Advice for NYC roads

[Gordo0208]

Hello all,


I was recently forced to buy some wheels for my 86 325e as my wheels split in half. They're 16x8 with 205/50R16. This is going to raise the car and it's going to irk the ish out of me so I know I'm going to want tonlower it ASAP but, I'm unsure of what to go with.

I don't want anything that will tu k the tire but, I don't want a huge wheel gap either. I don't want something super stiff either. I had thought of H&R OE Sports but I feel like that 1" drop might leave me desiring more. Then I thought about the touring cup kit, anyone Know how that rides?

I read everyone loves billys but, my brother has a 98 M3 on new sport springs with billys and I DETEST the ride, every pothole (LOTS OF THEM IN NYC) makes the car feel like it's about to blow a shock through the strut tower or bend the wheel into a fucking square.

I need/want something with a nice firm ride but, soft enough to not make me think the car will fall apart everytime I hit a pothole

HELP!!

If you've driven a new E9x M3, that's the kind of feedback I want
Tha ks in advance!!

[jlevie]

My experiences in driving in the NYC area is that if you put every 100' of good road end to end you would not even have a mile of good road. There is no way that I'd even consider lowering car that will be driven there. Instead I'd be looking for ways to increase ground clearance. Well that or learn to live with never driving at over 5mph to avoid or minimize damage from the potholes.

[Gordo0208]

My experiences in driving in the NYC area is that if you put every 100' of good road end to end you would not even have a mile of good road. There is no way that I'd even consider lowering car that will be driven there. Instead I'd be looking for ways to increase ground clearance. Well that or learn to live with never driving at over 5mph to avoid or minimize damage from the potholes.

Lol I know what you mean but, such is life. I work at a BMW dealer, we get cars every day with bent, cracked wheels. F3x's are coming in roughly on a weekly basis with shocks blown straight through the knuckle but, I really think there is a design flaw there because it's setup is really similar to older BMW's and those down blow out the way F3x's do. I just had to replace all the front left control arms, knuckle, shock, drive flange etc on a 428 with 611 miles!!!

[FLG]

I usually just drive as fast as i can and pray i hop over everything. But really, i just learn what routes i can take and what i cant. But winter has killed the roads recently, leave it high until they start to fix things. Some nasty huge holes out there.

BC coils on my track rat (8k front 10k rear) work very fine for street driving (its a bit rough but its the price you got to pay if your lowered) also a skid plate is a must. Ive never cracked or bent a rim on any of my cars.

[Gordo0208]

I usually just drive as fast as i can and pray i hop over everything. But really, i just learn what routes i can take and what i cant. But winter has killed the roads recently, leave it high until they start to fix things. Some nasty huge holes out there.

BC coils on my track rat (8k front 10k rear) work very fine for street driving (its a bit rough but its the price you got to pay if your lowered) also a skid plate is a must. Ive never cracked or bent a rim on any of my cars.

Lmao, that's not what you do over the belt pkwy is it!? The thing is, on the way to work, there are no good roads. I work in Manhattan, you already know what that is lol
I mean I'm not going to drove over bumps and potholes like the most retards in our city do but, for those I can't slow down too much for or avoid; I want something that will smooth those out as best as possible without leaving the E30 looking like a monster truck on bbs'

BC is a bit out of my price range at the moment.

[Swanny]

Spending the weekend there now. Have never seen the roads so bad

[Bearmw]

A fellow R3Ver bought some vert springs to use in his i/is car for winter use because the roads can be horrible in MA as well. Ride height, suspension compliance, a skid plate, and tall tire side walls with winter tread would be part of my plan if driving an E30 in the winter in the Northeast. Handling suffers but its better than damage.

If I had to drive an E30 through the winter it would either be a beater or I would do the above. In the summer the roads are a bit better but can still wreak havoc if the car is too low or stiff.

[Gordo0208]

A fellow R3Ver bought some vert springs to use in his i/is car for winter use because the roads can be horrible in MA as well. Ride height, suspension compliance, a skid plate, and tall tire side walls with winter tread would be part of my plan if driving an E30 in the winter in the Northeast. Handling suffers but its better than damage.

If I had to drive an E30 through the winter it would either be a beater or I would do the above. In the summer the roads are a bit better but can still wreak havoc if the car is too low or stiff.

I'll probably store my current OEM sorings and shocks for next winter. I also planned on buying 15" basket weaves and winter tires with a 55 sidewall as well but, hopefully I don't have to drive it next winter.
For now though on my new 16x8 205/50R16 I want to lower it some, the wheel gap is huge. I was looking at H&R's touring cup kit, ST suspensions cup kit or possibly H&R sport springs with new OEM Sachs