318 Ti suspension????'s

[e30ryan///m3]

Hey everyone,
I tried to search under 318 ti suspention in the 5 lug swap forum but found no results. I have a chance to get a complete 5 lug suspension from a wrecked 318Ti. The person selling it say's that the whole thing bolts right up to the e30 cabrio no problem. Anybody here used the complete suspension from the e36 318Ti??? Just checking!

Thanks,
Ryan

[Jordan]

The rear is ok to use, and will bolt right up.

Front is garbage.

[e30ryan///m3]

The rear is ok to use, and will bolt right up.

Front is garbage.

Thanks Jordan

[e30ryan///m3]

What would be good to use for the front. I know that the e30 m3 suspension is a complete bolt in but I am having trouble finding one to use. I have also read about the wheel not being centered in the front wheel opening. What is the best front setup to use other than an e30 M3 setup?????

Thanks,
Ryan

[Jordan]

There is no other best.

A pair of e30 M3 front strut housings are ideal, the BEST.

Anything else is a halfassed compromise.

[e30ryan///m3]

If I were to source out the parts from local junkyards is there a list of parts from the e30 M3 that anybody has, so that I make sure to find everything?

Thanks,
Ryan

[Jordan]

All you need is a pair of e30 M3 strut housings, prefered with the wheel bearing hub unit still attached. Brake disc's and calipers are also needed. Make sure you remove the tierod and control arm from the lever arm bolted to the bottom of the M3 strut housing. Non-M strut housings are 1 peice.

325i strut inserts, springs, upper perches, strut bearing etc all swap right over.

[E30-323ti]

There is no other best.

A pair of e30 M3 front strut housings are ideal, the BEST.

Anything else is a halfassed compromise.

Halfassed meaning: doesn't work with all stock BMW parts Jordan??

As I pointed out in another thread on this topic my wheel alignment with E36 parts being used comes out within E30 spec's.
The only non-OE BMW part needed is camber plates.

I don't disagree that the E30 M3 parts are the best way of doing it.
But the E36 way works perfectly fine too.

E30 M3 parts are only going to become rarer and more expensive!!

[conrod]

E36 front strut/upright has a better geometry than E30 M3,scrub radius is better, as well as roll centre (higher) on a lowered car.But to use these parts means top mounts moved inwards to get camber within spec.(as you said, E30-323ti - camber plates) and E36 offset wheels. Am fitting E36 M3 front end to my car, certainly won't be as easy as E30 M3, but will give better result for what I am doing.

[Jordan]

E36 front strut/upright has a better geometry than E30 M3

Perhaps while still attached to a e36, but not with hacked up parts to bring it barely within factory alignment specs on a e30.

[conrod]

With all due respect Jordan, your car looks like a nicely modded E30, complete with its own website.However,just because someone may choose a different route to the one you took, does not automatically mean it has not been well thought out, or properly engineered. BMW Motorsport for one did not use the original M3 front struts on the Gp.A M3 , and part of the design criteria for the motorsport parts was to enable fitment of larger diameter and wider wheels, on a much lowered car, which entailed revised geometry, and I for one would not point the finger at their engineers and say they didn't know what they were doing. It always pays to keep an open mind on things.....

[E30-323ti]

Perhaps while still attached to a e36, but not with hacked up parts to bring it barely within factory alignment specs on a e30.

I wouldn't roll too much Jordan, conrod is speaking form alot of experience in motorsport & suspension development.

Well if you actually look at my wheel alignment prinout, you will see it is closer to the higher -ve camber value & castor towards the max also.
The reason the cambers are different is I didn't have time to do the adjustments only the toe so it would drive straight.

If you look at the setback values, that would indicate the wheels only sit 2mm back compared to stock.
And the width change of 18mm (per side) which concur's with the width difference between a E30 & E36 ti backend (Mounting face to Mounting face).

[Jordan]

Thanks for that. It illustrates my points quite well.

[E30-323ti]

Thanks for that. It illustrates my points quite well.

And your point is:

...barely within factory alignment specs on a e30.

Last time I checked, More camber & more castor are desireble traits for a E30, so an alignment that comes out toward that end of the scale with these "hacked up parts" and a 330mm ride height is not a problem or a reason to call this conversion "rubbish"


Lets see your alignment spec's if they are so fan-didly-tastic then Jordan!!

[Jordan]

The factory specs are for a 4x4 stock ride height car. Slam that that car to the ground, then tell me what your front camber and caster is.