aftermarket suspension

[e30virgin]

Did you get your H&R's from the dealer or is there somewhere else that has good deals that I don't know about?
oh yeah, and a friend can get me a good deal on some Koni 3 ways,(good or bad)?

[MattM20]

Did you get your H&R's from the dealer or is there somewhere else that has good deals that I don't know about?
oh yeah, and a friend can get me a good deal on some Koni 3 ways,(good or bad)?

koni yellows > bilsteins sports. the price difference is what draws most people away. i have the 3 way adjustable koni's, and keep the rear on full firm, and the front on full soft and love how neutral and firm the handling is. i used to keep the fronts on the second softest setting (360 degrees), but once i got my strut brace they needed to go softer or else the car would push comming out of turns.

[Widebody325]

I did the ground control coilover conversion. They kit I got comes with Koni adjustables and Ground Control uses Eibach springs so you can choose any spring rate you want. I did the conversion in the rear so unless you have a roll cage you should look into just the adjustable springs for the rear. Here are a couple pics of my setup so you can see what it looks like.

[bimmerlover]

Did you get your H&R's from the dealer or is there somewhere else that has good deals that I don't know about?

I got mine from Tire Rack. www.tirerack.com

[Jon325i]

For my '89 325i I have Tokico Illumina shocks (5-way adjustable) with H&R Sport springs....not be confused with H&R's OEM Sport springs.

I have my shocks turned up to the #5 setting (firmest) and I'm happy with it for the most part. It can be harsh on bumpy roads but when the asphault is in good shape (or on the freeway) the ride quality is good.

If I had to do it all over again, I think I would go with something else other than adjustable shocks. With the Tokicos, changing the settings on the front is simple....just remove the center cap on top of the strut to expose the adjustment screw and change it to suit your liking. For the rear, its not so easy. It requires removal of the side covers of the trunk area lining and then using a mirror to aide in viewing the top of the shock where the adjustment screw is. Not all adjustable shocks are like this, but it is something to consider when making your choice for a suspension set up.

Good luck.

Jon

[Beej '86 325es]

I did the ground control coilover conversion. They kit I got comes with Koni adjustables and Ground Control uses Eibach springs so you can choose any spring rate you want. I did the conversion in the rear so unless you have a roll cage you should look into just the adjustable springs for the rear. Here are a couple pics of my setup so you can see what it looks like.

Love the setup. I wanted to convert to a true coilover in the rear too, I was going to use LEDA coilovers though. It took some research but ended up coming to the same conclusion as you...a cage that mounts to the rear towers is needed. Although I did come across a guy with an E30 M3 that had the full LEDA coilover setup without a cage and tracked his car frequently. He said he hadn't had any problems, but was thinking about putting in a triangulated weld-in brace between the towers.

[Widebody325]

Love the setup. I wanted to convert to a true coilover in the rear too, I was going to use LEDA coilovers though. It took some research but ended up coming to the same conclusion as you...a cage that mounts to the rear towers is needed. Although I did come across a guy with an E30 M3 that had the full LEDA coilover setup without a cage and tracked his car frequently. He said he hadn't had any problems, but was thinking about putting in a triangulated weld-in brace between the towers.

A cage is not completely necessary, although it is highly recommended. But you definately have to reinforce the rear shock towers. What you can do is just add something like 1/8" steel plate on the three sides and the top of each shock tower, that would definately work well, and for added stiffness you can connect a tube to the towers that would act as a rear strut brace.

[Candela]

sorry, im a newb, but can you guys fill me in on what youre talking about with th GC's, what must be converted? what do you have to do and why?

thanks. :oops: