo]

Heres some better pics, popped home and got some

Allowing for the 205/50x15 tyres being too small, I still think the only thing wrong with that set-up (from a looks point of view) is that the rear is too high. Can't you borrow some rear springs to confirm it? They don't take long to swap-over.

[StuBeeDoo]

This is what my Touring looks like with -20mm front and standard rear (the boot was empty for once!). Tyres are 205/55x15.

[hammoj28]

Blooming heck that is quite high. I wanted mine lower too at the back anyway. Heres mine with KW 55/35 kit.

[Weeman]

Heres some better pics, popped home and got some

Allowing for the 205/50x15 tyres being too small, I still think the only thing wrong with that set-up (from a looks point of view) is that the rear is too high. Can't you borrow some rear springs to confirm it? They don't take long to swap-over.

what rear springs do I need, its already 55/55, what do you reccomend?? I think it sits higher becos its stripped, maybe the roll cage will help it sit down

[StuBeeDoo]

what rear springs do I need, its already 55/55, what do you reccomend?? I think it sits higher becos its stripped, maybe the roll cage will help it sit down

Stripping it out won't make that much difference to the ride-height.
I don't believe the rear springs you have are -55mm springs for a 2-door car. they might be -55mm springs for a convertible, but a convertible is a lot heavier than a saloon. There's no way your car is 40mm lower than a stock 318iS at the rear. It looks higher than my standard Touring FFS.
The only way you're going to get any answers to your issues is to try some different springs - but make sure they are for a 4-cylinder saloon. Not a convertible and not a Touring.

[Weeman]

I checked that when I got the springs originally the box said they were the right ones, like you say it might just be that they do the same springs for every model in which case I'll try and keep my eyes peeled for some rears, Thanks

[StuBeeDoo]

It's also a possibility, if they do different springs for different models, that your set had the wrong ones in the box. Wouldn't be the first time - never assume that what it says on the box is what is in the box.
If the springs have any part numbers or other identification on, try contacting the makers and asking if the ones you have are the correct ones for your car.