Re: Koni vs Bilstein for street E36

[alex.fadeev@xxxxxxxxxxx]

"Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@domain.elided> wrote:
> 
> I think the issue with Bilstein Sports riding on their bumpstops 
> in the E36M3 only occurs when they are combined with shorter sport 
> springs (like H&R Sports).  When used with stock springs (or even
> H&R OE Sports), they stay off the bumpstops.

Ron,
The issues is more complicated than that.
Short of writing a dissertation on the subject, I will just say that one 
local poor Bilstein E36M3 victim (Lowell, if you had followed his story on 
the E36M3 list) had taken his BS's apart at least half dozen times 
trimming and eventually removing front bump stops altogether. 
The car was riding on them with 1/2" shorter front Dinan springs and 
bouncing off them after 1/2" of compression with stock '95 springs. I do 
not remember which setup was more jarring. Bilstein really blew it with 
E36M3 Sport shock piston length/bump stop combo.

alex f

>Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 16:44:53 -0600
>From: alex.fadeev@domain.elided
>Subject: Re: Koni vs Bilstein for street E36
>
>"Greg Steinke" <GSTEINKE@domain.elided> wrote:
> > I have a 1992 BMW 325i into which I have transplanted the
> > shocks/springs/antiroll bars from a 95 or 96 M3. (forgot which). After
> > 80k miles or so of use, the shocks are feeling a bit floaty, more
> > floaty than on my wife's new 2002 325iT w/o sport suspension.
> > So I want to get new shocks/struts. The main choices are Bilstein
> > and Koni. I want to keep the M3 springs and antiroll bars, so this
> > dictates use of M3-oriented replacement parts due to the difference
> > in the way the anti roll bar mounts.
> > Bilstein: Sport option is what is available for M3. No comfort or HD.
> > For what it is worth, some of the columnists in Roundel were recently
> > singing the praises of Bilstein.
>
>Bilstein really screwed up the E36M3 shock design.
>The strut is too long and you will be riding, or more like pogo stick
>bouncing, on Bilstein bumps stops most of the time. That is unless you
>disassemble the Bilstein cartridge and trim the bumps stops. By which 
time
>you had voided Bilstein's lifetime warranty.
>Don't get me wrong - I had put 120+K miles on Bilstein HDs with my E30 
and
>they were as good as new when I sold the car. But Bilstein really missed
>the boat on E36M3 Sport shocks.

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