E30 suspension binding?

[3184life]

After yesterdays drift event, I found out my front suspension is binding, making transitions difficult as confirmed by others.

I have a 1990 e30 with e36 rack, and the necessary spacers to fit the rack to the column. New e30 tie rods. Coilovers build from Ksport s13 camber plates, mx73 techno toy tuning sleeves, and mr2 shocks. I am using the factory e30 power steering lines bend to fit.

I cannot see anything visually binding, so anyone have any experience with this? It is more noticeable at full lock

[protomor]

How do you know it's binding? Non E30 people don't know anything about E30s. They just bitch about it.

[3184life]

I had a driving instructor who is also a drifting instructor who used to own an e30 drive it. I trust his judgement

[protomor]

Well then refresh your bushings. Go spherical where you can. 75D for the trailing arms. Make spherical sway bar links but I actually don't even run sway bars anymore lol.

[3184life]

Well then refresh your bushings. Go spherical where you can. 75D for the trailing arms. Make spherical sway bar links but I actually don't even run sway bars anymore lol.

It has spherical bearings in the camber plates. Spherical bearings in the tie rods then?

Could I have put the steering column joints in at the wrong orientation and now it hits somehow?

[SLR]

After yesterdays drift event, I found out my front suspension is binding, making transitions difficult as confirmed by others.

I have a 1990 e30 with e36 rack, and the necessary spacers to fit the rack to the column. New e30 tie rods. Coilovers build from Ksport s13 camber plates, mx73 techno toy tuning sleeves, and mr2 shocks. I am using the factory e30 power steering lines bend to fit.

I cannot see anything visually binding, so anyone have any experience with this? It is more noticeable at full lock

MR2 shocks bolted to what? Are you using Toyota or Nissan knuckles ? If you're using S13 knuckles, they are designed as rear-steering arm. They will be totally wrong in ackerman and trail.


Not assuming, but I saw an E36 a few years ago that someone used a bunch of S15 suspension parts on, and it was all #%*cked up

[Mikestokman]

Sounds like you'd be way better off if you went to an e36 coilover and knuckle.

[protomor]

S13 knuckles on an E30 would be freaking HILARIOUS.

[3184life]

It has mr2 shocks inside the standard e30 strut, with the s13 camer plate bolted to the mr2 shock. Nothing crazy, so what could bind in a fairly stock set up?

[protomor]

If you did a bad job of the E36 rack swap, the steering guibo could bind. Old balljoints could bind. Sway bars with old links (and balljoints) could bind. I've never seen front control arm bushings bind but you never know. On the rear, sway bars can bind but mainly the trailing arm bushings will bind.

Take pictures of your suspension setup. What's your spring rates? MR2 shocks won't work well on an E30 IMO. The weight dist is all wrong.

[SLR]

It has mr2 shocks inside the standard e30 strut, with the s13 camer plate bolted to the mr2 shock. Nothing crazy, so what could bind in a fairly stock set up?

Like Yoshi(protomor) said, the front of an MR2 doesn't have an engine. The 318i has an iron block 4cyl with at least 1cylinder ahead of the front tires.

Does the front of the car feel kinda sloppy and soft ?

[3184life]

It has like 1996 mr2 kyb excel front shocks. I had them left over as that is what ae86 guys run up front. The e30 has a m20.

It has 8kg/mm eibach springs, and doesn't feel soft, definately better than the stock suspension. I also don't have a ton of experience with a good setup car though

[protomor]

8k all around? I have 12k front 18k rear. kybs are poo and designed for cars lighter than an E30. Think about it. 4 cylinder ae86 iron block vs heavy ass iron block I6 with two cylinders and then some hanging in front of your shocks.

Go read up on E30 drift suspensions and come back. Basically your whole suspension is wrong from the get go. And don't complain about budget. You get what you pay for.

[3184life]

Fair enough. I will go through my front suspension, but as I do, any other places I should go through to solve my binding issue? Could the e36 rack require more flow than the e30 steering pump can provide?

[protomor]

E30 and E36 racks take the same pressure and what not. It's a tried and true swap. The only things you'd get hung up on are used parts and if you shimmed the rack improperly. IIRC you put the spacers on the bottom of the steering unit and not on top.

[SLR]

It has like 1996 mr2 kyb excel front shocks. I had them left over as that is what ae86 guys run up front. The e30 has a m20.

It has 8kg/mm eibach springs, and doesn't feel soft, definately better than the stock suspension. I also don't have a ton of experience with a good setup car though

Ahh ok, I was going based off the car in your info ('85 318i). Yea, so even more weight on those poor KYB's (not bad shocks honestly). I mean if it doesn't feel mushy in the front I'd be surprised, but I'll take your word for it. I think 8-10kg front is ok generally. And probably 12-15kg rear