lowering a 328 E36 coupe

[GTS Turbo]

suspension is going a bit soft on my E36 coupe i think now. it's not serious but i wonder if it's worth whacking some lowering springs on? or should i get a complete kit with dampers?

any suggestions on kits and prices? i'd love some H&R coil overs but there a bit overkill for road use but i would like it to sit a bit lower than stock.

cheers for any help peeps!

[Neil_Bolton]

GTS Turbo said:

suspension is going a bit soft on my E36 coupe i think now. it's not serious but i wonder if it's worth whacking some lowering springs on? or should i get a complete kit with dampers?

any suggestions on kits and prices? i'd love some H&R coil overs but there a bit overkill for road use but i would like it to sit a bit lower than stock.

cheers for any help peeps!

If it isn't a Sport already (and low enough IMHO), then why dont you just get the Sport Yellow Bilsteins that can be sourced from GSF rather cheaply?

The Sport is lower, and comes with the same suspension as the M3 and I seriously rate the setup in terms of handling over ride comfort compromise.

However if you just want to go for looks and ruin the ride and handling then just whack on some lowering springs, but you'll still have shite damping, as you'll not have considered the most important part of that system.

Edited by Neil_Bolton on Thursday 3rd May 08:36

[ndg]

The sport doesn't have the same suspension as the M3. The M has different rear trailing arms and has ball joints at the bottom of the rear uprights rather than bushes. The front is also different with altered bush rates on the control arms. I believe (though I don't know) that the shock top mounts are also very different in terms of caster angle. The front spring rates are also different as the M3 engine is considerably heavier than the 328. I'm sure there are plenty of other differences (I think the M3 has bigger wheel bearings for example), but the above are one I know to be true.

Having said that the 328 Sport does have M-tech suspension which is good. I've driven my M3 and my brothers 328 sport back to back and I would say that the sport rides slightly better, though I imagine limit performance would be a little less. I'd pick his car for a long drive though!

If your suspension feels soft I suggest that rather than the springs going (in which case the car would be sitting lower than normal anyway), it is more likely the damper fluid degrading. How many miles have the dampers done since last replaced (probably since new if the cars not done interstellar travel). They usually last ~80-100,000 miles before starting to degrade. Standard replacements may well sort out your problem.

N.

[Neil_Bolton]

ndg said:

The sport doesn't have the same suspension as the M3. The M has different rear trailing arms and has ball joints at the bottom of the rear uprights rather than bushes. The front is also different with altered bush rates on the control arms. I believe (though I don't know) that the shock top mounts are also very different in terms of caster angle. The front spring rates are also different as the M3 engine is considerably heavier than the 328. I'm sure there are plenty of other differences (I think the M3 has bigger wheel bearings for example), but the above are one I know to be true.

Having said that the 328 Sport does have M-tech suspension which is good.

Indeed they say you learn something new every day

Consider me told thanks for explaining that to me...

[Neil_Bolton]

ndg said:

Having said that the 328 Sport does have M-tech suspension which is good. I've driven my M3 and my brothers 328 sport back to back and I would say that the sport rides slightly better, though I imagine limit performance would be a little less. I'd pick his car for a long drive though!

On a slight thread hijack, without knowing which M3 you have, was there much 'real world' difference in outright capability and speed between the two?

Mine, we think, has had some tinkery stuff done to it (Although we can't tell, but we reckon inlet manfild, throttle body, remap as it pulls and revs all the way to 7,200rpm) as it by rights shouldn't hang onto the back of the cars that it does (about the same as a M3 3.0l in a line, not far off an MG ZTT supercharged etc) - and I've dismissed getting an M3 as mine does everything so bloody well that I'd be mad to get rid of a goody?

Edited by Neil_Bolton on Thursday 3rd May 09:16

[Mr_Sukebe]

I don't remember the ZT production models ever being any great shakes. The standard options were a 1.8, 1.8T, 2.0 v6, 2.5 v6 and a diesel. IIRC they never made a supercharged one. The only one with any real poke was the v8, but they're incredibly rare.

[Neil_Bolton]

Mr_Sukebe said:

I don't remember the ZT production models ever being any great shakes. The standard options were a 1.8, 1.8T, 2.0 v6, 2.5 v6 and a diesel. IIRC they never made a supercharged one. The only one with any real poke was the v8, but they're incredibly rare.

Quick formula for you:

(ZTT 4.6l Mustang V8) + Dreadnought Supercharger = 400bhp and 400lb/ft

When one of your bestest driving buddies owns one and after a VERY hard run into wales, gets out and proclaims "Yours shouldn't go like that, should it?" (think BMW at 150 leptons chasing MG 160 leptons):

Mechsympathy



I think so...

Edited by Neil_Bolton on Thursday 3rd May 11:55

[spt28]

that ZTT sounds impressive!

My rear shocks have just bit the dust on my 328i after 83,000 so i too was faced with a similar dilemma.

however I've plumped for the OEM (i think?) Blistein ones from euro car parts, as to go the whole hog I was advised by ex BMW franchise owner and someone who's driven one with coilovers absolutely kills the handling

Quote so far is £55, which seems fairly reasonable for no longer driving around in a car whose back end wants to jump up and down with excitement at any slight sniff of a bump.

[paoloh]

I once purchased Schnitzer springs from main dealer for my e36 and found them to great. About 15mm lower thgan standard and not overly stiff but still felt sporty.

[driftdaddy]

orite mate i might know a thing or two when it comes to this,

check out my journal on e36coupe.com

[url]www.e36coupe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=94180&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30[/url]

you need some billstein shocks and boge springs it did wonders for my car and is very affoardable give this guy a ring ben @ chromeline design 08707740168

hope this helps dave

[GTS Turbo]

cheers for the info fellas! my coupe isn't a sport. does anyone know what you got with the sport over over a normal spec coupe? and how much lower does a sport sit? i don't want crazy low just a tad lower really.

the springs i was thinking as a temp set up to help a bit but i suppose if i'm going to the effort to fit springs then i may as well fit a whole suspension set up. plus damping is probably given the soft ride as someone pointed out already!

anyone have a link to gsf? sport setup sounds good now i thought bout it as it should be set to the right comfort/handling for the car...

[paoloh]

I think sport is 15mm lower.

[driftdaddy]

umm hello^^^ how much more do you want lol

just go for the bilstein boge setup bang for buck its the best setup and its slightly better than a sport setup the boges drop it 35 on the front and 15 on the rear

[GTS Turbo]

driftdaddy said:

umm hello^^^ how much more do you want lol

just go for the bilstein boge setup bang for buck its the best setup and its slightly better than a sport setup the boges drop it 35 on the front and 15 on the rear

sorry i some how didn't read your reply? how much is this set up? and could you cut and paste the info from e36coupe please as i can't login to there forum and i've given up trying to re-register on there!

thanks!

[driftdaddy]

GTS Turbo said:

driftdaddy said:

umm hello^^^ how much more do you want lol

just go for the bilstein boge setup bang for buck its the best setup and its slightly better than a sport setup the boges drop it 35 on the front and 15 on the rear

sorry i some how didn't read your reply? how much is this set up? and could you cut and paste the info from e36coupe please as i can't login to there forum and i've given up trying to re-register on there!

thanks!

theres too much to paste in here dude, my journal is huge, dont give up trying to register for the site theres only 2 people on admin for the whole site and they can get snowed under from time to time, its well worth it,

as for the prices give chromline a bell, ben's a great guy to deal with

iirc the springs are £80 odd quid and the billsteins are £200 ish but you do get discount for being an e36coupe member so get in there mate

Edited by driftdaddy on Wednesday 9th May 15:14

[GTS Turbo]

cheers i'll keep trying to register then!