'96 E36 M3
10-13-2005, 11:46 AM
I replaced my tired OEM suspension with Koni struts and shocks, JT Design RSM's, and Eibach springs this past Monday, and I wanted to share my subjective opinions.
First, my car is a 1996 with 56,000 miles on the ticker and the original suspension. Many on the board suggest that factory suspension (struts/shocks) wear out by 50,000 miles or so, and my ride seemed "soft" compared to my friends Toyota Solara. That was the last straw. I ordered up the gear from Shox.com (great guys, BTW) and had the pleasure of looking at the stuff in my den for over a week until the shop where I take my car (Bavarian Motors in Phoenix - more great guys) had availability.
The installation took a solid 5.5 hours, and I have to say I'm glad I didn't attempt it myself. I probably could have gotten the rears done myself, but the fronts would have been too involved for me. In any case, as they were going through the installation they showed me each strut and shock, and how fried they were. One of the rear shocks must have come apart internally or somehow ingested some sand because every compression/rebound (which had to be done manually) resulted in a nasty grinding sound. Front struts were completely shot as well and were providing no dampening. I guess now the upgrade is really more of a repair - a critical fact when telling your wife you dropped $900 on car parts. Note: both RSM's were in good condition. Yes, you read that right, nothing wrong with them and they could have been reused. I had the JTD RSM's installed anyway considering how common it is for those things to wear, but I just found it interesting that mine seemed to be in such good shape. I was expecting some nasty stuff. I'll post pics of them later.
The guys at the shop set the rear shocks at 1.5 turns (about halfway to full-stiff) and the fronts at just over 1 turn. They took it for a spin and confirmed the setup was right before handing over the keys. Cosmetically the car looks lower (as it should) which is nice; it is more aggressive in my opinion. The fronts are still a bit high, but to me it isn't going to be a problem. I think 18" wheels would look a bit better than my 17" wheels, but for now I'm pleased with how the gear looks.
From a driving standpoint, it is like an entirely different vehicle. Tracking is in a nice, straight line, and the feel is very aggressive. I don't think I would want to go more stiff else the ride might be abrasive, but it could be these components need to wear in a bit. There are a few corners near my house I like to take quickly, and let me tell you the improvement is incredible.
Needless to say, I'm definitely a fan of this setup. I'll post some pics of the ride (before and after) to show exactly what the difference in appearance would be from the Eibach's. As for how it feels, well, that's something that can't really be explained.
First, my car is a 1996 with 56,000 miles on the ticker and the original suspension. Many on the board suggest that factory suspension (struts/shocks) wear out by 50,000 miles or so, and my ride seemed "soft" compared to my friends Toyota Solara. That was the last straw. I ordered up the gear from Shox.com (great guys, BTW) and had the pleasure of looking at the stuff in my den for over a week until the shop where I take my car (Bavarian Motors in Phoenix - more great guys) had availability.
The installation took a solid 5.5 hours, and I have to say I'm glad I didn't attempt it myself. I probably could have gotten the rears done myself, but the fronts would have been too involved for me. In any case, as they were going through the installation they showed me each strut and shock, and how fried they were. One of the rear shocks must have come apart internally or somehow ingested some sand because every compression/rebound (which had to be done manually) resulted in a nasty grinding sound. Front struts were completely shot as well and were providing no dampening. I guess now the upgrade is really more of a repair - a critical fact when telling your wife you dropped $900 on car parts. Note: both RSM's were in good condition. Yes, you read that right, nothing wrong with them and they could have been reused. I had the JTD RSM's installed anyway considering how common it is for those things to wear, but I just found it interesting that mine seemed to be in such good shape. I was expecting some nasty stuff. I'll post pics of them later.
The guys at the shop set the rear shocks at 1.5 turns (about halfway to full-stiff) and the fronts at just over 1 turn. They took it for a spin and confirmed the setup was right before handing over the keys. Cosmetically the car looks lower (as it should) which is nice; it is more aggressive in my opinion. The fronts are still a bit high, but to me it isn't going to be a problem. I think 18" wheels would look a bit better than my 17" wheels, but for now I'm pleased with how the gear looks.
From a driving standpoint, it is like an entirely different vehicle. Tracking is in a nice, straight line, and the feel is very aggressive. I don't think I would want to go more stiff else the ride might be abrasive, but it could be these components need to wear in a bit. There are a few corners near my house I like to take quickly, and let me tell you the improvement is incredible.
Needless to say, I'm definitely a fan of this setup. I'll post some pics of the ride (before and after) to show exactly what the difference in appearance would be from the Eibach's. As for how it feels, well, that's something that can't really be explained.