Rieger + Low Car

[Don Nguyen]

My old man just brought up a good point about the rieger kit when i showed it to him. Even though i have long thought about this and asked many people, but to just quell my what can be false sense of lost hope. Anyone out there who has a fairly low car with a rieger bumper/lip or something similar that is low? If so, when you do scrape, is it often and has your bumper ever just broke on you? Im afriad cause the car is too low if i am in some un fimiliar area that if i come up to a bump/dip/steep driveway and i have no choice but to go up it or stall traffic that the bumper might break. I mean i have no problem with it scratching on the bottom since you cant really see it anyways. If anyone has experience with this and is willing to share that'd be great. Thanks

[1995red318i]

dude! make up your mind on a bumper and just get one. stop making threads about this over and over again! :)

just get the infinity 1 bumper with the splitter and call it a day.

[Don Nguyen]

Oh, i mean im going to get it, but i just want to know how strong it is and how much caution i should use in those conditions. Last one i promise :D

[NegativeCambre]

I think Den brings up a vallid point though... his car is slizzamed, any more loss in ground clearance could equal an expensive repair.

This might sound kind of lame, but might be worth it:

Find out how much lower the bumper goes then the standard E36 bumper. Then rig up some sort of dummy device, maybe as simple as a PVC rig to attatck to the underside of your bumper that is the propper distance from the ground as the reiger bumper.

It'll look lame for a while, but just go through your daily routine with the car, and see how the dummy peice fairs. It will be a good indication of how screwed you are.

Steve

[BoostFed325]

drive carful :)

[Daved]

IMO it takes breaking the front bumper at least once to learn how to drive being so low from the ground.

Just have a spare front bumper (painted, of course) and you will be fine ;)

[Don Nguyen]

i actually did that for a few mins steve, and i have about oh say a few mm clearence from my driveway and scratches on this very steep one. But it wasnt hard, so i cant tell if it'll break or scratch badly.

[BoostFed325]

could always change springs

[Kevlar]

what is the bumper made out of ... abs plastic or fiberglass?

[Don Nguyen]

I like my drop and i have really thought about getting new springs or putting old ones back in, but i rather not and just try to work around it the best i can. The bumper as far as i know is made of ABS plastic, i think it maybe be close to the OEM bumpers?

[CASTRO]

That's why I don't want to lower my car. I have about an inch of clearence coming in my driveway. While mine is an add-on lip (lower than yours) your going to sratch it some day and there's no way of getting around that. It happens with all lowered cars, add-on lip and, bodykits.

[Chris E30+M50]

Why not go with adjustable height coil-overs so you can raise it if need be?

[1995red318i]

well thats an expensive option there, especially since he already has his car lowered.

i think you will be just fine with the infinity 1 kit. unless you have hr race springs, i wouldn't be too worried about it.

just get the splitter, and drive a little more carefully in potentially hazardous areas.

that reminds me though....i need to get a splitter too for i royally f&@* my bumper:)

[Don Nguyen]

splitter? Never knew that actually did anything really...im not concerned at all with the scratching, just the cracking ;)

[The-Great-328ic]

as long as it isn't Fiberglass, you'll be ok. I guess :dunno

[Coupe E36]

plastic is also good.. buddy of mine has a plastic kit on his neon (i know its not a bimmer :12: ) but his neon the front is lowered and everytime he scrapes, it just scrapes and never cracks.. and he had it for awhile already.. and as for fiberglass i seen lots of kits made out of fiberglass those tend to crack very fast .. Plastic are elastic so it wont crack as fast as fiberglass would.. anyhow ur option are to live with the kit or get new springs/height adjust coilovers..

[Don Nguyen]

like i said, i dont even give a hoot aobut the scratching, just the cracking. I guess i dont have to worry as much and just be more aware and careful of where i drive. Probably have to test it out a bit when i get it.

[quickslvr387]

my friend had the rieger lip on his e30 which was ABS....a few mintues after he put it on and drove around it got ripped off.....maybe it was just that the mounting points on the add on lip are thin but ABS is not indestructable

[Khoalty]

You just have to be more aware of the road. I have been driving around town for 3 years with about 3.5 inches of clearance and I been doing ok. I put about 20k a year and driven all over cali. Its possible to make it anywhere, the technique is angle and seeing how fast you can go around things. If clearance seems to be an issue....you should go look for a different bumper or stay with your OEM one.

[wannaBMthree]

I had my car stock height with reiger cupspoiler. Once i slammed it with the H&R Cupkit I got three good sized chips taken out of it. If i had the choice of lowering it or not i would do it again, i just would have been even more carefull driving than i was.

[Bimmubishi]

Why do people put this crap on their cars? It looks stupid, you can't drive fast because you have no ground clearance and the bodywork hits the ground.. after about a year the paint starts chipping off it. Buy a Civic.

[Coupe E36]

Why do people put this crap on their cars? It looks stupid, you can't drive fast because you have no ground clearance and the bodywork hits the ground.. after about a year the paint starts chipping off it. Buy a Civic.

Wat crap you talking about ? kit ? if so its not for driving fast.. its most of the time for style and looks.. :buttrock

[Bimmubishi]

I'm saying that I'm a proponent of factory bodywork. It's timeless, won't detract from the car's value and it makes the car driveable as the ride height isn't compromised.

[Don Nguyen]

well hearing that from you Khoalty makes me feel a bit better and safer on the roads :) either way, i went out on a limb and bought the kit and had it delivered to the shop, wish me luck :) thanks for all the help guys.

[Coupe E36]

Airborne post pics when u get the kit all installed..

[joe325i]

my friend glued those plastic tiles to the underside ofhis add-on lip to scrape instead of the lip

just a suggestion

[///Arman]

Problem with threads like this is that a lot of people who don't have any experience reply. One of very few usefull replies here is Khoalty's...

I have the Rieger kit also with a 3" clearance up front, and a lip on it and have no problems what so ever. All you have to do is be very carefull, yes it will still scrape here and there, BUT since you're buying ABS plastic and not some fiberglass junk, its' no problem! I have hit bumps on the highway doing 130+ with my car with no problem.....I try to avoid as many potholes and bumps on the road as possible so I'm always alert and carefull. Going with an angle into drive ways works very well....you just have to again be very carefull and go slow and over time you'll get use to it.

good luck

[Don Nguyen]

thanks arman, that's sorta what i was hoping to hear when i made this thread is not theories or stories people heard, but more actual experiences people in my situation has encountered and stuff. Even with my lowered car before the kit goes on, i havent gone over bumps or stuff at angles, so im not really exactly sure how that helps, but i know it does somehow...as long as the bumper doesnt break or crack from small things im all good for that. How much is your car lowered arman for the 3 inch clearence up front? Thanks for the advice and info tho everyone and arman and khoalty for your experience with this.

[///Arman]

Mine is lowered between 2" and 2.5" up front...

[Don Nguyen]

oh wow, mine should have no problem then, because mine is only lowered 1.5 all around. sweet :D

[iCeDmAn]

well I mean I'm dropped on H&R sports with the infinity front, and after being really stupid and driving a little under the influence which I personally will never do again...I'm in the market for a new bumper due to the curb that ran into it...but in past experience my ABS scraped all the time its really strong but paint might chip if you get it really bad...

[KraZy007]

Honestly, you really shouldn't have a problem. I am even lower than Khoalty by about 3/4 inch and I get around town just fine. The key is to chose your routes carefully. As far as your daily route goes, you should know where your car can make it and where it can't. Avoid the areas that it can't. As for new routes, just use some sound judgement as to where it can and can't go. It's funny because Khoalty and I always end up going from exit to exit until we find one we know our cars can make out of.

[Don Nguyen]

hah, you ever have any problems with the skirts? I think when i go over them if slightly fast with people in the car it might hit it, maybe it's something else tho so im not sure. Any of you have splitters to protect the paint? Or will that just create less space for the bumper to work with? Thanks

[iCeDmAn]

I've thought about splitters but the i think what if the splitter since I'm now lower catches something and bends the bumper to the point it cracks? Very interested on input on this one

[joekannooks]

I'd second the suggestion for putting plastic pieces on the "most likely to be scraped" points of the bumper/lip. It'll lessen/eliminate the amount of material being shaved off when you inevitably scrape the ground (no matter how careful you are, it somehow manages to happen). I used the clear plastic cut from corner protectors for walls with double-sided tape.

And like others have said, drive slowly and at an angle when approaching driveways and what not. Be prepared to have to take detours once in a while though :).

[joekannooks]

Oh, and since it's plastic or rubber (not fiberglass), you won't really have to worry about it cracking. BUT, you'll still have to worry about the <b>paint</b> cracking.

[Sam L]

my front end clearance is pretty small...it's a PITA getting into driveways/over speedbumps...

i remember my friend had the infinity 1 bumper and he was dropped, and had less than 1.5 inch clearance LOL that bumper is lowwww

here's a tip: a set of 19's should raise you up a bit. =]

sam

[KraZy007]

As far as the skirts go, whether or not you scrape them over speed bumps and what not depends on two things. How good you are at navigating and how stiff your shocks are. Stiffer shocks will give less meaning your car does not drop as deep when coming down from a speed bump. IF you're good enough, you'll make sure your car never drops enough to hit the speed bump.

[He and his]

Reiger over here dropped on KW 2's.......i think i have like a 6 finger clearance in the front eeeeeeeps......barely scraped anything though but thats cause i watch where i go.......literally if i came up to a speed bump that i dont think i can make, i'll back up and find another way hahahahahahaha, g luck on your decision

[525iT_Feen]

Originally posted by BoostFed325
drive carful :)

That's what i told him.

just be careful Den. :buttrock

[Don Nguyen]

looks like driving careful and know my areas and keeping a eye out for things will be my best bet from beating the bumper up too much. Possibly get a splitter also to just protect the paint from chipping. But i did a search on the fog light mounting for the bumper to tell my body shop what needs to be done etc, and i heard in a few threads that you need m3 fogs, but i thought the m3 and 325, etc were all the same? Also to mount the fogs on all you need are the OEM brackets on each side and get something to hold them on and slide the fogs in correct? Thanks

[iCeDmAn]

yea your right they are the same...except with the POS fitment of Rieger your fogs will pop out in no time ;)

[mbadger]

If you hit it hard enough the ABS plastic will crack horribly on the rieger kit. My cousin's Rieger has broken both in the front and the rear. I however haven't had any problems so far and I have scraped the bottom in the front several times due to unfamiliarity with certain streets with huge dips or potholes.....

Mine has proven to be very strong so far. I just keep my fingers crossed that each time it scrapes that nothing bad will happen. I'm dropped on Eiback Pro Kit and loving every minute of it....

Just be careful, use angled approaches to gradients like Arman said and don't be afraid to hold up traffic for a little while :devillook