Bilstein upgrade question?

[AlpineRob]

Had my 1991 318is for a few years now..suspension has been stock all along.. I'm looking to upgrade to bilsteins but do i'm not looking to lower the car any more than an 1 inch..what kind of springs can i buy to feel the difference in new shocks, but not feel every bump i drive over..? I hear HR springs will bring the car down about 1"1/4+..which is not what im looking for.. suggestions? thanks a lot

[peteM3power]

I upgraded my standard shocks to Bilstein Sport Shocks a couple of years ago now and cannot express enough how much of a fantastic improvement they made.  Albeit the old shocks were worn and tired due to the couple of hundred thousand km's they'd travelled, the new upgrade made a world of difference and I'd recommend them 100%.

I have mated them to a set of H&R Sport Springs which are quite a nice combination.  It provides a firm yet supple feel over all but the harshest of bumps.  On the open road and on most nice inner suburban roads it is great but I must admit that the obvious and noticeable tradeoff comes when the road becomes rough and there are harsh potholes and/ or tramtracks for example.

All the same though, you will definately feel a difference in stiffness and firmness on the road but this is to be expected with such an upgrade.  I am not sure to the exact degree with which the H&R Sport Springs lowered the car but it is definately not enough to give you any trouble bottoming out or scraping over driveways.  Alternatively if you are looking for a more standard ride height you may want to look into the Bilstein Shock combined with a H&R OE Spring which will offer the same rate and feel as a H&R Sport but at a slightly higher (AKA Stock) ride height.

I am sure some more guys will chime in here but these are my thoughts and personally, for what you are trying to achieve, either Bilstein Sport Shocks with H&R Sport Springs or Bilstein Sport Shocks with H&R OE Springs will offer you much of what you have been searching for at a reasonable price and at a comfortable tradeoff.

[AlpineRob]

I like your idea of using H&R OE springs to keep the stock ride height. Would anyone suggest upgrading to a larger rim/tire set up when upgrading the suspension to bilsteins and H&R's? With my stock set up, last summer i had 16x7" wheels, which bettered my handling dramatically but recently i sold them and put my stock bbs back on. thoughts?

[sand_m4n]

i just put 17s on mine and i need to know this answer also! my ride is almost like a boat :p (way to much drifting ) i have 17s so im not sure if i should lower the ride because i think it will rub to much any ideas?

[AlpineRob]

In my opinion, I think 17s would rub if it were lowered..also for aesthetic reasons, i think the 17s may just be a little over sized for the e30..Obviously thats my opinion - depends on the style/tires..I had 16s as i said before and i thought they were great..one problem with upgrading in rim size was i found that they came out further than my wheel wells which did not work well with me, it gave it an awkward pose and also because i tend to keep a constantly detailed car which includes tire wet..large wheel set up sends that stuff all over your fenders and doors which is a pain..I'm a little too meticulous as you can see.

[AlpineRob]

how can i upload pictures..i tried it but doesnt seem to work for me..

[Eurospec]

You can upload pictures HERE

Should be much easier.

I've got 50404.55's paired with bilstien heavy duty's on my car, take a look

[AlpineRob]

Anyone have a link to buy the H&R OE springs?

[AlpineRob]

Is there such thing as sport springs which DO NOT LOWER the car? Same height but stiffer in turns is essentially what i am searching for. thanks

[haledj]

Turner motorsports thas the OE sports. If I were you I would look into upgrading swaybars.  You would maintain stock ride and comfort but reduce roll in corners.

[Demelich]

Just a quick note....

I am in a similar situation.  91 318IS, blown shocks and sagging springs.

I wanted HR OE springs, so I contacted Turner Motorsports.  They said that those springs do not fit a 91 318IS.

edit: Now that I think about it, I think it was Pelican Parts that said that the HR OEs will not fit a 318is.  Yet I am seeing that they will work on an M3.  I was under the impression that M3 shocks and springs were interchangable with a 318is.  No idea what to think.

[FredK]

17" wheels will work. You aren't actually changing the total wheel diameter. You'd use a tire with a thinner sidewall to compensate--something like a 215/40R17

That said, the bigger the wheels, the more unacceptable the lack of lowering looks, IMO.

The OE springs "fit" in terms of diameter, but the drop up front will not be that large, because the M42 is a lighter weight engine than an M20. You may end up having a jacked up front end.

You may even want to consider supplemental oxygen due to the extreme front end altitude. jk

[RedHoodRidah]

You may even want to consider supplemental oxygen due to the extreme front end altitude. jk

lmfao:D fight fight lol jk'

[Demelich]

I like the way Eurospec's car looks, so I decided to pick up some HR OE springs and Bilstein HDs.  

The HDs fit just fine, but it looks like I need a new strut housing in order to mount the springs.  The top fits fine, but the bottom of the spring is too wide to fit in the stut housing.  

Is there a way around this problem, or am I stuck either picking up M3 strut housings or attempting to return the springs?

And yes, the model number I bought was 50404.55

edit:  Now the plot thickens....   The box says part number 50404.55.  The springs inside the box say 50424.55.

[sand_m4n]

srry if i forgot to mention this but i have an E36 not an E30, 17s on an E30 is a little to big in my opinion i agree