Help: Rear height too high after shock/spring install

[Zeshin]

is your ebrake still on? that can hold the ride height up if it was jacked up with it on

I lowered the car back down with it on, however I've driven it maybe 20-30 mins since then with the ebrake off. I'm thinking of loading up some weight into the trunk, driving around and seeing if that does anything. Maybe the spring pads I'm using are too thick.

[kamotors]

is your ebrake still on? that can hold the ride height up if it was jacked up with it on

[Zeshin]

IX springs are not gonna "settle" down to a stock rwd ride height, they are the reason IX's sit taller than regular e30s...

Thanks for the reply. The "ix" springs measure the exact same dimension wise as the "is" springs do in the rear. I don't have the front "ix" pair to compare, but I think the part cross references with the 325e front springs, which are a little taller than the "is" front springs. The stock reference photos I've seen of both the "is" and "ix" look like they have the same stock ride height. Although I know general consensus is that the "ix" sit taller, however most are still using stock springs, whereas most other e30's have been modified. I know my stock 325e rode extremely high when I first got it on stock springs.

Anyways, you may be right, however the rear springs do share the same dimensions as I mentioned before, so they really shouldn't ride higher. They are only 20 lbs or so stiffer. I know the 318is Euro spec rally series runs the "ix" springs as an option against the stock 318is springs, and those cars are not nearly as high as mine is currently in the rear. So, I think something else spring pad related might be happening.

[SmokeE30]

IX springs are not gonna "settle" down to a stock rwd ride height, they are the reason IX's sit taller than regular e30s...

[Zeshin]

Hey guys,

So, I installed rear 325ix springs and brand new Bilstein HD's onto my '87 coupe. I wanted a little stiffer rates for the rear, so I wanted to try out the "ix" springs. When I compared them visually to my 325is springs, they were the same height and size. After installing the springs, with spring pads, and brand new Bilstein HD shocks, the rear of the car is not settling down to the stock ride height, but is sitting at the extremely high height of when I first let it down off of the jack stands. By comparison, the fronts initially sat just as high, however have settled down to stock height after a 15 minute drive.

My question is what could be wrong with the rear suspension to prevent it from settling in? I noticed that the bottom spring pad center opening was binding slightly between the trailing arm and the spring, but otherwise everything looked fine and installed without incident. I know new springs and shocks sometimes take a week or two to fully settle, but these are used springs and the fronts have already dropped to stock height.

Any ideas on what to check for, or should I just drive it more and wait and see if it settles?

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