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Re: Only stating preference Zim, and the merits of...

Hey Rcrad, I do appreciate all the help that you've given me and speaking of sway bars, since a lot of the members on here have given me some input as to how vital they are, I will most likely be getting them. Once again, Thank you.
-Ryan

Re: Austin 8'er, been there done that

Hey JustJames, email me at RyanZiminskas@yahoo.com

Austin 8'er, been there done that

Hey Z,
I'm here in Austin too, so holla at me if you wanna meet up and talk 8. I've asked and gone thru all of these questions your going thru.

Justjames
'91 850i
H&R springs with Bilstein sport inserts
CSi front sway bar/K-Mac rear
StrongStrut bar
camber plates on the shelf.

Re: Suspension replacement questions?

Not sure why you would not care about sway bars, other than the fact that there aren't many options available.

But the E31 can be made into a wonderfully capable car for most any road condition. But it can be horribly expensive to experiment on your own. But then handling qualities can be quite subjective too.

Not sure of the vntage of your E31, but I would say you probably want to start by replacing all of your suspension bushings and then try and mix in some US spec CSi springs and Bilsteins, you will not like the Boge shocks with the CSi springs, they are a miss-match for rebound control. For a more docile ride, some prefer weaker springs and stiffer shocks - this works if they are valved right. It takes careful dampening to keep 4,400 lbs close to the road.

I ended up with CSi Springs and custom valved Bilstein Sports for my taste. And I am quite happy with the control and it almost makes the car "tossable" with new bushings that is.

But, this assumes that you have about $10K to play with...

Best of luck

RM

Make sure you wear the really tall boots Zim...8^)

I know - it's overwhelming sometimes... :)

Re: those are the ones - If I remember correctly,

Steffen, you are a wealth of knowledge and I'm pretty sure that I'll be bringing over a pencil and paper the next time I make it up there because sometimes, I just cant keep up and forget some of the things you tell me.

Re: Camberplates and bump steer spacers.

The spacers are nice, and they do as advertised. I put them in a week ago prior to the last alignment. A small aside to your DIY of those Gerry, put a mention of disconnecting the swaybar link. Any competent wrencher would know this, but for the uninitiated it's essential so that the lower portion falls away properly for the install.

Camberplates and bump steer spacers.

You will greatly improve steering feel and reduce understeer significantly with camber plates, and bump steer plates will return your steering geometry back close to stock if you lower the car. You will also need rear strut reinforcing plates if you fit Bilsteins on the back.

Gerry.

With your proposed changes you will also.....

.... need to factor in a good Roadforce tire balance and first class alignment to the overall cost. New springs with more squat don't mean squat if you don't get'er realigned right after all the components are in, and those could easily top $200. When you get to that point I can give you some alignment specs that have worked well for me to help you along.

Similarities to anything done by RS are ....

... coincidental. The fabrication of mine was done independently of anyone else, I worked directly, and I do know that mine are quite different from Bryson's personal original setup both in specs and construction. The next pair of these will use EDC strut tubes, notable only because it makes no difference what OEM struts are used as the basis for modification. What is notable though is that this setup offers a range of options and adjustments not possible with conventional strut mods. IMO 'better' only comes into play because of this.

the reason i asked was..

i was searching/surfing to make sure that the info i was going to post was somewhat accurate on the struts. and I came across R.S.'s site that listed the coil over setup.(atleast it was pictured) sorry to [Oops!]/u/me and associate your setup. 8^)
My Regards , Walt

The way I read it he was wanting to do a mix.....

.... Walt, hence my statement. As to any affiliation with RS whatsoever that's a flat no, absolutely not. AFAIK my struts didn't get built anything like either his or Bryson's.

check on availabilty if / before you order....

or you might get stuck with a wait, while on back order.

Walt

those are the ones - If I remember correctly, I

went over ALL of these things with you when you came by the first time and drove my car.

Re: Zeke speaks the truth about the E32 Sport bar.....

quote:You can't buy a set of Eibachs and CSI rear springs for $320

eibach 325.00
interesting , i paid gault 330.00 for 4 csi springs and had mwrench install them a few years back.i am sure they cost abit more now , but it shouldn't be a deal breaker or are you talking about mix and match eibach and csi springs ??

as for your koni setup...Q) are you affiliated in anyway with "rocket science"?
Walt

Only stating preference Zim, and the merits of...

.... alternatives. Wheels and tires for our cars are very subjective, leave it at that. In this thread alone you have been given nearly every available alternative to what's currently available for the E31. It sounds like you just want to lower the car, get a good look, and 'a sportier ride'. You're asking into a group of owners that will (by and large) give you much more comprehensive answers than a simple 'buy this', and you know why? .. because it's just not that simple. There are many owners here with as many different suspensions that they're quite happy with and have been for years. Those suspensions are right for the car. You dismiss sways because it doesn't interest you, yet they're an integral part of your desired 'sportier ride'. I presented an option that's unlike anything else anywhere but it's nothing earth shattering, just different. It too is right for the car and I would stack it up to anything that any E31 owner here has. The point is that even with a test drive the reaction would range from: wow! to 'yawn', to "I like mine better"... and the REAL point is that suspension and ride is subjective just like wheels and tires, man. One size doesn't fit all. Read and read and read some more, pick one setup and go with it, and drive the car.

Re: ahh... the rare swaybars...

Hey Walt, I found the "eibach pro-kit lowering springs" on jegs. Is that what I'm looking for as far as springs go?

Re: Zeke speaks the truth about the E32 Sport bar.....

Nah, I dont think I NEED 18's for it to look right, I just like the look of them.

Pics fix