Redoing Suspension, need your opinions

[mbonanni]

My four door project will soon be running, and want to redo the suspension as soon as possible. This is going to be my daily driver/weekend warrior, hopefully do some autox next year, but MOSTLY daily driven.

Here is what I know I am getting
-Bilsteins shortened 2", revlaved to 500f/700r
-Ground control conversion 500/700
-Housing shortened 2" with m3 tabs welded on
-m3 sway bar end links for the front
-new rear sway bar links (oem)
-new control arms
-front strut mount (oem)
-rear upper shock mount (oem)

I have read about doing, or want to also do these, but unsure if I should go with poly or not.
-rear subframe bushing
-trailing arm bushings
-control arm bushing

Anything else I need to add/change, and should I go with stock rubber or polyurethane all around?

BTW: considering Condor speed shops poly for what I want poly..

Thank you

[ak-]

OEM Rear shock mounts on e30's are known to be a weak/wear-item especially once you stress them with the suspension you're getting. I forget exactly why, but I has something to do with the rubber mount not given enough "play" and it eventually blows thru.

Bimmerworld offer beefed up lifetime warranty RSM's.
GC makes awesome extended shock mounts too that let you retain shock travel if you plan to heavily lower the car.



And then, when shortening housings and adding M3 links I can't exactly remember, but I know there was a problem with the swaybar flexing and possibly touching the front subframe. Adjustable links fix that. Could be a problem or not. I can't remember!

[mbonanni]

OKay, That is actually what I was just reading, good to read it form someone else. I will pass on gc's raised rear's, and go for the lifetime warranty ones.

I know that F34R has his housing's sectioned and I believe he runs the m3 links as well, so I will contact him.

Thank you

[kronus]

Your camber and rear toe is going to be all jacked up if you plan to lower the car as much as it sounds like you are. I'd budget for adjustable camber plates up front and weld-in adjusters in the rear.

[mbonanni]

I do not plan on "slamming" the car. In fact I will probably ride about mid way on the adjusters, which another member on here is doing and has no problems, but I will keep those in mind.

Any camber plates and correction kits you guys recommend?

Thank you

[mbonanni]

Change of plans, 2" seems very low. I am going to go with 1.5", it isnt much, but I sure it will matter

[jlevie]

If lowering the car an inch or more and the car will primarily be a daily driver, use OE subframe and trailing arm bushings, OE M3 offset control arm bushings, GC camber plates in the front and add IE camber/toe adjusters in the rear. Align the car to stock numbers for a reasonable compromise between performance and tire wear.

With the spring rates that I expect you'll have, skip the M3 links and strut mod and use Bimmerworld 22mm/19mm sways.

[DRTSRFR]

Our Touring plates will allow you to get stock camber numbers on lowered suspension.

And just to clarify, the Tall Mounts do not ADD travel, they reduce droop, to help retain short springs.

Mark

[mbonanni]

Awesome, thanks guys!

[Vivek]

I'd highly recommend Condor's mounts. The diff adds a diff whine which isn't an issue for me with no roof. Other than that I have AKG race CABs and they added zero harshness. IE TABs are fine, I'd have gone with Condor if I could have afforded it, but IMO tabs aren't as important as other bushings. They squeak a bit when it's wet but nothing in the dry so far.

[mbonanni]

I think I am just going to go all oem rubber this time around. Maybe if I decide to turbo later down the road, or autox and what not I will put in poly, but rubber will be good.

[ak-]

Our Touring plates will allow you to get stock camber numbers on lowered suspension.

And just to clarify, the Tall Mounts do not ADD travel, they reduce droop, to help retain short springs.

Mark

Technically nothing is going to ADD travel. But for the sake of retaining the same height, and adding the GC tall rear shock mounts, you are granting yourself more travel to work with, since you raise the collars to keep the same height. Right?

[mbonanni]

That is exactly what it does, retains travel. puts the mounting point higher up so that is is compressed less from get go at sag height.

That is how I understand it.

[DRTSRFR]

Technically nothing is going to ADD travel. But for the sake of retaining the same height, and adding the GC tall rear shock mounts, you are granting yourself more travel to work with, since you raise the collars to keep the same height. Right?

Given the same ride height, the adjusters have nothing to do with travel. When I check total travel, I remove the springs entirely so I can articulate the trailing arm sweep by hand.


If you extend the shock shaft higher into the chassis, technically you REDUCE total available travel, as in less droop. The control arm sweeps, or moves, a shorter distance.

The bumpstop still makes contact with the bottom of the mount in exactly the same place, regardless if the mount is standard or tall. The tall mount will not allow the wheel to droop as far from the chassis.

Mark