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.

[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.

[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.