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Well, I am starting liking the idea, only problem is that suspension is a rather expensive thing, so I can't be changing it every 2nd year just for fun-especially as I am not adding a great deal of km on my car...
But I am going to thing seriously about coilovers when it is time for the next shocks replacement..
As I am not very happy with the Apex springs(I think the car has been lowered too much and Greek roads are not the best place to have such a car-and I am about to add the BBS spoiler too: even lower front then...) I was thinking of fitting H&R springs when it 's time to replace the shocks...But I will compare the price of such a set to the price of GAZ coilovers and decide...

OK, (I just googled the 2 terms) would replacing my car's original rubber bushings with polyurethane ones make suspension quieter and give it a "more like modern car" feeling?

They won't give a modern feeling but they'll last far longer than OE bushes and just tighten up your suspension.

can you suggest me a producer to order them?
Would you suggest to fit them at any time or would it be better to wait until time comes to replace shocks+springs and then fit the new bushings too?
And how about new ball joints? are these only OEM or is there any better option?

I'd do them when you do the suspension.

http://www.superflex.co.uk/

Thanks Mark!
I saw the site, they can also provide steering coupling kits anti roll bar mounts etc
Do you suggest these too, or the car's ones are enough?

I replaced them all as they came in a complete kit. I would get the ARB one's but don't worry about the steering coupling if it means getting it seperately.

But what would steering coupling add?

RetroBeemer wrote:Personally, I think Bilstein and Konis are about the best regular suspension set-up with whatever lowering springs you choose. Coil-overs are really for people who want to be able to have maximum adjustment of their suspension. Especially ride-height. Obviously they look trick too. Obviously they are expensive, although the street version is far cheaper. They differ from GAZ golds by only being adjustable for ride height and not bump & rebound.

that's not entirely accurate.the gaz street coilovers I have are height and the damper is adjustable - i have a big dial on each shock i turn to make it more spongy or stiff.

petro.

my car isnt noisy, i had standard suspension and it was quiet. can you describe the noise you hear?

my setup now is Gaz street spec coilovers, with springs to match m50 conversion, and rear anti roll bar. with full set of superflex poly bushes. my
car now handles much better and doesnt dive when braking, and it doesnt feel uncomfortable over rough roads, even though my car is very low

i cannot go back to normal suspension not now.

Nas, my suspension produces heavy sound mainly at road holes (roads here in Greece are way worse than in the UK for example, so here and there you can find rather big holes..)Otherwise I do not have any big problem...As I also drive a couple of quite high vehicles (a Mitsubishi Pajero Pinin and a Toyota Land Cruiser 90) which are very much quieter on bad roads in comparison to my lowered old BMW, I would like to find a way to have less noise.. (and of course it is my personal vice, I admit it, to have the BMW in an as modern as possible condition...)
Anyway, I am going to order poly bushes as well, in order to fit them at the next shocks+springs replacement, and maybe upgrade to coilovers as well, and see how it goes

nas80 wrote: that's not entirely accurate.the gaz street coilovers I have are height and the damper is adjustable

My bad. I didn't realize they were adjustable. They're good quality items too. One of mine has developed a bit of a squeak so they're all going back for a rebuild FOC.

I finaly think that my problem starts from my dash and it is not a matter of syspension...:
Some year ago, while I was polishing my dash I pressed (at a point somewhere on the middle of the higher surface near the windscreen) with more power than I should and heard a breaking noise (it was something inside the dash-I think one of the clamps that mount it on the car's body)
I haven't done anything since then...and noises keep coming from there whenever the road is bad...(sometimes together with hard noises from suspension, that is why I can't decide what is bothering me he most:dash or suspension...but I think that it is the dash)
How easy is it to take the dash out (in order to fix this problem) and then re-fit it?

I don't know about quiet, but you're going to struggle to get a smooth ride with that wheel and tyre combo you've got.

In that you're more than right. I like my car's stiff ride (and I have very nice cornenring if that's the right term: the only problem is my personal things inside the car usually left anywhere e.g. mobile phone, cd's, keys, wallets etc. which, each corner are travelling from one side to the other ), but a little smoother than this I would want it to be I have to admit.

Would you think the 14"x6" 's (Alpina replicas) which I plan to fit on next tyre replacement, with 185/60 (r14) tyres will be better?
I don't want to return to the 185/70-13 baloons on the "mama" 13"x5.5" steelies!!!!! (mainly for the sake of looks, but also for sportier ride)

I know what you mean. My phone always ends up stuck under the seat.

You're talking to the wrong guy about smooth ride though. We run 15x7s, Eibach lowered fronts, coilover rears and uprates swaybars. I've installed a harness just to keep myself on the seat!

If you really want smoothness, build yourself a set of coilovers. The rears are easy, just a matter of buying the parts and assembling. The fronts are trickier with the welding. I made the rears for about $50 (not including the shocks or springs as they were already in the car). I need some different springs, but they do the job. I can change them in about an hour now I have some practice. You could use soft springs set up high for day to day and then install stiffer springs and lower them down for special occasions.



Cheers