H&R Coilover vs. Bilstein H&R race
 

Here is my dilema.
I have the option of swapping out my current setup for a set of H&R coilover kit.
My car has a full M3 swap (engine, trans, suspension and what not). Right now my setup is Bilstein Sport struts and stock m3 springs at the front and Blistein Sport shocks with H&R race springs on the back. I like this setup very much and have been to the track a few times and it has a very neutral setup.
I have never used the H&R coilover kit but the price seems to state that it should be a good setup. So whats the concensous from you guys?
Things I have thought that may not work with my front end.
1, 6cyl is heavier, do the coilover have the right spring for this??
2, I have the 95 m3 offset strut hats and offset control arm bushings. Would I keep this setup or have to change to the ti setup
3, The m3 sway bar mounts to the strut housing and not the control arm like the rest of the e36 cars.

Let me know...

best solution I can think of is to get M3 fronts and ti rears, not sure if H&R will let you piece it together like that though

Are you limited to the H&R coilover set up? I would strongly suggest a Ground Control set up. They will work with you an send you the proper spring rates for your set up and intended use.

If I had the option I would not bother with a sport shock/sport spring set up. These are OK but the tuning ability you get by spending just a little more for coilovers is amazing. That said, with a coilover set up, you need a corner balanced alignment to get the most out of it... this is not something your local brandname alignment shop can generally help you with.

I have heard nothing but horror stories with GC. YMMV.

I have had probems with their customer service but the product is awesome. I have them on my 323 wagon, which is faster than a stock E46 M3 through a 45 second (or so) autocross.

I will be putting a GC set up on my coupe and my ti when the time comes.

Can you be more specific with the horror stories? The only real suspension horror stories I have heard are with the DDM stuff.

I guess it's customer service. People like the product once they get the correct parts. But sometimes they need to go back and forth with customer service.

My last indy shop had to take pictures of the mounting locations (I think) because he kept on getting the wrong parts. I do know he went back and forth with photos until they got it right. Not my car, a customer's.

For what it's worth my E46 kit came out of the box and installed without issue and I was able to pick my spring rates. I later ordered rear sway bar links and they sent me fronts and I'm pretty sure they kid I talked to on the phone had never been under a car much less a BMW.

To me the individuallity they allow more than makes up for difficulty with customer service... especially when it comes to those of us with swapped ti's. The end result is the difference between right... and pretty good.

I dabble at a shop where we install both, GC and H&R even get some of their components from the same source.

The H&R quality is much nicer than the GC stuff on the aluminum machined parts IMHO.

They make the only spacers I would ever use.

GC is Asian H&R is German, the H&R engineering staff are almost all ex Bilstein employees.

H&R is more pick and choose the parts you like, GC makes packages. You can buy their springs separately though.

Just my opinion of course.... :)

Dave

I do like the threads machined right into the struts... that is nice.
Agreed.

GC is generally Koni and Eibach, combined with the GC specific parts they use to make the kits... camber plates, threaded collars, rear shock mounts etc...

Did you mean GC is more pick and choose? I have never seen an H&R kit with options. Which is my point... I would consider H&R out of the box coilovers on an out of the box car... but a swapped ti is not and out of the box car.

you guys know if the h&r front struts have the m3 sway bar mounting points? I really wanna use the coil over kit yet retain the offset strut hat and sway bar mounting points...

I believe the only H&R kits with the sway mounts on the strut are kits specifically for M cars.