E36 Coilover Options for Budget Ballin'

[schroedin]

Howdy thar, I'm planning on picking up a set of coils once I get all the miscellaneous interior shiz fixed. I want to keep it fairly stock, you know, wheels drop, a few goodies. I like the E30 thread, therefore I will copy and paste :rofl

Any recommendations for an affordable coilover set-up? Anybody got any for sale?

[dinanm3atl]

Cheapest stuff?

DDM, NEX on eBay, H&R or Bilstein offer a 1100 or 1200 dollar system as well I believe. Those are going to be the 'budget' stuff.

I think Ground Control also makes collars for adapting Koni's. So ~300-400 for the adapters and ~700-800 for the shocks. Need to add mounts and such to that for camber adjustment.

[slocar]

Raceland :shifty



























Yes, I realize I'm gonna get shit for it the rest of my time here, but it's ok.

[schroedin]

Are racelands adjustable in the front and rear? I looked at the site and it looks like they are just adjustable in the front.

[Digitalwave]

Just get DDM's. Cheap, you can pick your spring rates, they are damping adjustable, and DDM stands by their products for the most part (can't say the same about eBay stuff).

[slocar]

Are racelands adjustable in the front and rear? I looked at the site and it looks like they are just adjustable in the front.

Both.

It can go down another quarter of an inch with the adjuster in, in the back and about .7 inches if you take it out from what you see in my sig ... and about another inch in the front (or even more if you take the helpers out). They definitely go low as shit.

They go low. We'll see how long they last. 700+ miles so far and no issues.

[bjh102]

if you are going for budget just go with DDM. ive heard mostly good things about them few minor issues.

[Ollie]

Just get DDM's. Cheap, you can pick your spring rates, they are damping adjustable, and DDM stands by their products for the most part (can't say the same about eBay stuff).

+1

Custom rates, dampening adjustment, camber plates, and forum support for 750 bucks. If you're on a budget you really can't go wrong. If you go racelands or any other cheap/ebay coilover, in the end you'll end up spending much more if you want to really stance your car.

[Mateen9]

Raceland.

[B Rod]

Just get DDM's. Cheap, you can pick your spring rates, they are damping adjustable, and DDM stands by their products for the most part (can't say the same about eBay stuff).

Good call. That's a really good way to look at it.

[schroedin]

Just ordered Racelands. I figure i don't need anything more than these, since I'm strictly on the streets (teh hardcoarz hardparkarrrrr), and I want adjustability and a low price. From what I've read they hold up just fine, and people generally like them. We'll see how it goes :D

[slocar]

Just ordered Racelands. I figure i don't need anything more than these, since I'm strictly on the streets (teh hardcoarz hardparkarrrrr), and I want adjustability and a low price. From what I've read they hold up just fine, and people generally like them. We'll see how it goes :D

Join the club brother, join the club.

edit: What's your build date?

If your car was built before 7/92, then you need 7/92 and on upper strut mounts. Cars built before 11/91 also need the front sway bar and endlinks from cars built after 11/91.

[Digitalwave]

How much are the Racelands?

[M.Burroughs]

How much are the Racelands?

$250. :o

My advice:
Do it once, do it right.

[Digitalwave]

Holy shit. I'm all about ballin on a budget but you gotta question a complete set of coilovers for $250 from eBay.

What are the spring rates?

[balleur]

+1

If you go racelands or any other cheap/ebay coilover, in the end you'll end up spending much more if you want to really stance your car.

how do you figure? i went out on a limb and picked up a set of racelands for my 325 a)because i could care less about tracking the car (i doubt 99% of the ppl on this site do so as well), b) 99% of ppl on the boards talk shit about them yet have never owned a set or have rididn in a car with them and c) because if they suck and end up blowin oh well im out less than half a weeks paycheck :yawn:

ive had em for over 1k+ miles and have yet to have any isseus with them, no weird noises theyre not blown, go low as f**k and do everything i need them to and then some

a buddy of mine has a 98 M3 with DDM coils and i can honestly tell you that i like how my car rides 10x better than his, no bounce and no werid noises comin from the rear like ive heard on DDMs. Although i would love camber adjustment at this point it wasnt worth an extra $500 to me. Im extremely happy with my racelands

[Digitalwave]

I don't think anybody is talking shit about them, just that for a little bit more you can get a product that is backed by a reputable company that may be worth the piece of mind. The point about the price is that if your Racelands blow, you could have put that money towards DDMs and you would have been about half way there already.

As for DDMs are ride quality. Well, they are damping adjustable and you can pick your spring rate so I think that is a non-point.

Plus you get to pick your spring rates with the DDMs, which is always a plus. What is the spring rate on the Racelands?

[balleur]

well as far as MY set-up i have peice of mind and i can really care-less about spring rates i got coilovers to dump my car thats it, it rides good and doesnt bounce thats all i care about lol the only other thing i could of asked for is camber adjustable top hats =/


the spring rates on the coils are:
325# @ 2"
375#@ 3"
Fronts are progressive springs...
the rears are linear springs, and are:
300#

[Digitalwave]

Well, some people might care because spring rate can have a lot do with with how much poke you can run without rubbing. In the case of the Racelands, if those rates are accurate, those are extremely soft springs (not much stiffer than your average lowering springs like H&R Sports) and at least 50% softer than most of us are running on E36's.

But as long as you are happy with them, that's all that matters. We are having a civil discussion here, there is no need to be so defensive.

[slocar]

I don't think anybody is talking shit about them, just that for a little bit more you can get a product that is backed by a reputable company that may be worth the piece of mind. The point about the price is that if your Racelands blow, you could have put that money towards DDMs and you would have been about half way there already.

As for DDMs are ride quality. Well, they are damping adjustable and you can pick your spring rate so I think that is a non-point.

Plus you get to pick your spring rates with the DDMs, which is always a plus. What is the spring rate on the Racelands?

They have a 2 year warranty; I'll be perfectly happy throwing them away and buying another set if they last that long (if I have the car that long that is).

I've put 1200 miles on mine so far and I have no complaints. Rides alright, and soft or not, I haven't yet destroyed the fenders and I've taken some hairy bumps and dips at speed while turning.

[balleur]

Well, some people might care because spring rate can have a lot do with with how much poke you can run without rubbing. In the case of the Racelands, if those rates are accurate, those are extremely soft springs (not much stiffer than your average lowering springs like H&R Sports) and at least 50% softer than most of us are running on E36's.

But as long as you are happy with them, that's all that matters. We are having a civil discussion here, there is no need to be so defensive.

sorry if my statements came of as defensive cause that is def not how i intended them to be just throwin out my personal experience is all :thumbup:

[dinanm3atl]

DDMs don't ride to great if you go with their recommended spring rates.


I can't image the rear of the racelands do very well with 300# rear springs... It is not a true coilover and is ~180lb spring once mounted...

[schroedin]

Victorryyyyyyy.
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm68/aschroeder92/0922092313.jpg

[Ollie]

how do you figure? i went out on a limb and picked up a set of racelands for my 325 a)because i could care less about tracking the car (i doubt 99% of the ppl on this site do so as well), b) 99% of ppl on the boards talk shit about them yet have never owned a set or have rididn in a car with them and c) because if they suck and end up blowin oh well im out less than half a weeks paycheck :yawn:

ive had em for over 1k+ miles and have yet to have any isseus with them, no weird noises theyre not blown, go low as f**k and do everything i need them to and then some

a buddy of mine has a 98 M3 with DDM coils and i can honestly tell you that i like how my car rides 10x better than his, no bounce and no werid noises comin from the rear like ive heard on DDMs. Although i would love camber adjustment at this point it wasnt worth an extra $500 to me. Im extremely happy with my racelands
I made that post before I saw your car. I gotta admit, your stance is locked in. I really didn't think you could have such a flush stance with such ridiculously low rates. Props on that, I was just saying.. I run 700lb in the rear and I still rub occasionally, I coudn't imagine having those rates being that low.

[dinanm3atl]

I made that post before I saw your car. I gotta admit, your stance is locked in. I really didn't think you could have such a flush stance with such ridiculously low rates. Props on that, I was just saying.. I run 700lb in the rear and I still rub occasionally, I coudn't imagine having those rates being that low.

Same.

Backing out of driveway it rubs really really bad.

[e36rjbmw]

comming from someone who has owned both sets ,ddm with 500f 600r slammed, and racelands slammed. The ride on the DDMs was way better, the lower you go raceland the bouncier it is, I cared about my e36 a little bit more than the jetta and I planned to stance the e36 so I wanted something a little better. but I do love my racelands.

[schroedin]

Good thing I don't have a steep driveway :stickoutt:

[Bimmerteck]

Friends don't let friends buy cheap suspensions. But then again maybe you don"t have any friends to stop you?:confused

Erik

[slocar]

comming from someone who has owned both sets ,ddm with 500f 600r slammed, and racelands slammed. The ride on the DDMs was way better, the lower you go raceland the bouncier it is, I cared about my e36 a little bit more than the jetta and I planned to stance the e36 so I wanted something a little better. but I do love my racelands.
The higher bounciness the lower you go is gonna be true of any coilover that doesn't have dampening adjustment ... no way around it.

But really it's not that bad. I find that it's only really bouncy at lower speeds when you hit a series of bumps just right (my local Walmart parking lot is the worst I've come across).

[Morbid]

I would get racelands over DDM. I've never seen DDM's in person, but I have seen racelands and comparing them to some of the pictures I've seen online, the racelands look better. Only problem with them is you will probably need to go with stiffer springs if you have a very aggressive wheel setup.

They are both probably pretty shitty, but the racelands will cost you only a fraction of the cost. Why pay more if it's not really that much of on upgrade? If you're going to get DDM's, I would spend a little more and get fortune auto's or FK's or if you want to go even higher on the price scale, GC.

I am personally probably going to go with Fortune Auto's. They quoted me $1175 shipped for coils for my M with custom rates and valving.

[Natedogg]

what are DDM's? can you get these in the UK? i have choice of Hot Tunning (Belgian) @ about £250 sterling or FK at about £800 sterling. No in between.

[EThirtySicks]

Racelands scare me a little bit, to be honest. I was thinking about getting em but at this point I think I'm just gonna save for DDM coils and/or keep looking through classifieds to see if I can pick up a used set of GCs or FKs.

[325irollin]

$250 for coilovers. hmmm. I'm sure someone on the bmw forums has some nice used ones for sale

[1985zcar]

seems like the racelands get a lot of decent reviews over in the vw scene...my friend and me are doing a little E36 project and will probably be picking up a set of the racelands haha

I personally know 2 people (MK3 jetta and MK4 GTI) running them and they haven't had anything bad to say about them.

[Hinman]

seems like the racelands get a lot of decent reviews over in the vw scene...my friend and me are doing a little E36 project and will probably be picking up a set of the racelands haha

I personally know 2 people (MK3 jetta and MK4 GTI) running them and they haven't had anything bad to say about them.

my friend with a MK4 GTI ordered some and they should be here Thursday, and Saturday morning we are driving about 300 miles or so to a car meet/ BBQ. i am very interested to see how they ride on a trip like that. if they ride good, i will probably pick a set of them up.

[schroedin]

So far no complaints!