Spring rates

[TheStig]

I want to see pics of your drasticly lowered car, and what springs and rates you are running. Im running 550 fronts and 600 rears, and its a little too soft for me. Im interested to see what everyone else is running to determine what I should get to go a little lower.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q144/98ventovr/Picture008-3.jpg

[Stephen]

315 / 570 i think..

My buddy's J stocks are somewhere around 600/1000 and suprisingly streetable

[bjh102]

600/700. havent driven with them but they feel really stiff just sitting in/ moving the car.

[TheStig]

315 / 570 i think..

My buddy's J stocks are somewhere around 600/1000 and suprisingly streetable

HOLY SHIT your fronts are Really soft. How low are you? I think my stock Bilsteins were stiffer than that.

[TheStig]

600/700. havent driven with them but they feel really stiff just sitting in/ moving the car.

yeah, mine feel stiff too, but when I drive it, I can tell im damn near bottoming out... I think I'm gonna try and get 700f and 850r.

[SeanDub]

I'm not entirely sure on the spring rates in my car, but they are too soft. I will be goin with 650/750 or better soon. The ride is nice on the springs now, but my fenders are payin the price..

[M.Burroughs]

315 / 570 i think..

My buddy's J stocks are somewhere around 600/1000 and suprisingly streetable

J stocks are actually not that high. My friend just got some and I don't know what I'm allowed to say, but they're nowhere near that stiff. :)


On my e36 I'm running 750/850
On my e24 I'm running 450/400

[driggers.a]

Running 650/750. I have about 2-2.5" of shock travel and never bottom out. Hell, my rim never even tucks.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3339463915_db87f3ec9d_o.jpg

[dinanm3atl]

yeah, mine feel stiff too, but when I drive it, I can tell im damn near bottoming out... I think I'm gonna try and get 700f and 850r.

More than like you are lowered to the point you have close to zero suspension travel. You need super short housings and super short springs.

Other things to consider on the e36 is front lower control arm angle in relation to 90 degrees or parallel with the ground. Under normal and useful conditions it would be at an downward angle and on a car lowered as much is yours it could be parallel or even worse at at an upward angle. Taking all the available suspension travel out of the equation.

In the rear, just like on the other model e36 vehicles your spring rate is drastically reduced because it sits on the lower control arm and due to the increase in force by being on the 'wrong' side of the fulcrum you lose A LOT of spring rate. On an e30 it is almost 50% because of the rear suspension design. E36 is a bit better but same effect. Put a 1000lb spring in the rear of an e30 and it acts as a 500lb spring. So consider that when ordering springs.

550 Front and 700 Rear on the vert. Push on the front fender and it barely moves. Push on the rear and it feels soft.

[TheStig]

Yeah, I know what you're saying. Its not lack of shock travel tho, I have full shock travel because I have an adjustable base. The reason I know I'm almost bottoming out, is because my sway bar is 1-7/8" off the ground... So when my car bounces, I know its really close to hitting the ground haha. I don't really have problems with bumps, as much as I do with creeping up driveways at an angle. My rear wheels hit my fenders because the suspension articulates too much. I'm lookin into gettin some big ass sway bars haha.

[driggers.a]

True coilover in the rear FTW.

[TheNeek]

True coilover in the rear FTW.

What he said

[TheStig]

Yeah, tell me about it. I miss my mk3 sometimes :(

[dinanm3atl]

Adjustable base? You mean you loosen up the lower mount and spin it up? Thus 'shortening' the shock? You can still bottom it out and there is a good chance at looking at coil binding which can feel like 'bottoming out'. Feels like you reached the end of travel.

Really? Looking at your ride height in sig and looking at my car it seems something else may be out of wack. Sway bar is not going to help a lot with low speed 'cornering' or taking bumps at an angle. Would recommend a much stiffer spring so it won't be able to move :)

Or a true coilover but that opens up a whole different ballgame. Reinforcing the mounts. Getting lower spring rates would probably be necessary.

[bjh102]

who makes a true coilover for the rear on an e36? im just curious. fuck now im hoping my 700 rear spring is stiff enough.

[TheStig]

who makes a true coilover for the rear on an e36? im just curious. fuck now im hoping my 700 rear spring is stiff enough.

I don't think anybody does, dude to the lack of clearance between the shock and wheel that's already present with the current design.

[dinanm3atl]

who makes a true coilover for the rear on an e36? im just curious. fuck now im hoping my 700 rear spring is stiff enough.

I believe with Motons or Ohlins style you could run them as a true coilover. I am sure with some big spacers it could clear if you ran Ground Control's race setup. They could put a perch on.

[Digitalwave]

J stocks are actually not that high. My friend just got some and I don't know what I'm allowed to say, but they're nowhere near that stiff. :)

J-Stocks are progressive springs and yes, at some point in the travel they are that stiff. Early on they are not nearly that stiff, which is what makes them very streetable.

I am running 430lb/5" up front, and 450lb/6" out back.

http://www.stasisproductions.com/portfolio/albums/album02/DSC_0430.jpg

[Stephen]

HOLY SHIT your fronts are Really soft. How low are you? I think my stock Bilsteins were stiffer than that.

Well theyre for an e30, and it seems like e30s run lighter rates up front alot. 350/~500 is a pretty standard GC rate

Keep in mind im not slammed.

My next sprins though may be 650/750 but i worry it may be to stiff for the bilsteins

[TheStig]

Yeah, this is true. Sounds like you got it all planned out. Im not too big into E30s, so my knowledge is lacking in that department.

[Dutchy]

I'm running a 550 lb spring up front and will be running 1000 or 1200 out back. Wheel rate on an e30 is .88 up front and .47 out back. So actual rates are lower. The numbers just seem big.

[87e30]

650/450.

Seems just perfect for me on the e30.

[Digitalwave]

That seems super unbalanced. Unless you typed them backwards.

[M.Burroughs]

I would agree.

[87e30]

Oh woops. I always do that...

650r 450f. My bad. I just assume the r/f is obvious... woops!

[Ollie]

J stocks are actually not that high. My friend just got some and I don't know what I'm allowed to say, but they're nowhere near that stiff. :)


On my e36 I'm running 750/850
On my e24 I'm running 450/400
Wow you run 450/400 on your e24 with credit card tire/fender clearance?!


Mine are 550/700

I love it but I wouldn't mind a little more stiffness out back. I raised my rear up a bit and I still rub tire all the time and sometimes rim.

[driggers.a]

You're not taking into the account that the E24/E28 has a true rear coilover, meaning 400# in an E24 is about the same as 600# in an E36.

Ah, the benefits of having true coilovers...

A 650/1100 setup in an E36 would be about the same as my 650/750 setup.

[dinanm3atl]

I'm running a 550 lb spring up front and will be running 1000 or 1200 out back. Wheel rate on an e30 is .88 up front and .47 out back. So actual rates are lower. The numbers just seem big.

Correct. On an e30 you are basically at 1/2 the advertised rate. The e36 is not quite as bad but you will need significantly more rear spring is you want it 'evened' out front to rear.

Oh woops. I always do that...

650r 450f. My bad. I just assume the r/f is obvious... woops!

That seems better ;)

[Ollie]

You're not taking into the account that the E24/E28 has a true rear coilover, meaning 400# in an E24 is about the same as 600# in an E36.

Ah, the benefits of having true coilovers...

A 650/1100 setup in an E36 would be about the same as my 650/750 setup.Yep didn't think about that. I may have to step up my spring rates then if I want to step up my game.:o

[ProjektONE]

Im running 6" 600F and 6" 700R. I may increase the spring rates so that I can go with a shorter spring!

[MParallel]

Running true coilover on the rear would be cool, but the rear strut towers would colapse withing a few miles as all the weight of the rear would sit on the topmount, instead of the upper wishbone.

[wnabm3]

J stocks are actually not that high. My friend just got some and I don't know what I'm allowed to say, but they're nowhere near that stiff. :)


On my e36 I'm running 750/850
On my e24 I'm running 450/400


whats your spring lengths on your e36 front and rear?
buying suspension soon and i wanna make sure I'll be stanced correctly

thanks

[Digitalwave]

It probably depends on which coilover you have but you'll probably want 5" or 6" springs, no longer than 6". I am running 5" on my car (for the front).

I'm not sure about the rear, but it's easy to go low in the rear.

[Oscar]

I run 550f 700r on my e30. Rides decent but I'll probably get shorter springs for the rear and go with 800 or 850 lb instead.

[06tiburonofdoom]

Damn... I don't know what mine are in pounds! :(
I've been waiting for mine 12 kg/mm/ 10 kg/mm springs to be delivered, but at the moment I've got 9 and 7, which is too soft for my setup.

[jawnsense]

i realize this is an extreme noob question but you guys seem to know your stuff. im looking for shorter springs with a higher rate for my mk4 rears and havent really found anything with good ol google. :( what are some good sites to scope some springs?

[malady]

find out your spring id

search for eibach
hypercoil
swift

[jawnsense]

thanks, will do :)