Cost of e36 M3 Evo Shocks.....

[thegreengoblet]

Been quoted £1200 to replace all 4 shocks on my e36 M3 Evo by my local indy. Finally got around to doing my pollen filer, so went to euro car parts and bought the filter. Decided to see how much OEM shocks would cost. Printout shows fronts as Bilstein B6 at £169.19 each excluding the VAT. Rears are shown simply as E36 rear shock absorber at £45.32 each excluding the VAT. So all in comes out at £504.10. First question, are the rears the correct ones? They seem very cheap compared to the fronts. Second question, if the shock prices are correct, does £1200 sound steep?

[swtmerce]

Way too steep. Rear dampers take all of 1 hour each side for someone with no knowledge to follow a Haynes manual to do it. Just two bolts at the top and one at the bottom. No spring compressors needed.

The fronts are a little more involved. For a garage to do the whole job they should charge no more than 5 hours labour.

OEM dampers can be bought cheap from here http://stores.ebay.co.uk/THE-MOTORIST-WAREHOUSE-CA...

[cosworth330]

I replaced all 4 shocks on my M3 Evo when i had one, OEM are Boge/Sachs & buy them from The motorist warehouse on e-bay as the link above suggests. I renewed my rears & a garage changed the fronts for £50 cash (someone i know). The OEM springs are quite expensive & you can only get them from BMW. Made a huge difference with new suspension + poly bushes & Eibach arb's.

Simon.

[thegreengoblet]

Thanks for the responses.
I thought OEM stuff was Bilstein? (its a 97 Evo Saloon)
Could buy and just get a garage to fit. I assume that no special BMW tools
or knowledge would be needed and therefore could entrust any garage?
Out of interest, how much are the springs?

I've been getting conflicting views on the suspension re what's normal and what's not. If you boot her in a straight line, she pitches up at the front and pulls slighly to the right. When going round a right hander and pushing it, she rolls a little, but the back seems to roll at a different rate to the front - it's an odd (and scary!) feeling. Basically something feels at odds between the right front and the left rear. Left handers do a similar thing but knowhere near as scary. Defo doesn't feel right to me, although some have said that they all do that? Looking through the history, I can see that the suspension was replaced at 75k miles (about 8 years ago) - she's now on 110k. I don't think that they've been replaced since. However I have to remind myself that she is a saloon and maybe it is normal? (I did come from a TVR Cerbera with Ohlins all round which handled like a dream and in a very predictable manor)

[cosworth330]

Can't remember off the top of my head the price of springs, i replaced the front springs as one was snapped,rears where ok. I also renewed every bush except rear diff carrier bushes & fitted an eibach arb kit about £250. Original shocks on the M3 evo are deffo boge/sachs not bilstein but if you can afford the uprated Bilstein ones then go for those,they are more money though & about 30% uprated. I bought all new nuts & bolts plus front top mounts etc basically everything except the rear springs. Did a few trackdays & the Ring, it handled great & was very good on the road too.

Simon.

[thegreengoblet]

Thanks for the info Simon

[cosworth330]

Forgot to mention another good mod is E46 cab rear top mounts & Z3 plates (rear shock top mounts) can't remember exactly as i sold the car a year ago but its worth doing whilst apart, do a search on here or check on E36coupe.com for part numbers.

Cheers Simon.

[Ti22]

It's worth checking the health of your rear trailing arm bushes and front wishbone bushes before you change dampers. . either could give the symptoms you describe...

james

[thegreengoblet]

Ti22 said:

It's worth checking the health of your rear trailing arm bushes and front wishbone bushes before you change dampers. . either could give the symptoms you describe...

james

Thanks for the info James.
Is it an easy job to do?

[andygtt]

thegreengoblet said:

Thanks for the responses.
I thought OEM stuff was Bilstein? (its a 97 Evo Saloon)
Could buy and just get a garage to fit. I assume that no special BMW tools
or knowledge would be needed and therefore could entrust any garage?
Out of interest, how much are the springs?

I've been getting conflicting views on the suspension re what's normal and what's not. If you boot her in a straight line, she pitches up at the front and pulls slighly to the right. When going round a right hander and pushing it, she rolls a little, but the back seems to roll at a different rate to the front - it's an odd (and scary!) feeling. Basically something feels at odds between the right front and the left rear. Left handers do a similar thing but knowhere near as scary. Defo doesn't feel right to me, although some have said that they all do that? Looking through the history, I can see that the suspension was replaced at 75k miles (about 8 years ago) - she's now on 110k. I don't think that they've been replaced since. However I have to remind myself that she is a saloon and maybe it is normal? (I did come from a TVR Cerbera with Ohlins all round which handled like a dream and in a very predictable manor)

My evo saloon handles as you describe... Id call it floaty but it definatelly rolls differently front than rearand can be nervous at high speed on back roads, you can still hussle it along quickly but you have to really throw it around and its not much fun... its definatlly not always been this was but Ive not replaced any of the shocks etc in the 5 years and 65k that i have done in her (shes done 170k now) so its almost certainly something worn out lol

[thegreengoblet]

andygtt said:

Id call it floaty

Great description Andy.... that's the handling in a nutshell!

At least I now know that mine's not the only one and more so that it isn't normal. I'm at odds really, as the motor isn't worth a great deal - especially when you compare it to renewing the suspension and all the other bits and bobs which could be having an effect as well. I'd rather put the money towards an E46 M3 next year. But then I drive her and I think to myself that other than the floaty behaviour she's a very good motor in great condition. Ok, I wont get back the money spent on suspension if I went ahead, but I'd lose the equivalent cost in depreciation on an E46 M3 anyway. And then I look at the interior of the E46.... it isn't all that different to mine (I've replaced all of the wood for black bits). A real difficult one. My ultimate choice would be to keep this M3 and get another motor - something impractical like another TVR or a Noble like Andy's But the misses isn't keen on that idea And when I say not keen, I mean not kean!

[andygtt]

Well I know for sure my car needs suspension and its currently my track day toy... just not sure i can justify the expense in such a specific 'toy'

Of cause the fact that im spending all my cash on the noble isnt helping my choice... but i dont have a missus any more to real me in so will prob do it at some stage