E30 race suspension

[extski 0]

Hi all,

So I have recently purchased a 1986 325i E30 complete with cage, seat etc but want to upgrade the suspension that's currently in it to something that is going to be better suited to tarmac rallying. Currently in the car is adjustable Koni's up front with low king springs and in the rear it's pretty much standard with just M sport springs and shocks. This has been ok for the few meetings i've done so far but wont hold up on rougher roads I will encounter when I start doing Targa events and as you can see from the photo has quite a lot of body roll.

My first step is suspension and I have looked around at various options and not wanting to spend an arm an a leg to get Koni, Bilstein or similar coilovers I've looked at some of the new Taiwanese brands coming on to the market, BC XYZ etc. I've read some good reviews about the BC stuff and apparently XYZ have developed a rally spec coilover for the E30 with some people running it in Targa events already.

To have either of these brands fitted involves cutting the spindles off the original suspension and welding it to the new suspension. I've been assured that this is ok but was wondering if anyone had heard anything about either company and knows if this process is ok?

Would love to hear you thoughts and suggestions.

Cheers

Angus

[huff3r 347]

Do you really need coilovers? Sure its great having adustable suspension, but perhaps you should look into the E30 race series suspension? The body roll you are getting does look pretty extreme though, perhaps your konis are a little worn, or the king springs have gone soft?

[pureboiracer 0]

from what i have seen of xyz they seem pretty good, at the end of the day it comes down to how much you want to spend, if your serious about coil overs then budget about 2k to be safe. but i dont see why you cant reach desired handling with some adjustable shocks and replacement springs. The real advantage of coil overs in the e30 is the spring selection you get with 2.5?" id springs and the height adjustment, but again it comes down to what you want to spend.

[satellitej 1]

Hi all,

So I have recently purchased a 1986 325i E30 complete with cage, seat etc but want to upgrade the suspension that's currently in it to something that is going to be better suited to tarmac rallying. Currently in the car is adjustable Koni's up front with low king springs and in the rear it's pretty much standard with just M sport springs and shocks. This has been ok for the few meetings i've done so far but wont hold up on rougher roads I will encounter when I start doing Targa events and as you can see from the photo has quite a lot of body roll.

My first step is suspension and I have looked around at various options and not wanting to spend an arm an a leg to get Koni, Bilstein or similar coilovers I've looked at some of the new Taiwanese brands coming on to the market, BC XYZ etc. I've read some good reviews about the BC stuff and apparently XYZ have developed a rally spec coilover for the E30 with some people running it in Targa events already.

To have either of these brands fitted involves cutting the spindles off the original suspension and welding it to the new suspension. I've been assured that this is ok but was wondering if anyone had heard anything about either company and knows if this process is ok?

Would love to hear you thoughts and suggestions.

....................................

Hey,

hoping i can help you here, i have installed Bc coilover suspension in my e30 race car, the cutting of the front strut shafts was easy and a simple welding exercise had them all sorted.. the car is now really solid, i have front and rear strut braces (id recomend)... also when i priced up all new suspension (springs and shocks) from george stocks which was the e30 race series gear, it wasn't alot of difference between them and the bc adjustables. and really at the end of the day they are king lowering springs? ya know? oh FYI i have seen king springs snap was not pretty!! with the bc's you can select your spring stiffness' and order accordingly and with a simple click you can adjust dampening.. as well as ride height and camber adjustment plates on the front.. had no problems installing mine.. i swapped out my king springs for the bc's found them a huge improvement, although i will admit the shocks weren't so good. so not a fair judgement i know..

Pros to cons... a little more effort to install the bc adjustables.. But hugely worth the upgrade over the e30 series suspension.. more adjsutability etc etc.. if you need help with installation and selection i can help you also..

on another note, the body roll you are experiencing looks good... haha by this i mean a good fair amount.. have you uprated sway bars? this would help hugely... this is what sway bars do..

cheers,

Jono

[Silver Fox 43]

I've been involved with 6 years of E30 racing and have yet to hear of any problems with the King springs, only good things to say about the series suspension. A few of the series cars Targa, and afaik they don't change the suspension out.

[satellitej 1]

I've been involved with 6 years of E30 racing and have yet to hear of any problems with the King springs, only good things to say about the series suspension. A few of the series cars Targa, and afaik they don't change the suspension out.

a King spring snapped on the Holden Hotlap car at pukeohe race track, i was looking after these cars from Ps automotive in pukekohe at the time.. George stocks gave him a brand new pair free of charge, but it could of been a big disaster..

The e30 series suspension is ok and it works, and works well it does. i aint bagging it, but if you want to enter the e30 series its all you can use, if you aren't entering that series, there is better bang for your buck i believe..

I definately wouldn't swap my suspension out for the e30 race series suspension. Thats my opion though.

If you are after any more info then please pm me,

P.S do you get sick of sipping tea while racing the e30 series... hahaha dont take it to heart just friendly banter..

[gps289 0]

Hi Angus

Here's how it works

1. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

2. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

If you're wanting something that's going to work in a race car that's actually being used as a race car then talk to the guys who are actually racing them for advice. It's fair to say that you could bolt any ABC XYZ or whatever brand in and it'll feel OK. Important thing though is longetivity and reliability.

Biggest mistake regularily made is to spend 2K on something unknown to save a grand, to then find a year out you're up for 3 1/2K for propper replacements because what you bought is damaged / non rebuildable.

Ultimately spending 5 1/2K instead of 3 1/2K in the first place. Now that aint economical!!!

Broad Guidelines

Adjustable will be beneficial over non adjustable (valving that is) however be cautious of brands that use a simple bleed adjuster. These are the ones that adjust both bump and rebound at the same time. You don't really want the bump to be adjusting all the time when you're trying to balance rebound control.

Number of adjustments between min and max is often a marketing tool. The higher the number the more wary to be. You should always have ANY BRAND dyno'd to determine adjustability range and how many changes does what??

Most Japanese / Taiwanese spec shocks are over valved, causing you to chase spring rates when the problem is actually the shocks. Non servicability is then your issue.

Going coil over is a minimal cost over E30 control suspension and worth the price (probably adds another $300) as it allows for ride height adjustment as a means of balancing car set up. Even a 5mm increase / decrease has a significant effect on the balance between oversteer / understeer.

And

3. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

If you're serious about a good set up at a good price PM me.

[satellitej 1]

Hi Angus

Here's how it works

1. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

2. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

If you're wanting something that's going to work in a race car that's actually being used as a race car then talk to the guys who are actually racing them for advice. It's fair to say that you could bolt any ABC XYZ or whatever brand in and it'll feel OK. Important thing though is longetivity and reliability.

Biggest mistake regularily made is to spend 2K on something unknown to save a grand, to then find a year out you're up for 3 1/2K for propper replacements because what you bought is damaged / non rebuildable.

Ultimately spending 5 1/2K instead of 3 1/2K in the first place. Now that aint economical!!!

Broad Guidelines

Adjustable will be beneficial over non adjustable (valving that is) however be cautious of brands that use a simple bleed adjuster. These are the ones that adjust both bump and rebound at the same time. You don't really want the bump to be adjusting all the time when you're trying to balance rebound control.

Number of adjustments between min and max is often a marketing tool. The higher the number the more wary to be. You should always have ANY BRAND dyno'd to determine adjustability range and how many changes does what??

Most Japanese / Taiwanese spec shocks are over valved, causing you to chase spring rates when the problem is actually the shocks. Non servicability is then your issue.

Going coil over is a minimal cost over E30 control suspension and worth the price (probably adds another $300) as it allows for ride height adjustment as a means of balancing car set up. Even a 5mm increase / decrease has a significant effect on the balance between oversteer / understeer.

And

3. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

If you're serious about a good set up at a good price PM me.

The BC golds are good stuff, have had them in my bmw and had them in my silvia previous for a couple of years... never any issues, they are rebuildable etc, servicable.. very good bang for buck, the D2 suspension i do not hold in the same league the xyz i wont comment, as i dont know. and the old bc red suspension is no good.

[antil33t 90]

I have Pretty much "series" suspension but with "low" instead of "super low" king springs.

and my body roll is virtually nothing like that...