RE: lowering spring installation (E36 M3)

[Greg Steinke <GSTEINKE@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul (and all),
I have an E36 325i with M3 struts/shocks/antiroll bars/springs. I recently
replaced the struts/shocks as they were worn out after about 90k miles. The
key question was: Koni or Bilstein. I looked into this, got a lot of
responses, and have been meaning to type it up. Now's my chance.

First off, what's available?

Bilstein: Sport option is what is available for M3. No comfort or HD. 

Koni: Koni offers Red (Special) and Yellow (sport) varieties. It looks like
only the Yellow is available for M3. It comes as an insert, but it does not
seem to be too difficult to put into the strut. 

The feedback from the posters was that in general, Bilstein and Koni are
both good choices. However, for the USA E36 M3, there have been reports of
the Bilstein Sport being incorrectly sized and resulting in bottoming out.
Some have fixed this by cutting the bump stop. No proof one way or the other
for EU M3. In particular I would like to thank Alex Fadeev for his prolific
posts on this subject.

Based on this feedback, I went with the Konis. I had them installed at Palo
Alto Bimmer. They supplied the shocks at a cost comparable to Internet
pricing, and did the work of installing the insert into the strut -
reportedly it is not that hard, but it was harder than whipping out the Visa
card! I also had some Yoko ES100 tires put on - shipped from Tire Rack to PA
Bimmer, and installed there. The Konis have adjustable rebound damping, and
they are set to midway. I also had M3 rear shock mounts installed - might as
well since they are a weak point.

The results are good. The bit of floatiness is gone, and the car is more
controlled over bumps. The ride is a bit stiffer than before, but nothing
dramatic. There's also more perceived responsiveness - i.e., a given turn of
the steering wheel seems to make the car turn quicker. This could be because
of the shocks or the tires, hard to say. The tires are also quite good, both
in wet and dry. The previous tires (RE71 Potenzas) would easily spin in
rain, although it is unfair since they were worn. The new tires grip well,
even over wet painted stripes. The only drawback is that they tramline a bit
on certain kinds of grooved pavement - specifically, the pavement on CA 85
between I 280 and Saratoga Ave in Silicon Valley. But only there, nowhere
else.

So Paul, I concur with Alex's previous post in recommending putting in Konis
while everything is apart. Worn shocks plus lower, stiffer springs will be
unpleasant. Did you ever see a lowered Civic bounce up and down as it
corners? That's because there's not enough damping in the shock to control
the stiff spring. It would be most unpleasant to have this nice M3 with
compromised handling. And while it's apart, it's worthwhile to put in new
rear shock tower mounts as they are a known E36 weak spot.

You can check tirerack.com for Koni prices. Another option - whichever you
go to in Atlanta may be able to get them for you at a reasonable price. I
can't give you a recommendation for a shop in Atlanta though, but if you are
up for a road trip, Palo Alto Bimmer is great!

Greg


- ------------------------------
>From: "Paul Frederick" <pfrederi@domain.elided>
>Subject: lowering spring installation
>
>I just ordered a complete set of racing dynamics springs for my 95 M3. Are 
>there any particular concerns that I need to be aware of before having them

>installed. Such as the strut towers, will my tires wear out faster, will my

>car need to be totally realigned after installation.

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