lowering a e30 bmw ?

[bai1ey]

hi. i just got a 320i se e30 and want to no how low thay go on 60mm springs any help would be great. Also wheel options please i need help seen so meny i like and cant decide. thanks bailey

[topi]

They go roughly 60mm down... haha.

[MJG]

I'd say 60mm springs lower approx 60mm too, strange Topi me and you must be on the same wavelength.

As for wheels - just stick with standard 15" bbs, they drive well on them, quite light, quite wide, and not too expensive. No point spending loads of money on it if you want to drift it, you'd be better of spending that on practice days.

[bai1ey]

haha good one lads i new that was coming i was looking for pics more than anything please. it has already been lowerd but he bloke sed it wants new springs for mot i think he has cut them

[MJG]

Mine's 100mm front and back, and it's still not low enough.



60mm is OK but needs to be 100mm+ IMO.

[Andy.w]

100mm for drifting MJG or anyway

[MJG]

100mm for off roading, 100mm for anything mate. Just 100mm or more.

[Andy.w]

Originally Posted by MJG

100mm for off roading, 100mm for anything mate. Just 100mm or more.

even my e36

[bai1ey]

where do i et 100mm springs as i dont want to cut them and i can only find 60mm

[Lee]

you cant buy 100mm springs mate, you will have to cut em to get that low.

[MJG]

What do you think 60mm springs are? They are just a spring with less coils, a 100mm spring would have even less coils, just because it's done by a big snipping machine and you pay extra doesn't make it any different to angle grinding it in your garage.

[Papercutout]

The difference though is the flattened top and them fitting properly.

I've just got shorter dampers and 40mm drop springs. Which I've cut another coil/coil and a half off, now THATS made a difference. Not as low as Mikes by a long margin, but a lot better.
You will want really short dampers with 100mm drop though.

[niko]

Front: 80mm
Back: 60mm
Rims: 8x15
Tyres: 195/45/15
Ground Clearance: ca. 55mm

[sideways.taff]

Originally Posted by Papercutout

The difference though is the flattened top and them fitting properly.

I've just got shorter dampers and 40mm drop springs. Which I've cut another coil/coil and a half off, now THATS made a difference. Not as low as Mikes by a long margin, but a lot better.
You will want really short dampers with 100mm drop though.

Not on the front of an E30. The springs sit in the cups at the top and bottom rather than sitting on flat platforms, so cutting coils off the front springs make no difference. The only issue you'll have is the spring dislocating itself when you jack the car.

On the rear is slightly different as the springs locate on pegs on the chassis and the trailing arm, no biggie though. I'm just going to chop the spring, use short stroke shocks and add a strap to stop the trailing arm dropping too far when jacking the car.

[MJG]

Bryn I just have springs that are cut in half from the bottom, they stick to the cone at the top and don't dislocate or anything.

[sideways.taff]

cool, I'll have to see how it works when I get around to doing the rear end. I've only sorted the front so far.

[MJG]

Straps/chains are a good idea for the rear but just saying I don't find there to be any need, would just be more effort. I've only got spax PSX shocks too so not mega short but all's still well.

[Lee]

bryn you saw how much my rears were cut, and they didnt fall out when jacked up. admittedly i cable tied mine to the adjuster things i got. but still they dont fall out

[sideways.taff]

and I still laugh everytime I remember you trying to figure out how you needed to do the cable ties to get them to stay in place!

[Papercutout]

Originally Posted by sideways.taff

Not on the front of an E30. The springs sit in the cups at the top and bottom rather than sitting on flat platforms, so cutting coils off the front springs make no difference. The only issue you'll have is the spring dislocating itself when you jack the car.

I know - I've just been doing it!

Cut my springs down to the point where when the shock is off the car etc, the spring is sitting JUST tight against the top cup, any shorter springs and they'd flop around.

There is a difference between a flattened top and what you can do with an angle grinder, the official springs will all sit flusher, whereas my chopee's, despite me flattening the top off a bit, don't sit quite right in the cups.