Lowering an E36 with M Tech Suspension Help

[3 SERIES 93]

Hi all

Can someone please please help me out here. I have a 95 E36 318is coupe with M Tech suspension.

I have just put some 17" mags on it and wish to lower it. My questions are:

1/ Do I have to get a different set of springs because my car has M Tech suspension or will standard

springs for my year/model car be ok?

2/ I dont want to over do the lowering of the car and have the arse draging on the ground making it a right royal pain

for everyday driving round town. If I put just standard 'low' springs rather than 'super low' on the car am I going to

see any difference in height?

Basically what im getting at is, does M Tech suspension differer from standard suspension in an E36 in the way

of ride height of the car?

3/ What brand of springs does everyone think is the best? Brand, code number etc?

Your help and commpent are greatly appreciated

Cheers

[Yuen 16]

M-tech height is lower than standard height. I lowered my 320i from standard springs + Bilstein shocks to M-tech springs + Bilstein shocks. The front was significantly lower, would say 20-30mm drop. The rear was pretty much the same as before, I have no idea why (the springs were slightly shorter).

If you're on M-tech and that's not low enough for you, you can go aftermarket, common combinations are Koni shocks + Eibach springs (Eibach Pro-Kit, Sportlines), or Bilstein shocks + H&R springs. There are also other brands like Sachs (a fellow member has them).

IMO, M-Tech is a pretty practical height and is a good compromise between looks and practicality, any lower and you will have to really watch the bumps. If you want to read up on suspension, check out Bimmerforums (www.bimmerforums.com), there are lots of pictures of different cars on different brands of suspension.

[my_e36 43]

IMO, M-Tech is a pretty practical height and is a good compromise between looks and practicality

I second that. But I still occasionally bottom out on some really nasty speed bumps, so I definitely won't go any lower.

Or I should lose some weight.

[curryinahurry 39]

I second that. But I still occasionally bottom out on some really nasty speed bumps, so I definitely won't go any lower.

Or I should lose some weight.

QFT

[3 SERIES 93]

Cheers 3 Pedals. Ill have a measure up tonight.

Im looking at puting some low springs on the car this weekend but unsure if it's going to lower it very much. I DONT want to go super low and affect drivability of the car!

The rear seems to be sitting in at a fairly good height. Approx 30mm between top of tyre and top of guard.

The front is more like 60mm between tyre and top of guard.

[3 SERIES 93]

Well i ended up putting super low springs on the car. Looks really good in my opinion and the quality of the ride is far better than I thought it would be.

Now there is about 10mm tyre-guard at the front and the rear guard covers about half the tyre. Approx 135mm Ground to sideskirt clearance

Only prob is than I now can't go over judder bars! The car is bottoming out big time somewhere in the middle of the car. I cringe everytime I hear it.

Photos attached

[MADBMA 0]

go at it at an angle and you should be alrite, what shocks you put in or are they just the standards?

[3 SERIES 93]

go at it at an angle and you should be alrite, what shocks you put in or are they just the standards?

Going at it at an angle dosn't work. They're the standard shocks in there

[Yuen 16]

Be careful that your transmission brace doesn't break when you bottom out. If you don't find out and drive around with a bad brace it will not be good news.

[ducatiss 1]

Doesnt look too low from the photos but then its hard without seeing underneath the car. Seems simple to me - if its grounding when you go over judder bars then its too low - put your m-tech springs back in.

Another thought - check thats its not your exhaust parts grinding, as sometimes that can be raised quite a bit to give you some more clearance - could make all the difference

[3 SERIES 93]

If it is just as the front come down the judder bar it will be the "chassis" rails either side of the gearbox even mine does that on serious JB's

To be honnest its more of a scrape to the underside somewhere in the middle of the car rather than the car bottomening out and slamming down on the jb's. I think its more cosmetic damange to the underside of the car rather than any major structural damage. Just gotta keep away from those dam jb's

[hybrid 1044]

Angle over them dude ... works in my two cars .. if your more than that .. its way to low and most likely illegal.

some you need to edge over as they are short nasty ones...

[diablo23 1]

yeah just angle over them, my cars slighty lower than yours and i dont have 2 much trouble with jb's just go full sideways and it should be fine

[3 SERIES 93]

yeah just angle over them, my cars slighty lower than yours and i dont have 2 much trouble with jb's just go full sideways and it should be fine

cheers guys. Think im just gunna have to be extra careful. If you see some idiot taking jb's at right angles, thats me