Ride height on IE3s vs Pro-kit?

[Fidhle007]

I'm thinking about getting the ST bars, either from Matt (if he ever PMs me back) or TMS and then perhaps getting the IE rear mount to stiffen things up later on...

[Axxe]

IE3's are a good intermediate spring setup for track. I was getting lots of body roll on mine, but at omg-you-are-crazy speeds on the track. BTW, don't go too stiff on sways, you sacrifice handling to make the car "feel" flatter. All a sway bar does it take out the independancy of the suspension, use them only to change vehicle dynamics, not counter body roll.

[Fidhle007]

IE3's are a good intermediate spring setup for track. I was getting lots of body roll on mine, but at omg-you-are-crazy speeds on the track. BTW, don't go too stiff on sways, you sacrifice handling to make the car "feel" flatter. All a sway bar does it take out the independancy of the suspension, use them only to change vehicle dynamics, not counter body roll.

Care to elaborate a little? I understand the principals behind it all but I'm curious...

I know that running a stiffer bar in the back will counteract understeer a little but if you go too stiff you start to lose rear grip as the inside wheel is being lifted under hard cornering forces.

[Axxe]

Well, E30 M3 bar in the back and E30 M3 geometry in the front is as stiff as I'd go. Imagine that you put an insanely stiff bar front and rear, the car would effectively have a "live" axle. So by upping the rear stiffness, the car moves to an oversteering state sooner, however there is also more difficulty putting power down. FYI, I have been running 100% stock sway setup, and find the IE's to be a seriously badass and awesome setup for the street. If that's what you're using it for, and occasional autoX and track days, it's perfect.

[Fidhle007]

I already have Eibachs and with the amount of frost heaves we get around here I won't be getting IE3s until spring at least however, sway bars have been on my list forever and those will probably go on first. I'll keep my stock sways around though so I can fine tune things later, once I get on the track. My tech and I will be prepping our cars over the winter for some track action once the white stuff melts. Of course he'll be running in a different class than I will be, he's got a Dinan S/Ced M3....

I'm looking for a strictly street setup for now, which is why I'll probably stop with the sways, and then come spring I'll redo it for the track.

Anyone need some eibach springs in a few months? ;)

[Axxe]

Dude, ride comfort has NOTHING to do with springs, it's all in the dampening. Unless of course you bottom out on every bump in the road, like on Eibachs. Sway bars are just a bandaid for weaksauce spring rates.

[Fidhle007]

Dude, ride comfort has NOTHING to do with springs, it's all in the dampening. Unless of course you bottom out on every bump in the road, like on Eibachs. Sway bars are just a bandaid for weaksauce spring rates.

See, this is what I've always thought too! I come from a downhill mountain biking background and our saying was "the spring's only job is to return the shock to it's fully extended position." But eveyone in the e30 world makes such a big deal about springs that assumed there was something I wasn't getting.

In theory body roll should be able to be counteracted with the low speed compression damping setting on a shock absorber, a lot like how us bike guys use it to conteract the "bob" effect pedaling has on a long-travel bike. Granted you are working with a much heavier vehicle and the geometry is very different...