E36 bilstein

[Simon 328M 0]

Just brought these bilstein springs and struts, They are the same springs i currently have in my 328 my question is will the bilsteins be much stiffer than the motorsport items? and also what difference will the offset strut tops make?

Cheers

[thorburn 121]

Depends on the condition of the bilsteins and the motorsport shocks.

If you want to know you'll need to get them on a shock dyno (not sure if this is the proper name). You could get the bilsteins rebuilt to whatever spec you'd like while you are at it.

The offset strut tops will add or decrease camber and caster. Do you have any photos of the strut tops?

Edited August 12, 2010 by bbs

[Yamahoo 6]

The strut tops are about 20mm offset, they look to be to rectify castor, my camera is dead at the moment.

Any idea on the cost of getting them rebuilt/tested?

So the change in castor will do what to the handling?

Edit; whoops dads account

Edited August 12, 2010 by Ross

[thorburn 121]

Here is the first thing that came up on google

http://www.ozebiz.com.au/racetech/theory/align.html

My basic understanding of it is the more caster that is added the more the wheel will lean over. Thus creating more camber as the wheel is turned.

If the strut tops look like the ones in my build thread put them on reverse(L on right side) or you will loose camber from what you had stock.

No idea of cost of rebuild or testing. Autolign should be able to sort them out.

[Simon 328M 0]

Thanx for that, was a good read.

Will give a few places a call.

Anyone had experience of rebuilding bilsteins personally?

[thorburn 121]

How do you get less caster when you reverse them?Talking about m3 evo tops

I don't have the m3 camber settings on hand. But I thought that by inverting the tops you get much closer to the m3's camber

How did autolign stuff your shocks up?

[thorburn 121]

I'll have to swap them back when I finally get my car back together and see what less camber is like.

Did you try suspension tech for re-valving and stuff?

[kiwi328i 118]

Just brought these bilstein springs and struts, They are the same springs i currently have in my 328 my question is will the bilsteins be much stiffer than the motorsport items? and also what difference will the offset strut tops make?

Cheers

I replaced my rears with old secondhand bilsteins std not the HD ones, and they still had more resistance in them than my original boge 150km jobbies. The Bilsteins looked liked they had a fair few on them as well, but since they were both shorter (good because I put in shorter springs) and offerred more resistance I whacked them in. Before I did though, I rang Autolign or somewhere, forgotten now out of interest, and the bloke said you were (I) better off replacing with new than rebuilding them, because of the trivial parity in difference being around 300 plus to rebuild, it might make the fronts worthwhile but not the rears. This would have made my lowering process vastly more expensive and well out of my budget, this was 2 months ago.

The idea of rebuilding shocks has some appeal, but if the price is what you would pay for new, it takes the shine of somewhat.

But hey if you got the money, go hard

[Simon 328M 0]

Thinking i may just flick them on after driving it again it handles fine on its 80km motorsport shocks with eibach springs. If anyone wants them pm me an offer.

[callumb 3]

Swapping them will give you about -1.5 to -2 which is too much for my 7 degrees of caster, unless it was a track only car. I can dial in 1.5 without a problem.

Hi Ron. I like the sound of your steering setup. I've just replaced all the shocks on my 323M and am about (well once I put the front struts back in tonight) to take it for an alignment at Wairau Alignment & Suspension. I talked to Merv down there about improving the responsiveness a little he said he can shim it in such a way that will produce 1 deg of neg. Do you think that is too much? Its not a track car but I feel the steering could do with being a little more responsive, especially on the open road (it currently understeers). Btw. I have stock M Technic springs.