Coilover suspension or H&R Springs with Koni Sport Shocks

[rexila 4]

I'm looking at suspension for my E34 525i.

Springs and shocks is almost out of the question when purchasing from NZ. I know support NZ economy and all but $280 per shock for this car is a joke.

There is a set of H & R lowering springs with Koni sport shocks available from the states for $749. The shipping will cost that again. I've heard really good things about this set up, nice ride and not jaw breakingly stiff.

From NZ you can get adjustable coilovers for slightly less than the above combo, however I'm not convinced of the build qualities and the uncomfortable rides they give.

What suspension set ups do your E34's have? How do they feel?

I'm hoping someone can confirm my doubts about the coilovers. Note the car will never go on a track nor have lots of power.

Thanks in advance

Sam

[Eagle 1662]

Shipping shocks and springs shouldn't cost more than ~350 NZD from the states but then you got f**king customs tax. Cheap coilovers would be a waste of time in your case and i doubt they would go the distance.

Finding a good 2nd hand set of springs locally will save you on shipping cost and gst. Ive used Bilstein's in the past but prefer Koni's these days. My last E34 had Vogtland springs with Koni street shocks, decent ride quality and handling while costing me less than $800.

[Eagle 1662]

Its also a bunch of other levy fees, admin costs etc, not just GST.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

I have XYZ Coilovers in mine and I couldn't be happier. I didn't like them at first, handled worse than a conventional setup, and you will see on here more than a few times i bagged them.

but now i have set it all up correctly, the car handles bloody well, and its heavier again than your 525i. I would say it would handle as well if not better than most lowered E30 setups, and that is saying something.

No matter what brand you end up running, you will need to customise the front hubs, there are just simply no bolt in E34 setups on the market at any price point.

My coil overs were $1500 or so for the set of 4, and another grand or so to modify hubs, have them crack tested etc etc which all needs to be done before a cert is issued. So about $2500 all up.

In any other situation, i wouldn't bother however. Yes it handles bloody well (those at the Taupo Trackday will vouch). But its just not $2500 worth of value really.

But i had no choice. I HAD to run stiffer front springs for my car to pass cert, and coil overs were the best way to achieve that.

Unless you want to play with ride height regularly then selecting the right springs and using the most appropriate shock is a better way to go.

Don't think so. Set and forget, once you have dialled in exactly what you want.

I have spent so much time playing with mine and it is setup much better than any spring/shock combo would do

Its also a bunch of other levy fees, admin costs etc, not just GST.

Yep.

[Ahmedsinc 414]

H&R + Koni. 'Nuff said

[sonic_attack 89]

KW come bolt in with spindles, pretty sure Ground Control do too when you pay the core charge. They cost though. GC around US$1700 + Shipping and KW several hundred more. I've looked at it too recently and was thinking it's worth waiting for the Fortune Auto e34 coilovers which are a matter of weeks away and around US$1700ish for all four corners. I'm a bit dubious of the quality of the cheaper setups around, probably wrongly though, but still for piece of mind I'd sooner spend the extra up front for a quality brand shock associated with the KW's or GC's. The GC's require a core exchange or payup a little more US$150 from memory.

The Fortune Auto setup is different entirely. They're a bespoke service custom built. http://www.fortune-auto.com/

Servicing when required might be a problem but. I haven't researched enough to determine a bolt in system inclusive of spindles. I don't really see that as a problem though, more a minor inconvenience. I'd be pretty confident in saying if you don't mind paying you could have whatever you want.

Alternatively, acquiring components and producing your own might produce a marginal saving, probably on par with GC or KW though by the time you paint or powdercoat depending on your level of fastidious presentation, you may even spend more if you're farming all the work out. Still a bit of outlay though and welding/shock shortening would be required.

a1racing.com have sleeves and perches at decent prices.

You might be lucky in sourcing springs in the right weight you want locally new or used. a bit of searching around will turn up a variety of camber plates, springs and other componentry. It'd be quite cool to go this route for wank factor and a nice project to have for a month or two.

Then factor in the $500 or so to cert it regardless of what you turn up with anyway.

The obvious and sensible choice for me personally would be a set of KW's. I'm kicking myself for not pulling the trigger on a brand new set of V2's for US$1200 - I chased a large case LSD diff and ring/pinion in the 3.25 ratio I wanted instead though.. :-/ Completely unnecessary right now but I need something to toy with.

A lot more reading and looking at what you like, have cash in hand and ebay.de will throw up exactly what you want. I've a wishlist of around $12,000 lol! Coilovers, OZ Breyton's, supercharger..

FWIW there's an entire world of retail out there who're happy to work with the loopholes our customs expose themselves to in order to avoid GST or duties. Keep your purchases under or on the limit. Choose DHL door to door for shipping. Even organise it yourself. For what it is though it's well easy enough to keep your orders under the $400 limit. 99% of foreign retailers are more than happy to invoice and ship separate components for a sale.

[sonic_attack 89]

How many e34's could you buy for the price of an Ohlins coilover setup?

[sonic_attack 89]

I wouldn't need them. I'd prefer a 6 speed and install and a bunch of cash saved as well.

My personal requirements for coilovers would be purely aesthetics. I think if you're going to drop $1000+ though you may as well throw a little more at it and have the koni branding in there because it's an established brand with reliable history, the internet is littered with satisfied users praising the decision in getting them too.

At a guess most punters wouldn't be too far removed from my own requirements. Get the car a little lower to look nice around the wheel arches, a nice comfortable ride with a noticeable increase in suspension performance over stock, reliability and longevity, and at a reasonable and affordable price. All for a street driven car that will see a little spirited driving occasionally on an open road.

[rexila 4]

Thanks guys, I'll keep this is mind. Also now have to be careful of wheel clearance as the new wheels with standard suspension is very very close.