New shocks and springs

PeteW · Post by **PeteW** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:58 pm

Hi all

I'm sure i've seen a thread on here about this but I can't find it..

So I'll ask the question!

I'm going to buy a new suspension kit for my 320is but I want to retain the original ride height. I don't really want to lower it any more than it is.

I've heard good things about the bilstein kits but I'm not sure if they would lower the car too much for me.

Does anyone know? I like the ride height like it is!

Cheers!

Jeroen · Post by **Jeroen** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:00 am

Pete,

Apologise for the late response, I was travelling.

A fresh set of dempers will absolutely improve handling without changing the ride height. I am a great fan of Bilstein and the regular gas shocks from them (HD or Sport?) are good with the stock M-Tech springs.

But... if you really want to improve stability and handling I'd suggest to combine fresh Bilsteins with Eibach lowering springs. They lower the car by another 15-20mm. Not too much in my eyes, a tremendous improvement and the ride height still remains good for any kind of road use. I suggest to combine these springs with Bilstein Sprint dampers, only marginally more expensive than the stock shockers.

PeteW · Post by **PeteW** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 3:06 pm

Hi Jeroen, thanks for the reply.

I think I will go for the setup you recommend. 15-20mm drop is fine and I've heard many good things about the Bilstein/Eibach combination.

I've just ordered a full set of powerflex bushes and a master cylinder upgrade kit too! Lots of work to do soon...

I was going to sell her recently but I don't have to any more so I'm going to spend some time making some improvements

Do you have any recommendations about improving performance?

Cheers

Pete

Jeroen · Post by **Jeroen** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 3:22 pm

Pete,

The big improvements in S14 powered cars are made by improving handling ie suspension and brakes. Some suggestions:
-front brake caliper rebuild together with good discs and pads
-replace upper shock bushes F&R
-replace control arm bushes by excentric or powerflex examples
-fit front strut brace
-maybe a quick steering rack from E30M3 or E36 (any)

The engine either won't perform significantly better OR won't live that long if you go for cheap upgrades like chip tuning alona. Just make sure the engine is well adjusted (incl throttle body synch) and serviced (valve clearances at abt .28-.30mm works best IMHO). If you want more performance I'd suggest you go this way: mild cams upgrade, carbon fibre airbox with Alpha N, air/fuel ratio meter. Not cheap, but a giant leap forward

Some details from the www.kk-automobile.de website:
2 pcs 290 deg cams, adjustable cam gear, Alpha N with CF airbox incl. fitting and adjusting gives you a 35 HP/26 KW gain at EUR 3.500.

PeteW · Post by **PeteW** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 4:27 pm

Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely going to concentrate on handling and brakes. I wouldn't go for a cheap upgrade, these engines are too precious/expensive to risk that way!

Once I've done the chassis, maybe then I'll look into some "proper" tuning options for the engine.

BTW, do you have any experience with the Eibach anti-roll bar kit? I wondered about fitting that but not sure if it's really necessary.

Thanks again!

Jeroen · Post by **Jeroen** » Mon Jun 20, 2005 4:32 pm

The Eibach anti-roll kit is a nice upgrade but I think you will only really notice the difference at trackdays. The 320iS has a slightly larger front bar already (20mm instead of the M3's 19mm) and the big advantage of the Eibach rear bar is the fact that it's adjustable. Tightening the rear is nice on a dry surface, but very tricky in the wet.

hardtailer · Post by **hardtailer** » Sat Aug 27, 2005 12:27 pm

Jeroen wrote:The Eibach anti-roll kit is a nice upgrade but I think you will only really notice the difference at trackdays. The 320iS has a slightly larger front bar already (20mm instead of the M3's 19mm)

But since they are attached differently (on the M3 to the struts, on all other E30's to the control arm) comparing the diameter of the anti-roll bars alone doesn't say much. On the M3 the anti-roll bar is twisted by almost the same amount as the wheel travels as it is fitted to the strut. On the other E30's the twist is about half or 3/4 as the attachment point sits at half-3/4 distance between monting point of the control arm and the joint where the wheel attaches to (it's the strut that attaches to that joint, but since the wheel is fixed to the strut, it amounts to the same)