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Fully Adjustable Coilovers for Drifting and Track Suggestions Needed

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    Fully Adjustable Coilovers for Drifting and Track Suggestions Needed

    I am looking for a fully adjustable system for exclusive drifting and tracking use (can and should be stiff as hell) but don't really know E30's all that well since this is my first one. It seems like there are so many different options that I'm losing track of it all myself so if anyone has any suggestions and/or experiences to share then I would be glad to hear them.

    I would also be interested in a pieced together setup that people have come across that seems to work well and last the rigors of the track.

    I'm going to be running a 351 if that factors into your suggestions.

    #2
    ground control, bc, and fortune auto are all good and available with custom spring rates.

    1989 Coupe build thread: http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=312012
    IG: @mitchlikesbikes

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      #3
      Ground control seems really nice but is costly. BC and fortune seem to be more street focused. Do you have experience with them on the track and/or can you compare them to the GC?

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        #4
        ... GC is not costly. BC's and Fortunes are a joke for extended track use.

        This has been covered many times (and still is at least once a month), I would suggest using the search function, you will find your questions answered.

        Here's a couple freebies to show I bear no ill will.

        Bimmerforums is the preferred online BMW Forum and community for BMW owners. At Bimmerforums, you will find technical how-to information maintenance specifics audio advice wheel and tire combinations and model specific details not found anywhere else. Our professionals are here to help make sure you find the answers you need to your questions and our community is here to help other brainstorm ideas for the future.

        ADAMS Autosport

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          #5
          I think you are generalizing a question that was actually meant to be pretty specific. I know what's out there. I want testimonials from set ups that would be similar to my situation which seems to be lacking comment more than "good" or "bad".

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            #6
            What do you want to know? Generally I think drift setups are not very damper dependent, more on geometry, and even then most people just bolt random parts on the car for steering angle and that's the end of the thought process. Lots of people run cheap shocks like BC, Fortune and have no issues.

            For track use, BC/Fortune are pretty useless IMO, but it all depends on what you want to do at the track. If you're just going to have fun, you'll be fine with whatever, if you're actually trying to learn and tune on the car, do not buy BC/Fortune/etc. They are cheap shocks and won't give you consistent performance or feedback
            - '88 m54 coupe

            <3

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              #7
              So what do you run and how do you like it?

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                #8
                I have MCS 2-way remotes. A little overkill for most, but my car is a shared-seat enduro race car (in the making) so the baller shocks make it easier to talk good drivers into driving it. Each click of adjustment does what you'd expect it to every time and the technical support is amazing. I wouldn't say I'm super knowledgeable and definitely not super fast yet, but I am pretty interested in chassis/damper tuning and learning about it from multiple perspectives, so I wanted to go with a known quantity. They offer a less-expensive single adjustable kit, also bolt-on for an e30, that is a pretty good deal IMO but if you think GC is expensive you're going to think these are crazy. I do recommend going with GC camber plates regardless, I have them on my MCS and really like them.

                I did have a full GC kit on my car a long time ago too and it was a really nice happy medium between street/track/autocross.
                - '88 m54 coupe

                <3

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                  #9
                  So how would you say it handles compared to the GC system you had before, and which GC system did you have?

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                    #10
                    I thought you wanted specifics, then you ask how it "handles"? My answer to that would be, good. The GC handled good too but not quite as good. I'm sure BC's handle good as well, probably less good than the others. That said, most people here aren't good enough to know the difference between good and less good or not good at all.
                    - '88 m54 coupe

                    <3

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Jb325is View Post
                      most people here aren't good enough to know the difference between good and less good or not good at all.
                      Quoted for future sig use.
                      Originally posted by kronus
                      would be in depending on tip slant and tube size

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                        #12
                        Well specifics as in body roll, stability, etc. Maybe you can compare lap times. Anything quantifiable.

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by gordon17074 View Post
                          Well specifics as in body roll, stability, etc. Maybe you can compare lap times. Anything quantifiable.
                          The brand of coilover kit doesn't define how it 'handles' or the amount of body roll, etc...

                          Those things are functions of spring rate and shock settings, among other things. Any good coilover 'kit' will allow you to choose the spring rate and will also come with shocks that cover a range of adjustability to suit your driving style and car setup. It doesn't matter if you're running GC, Ohlins, or a DIY kit, if you have a XXX pound springs and XXX compression/rebound valving on the shocks, the car is going to do the same thing. What you're paying for and what will be different between manufacturers is build quality, customer support, consistency, ease of adjustment, etc...

                          As stated in this thread multiple times, GC is a great start, and is probably the cheapest quality coilover kit that actually works as intended for track use. Anything cheaper like BC, etc... likely have adjustability inconsistencies when it comes to the shocks. The shocks are the most important part, that's what you're paying for. A spring is a spring for the most part.
                          85 325e m60b44 6 speed / 89 535i
                          e30 restoration and V8 swap
                          24 Hours of Lemons e30 build

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by JGood View Post
                            The brand of coilover kit doesn't define how it 'handles' or the amount of body roll, etc...

                            Those things are functions of spring rate and shock settings, among other things. Any good coilover 'kit' will allow you to choose the spring rate and will also come with shocks that cover a range of adjustability to suit your driving style and car setup. It doesn't matter if you're running GC, Ohlins, or a DIY kit, if you have a XXX pound springs and XXX compression/rebound valving on the shocks, the car is going to do the same thing. What you're paying for and what will be different between manufacturers is build quality, customer support, consistency, ease of adjustment, etc...

                            As stated in this thread multiple times, GC is a great start, and is probably the cheapest quality coilover kit that actually works as intended for track use. Anything cheaper like BC, etc... likely have adjustability inconsistencies when it comes to the shocks. The shocks are the most important part, that's what you're paying for. A spring is a spring for the most part.
                            Pretty much spot on. I would say that the motorsports stuff does have significantly better bump control that is pretty apparent. I actually have a video from our car that shows this a little bit, although not a perfect comparison.

                            E30 M3 @ Barber- Fresh (1st weekend) Continental slicks 245/40/15 or something. Watch the behavior of the car over the curbing in the kink (~2:54 in the video)

                            A couple of laps around Barber in the new E30 M3. First lap was my fastest of the weekend at a 1:44 flat. Second lap involves a little bit of overdriving whi...


                            E30 M54 @ Barber- Fresh Dunlop Z2 StarSpec street tires. Same part of the track, big curb hit, watch driver's hands (~1:08 in video)



                            Lap times were nearly identical I think.
                            Last edited by Jb325is; 09-13-2017, 11:52 AM.
                            - '88 m54 coupe

                            <3

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                              #15
                              In my experience certain brands have huge gaps between adjustments. Gaps that would otherwise be the perfect setting, but I guess if there are enough adjustments then you can compensate for that.

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