Can you use All E36 springs on E30 or just E36 M3

[nitro325is]

Cant really tell from the previous threads.Can you use ANY E36 lowering springs on an e30?This is for my daily driven eta so I dont want it slammed.I read the stock e36 M3 will fit and lower about an inch which is fine for my spare eta.
However with new generic springs for non M e36 being only around $100 shipped thats seems a better deal.Since they were made for a bit heavier car(no sag issues) and they are new as opposed to used 100k springs frequetly seen on ebay. Those new ones listed are for e36 325i and such.

[MattM20]

you probably read that the stock e30 m3 springs will give you around a 1" drop or so. you could buy some new H&R sport springs for a e30 for $200 or you could potentially buy some used e30 m3 springs for >$100, but i'm almost positive that the e30 and e36 springs alone arent interchangeable.

[Digitalwave]

Use E30 M3 spring run $60-100 and will lower your car about an inch.

[Jason89i]

e36 vs e30 springs

im not sure of the spring rate, but.....

e36m3 and e30m3 springs will fit the e30. the non-m e36 springs are a different diameter...no workie. I had the e36m3 springs on for a couple of weeks (when i did the 5lug) and i did NOT like them. the rears seemed really stiff and when loaded became darty. almost dangerous at interstate speeds.

cheers, jason

[nitro325is]

Re: e36 vs e30 springs

im not sure of the spring rate, but.....

e36m3 and e30m3 springs will fit the e30. the non-m e36 springs are a different diameter...no workie. I had the e36m3 springs on for a couple of weeks (when i did the 5lug) and i did NOT like them. the rears seemed really stiff and when loaded became darty. almost dangerous at interstate speeds.

cheers, jason

perfect just what I was looking for. Only e36 m will work.Guess Ill look for some e30 m3 because I do use my eta for hauling stuff/people around.

[decay]

i'm almost positive that the e30 and e36 springs alone arent interchangeable.

i'm completely positive that they are, as long as we're talking about e36m3 springs.

e30m3 (black) next to tein for e36m3 (green):



sorry for the forum-buster sizing, image isn't on my server.

yes, the e36 springs are lower in the front. meaning if you have a late-arch car, go for it. if you're pre-facelift, it'll probably look funny.

[AdamF 88iS]

You don't want E36 springs on an E30. As stated above the rears will be waaayyy off. Even though the front suspension on an E36 is similar to ours, the rear is TOTALLY different and uses different spring rates accordingly.

The fact that they physically fit in there isn't enough, you have to think deeper than that.

[decay]

the spring rates on my teins are ~180f/460r. which is not to say that you'll find similar rates in all aftermarket e36m3 spring packages.

what i am/was (indeterminate @ this point, i'm getting restless) going for is a street/drift setup, with 225s already all the way around.

so, big front swaybar from ireland and then yank the rear one out because i've got enough spring back there and i'm saved the opportunity of having that hardware fail- sounds good to me.

it'll be more twitchy than stock, yeah, but with an extra inch of rubber on the ground as compared to stock i'm already prepared for that. hell, i'm _ready_ to be able to feint the rear end loose again, i can't right now (using steering inputs i'm comfortable with, anyway).

but not everyone here is in hs/college. there are those of us who have done enough suspension mods on enough cars to know how, where, and why we want to differ from the usual recipe.

[Jason89i]

the spring rates on my teins are ~180f/460r.

it'll be more twitchy than stock, yeah,

twitchy will be an understatement. but eliminating the rear sway might help a bit. honestly i have no idea how to set up a drift car.....but for the track it would be frightning. just curious....why not use e30 springs and ie bars with the front loose and the rear tight? you would be transfering the same amount of energy, but you could loosen the rear when you got back to the street.

cheers
jason

[Mystikal]

the spring rates on my teins are ~180f/460r.

Christ. That's just plain dangerous.

[decay]

the spring rates on my teins are ~180f/460r.

Christ. That's just plain dangerous.

for a n00b, sure.

i cut my teeth throttle-drop-sliding an '84 celica through empty intersections when i was in high school 10 years ago, before i knew it was called "drifting". you think what i describe above is dangerous? try adding a live axle into the equation...

without a tough-as-nails rear setup i can't count on being able to initiate a slide exactly where/how i want, it's harder to know exactly how much throttle is needed to switch from weight-transfer-slide to applied-torque-slide, and the ability to adjust attitude/direction mid-slide for a chicane or turn sequence is reduced.

so. have i recommended this setup to anyone else, a single time? no.
am i going to have fun with it on MY CAR? yes, yes i am. :D