Beating a dead horse

[Vegas227]

Alright so I know this has been beaten to death. But im gonna hit submit anyway...

I am looking to lower my 84 318i. I went to Turner motorsports to look for suspension set ups. I have my car selected in the menu and when I go to select Bilstein sport shocks it says it isnt compatible with my car. Is it really not compatible or is the website wrong? Does it take some modification to make them fit? Also I was thinking of getting a full ground control suspension kit but it has a hefty pricetag of $1500. I don't think i want to spend more on suspension than i did for my actual car. I am hoping to only spend around 600 or so for a suspension set up that can stiffen my car and lower it a considerable amount. I am hoping to drop it about 3 inches all around, maybe a little lower in the front. I wanted to get new control arms for it as well plus new sway bars. I basically want to make my car much stiffer. It bounces around like its on balloons. Any suggestions to point me in the right direction? Here are the parts I have been thinking about getting.

Sway bar- http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-35...-3-series.aspx

Shocks- http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-37...-set-of-4.aspx

Springs- http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-37...g-set-e30.aspx

I realize this set up is way over my budget but these are just what I have been considering. If you can suggest something better or at least a good start to stiffening my car up, that would be terrific :)

Thank you,

Andrew

[devon.818]

Your strut housings are a different size, I think 41cm not 51?

[Vegas227]

How difficult or expensive would it be to swap out different housings?

[Vegas227]

And so if the housing cannot be swapped, could putting the race springs and sway bar help in stiffening my car up without the shocks?

[immajackuup]

I have a complete 51mm strut housing from 1991 318is. everything is bad except hub bearing,asking 100 and you pay shipping.

[Teaguer]

First of all you will have to up your budget a little bit.

Smart money would be on:
Buying the GC coil-over kit or better get the GE coil-over kit that Einstein has going.
Get the springs stiff enough and don't worry about replacing your anti-roll bars.
Get new links if they are needed.
Buy new Bilstein Sports and Lemforder control arms from Ebay for the best price.
Don't forget to buy new control arm bushings as well. I'd suggest poly from AKG.

If you want to save $$ and not get struts ....don't. Just save up a bit and do them at the same time.

[Roysneon]

First of all you will have to up your budget a little bit.

Smart money would be on:
Buying the GC coil-over kit or better get the GE coil-over kit that Einstein has going.
Get the springs stiff enough and don't worry about replacing your anti-roll bars.
Get new links if they are needed.
Buy new Bilstein Sports and Lemforder control arms from Ebay for the best price.
Don't forget to buy new control arm bushings as well. I'd suggest poly from AKG.

If you want to save $$ and not get struts ....don't. Just save up a bit and do them at the same time.

A very good suggestion. Stiffer springs with stock or underdampened struts is no more fun than worn out stock suspension, trust me.

As for the strut housings; yes, the housings on early 318i's are smaller in diameter and Bilstein Sport inserts are not available in that size.

As for how difficult it would be to change them, jack the car up, remove one front wheel and you tell me. If it looks to be too difficult a job for you then I would suggest enlisting the help of someone more experienced. It is quite easy to come by them used.

$600 isn't that much of a budget to do it right. You could probably find used shocks/struts.springs for that much, but that's putting extra stress on the old, likely worn bushings, rear shock mounts, ball joints, etc. Best bet is to do it right the first time and do pretty much every thing Teauger suggested.

Also, having bought H&R Race springs, Bilstein shocks/struts, Rouge Engineering RSM's, I'm wishing that I had either just bought the full GC kit that would simply bolt on and work great or that I had pieced together my own coilovers using their sleeves/adjuster/spring kit.

[homegrone30]

Ill tell you from expirience. If you are doing a full suspension rebuild (c/a bushings, c/a arms, shocks, springs, ball joints, tie rod links, etc,etc) You are going to need $1000 budget minimum. You can find second hand parts here and there but that might take a while.
And even though you know what you want and what even may possibly be bad on you car. You will run into unforseen problems on a job this size and extra parts will need to be purchased on the spot. So leave yourself a little wiggle room with your budget. And e30s are not a car you want to buy cheap parts for because you really will get what you pay for.

[homegrone30]

My project started with billie sports and vorshlags. Two years later it has an adjustable subframe and new everything because all the old parts were rusted together or too beat up to use by the time they came off.

[Roysneon]

All that being said, you can do it piece by piece, you just have to do the right things first. I would suggest control arms and control arm bushings first, then tie rods if needed and then get your performance dampers and springs with uprated mounts.

You can go about things in the typical manner of getting springs to lower the car, realising the shocks aren't any good, replacing the shocks, then wearing out all the joints and bushings and replacing those later, but its not that fun to go through. Much easier and less frustrating to buy what you can, when you can and install once you've got all the right stuff.

[Vegas227]

Thanks everyone. I think Ill go ahead and save up for full GC kit. Seems to knock everything out in one shot anyway.. Just didnt like the fact that I was putting more money into suspension than I paid for the car itself. Oh well, the joy of owning an E30 :D

[Teaguer]

Thanks everyone. I think Ill go ahead and save up for full GC kit. Seems to knock everything out in one shot anyway.. Just didnt like the fact that I was putting more money into suspension than I paid for the car itself. Oh well, the joy of owning an E30 :D

What?! That is a horrible decision based on the information/advice given in this thread. :-?
But whatever, its your ride.