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e30 WAGON w/s54 suspension advice

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    e30 WAGON w/s54 suspension advice

    as the title says,

    I currently have an e30 wagon, I also have an s54 engine. They will be married soon (I have done this swap before in a coupe see Wannabe30 s54 swap)

    The car at the moment is an all stock 318i 5 speed wagon.

    I would really like to set this thing up to be able to be driven on the street however 80% or more of it's life will be spent on the track.

    I currently have an e46 m3 that has served me well through HPDE and will be going through the right transformation process to be turned into some sort of GT or ST race car in the off season.

    So the wagon will be more of the track toy and/or side piece to the e46 while it is under the knife.

    While on a budget I would really like to get this wagon setup the right way to be a track beast.
    sway bars
    coil overs
    camber plates
    adjustable control arms rear?

    I would really like to know from you suspension gurus what you would do if the car was yours.
    That being said I do not want to spend 10k on suspension only

    Thanks in advance!!

    Pic for fun Click image for larger version

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    New name lookin for a new car.

    My last e30 and user name:
    Wannabe30
    89 s54 alpine white
    When I sold it:
    https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=358072

    #2
    Personally, I would not track a wagon just because wagons are hard to come by.

    But bang for the buck? front coilovers, camber plates, decent dampers (single adjustable Konis are inexpensive for what you get)
    small rear springs with spacers (for tunability) shorter rear shocks and decent tires.

    Not knowing what diff is in there, I'd budget for a nice LSD with a ratio that suits the M54- if you're going to street it, 3.4x, maybe?

    Otherwise, don't overdo it.

    t
    now, sometimes I just mess with people. It's more entertaining that way. george graves

    Comment


      #3
      Yes I agree that a wagon is not the most practical choice... It will be a blast though.

      The diff is not an LSD but will be getting one immediatly. I believe it has a 4.10 now and that will NOT work. I've done the swap before I have a crappy write up on here under my old user name Wannabe30.

      your suggestion sounds just about exactly what I need I just wonder if anyone has a good and not too expensive suggestion to get adjustable camber in the rear.

      Tires will be decent or better I like the longer lasting options like rs4 for street. I have not researched the options I have for the track for sizes yet but I like the life I'm getting out of the Maxxis rc1 on my e46

      thanks for replying and sorry it took so long for me to reply
      New name lookin for a new car.

      My last e30 and user name:
      Wannabe30
      89 s54 alpine white
      When I sold it:
      https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=358072

      Comment


        #4
        Just a small update. I decided on ground controls coilover conversion kit with adjustable camber plates. I also condor speed shops rear adjustable camber bushings and 3.64 LSD the car is a different car now!Click image for larger version  Name:	IMG_2433.jpg Views:	0 Size:	82.1 KB ID:	9911237
        New name lookin for a new car.

        My last e30 and user name:
        Wannabe30
        89 s54 alpine white
        When I sold it:
        https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=358072

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Romn8r View Post
          Just a small update. I decided on ground controls coilover conversion kit with adjustable camber plates. I also condor speed shops rear adjustable camber bushings and 3.64 LSD the car is a different car now!Click image for larger version Name:	IMG_2433.jpg Views:	0 Size:	82.1 KB ID:	9911237
          what is the wheel tire setup on the car?
          Originally posted by blunttech
          Levent guzzles vanilla hazelnut creamer like its my semen
          :shock:

          Comment


            #6
            Car looks fantastic!

            I think the ground controls with koni’s has the best value per buck than all the options. And they ride great also!

            When it comes down to it, the expensive stuff needs rebuilt every 30k miles or so... after comparing I’m ok with the reliability quirks of koni comparatively.

            And I thought I lost my lust for a wagon, looks great! The sparco wheels actually look good!

            Considered an n52 swap vs having 2 S54s cars?

            I was up above it, Now I'm down in it ~ Entropy - A Build thread.
            @Zakspeed_US

            Comment


              #7
              Any chance of an update?

              CAPP

              Comment


                #8

                car is swapped and running. I just got the final tune done and the car made 329 wheel horse. I decided to detune to 309 and rev limit to 7900 just to keep it safe as this is just a road/track toy and I'm not trying to be competitive with it. I broke an axle two days later but it was at the boot/bearing and I believe it's the factory axle from 1990 so I ordered a standard replacement. Also planning to fit some wider wheels with better tires. I have a set of apex arc-8 4 lugs with new tires Falken rt660 235/40/17 Just need to roll fenders and send it off to alignment. Also I am researching big brake kits.
                New name lookin for a new car.

                My last e30 and user name:
                Wannabe30
                89 s54 alpine white
                When I sold it:
                https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...d.php?t=358072

                Comment

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