Coilovers vs. H&R race?

[gearheadE30]

I've got some APEX springs in my 318is now, and they are wayyy too soft for autocross. The car is still a daily driver, but I want some stiffer spring rates to reduce roll. The sways are staying the same for now, although I may eventually get a cabrio front bar and an iX rear bar.

The M42, as most of you know, has a really low oil pan, and I'm afraid that races may be too low. The price is about equal, because I would just go witht he basic GC stuff-adjusters and springs.

Any reccomendations on which way to go, or spring rates to get for mostly street driving and somewhat regular autocrossing. I'm currently running bilstein sports, so I'm not getting new shocks.

[DSP74]

See my PM on E30 tech.

450 550 would be really nice, and a bigger front bar will help to control camber loss during body roll. There are cheaper alternatives than Ground Control

[gearheadE30]

OK, after a day on the web, I have it narrowed down to there options:

GC coilovers-$360
Cosmo coilovers-$190
Ireland Engineering front, Cosmo or GC rear-$???

Opinions? I don't know if Cosmos could stand up to multiple winters, considering the bare metal. GCs are a bit pricey for what you get, even if the quality is much better and there is a greater range of adjustment. The IE combination seems like a good deal, and I could just pick up some GC/eibach springs. The price is in the middle, assuming I could find rear adjusters. I don't want the IE 1 7/8 inch spring limitation.

Suggestions? Opinions? Snide remarks?

[Danny]

I have H&R race on my 318.

I love them.

[etxxz]

consider WHAT shocks just as much as what springs...

lets start by the Cosmos being Aluminum construction (won't rust). They come with the same type of adjustable perch as GC AND have a very nice teflon addition that eliminates noises. They're springs are 2.8" vs 2.5" GC just in case you were wondering compatability. been rocking them two years. i rate 10/10 performance. ebay spring rates of 8/10 (450/560) but you can custom order. they are in UK i think so lead times may apply.

[Van Westervelt]

H&R/GC>IE all day long

[smonkbmw]

if youre speaking of roll as in what your car is doing in your sig, you need sway bars, not springs. springs will help but keeping the car flat is more of a swaybars job.

on topic: i as always recommend the hr race over all. ive seen somewhere a adjustable "hat" for the rear, to adjust height. i wanna say bav auto, could be wrong though.

[318isbmw]

Daily drove IE3's on my e30 for 3 years so far, had no issues. Hate the reverse rake but they were cheap at the time and work great. Never had issues w/ them being too low w/ the m42 oilpan either.

Don't worry about the drop w/ the h&r race's, similar to IE3's and it isn't bad if your careful what goes under your car.

[z31maniac]

OK, after a day on the web, I have it narrowed down to there options:

GC coilovers-$360
Cosmo coilovers-$190
Ireland Engineering front, Cosmo or GC rear-$???

Opinions? I don't know if Cosmos could stand up to multiple winters, considering the bare metal. GCs are a bit pricey for what you get, even if the quality is much better and there is a greater range of adjustment. The IE combination seems like a good deal, and I could just pick up some GC/eibach springs. The price is in the middle, assuming I could find rear adjusters. I don't want the IE 1 7/8 inch spring limitation.

Suggestions? Opinions? Snide remarks?

As far as longevity is concerned I can give you some input on the GC E30 track/school kit.

The car I bought had this suspension already installed, he put it on the car about 5 years and 8000 miles ago. The collars and adjusters, plates, everything still look great (it was a FL car too) the only thing that looks a little ragged are the allen head screws that hold the camber adjustment. And GC just sent me some new ones to put in there.

[DSP74]

My ground Control setup on my Camaro after similar useage, with probably several hundred miles of autox runs the threads were SHOT on the adjusters...From the springs rubbing them....Which isn't to say someone elses wouldn't do the same thing.....Probably would it's just aluminum.......

[DSP74]

lets start by the Cosmos being Aluminum construction (won't rust). They come with the same type of adjustable perch as GC AND have a very nice teflon addition that eliminates noises. They're springs are 2.8" vs 2.5" GC just in case you were wondering compatability..

Measure the spring's INSIDE diameter.....Not to be a dick but you guys using the Cosmo setup are fucking something up. I CONTINUE to here conficting information about the size of the springs.....From 2.5 to 2.8 to 3.5" springs......WTF is it??????


And while I've been on the Cosmo is fine band wagon lately, if they do not use 2.5" springs they are utterly useless

[gearheadE30]

And while I've been on the Cosmo is fine band wagon lately, if they do not use 2.5" springs they are utterly useless

Yeah, no kidding. That's another topic that makes me a bit wary.

318isbmw and smonkbmw, I would go H&R races if they weren't about the same price as coilovers. At $350, I think coilovers offer a lot more for the money. I am also not much of a fan of progressive rate springs on an e30. All of the linearly-sprung cars I've driven were much more predictable on bumpy surfaces like the autox courses I drive on.

I have found many sources for rear adjusters; that isn't a problem. If I could get universal front adjusters, however, I would save between $50 and $100.

The reason I want the adjusters to be treated in some way is that aluminum corrodes easily. For some reason, this seems especially true in Indiana. The salt evenmade the aluminum lips on my rims start to corrode :(...

As for swaybars reducing roll, I konw, except the car also exhibits excessive dives and bottoms out too easily. Bars won't fix that ;). I will eventually go stiffer bars, though, probably with an iX bar in the rear and a cabrio bar front with M3 mounts if they are legal in STS.

[etxxz]

Measure the spring's INSIDE diameter.....Not to be a dick but you guys using the Cosmo setup are fucking something up. I CONTINUE to here conficting information about the size of the springs.....From 2.5 to 2.8 to 3.5" springs......WTF is it??????


And while I've been on the Cosmo is fine band wagon lately, if they do not use 2.5" springs they are utterly useless

cosmo is 2.8" ID...if you could no figure that out from my post. Please explain why the different ID makes them utterly useless.

[nando]

consider WHAT shocks just as much as what springs...

lets start by the Cosmos being Aluminum construction (won't rust). They come with the same type of adjustable perch as GC AND have a very nice teflon addition that eliminates noises. They're springs are 2.8" vs 2.5" GC just in case you were wondering compatability. been rocking them two years. i rate 10/10 performance. ebay spring rates of 8/10 (450/560) but you can custom order. they are in UK i think so lead times may apply.

bare aluminum corrodes very easily actually - especially if it's exposed to salt/sand.

ditto on them being worthless if they don't use 2.5" springs. and is $360 for GC really that expensive?

[nando]

cosmo is 2.8" ID...if you could no figure that out from my post. Please explain why the different ID makes them utterly useless.

because all the standard springs out there are 2.5" id. so if you want to change the rates, you have to search for an oddball size spring, rather than having a plethora of cheap 2.5" id springs available to you in the new/used market, in any lengths of .5" and 25lbs/in increments.

I just don't understand cheaping out on something like this.. it's $200. I guess that's more than your weekly Mcburger paycheck?