Tech Forum : Suspension setup

Evane21	Posted Tuesday, Jun 10th 2:01am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Junior Member Post nr. 5 winston-salem,nc 82 320i	What suspension setup do you guys have and/or prefer? I am getting ready to finally do some serious susp. work and i havent quite made up my mind

M42powered	Posted Tuesday, Jun 10th 2:33am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Staff Post nr. 21 Arizona, USA 1981 BMW 320i	Evan, I'm running half of a LEDA coilover set (the other half is still in the mail). 24 way adjustable shocks and 2.5 inch id springs. It's a little steep price wise, but I'm happy with the rears so far. Heres the link to the install of the rears: http://www.bimmerboys.com/webpage/silverdust/suspen/LEDA_rear.htm As for the rest of the car I was thinking I'd pick up a set of Suspension Technique sway bars (1 inch front and 3/4 inch rear). And maybe do some tricky excentrics on the rear subframe so I can adjust toe and camber on the rear of the car. Maybe a set of camber plates for the front, although I hear that camber on the front is not as much of an issue as the back.

Matt	Posted Tuesday, Jun 10th 3:56am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 16 SF Bay Area 81 320i	Camber in the back is definatly the WAY bigger issue. Dinan used to slot the subframe but it never holds tight. I have Bilstein S with dinan springs and the S/T bars.

RDAvena	Posted Tuesday, Jun 10th 5:58pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Staff Post nr. 18 SELECT * FROM users WHERE clue > 0 1981 323i, 1988 545is, 1997 528i	I have the set up of sport bilsteins and a set of lowered springs on the four corners. Quickor 1 1/8th (29mm) front and 7/8ths(24mm adj) rear. Also with front and rear strut bar assemblies. The car is tight and neutral to say the least. I have not been able to lose the tail end on dry pavement yet. It could be related to the wider Alpina rear tires adding a little bit of understeer to the mix but I have not messed with the other settings on the rear bar.

M42powered	Posted Tuesday, Jun 10th 7:47pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Staff Post nr. 25 Arizona, USA 1981 BMW 320i	I think that the bigger bars (ST's) will get rid of any body roll I might have. I can pick up the inside rear on a hard turn with just the rear LEDA's. And if that doesn't work for handling, I'll just change spring rates (50 bucks a spring).

Matt	Posted Wednesday, Jun 11th 5:04am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 18 SF Bay Area 81 320i	Well I may be byast in comparing handling from the E30 M#. That thing truly is the ULTIMATE DRIVING EXPERIENCE! HAHAHA, lol well that's what $30K get's ya (sarcastic voice taunting all porche owners) Oh by the way Nick, if you're ready to drool check out Ground control racing....never seen soo much machined goodnes...ahhhhhhhhh...drip..drip http://www.ground-control.com/index.html

M42powered	Posted Wednesday, Jun 11th 6:34am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Staff Post nr. 26 Arizona, USA 1981 BMW 320i	I've driven an E30 M3... it really does impress you. GC is alright... we have GC coilovers and camber plates on the Mazda (67 RX-2). The build quality is good, but lacks the true race feel of the LEDA kit. The camber plates are good, but require the destruction of your shock towers. Kind of a bummer if you're going for a "stock looking" race car. But for the money you can't get much better.

melloh	Posted Wednesday, Jun 11th 10:21am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 25 California, USA (San Jose) 1980 320is, 1991 318is	Well uhhh, I love my simple setup. I guess I'm glad I've never had the chance to drive such sofisticated setups as the rest (i guess ). However, without dispute, the front tower made a HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE difference in body roll, even w/ stock suspension, and even in more aggressive city driving (like runnin gthem yellow lights on a left turn). The nose was MUCH more responsive and my dash stopped making the little crackling noises. So, for a quick, cheap, effective boost in drive feel, I'd suggest the front tower. I just had the rear tower installed, nothing noticed yet (and probably wont until I push it REAL hard, but that will require better tire traction). As for the rest, I have Bili Sports w/ H&Rs. Obviously better than stock, and still a comfortable ride for me. In the end what it comes down to is how much you are going to spend money-wise and perhaps even time-wise (Todd Eyster from the e21 digest has made his own coilovers). From there, see what options you have. I guess that's always going to be step #1 for ANYthing you do, how much money/time?? My $00.00002

Matt	Posted Thursday, Jun 12th 1:53am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 20 SF Bay Area 81 320i	My $00.00002 Man thats a really really small contribution there....lol Yeah, that dash noise is starting to piss me off too that does sound good about that strut bar... Nic, just wait till Jake does some sus. work man. Hey, for a fact, Koni's (re-valved of course) and Dinan springs make that thing handle like a friggin go-kart(I would know). I just can't wait intill he (dad) decides to drop the 8k I want him to into the Mini. It'll make over 200hp, racing seats, coilovers, 13" 4 wheel 4 pot powder coated, LSD, 17" rims w/ 225 Yokies, front air dam, racing guages, and a quaint little 10" subwoofer for the half-assed trunk. Man, I WILL borrow, nay, TAKE that car for Sat. nights from him!!!It's just too bad III can't have that money lol...... BTW, if you can't lose that backend, you aren't trying hard enough...just hit a street corner at 45 and brake while in the turn, it'll be OUTTA THERE!!!!

JDBeyer	Posted Tuesday, Jun 17th 8:08am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 3 N. Humboldt county Ca. 82 323i on steroids	I have the sport billys with H&R's urathane rack bush. stress bars f&r ect.ect. and the rear camber prob. was BAD! But Bav.Auto has that neat urathane adjustable rear trailing arm bush. kit I forget the company that makes it but it gave me a lot of adjustment and has not moved from where I set it like the sloted subframe will. When the subframe is sloted it just has to be welded after adjustment making future work a real pain. But the Alpina diff. cover puts that suspention RIGHT HERE what a differance. But the price on them can sure be all over the place. But you know all the hot rod newer models have done the same mounting with the cooling of that cover, so I guess BMW thinks its a good idea also.

Tricord	Posted Tuesday, Jun 17th 9:07am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Administrator Post nr. 54 Belgium, Europe 323i Baur	I'm keeping the suspension as the last thing on my TODO list here. Besides, I found that the 323i handled better than the 320/6. More sharp, more rugged and more precise. I have so much costs planned right now that a good suspension will have to wait. Perhaps I'll just stay with stock all the way. I'm not that much of a hot rod driver anyway, so I guess my benefit from a heavy duty suspension is marginal

melloh	Posted Tuesday, Jun 17th 11:07am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 27 California, USA (San Jose) 1980 320is, 1991 318is	Thats strange... I have some visible camber, but I wore my tires down to the skinnies and it was even. Which notch do you have your rears set at, JDBeyer? I think mine is 2nd from top, 3rd from bottom.

Matt	Posted Tuesday, Jun 17th 10:28pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 26 SF Bay Area 81 320i	I have mine on the next to lowest and I get SEVERE wear on the inside edge with my lowering springs. Can you get some more info on the adjustible bushings?

JDBeyer	Posted Thursday, Jun 19th 8:19am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 7 N. Humboldt county Ca. 82 323i on steroids	I rotated the bushings all the way to full positive, still wear the inside of the tire faster but not like before the bush. were installed. And there is noticable neg. camber when you look at it. I use a infared temp. gun to see the temp. on the tires to get a idea as to just how even the load is on the tires, great tool for tire pres. adjustment also. Just have to find the happy spot for handling vs. tire wear! Jeff

JDBeyer	Posted Thursday, Jun 19th 4:57pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 9 N. Humboldt county Ca. 82 323i on steroids	The adjustable urathane bush. is at: bavauto.com the part # is 192026 This is not the only place to get these bush. The picture they show you is close but not the e21 part. Jeff

m10_power	Posted Sunday, Jun 22nd 9:58pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 1	I slotted my rear subframe, hasnt moved and that's with serious track use. The key is large washers. This is really the only way to correct the camber and toe changes on the rear of these e21's. Nic stiffer swaybar on the rear will make the rear wheel lift problem worse, sounds like a rebound damping issue. Stiffer springs will help, I'm still using stock bilstein sports and they are way out of there range for controlling the stiffer springs, can't wait to get something much better like what your running.

M42powered	Posted Monday, Jun 23rd 12:35am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Staff Post nr. 54 Arizona, USA 1981 BMW 320i	Nice to see you Paul. Honestly, the lifting rear tire was with only the LEDA rear shocks and hypercoil springs. I haven't been able to auto-x the car since I put the fronts in. We'll see. I tak it that slotting the rear subframe is just slotting the hole that bolts through the bushing and then tighening the crap out of it once you get it set where you want in the slot? Can you take pics Paul? How much can you correct? thanks

m10_power	Posted Monday, Jun 23rd 4:04am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Member Post nr. 3	Photos wouldn't help much, its not a huge change in position. Should be able to compensate for any adjustment you would want on the street. I would add some metal if it was for track only use, as well as re-enforcing. The front rolling on your car would easily cause the rear to lift, that would explain it, will be much better now. I just reset my rear alignment back to stock at the high end of the camber range.