Posted by Eric on February 28, 2000 at 01:07:07:
In Reply to: Upgrading Suspension posted by Peter Maag on February 27, 2000 at 14:51:41:
: He all,
: I am seriously considering upgrading the suspension on my '81 528i . I have been looking around and have found a number of different shock options. Bilsteins seem to be the all around favorite, so I searched for those first. It seems that Bilstein makes a front "Sport" shock for our cars, but does not make a rear "Sport" shock. Would the car handle funny if I had front sports, and rear heavy duty? Then comes springs. Eibach, H&R, and Suspension Techniques all make springs for our cars, and they all seem to lower the car about an inch. Which spring is the best?
: Another option would be coil-overs. Top-End claims on their web-page that they offer coil-overs for our cars, I sent an e-mail, and will wait to see the price on those. Any opinions? What have been your experiences? Thanks for the help.
: Peter
Although I have not had experience with the sport Bilsteins on an E12, my experience with other BMWs is that the sport is pretty stiff. If you want to use those, I would recommend a front stress bar too. I think you're better sticking with the HDs.
My experience with springs is similar. H &R tends to be on the stiff side. I would bet on Eibachs.
The E12 I bought came with some aftermarket sway bars... they are very effective in controlling roll and would recommend those (Sorry, don't know what brand of sway bars they are). They are pretty thick, probably 28mm front and 22mm rear.