Rear suspension help needed

[Racer Doc]

Last year at Pocono Raceway I flipped my mint 1983 320s with newly installed Bilstein Sport Shocks, Alpina Springs and Suspension Techniques Sway Bars. Of course I went out and bought another 320 iright away, a 1981 (a 320 not a 320s).
I then proceded to replace the 1981's tired suspension and rear diff with all the goodies from my destroyed 320s.
My problem, my 1981 320 does not handle like the 1983 and its stance is not the same. The rear is lower and much tighter handling, the front is higher and sloppy. The car pushes in turns, the frontend seems to float even when I change lanes at 55mph.
My question. I am obviously not getting the same handling because the front of the car is higher than the rear - I believe that I recall reading on this site that the rear on the e21 has 3 possible setting when installing the shock & spirng. Is this correct - or did the roll over kill some brains cells? I took the rear shocks out and don't see it.
Thanks for your response.
Racer Doc
PS People are much easier to fix than cars - at least for me.

[sil0kin]

bilsteins have 3 adjusting specs on their rear struts. mine are all the way down and my front is slightly higher raked than the back, i am solving this problem by switching my 2 front springs (B&M) with Eibachs.

[jbob]

yeah, the rear bilstein sports should have these little slots in them....where you can pull out that big C-clip/ring from one of those slots. that C-clip holds up the lower spring perch.
if those slots aren't on that rear shocks, they might be bilstein HD's or tourings.

just to double check, have you already checked out all the suspension bushings & mounts?

[jjgbmw323]

Top end performance can machine a number of groves into the rear shocks so that you can adjust the height.

Like goldilocks and the three bears story - On the bilstein sports with my Racing Dynamics lowering e21 springs, I have found the lowest setting to be too low, and the middle to be too high.. Its on the middle setting right now and the car sits too high in the rear.

Too get it just right, I am using threaded front ( you weld this into too/replace part of the front strut housings) and rear adjustable bodies, and Dinan adjustable subframe.



Doc, any pictures of either car..how the heck did you flip your car???
The must of been Nasty.

[Racer Doc]

Thanks everyone.

I see the grooves and will disassemble over the weekend.

I'll be back if I get stuck again.

Racer Doc

[jrcook320]

Joe, is that a reinforcement bar that bolts between the swaybar mounts? Does that really do anything to strengthen the subframe?

Doc, the stance should be identical to the 83. Thats a confusing problem. Did you get the front end re-aligned? Incorrect toe could really effect the handling of the car. Here's a pic of the slots on the bilstien sports:

[jjgbmw323]

Joe, is that a reinforcement bar that bolts between the swaybar mounts? Does that really do anything to strengthen the subframe?

Doc, the stance should be identical to the 83. Thats a confusing problem. Did you get the front end re-aligned? Incorrect toe could really effect the handling of the car. Here's a pic of the slots on the bilstien sports:

Jrcook: This is an Alpina reproduction,
we had a group buy on Tricord's site a while ago.
I do have a Dinan front swaybar, but I have not unwraped it yet.

I have pictures of one installed at home, and I can post if you want.
It goes in the front end under the swaybar IIRC, and supposably makes the front end a lot more stiff.

Doc, if you need more slots, Top End performance can machine a few more of these for you

[slowe21]

Hrmmmm I wonder if Koni have these slots in em?

OT - Josh, what trailing arm bushes do you have?

[jrcook320]

Jrcook: This is an Alpina reproduction,
we had a group buy on Tricord's site a while ago.

I have pictures of one installed at home, and I can post if you want.
It goes in the front end under the swaybar IIRC, and supposably makes the front end a lot more stiff.

I've seen pics of the front bar installed, but you should repost them. Is that whats in the pic or is that a similar setup for the rear? I can see the front bar being benificial, but not the rear. I'll have to make one for the front when I make my rear strut tower brace, it'll cost me about $10.

Windy, I have regular non eccentric Bavauto poly trailing arm bushings, but I slotted my subframe. I would recommend the camber adjustable bushings, especially if you don't slot your subframe.

[Racer Doc]

JR,

Yes its a confusing situation, I can't figure why the front end is higher and the rear is lower then in my last 320.

Now that I think about it when I did the suspension switch over in the rear I simply swapped the whole spring and shock unit, therefore I must have had the spring set on the lowest setting in the 1983?

Racer Doc

I will re-adjust the rear and see where that leads me.

Racer Doc