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Re: Koni vs Bilstein for street E36

Alex,

I know about Lowell's story, as I also followed it on the E36 M3 list.  But, 
I know of two people in the DC area who put Bilstein Sports on their 
otherwise stock suspension M3, and had no problems.  One was a '95 M3.  I 
don't remember what model year for the other.  And, no bumpstop cutting was 
done.  I've also read similar reports from other people on the E36 M3 list.

It would be nice if someone from Bilstein could comment on this.  Has anyone 
ever spoken to Bilstein and received an honest answer, either on the record 
or off the record?

Ron Buchalski
BMWCCA #76387
1995 E36 M3
1993 E34 525iT
1999 Mazda Miata


>From: alex.fadeev@domain.elided
>To: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@domain.elided>
>CC: bmw-digest@domain.elided, GSTEINKE@domain.elided, owner-bmw@domain.elided
>Subject: Re: Koni vs Bilstein for street E36
>Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2003 15:16:55 -0600
>
>"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



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