Need technical Q/A then you're in the right place
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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 12:15 pm
Having just installed my H&R cupkit I am very pleased with the initial result. It is fair to say that for the price they are very good.
It has only been one day so far and the car is already very low, I hope that when it settles it is not much lower, as I am already thinking of changing the springs with the 35/35 option. The front is fine, but at the back it is just to low! Even without anyone in the back and on 15' alloys with 205/55 R15's I am getting rubbing.
Anyway thought it was about time to post some pics, let me know what you think.
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Cloggy Saint
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 12:17 pm
Is that really - 40mm on the back?? It's super loooow!
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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 1:36 pm
yes that is 40mm drop on the back, unless I was sent the wrong springs!
Would it be possible to use the 35mm springs on the back instead, or are they different spring rates?
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kam-325i
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 1:40 pm
That back end looks more like a 60mm drop !
Pete don't care about colour, He would shag a rainbow if he could find the end of it....

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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 3:32 pm
Subframe bushes looked fine, can that effect the height of the car?
Could someone else with the same drop on the back take an equivelent picture of rear tyres?
Thanks
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Jhonno
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:01 pm
i would change the subframe bushes.. shouldnt rub with your setup
looks sweet tho..
what settings did you use on the roll bars? i set mine to the middle on the front and softest on the rear..
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Jhonno
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:02 pm
rear subframe bushes can affect ride height yes.. Demlots rose significantly when he had his replaced
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mason
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:28 pm
Have to agree mate that way to low for every day use
Mason
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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:36 pm
Was not sure of the ARB's position so went with middle for the front and I think it was the end holes for the rear.
Just getting a quote from BMW for the rear sub bushes and trailing arm bushes.
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Jhonno
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:40 pm
ItalianM3 wrote:Was not sure of the ARB's position so went with middle for the front and I think it was the end holes for the rear.
Just getting a quote from BMW for the rear sub bushes and trailing arm bushes.
same as i went for.. if i do a track day i might have a play with the settings altho tbh im happy with they how they are atm
Demlot paid Ԛ£110 for the rear subframe bushes fitted @BMW iirc. Trailing arms bushes are bout Ԛ£20 a side not fitted iirc
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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:42 pm
Where did demlot get that price from???
I just got quoted Ԛ£1325.40 for the rear sub bushes and trailing arm bushes from BMW Nine Elms, Battersea London!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Jhonno
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:48 pm
ItalianM3 wrote:Where did demlot get that price from???
I just got quoted Ԛ£1325.40 for the rear sub bushes and trailing arm bushes from BMW Nine Elms, Battersea London!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck me!!!
Somewhere in Cambridge i believe
They are obviously expecting some labour with that one.. my dad's dealership in Essex is Ԛ£90p/hr.. Maybe its more (considerably) in London
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stevetigger
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:48 pm
ItalianM3 wrote:Where did demlot get that price from???
I just got quoted Ԛ£1325.40 for the rear sub bushes and trailing arm bushes from BMW Nine Elms, Battersea London!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Theres your answer, LONDON
Its about Ԛ£120 up here in the Midlands
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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:51 pm
I read that ALL BMW dealerships had been curbed to The Ԛ£90 per hour Labour charge. I could do the Trailing arms myself its just the Subframe that need a special tool I think.
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Jhonno
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:57 pm
no idea where they got that price from then! thats a hell of a lot of labour.. me thinks they didnt want to work on the car. they are supposed to go by the TIS (i think thats what its called) quoted job time
maybe take it all off yourself and take it to a dealership/workshop/engineering place and get them to press them in for you... that bit only take 1/2hr if you've removed the old ones 1st (oxy torch

)
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kdw215b
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:58 pm
Where are you in London?
I'm in croydon, my local garage did the subframe bush fitment for Ԛ£80 cash ( I supplied the parts)
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Cloggy Saint
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 5:02 pm
I'd make sure that this is the problem before doing anything. No point in spending your hard-earned on a set of bushes and finding it still sits too low.
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Jhonno
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 5:09 pm
tbh tho i suspect the bushes will need doing, most do
mine do but i need to book it in and get hold of some polybush ones 1st
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GDBN
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 5:22 pm
Hi .... I know it's a different story but pics of my cab with H&R 60/40 running BBS 15" and 205/55 rubber
I still think the rear is too high. Having seen the difference in the saloon kit and the cab kit I think the cab are too high at the back and the saloons too low. Have argued with Sal about it but he reckons they are correct. When compared to the stock rear springs I removed, the ride height did not change 1 mm with the new springs. Not a 40mm drop !!
Sorry if it's a bit off subject.
Giles
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Geeman
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 5:26 pm
That 320is is definitely sat on a 60mm drop all round. Looks good for it though!
What's the spec of the car anyway...? I had a Lachs Silver 320is too... does it have leather and did it have the reg 'D5 GMR' on it by any chance...?
Giles.
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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 5:44 pm
Geeman wrote:That 320is is definitely sat on a 60mm drop all round. Looks good for it though!
What's the spec of the car anyway...? I had a Lachs Silver 320is too... does it have leather and did it have the reg 'D5 GMR' on it by any chance...?
Giles.
thanks Geeman, I like the look of it also, only the front I mean! You recon its 60 drop at the back aswell? Should get onto sal about it as it is way to low and from what I have seen of other peoples cars and its doing my head in already, not to mention that I wanted a good compromise between road and track and did not want the back that low. It seems that even on a track the back is way to low and would probably induce rather bad handling, lets say an improvment on grip with a very fine line between losing the end! I would rather my car back to the original ride height. I wonder how the 35 rears would sit on the car with the 60 drop at the front.
Also please any other rear and front profile shots of 60/40 and 35/35 setup.
Thanks
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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 5:46 pm
Geeman, I think it must be a different car to your old one if thats what you were refering to. Bought it in 2004 with 60,000 Km's on the clock, it has leather trim and no aircon, and is pretty much standard apart from the lowrider suspension!!
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stevetigger
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 5:55 pm
ItalianM3 wrote:I read that ALL BMW dealerships had been curbed to The Ԛ£90 per hour Labour charge. I could do the Trailing arms myself its just the Subframe that need a special tool I think.
Yes but four plus is about Ԛ£35 an hour!
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DieselMeister
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:28 pm
As a rule, franchise dealers hover around the Ԛ£50/hour plus VAT mark (they're often just subsidising the franchise, as not all all cars requires expensive diagnostic equipment, specialised tools and PhD in engineering). I would certainly never even consider paying more than that unless perhaps I was serviceing something horrendously expensive, exotic and an mechanically complex (Lamborghini Murcielago, please stand up - Ԛ£120/hour labour). Even then I'd be spitting.
A good independent garage would prolly charge between Ԛ£25-40/hour.
For a job like that, I defo go indy. Save the Franchise dealer for engine diagnostics, or better still find a good Bimmer specialist. They nromally have ex bimmer engineers working there so you get the service without the premium for all that italian coffee, plate glass and a forest of yukka plants.
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Simon13
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:39 pm
I have cupkit springs and now it's settled a bit more it's a touch lower than yours. I know what u mean about rubbing!
Defo not a 40 drop on the rear for sure!
Mine is on the floor!
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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:45 pm
Simon13 wrote:I have cupkit springs and now it's settled a bit more it's a touch lower than yours. I know what u mean about rubbing!
Defo not a 40 drop on the rear for sure!
Mine is on the floor!
So do you think you will be going back to your original setup or could you use the 35 rear spring with the 60 up front?
I dont know about you but I looked at my tyres and they had bits missing from the side where they had been rubbing!
Have you had your rear subframe mounts replaced?
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Simon13
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:55 pm
yes my subframe mounts were done last june. I'm still in 2 minds. I'm using different shocks to u which match to any springs.
I may well still go back to my 35mm allround H&R springs
I'm enjoying being a bit rude at the moment!
I'm having no loss of tyres pieces falling off, just silly neggy camber on the back. So tyre wear will increase loads!
Mine is rubbing on the bodykit infront of the the wheel down at the bottom, on the side skirt and rear quarter pod. Strange but the back end will go alot softer with time. Mine really squats on the back when u accelerate hard + rubs in 1st and 2nd, from a standing start
HTH
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stevetigger
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:59 pm
GDBN wrote:Hi .... I know it's a different story but pics of my cab with H&R 60/40 running BBS 15" and 205/55 rubber
I still think the rear is too high. Having seen the difference in the saloon kit and the cab kit I think the cab are too high at the back and the saloons too low. Have argued with Sal about it but he reckons they are correct. When compared to the stock rear springs I removed, the ride height did not change 1 mm with the new springs. Not a 40mm drop !!
Sorry if it's a bit off subject.
Giles
What colour is that??
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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 7:02 pm
Simon13 wrote:yes my subframe mounts were done last june. I'm still in 2 minds. I'm using different shocks to u which match to any springs.
I may well still go back to my 35mm allround H&R springs
I'm enjoying being a bit rude at the moment!
I'm having no loss of tyres pieces falling off, just silly neggy camber on the back. So tyre wear will increase loads!
Mine is rubbing on the bodykit infront of the the wheel down at the bottom, on the side skirt and rear quarter pod. Strange but the back end will go alot softer with time. Mine really squats on the back when u accelerate hard + rubs in 1st and 2nd, from a standing start
HTH
Sounds like you have the same problems as I do on the back. The fronts are fine but the back is to Low and to Soft. Are the spring rates very different from the 35 drop and the 40 drop or could the 35's be used with the 60 front drop, I am in two minds at the moment as whether to change the front aswell as the back, cant be arsed to compress those front springs again!!!
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Karan
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 7:05 pm
heres mine.... i wouldnt have any other suspension kit ive tried...

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stevetigger
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 7:07 pm
Karan wrote:heres mine.... i wouldnt have any other suspension kit ive tried...

What drops that?
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ItalianM3
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 7:09 pm
Hey Karan thanks for posting the picture, do you have a profle shot of the rear wheel? Yours looks very like mine probably even lower now they have settled! They are 60/40's right?
Any problems with rubbing under hard acceleration?
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Demlotcrew
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:08 pm
You can fit some rubber pads in the rear to raise the back a bit.
OR if you want i might swap my 35mm rears with you.
Andrew
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GDBN
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Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:16 pm
Hi ... Steve ... it's burgundrot ... or just burgundy for us english chaps !
Sorry for the late reply but I took the missus out for dinner.
Giles