What Lowering springs shouls I use?

[MR88ix]

Ok guys I need your help, I bought my '88ix last summer as winter car so not to drive the //M3 in the winter. When I bought the ix the car was slammed with H&R Race, The interior was shot, front axels where shot as well. The boots were cracked and dirt and grimed had gone into the bearings. Needless to say I felt in LOVE with this little ix, so I deceded to bring it back to BMW standards. Now it has a new sport interior, new M-Tech I steering wheel, New front axels, new Kumho ast tires, new OEM BMW head unit radio, new rear and front side markers to replaces the smoked ones it had, new suepension (oe springs w/ bilteins), new blower motor, new moon rooof motor. Next weekend its getting a new (to me) motor from a '91 ix with 108k miles and a new OEM exhaust system also from the '91 donor. That is why I want to get the springs now to do all the work at once.

At time of purchase


little%20one by //M3 Manny, on Flickr

Now (with stock springs and bilsteins shocks it seats to high)


IMG-20110515-00043 by //M3 Manny, on Flickr

I want to lower the car to improve handleling and the only springs that I know that are made for the ix, are the H&R Sport for ix. What do you guys think I should use

Thanks
Manny Rod

[88e30ix]

Ok guys I need your help, I bought my '88ix last summer as winter car so not to drive the //M3 in the winter. When I bought the ix the car was slammed with H&R Race, The interior was shot, front axels where shot as well. The boots were cracked and dirt and grimed had gone into the bearings. Needless to say I felt in LOVE with this little ix, so I deceded to bring it back to BMW standards. Now it has a new sport interior, new M-Tech I steering wheel, New front axels, new Kumho ast tires, new OEM BMW head unit radio, new rear and front side markers to replaces the smoked ones it had, new suepension (oe springs w/ bilteins), new blower motor, new moon rooof motor. Next weekend its getting a new (to me) motor from a '91 ix with 108k miles and a new OEM exhaust system also from the '91 donor. That is why I want to get the springs now to do all the work at once.


At time of purchase


little%20one by //M3 Manny, on Flickr

Now (with stock springs and bilsteins shocks it seats to high)


IMG-20110515-00043 by //M3 Manny, on Flickr

I want to lower the car to improve handleling and the only springs that I know that are made for the ix, are the H&R Sport for ix. What do you guys think I should use

Thanks
Manny Rod

I have H&R sports with Konis. Your 1st picture the IX looks awesome, I would go with that set up.

[MR88ix]

I have H&R sports with Konis. Your 1st picture the IX looks awesome, I would go with that set up.

Thanks, but in the 1st pic the car had the H&R race for non ix. The car was slammed it handle better than my M on the corners but the price to pay was front new axels and you know how cheap those are :jk: I think I'm gonna go ahead with H&R sport for ix and Bilsteins H/D
Thanks man, I thought I was gonna get more help from the forum

[Conster]

H&R sports is the best option; used KONI sports to complete my set-up.

[MR88ix]

H&R sports is the best option; used KONI sports to complete my set-up.

Thanks a lot!!! My new H&R are being delivered tomorrow I Love the way your car looks, so I will ordered the koni sports today! I'm also getting my new to me motor from a 91ix with 108k installed as well :D

[Conster]

Congrats to your purchase !

Be sure to get the correct rear shocks just to double check; the vendor sent me the wrong rear shocks since he didn't have the updated KONI catalog but he replaced them with the correct rear shocks (80-2522 sport twin-tube hydraulic)
KONI
FRONT: 8641-1144 SPORT
REAR : 80-2522 SPORT

A bigger swaybar will also help; I wanted the Suspension Techniques (not available in my country) and ended up buying the adjustable H&R swaybar (installed using stiffest setting).

iXchange CHAPTER#15 (Koni Shocks/ James Ferguson)

http://home.earthlink.net/~wardellhix/members/newsletters/iXchange15.html

[325ixa]

rear sway bar is same as on non-ix e30?

[Conster]

rear sway bar is same as on non-ix e30?

Yes. If you are referring to the H&R rear swaybar it is the same 18mm adjustable swaybar that will fit all E30s.

The stock iX rear swaybar is the same as the stock E30 M3 14.5mm rear swaybar. The stock E30 325i rear swaybar is 12mm

[325ix]

Ideally you want a stiffer front sway bar to help with understeer from what I have read, but the only way to get that is from a touring ix or have Korman shorten you existing one.

[325ixa]

thanks for info ;)

one more question, is this what i should buy? it says 50mm lowering, is it too much for a street?

http://cgi.ebay.de/H-R-Sport-Federsatz-BMW-3er-E30-Typ-3-A-325iX-29628-/130431683448?pt=Autoteile_Zubeh%C3%B6r&hash=item1e5e558b78

[devon.818]

vogtlands and billy sports

i ordered drop hats, haven't installed those yet.

these springs are the shit! my buddy has GC's, yeah his sits lower, but mine FEELS better, both our opinions. few people have said that the vogtlands are the best if you daily your car, mild autoX....which i do, couldn't be happier.

[Conster]

thanks for info ;)

one more question, is this what i should buy? it says 50mm lowering, is it too much for a street?

http://cgi.ebay.de/H-R-Sport-Federsa...item1e5e558b78

The link says it is for the 325iX but also double check since the H&R part number is 50409; the fronts I got were color GRAY while the rears were color BLUE

http://www.tirerack.com/suspension/suspension.jsp?make=H%26R&model=Sport+Spring+Set&group=Sport+Spring+Set&partNum=50409&autoMake=BMW&autoModel=325ix&autoYear=1989&autoModClar=

FRONT: H&R front spring (gray)

REAR: H&R rear spring(blue) & swaybar, KONI sport adjustables


The lowering is great for both street and track,

1.3inches(front) and 1.2inches rear; the stock shock absorbers isn't tuned for the H&R springs so you need to buy either the KONI or BILSTEIN shocks. No idea about performance in snow since I live in a tropical country.

[Conster]

Ideally you want a stiffer front sway bar to help with understeer from what I have read, but the only way to get that is from a touring ix or have Korman shorten you existing one.

What I did to stiffen the front is to install polyurethane front swaybar bushings. I also think the moderate lowering also added a certain load to our stock front swaybar links. Also added a custom strut bar to protect the chassis

[325ixa]

conster, thank you, that looks nice. 50mm sounds too much. i have offer for a used set h&r springs like yours for 160$, been three monts on the car. ill think about it. thank you once more.

[Conster]

conster, thank you, that looks nice. 50mm sounds too much. i have offer for a used set h&r springs like yours for 160$, been three monts on the car. ill think about it. thank you once more.

No problem 325ixa you are very welcome. R3V helped me lot when tackling problems and tuning my iX also the iX Registry of Mr. Gordon Haines:

http://home.earthlink.net/~wardellhix/iX/

Many tips and I find the stories of the iX owners very entertaining.
I printed all twenty-eight newsletters and turned it into a book.