Spring Rates?

[e30Andym42]

Does anyone know the stock spring rates of the e30 318is?

Also, what spring rate do you prefer?

I am looking at a new suspension, and I am looking for daily drivability, but I am not a baby, I can handle a good hard ride, as long as it doesn't get old, or annoying, and makes me hate driving my car.

[e30Andym42]

anybody?

[Jimmy Lewis]

Stock are right around 120F and 265R.

Most guys run H&R's and Bilstein's, sports or races. Whatever floats your boat. I've ridden in cars with stock suspension, sports, and races and honestly my buddy's races aren't any more harsh than my stock setup. Keep in mind I'm 19 and the last thing I am worried about is comfort. Yesterday I turned down a '87 Cosworth 190e partially because I felt like I was driving a mattress, and because a 5 year old prepped and painted it. That aside, you won't be disappointed with whatever you go with, unless you are a 65 year old man with arthritis in your back.

[Danny707]

Go stiffer than you think you want.

[renfield90]

Stock are right around 120F and 265R.

Most guys run H&R's and Bilstein's, sports or races. Whatever floats your boat. I've ridden in cars with stock suspension, sports, and races and honestly my buddy's races aren't any more harsh than my stock setup. Keep in mind I'm 19 and the last thing I am worried about is comfort. Yesterday I turned down a '87 Cosworth 190e partially because I felt like I was driving a mattress, and because a 5 year old prepped and painted it. That aside, you won't be disappointed with whatever you go with, unless you are a 65 year old man with arthritis in your back.

+1. I am on the IE Stage 3 springs (which are rated something like 315 lbs/in front and 570 lbs/in rear). They're stiff, especially if you take a bump too fast (can't roll through speed bumps at 15-20mph like I did on the stockers). But honestly, most of the time I find myself wishing they were a little stiffer.

Getting the car lower has made for a night and day improvement on handling, even on crappy 7-year-old tires. Even if the ride were harsher than it is, it'd be worth it for this improvement alone. Make sure you get a quality shock though that will pair well with the spring rates, or you're going to be very disappointed.

I'd love a coilover setup, but it's pricey...and I hear there are strength/reliability issues in the rear. More trouble than it's worth to me for a car that I expect will last me a year or so.

[e30Andym42]

+1. I am on the IE Stage 3 springs (which are rated something like 315 lbs/in front and 570 lbs/in rear). They're stiff, especially if you take a bump too fast (can't roll through speed bumps at 15-20mph like I did on the stockers). But honestly, most of the time I find myself wishing they were a little stiffer.

Getting the car lower has made for a night and day improvement on handling, even on crappy 7-year-old tires. Even if the ride were harsher than it is, it'd be worth it for this improvement alone. Make sure you get a quality shock though that will pair well with the spring rates, or you're going to be very disappointed.

I'd love a coilover setup, but it's pricey...and I hear there are strength/reliability issues in the rear. More trouble than it's worth to me for a car that I expect will last me a year or so.

What about the Ground Control Coilovers?  They are like $400 or so?  Depending on what I can get my hands on, these are high on my list.  But I don't know much about suspensions, if it isn't obvious.

[renfield90]

What about the Ground Control Coilovers?  They are like $400 or so?  Depending on what I can get my hands on, these are high on my list.  But I don't know much about suspensions, if it isn't obvious.

I'm still learning the ins and outs of this car.

My half-assed reply that is not based on much knowledge: jack up the car and take a look at the rear shock. There isn't much of a good place to put a spring over the shock, and the sheet metal surrounding the shock as it connects to the upper mount can't support the loads caused by a spring. Some coilover kits somehow mount the spring so it doesn't depend on that weak sheet metal for support, but I'm not sure which ones.

This could all be wrong. Check r3v, there's a lot of track gurus there that know more than I do about good coilovers for this car.