» Site Navigation | | » Recent Threads | | | 1999 M3 Swap 09-07-2023 10:10 PM 06-01-2024 03:04 PM 7 Replies, 427,611 Views | | | | | | | 04-18-2017, 01:33 AM | #16 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: US Posts: 315 | While I'd like to go 6spd budget doesn't allow for it currently. 4.10 is nice around town but at 65mph I'm at 4K. So I just drive slow right lane. I hope to be mostly done by end of May with it, save for minor bodywork. Brakes will be done in coming weeks. Rear suspension done this weekend. Sits to low for my personal pref and the stress on halfshafts. (HR Sport Z3 6cyl) I have one more spacer to add on spring pad but won't do enough. Will be testing out some new springs locally. Smoked rears added as well. | | | 04-18-2017, 02:00 PM | #17 | Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bouncing off the rev limiter in CT! Posts: 3,156 | Damn. Those springs are completely compressed! Only the small coils doing anything now. Do they bang on bumps being that tight? | | | 04-18-2017, 10:08 PM | #18 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: US Posts: 315 | It's by design per HR. The Z3 forums have a few threads with people shocked, thinking they are broke etc. supposedly it's so the spring don't fall out. Either way I'd like to be higher in rear. Going to try Bav Auto springs next. Maybe go factory sport 6cyl Z3? They're easy enough to swap might as well mess around. With a medium diff and 4cyl stock haldshaft I don't wanna go to low though. Looking for e30 325i ones currently Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk | | | 04-18-2017, 10:23 PM | #19 | Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bouncing off the rev limiter in CT! Posts: 3,156 | The big 'nipple' keeps the springs in... Unless you're doing Dukes of Hazard maneuvers I think they'll stay in. I'm running stock M Roadster in the rear of mine. I'm happy with ride, height and they haven't fallen out either! I did go with the heavier M Coupe rear sway due to the heavier body on the ti compared to the roadster. | | | 04-19-2017, 12:30 AM | #20 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: US Posts: 315 | The pads even come with an adapter to lengthen the nipple. I'm going to assume it was for extreme situations but that's there design. I'll mess around with a few setups to find the right height. It does feel better then the 4cyl sports. | | | 04-19-2017, 07:05 PM | #21 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: SoCal Posts: 702 | Quote: Originally Posted by J!m Damn. Those springs are completely compressed! Only the small coils doing anything now. Do they bang on bumps being that tight? | Ya, I was surprised by that too, if you look at my old build thread I compared some of the springs and even the 4cyl z3 springs did that. Currently I am running the z3m H&R sport springs and they also do the same tthing. Quote: Originally Posted by ZEK It's by design per HR. The Z3 forums have a few threads with people shocked, thinking they are broke etc. supposedly it's so the spring don't fall out. Either way I'd like to be higher in rear. Going to try Bav Auto springs next. Maybe go factory sport 6cyl Z3? They're easy enough to swap might as well mess around. With a medium diff and 4cyl stock haldshaft I don't wanna go to low though. Looking for e30 325i ones currently Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk | Don't do the Bav Auto springs! They are also very soft! Again check out my old build thread I have a few spring comparisons and I also used the Bav Auto springs. I have also been in a dilemma since I am using the full H&R z3m sport spring setup and I ran into the same thing as you. I actually really like how it sits, looks wise, but I need some more toe in, and stiffer springs and then adjust my Koni shocks to match. The only spring that comes to mind that I might be willing to try is the IE "stage 3" rear springs, see if they sell those separately. I think in three weekends time I will have time to drive down and compare height with the OEM Z3M spring I have, if it looks okay height wise and IE is willing to sell me only the rear springs I might give it a shot. Best of course is to save up for a real coilover set.... or the Groundcontrol coilover conversion. BTW how come you don't use the e30 halfshafts? I didn't even know stock ti halfshafts worked with the med size e30 diff.... and that 4.1 seems too much for me!! I even mentally complain about my 3.46 sometimes. Quote: Originally Posted by J!m The big 'nipple' keeps the springs in... Unless you're doing Dukes of Hazard maneuvers I think they'll stay in. I'm running stock M Roadster in the rear of mine. I'm happy with ride, height and they haven't fallen out either! I did go with the heavier M Coupe rear sway due to the heavier body on the ti compared to the roadster. | Along with my H&R z3m sport springs I also run the z3m front sway bar with adjustable end links and z3m rear sway bar, seems like the springs are too soft! But as you mentioned the oem z3m coupe (s54) springs I have for the rear definitely seem more firm then the H&R springs, my only complaint is purely based on ride height and the fender gap. __________________ ***328ti Build thread. *** Even more important: SUPPORT 318ti.org! CLICK THE LINK ABOVE! Hosting a forum like this is not free. 318ti.org is one of the best BMW forums on the web because it is member supported, not vendor supported. The cost to become a Supporter is a nominal $10.00... A YEAR! DO IT! NOW! | | | 04-19-2017, 10:38 PM | #22 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: US Posts: 315 | Anassa - Noted on the Bavauto. Looking for different otpions now, maybe will try stock Z3M. Let me know what IE says and cost? I'd be interested in a rear set as well. As for rear halfshaft just have not gotten around to getting some and putting on. The 4cyl ones barely fit but they do. They have to be walked on somewhat. 15K miles on MI roads and still fine. You have any photos of the z3m springs on yours? Would you want to sell or does it have too much rake? | | | 04-20-2017, 05:14 AM | #23 | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: SoCal Posts: 702 | Quote: Originally Posted by ZEK Anassa - Noted on the Bavauto. Looking for different otpions now, maybe will try stock Z3M. Let me know what IE says and cost? I'd be interested in a rear set as well. As for rear halfshaft just have not gotten around to getting some and putting on. The 4cyl ones barely fit but they do. They have to be walked on somewhat. 15K miles on MI roads and still fine. You have any photos of the z3m springs on yours? Would you want to sell or does it have too much rake? | Here is H&R z3m vs stock z3m: http://318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=42609&page=2 Post 27/28 to see how it sits And comparison between 1.9 z3, bavauto, stock ti: http://318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=34892&page=5 Post 66 I will keep you up to date on IE, but again that will be a few weeks, M-F is impossible and my next two weekends are full. But I will definitely keep you up to date. __________________ ***328ti Build thread. *** Even more important: SUPPORT 318ti.org! CLICK THE LINK ABOVE! Hosting a forum like this is not free. 318ti.org is one of the best BMW forums on the web because it is member supported, not vendor supported. The cost to become a Supporter is a nominal $10.00... A YEAR! DO IT! NOW! | | | 04-21-2017, 12:03 AM | #24 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: US Posts: 315 | Anassa - Wow those stock Z3M springs are rather higher. Wasn't expecting it to be so tall. Let me know what IE says. Are you going for an E30 spring or Z3? I'll be putting the final spring pad in this weekend. | | | 06-27-2017, 03:54 AM | #25 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: US Posts: 315 | | | | 07-05-2017, 02:07 AM | #26 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: US Posts: 315 | Happy 4th everyone. Got the front brakes done. SS lines, stock vented, stoptech sport pads. | | | 07-07-2017, 12:19 AM | #27 | Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bouncing off the rev limiter in CT! Posts: 3,156 | Going is good. Stopping is better! | | | 07-12-2017, 12:43 AM | #28 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: US Posts: 315 | | | | 08-09-2017, 01:46 AM | #29 | Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Mississippi/ Tennessee Posts: 76 | Looks great man! How's it handling the summers days? Are you happy as I would be with that swap?! Seriously does it drive better with the swap because honestly I love the way my M Sport handles and the gas mileage keeps me smiling! | | | 08-09-2017, 04:13 AM | #30 | Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: US Posts: 315 | Quote: Originally Posted by The_Ikon Looks great man! How's it handling the summers days? Are you happy as I would be with that swap?! Seriously does it drive better with the swap because honestly I love the way my M Sport handles and the gas mileage keeps me smiling! | Has been good this summer. Progress is slower then I'd like with an E30 project and life. Car doesn't like sitting in traffic and will misfire but I believe intake is getting heat soaked. It is hard to define better swapped. You can feel the weight of the 6 further out. Not much can do about that. I'm already running 6cyl HR springs. It's a very easy car to drive around town. Do not need to wind out the motor like the 4. This is also due to 410 diff. I can say the easiest 318Ti I've driven has been a 6.0 LS swapped one. So much torque everything is effortless. Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk | | | | | Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | |