E36 Coilovers: JOM, FK, RSK, Street Edge, GRP, Streetline, Raceland..arrggg too many!

[anonymous4l]

Hi,

I have a 97 e36 coupe and I'm deep in it and don't want to give it up. Now I'm looking at suspension, the passenger front shock is leaking fluid, and my passenger rear bushing needs replacing.

1. I'm looking to get coilovers all around, what brand should I get from the title, JOM, FK, RSK, Street Edge, GRP, Streetline, Raceland.

2. I really need to replace the bushings, I was thinking with the powerflex bushings.

3. Also I noticed when my baby was on the lift that the transmission had fluid all over it. I noticed the stick shift in the cabin shaking during 2nd gear...any suggestions?

Really question 1 about the coilovers is most important at the moment, but feel free to chim in on the other questions.

Thanks in advance for the positive feedback.

P.S. I'm on a budget so no Megan, or Ground Control suggestions.

Thanks again.

[scooper]

Coilovers are for the track. Anything less than $1800 is junk. Get a good set of dampers - Bilstein HD, Touring, Koni Strt, Sport. All can be had for <1k. Keep your current springs.

Fix your leaks and replace ALL your bushings and ball joints. You'll be surprised at how good new suspension parts feel. Get some delrin rtab limiters from AKG, Vorshlag, or RRT. Get a delrin center diff bushing from RRT or AKG. Stick with stock rubber/metal though poly for rear subframe x4 is ok (but you'll need custom washers).

Trans usually don't leak as much as the motor. You probably need a new oil pan gasket. You probably need new motor mounts and trans mounts and replace the drift pin/bushings on the trans. Don't waste your money on junky coilovers that you will need to replace again in the near future. I once bought a set of new DA coilovers for the street$4k and regretted it. I'm now riding on Koni sports which are awesome. Good luck.

[anonymous4l]

Thanks. I'm gonna research some of this post and get back to you. Have a great day!!

[MINIz guy]

1. If you must get coilovers, I'd stick with one of the more known brands. JOM, FK and Raceland from that list should be alright for you. Have you thought of doing new shocks and lowering springs though? Something like Koni SRT and lowering springs would probably cost $600 and be much higher quality.

2. Powerflex bushings are good. Shop around for the lowest prices as AKG, Rev Shift, Condor Speed Shop, and even ECS Tuning all make their own poly bushings. Poly control arm bushings are good. Rubber RTABs with limiters are better than poly RTABs. Poly diff bushings and poly subframe bushings also are good. Just replace bushings as they wear out as replacing all of them will get expensive quickly.

3. Clean up all the fluid and then track it down again. Look from the highest point as gravity and wind will spread the leak all over the engine and transmission. Bad engine/trans mounts can cause a shaking shift lever. All the shifter bushings could be worn out too, causing movement. You gotta look it it one item at a time.

[Pavlo]

ST are cheap and are made by KW. Unless you want to die after you hit a bump, I would stay away from all of the brands that you listed.

[bostonaudi]

Most of the brands listed are the same chinesium junk. ST are KW with galvanized bodies and made by KW, good value there.

The best thing to do is order up new OEM struts. Still a tight ride on the M3.

You also don't need or want Powerflex bushings. Replace with OEM bushings, aren't you on a budget?

[sjcp]

Most of the brands listed are the same chinesium junk. ST are KW with galvanized bodies and made by KW, good value there.

The best thing to do is order up new OEM struts. Still a tight ride on the M3.

You also don't need or want Powerflex bushings. Replace with OEM bushings, aren't you on a budget?

From where you can buy the OEM struts and bushings?

Thanks


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[propcar]

ST are cheap and are made by KW. Unless you want to die after you hit a bump, I would stay away from all of the brands that you listed.

Listen to him. He knows what he's talking about.

[MaGhettoSoup]

I bought the Solo-Werks Adjustable Coilovers from Mod-bargain. reviews on them looked pretty good and they were for $500. I will be doing a blog about how they are once I get them installed. If you want to go just shocks and springs, I ran the H&R Cup kit on my 325is, and I would recommend that kit again. I have seen those kits brand new for around $600.

[AdrianE36]

I personally wouldn't go with any Ebay coilovers. But if you must, go with Racelands although you'd be better off getting a used Koni or Bilstein setup in the FS section.
And as was said earlier, replace your bushings first then worry about goodies afterwards.

[MIKYZZ4]

From where you can buy the OEM struts and bushings?

Thanks


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OEM are original factory parts, and can be purchased at your nearest BMW dealer, or from online retailers.

[96bmftw]

There's nothing wrong with buying a used coilovers. I have done so with great results. All have been Bilstein products. I do agree with refreshing the worn bushings before moving onto performance oriented suspension. If you absolutely must have coilovers, a less expensive but still good quality option would be the Ground Control street kit. Its a Koni based hybrid coilover setup and you get to pick your own spring rates. If you're looking to slam your car however, these will not work for you.

[jjwilson89]

1. Of your list - ST XTA. I wouldn't go with anything else. Also, if you're not tracking the car, just go struts.

2. Do not use powerflex bushings. Or Revshift. If you want to go Poly, go Condor. Lifetime warranty, excellent customer service and everything just fits perfectly. They do a package called "The Sleeper" and it's great.

3. Could be a number of things, oil pan gasket or rear main seal probably the most likely candidates.