Shocks And Suspension

M

Mpower

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#1
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kelowna bc,
#1
HEY guys i need info on prices for bilstien shocks, i heard ther some of the best for a 325ix, i was told the bilstien heavy duty(hd) in the back and the bilstien sport in the front because of the recoil rate so if u could ide like to know prices in canadian, and what about the mm offset for my rims , will honda rims fit my car ? any info would be great thanks!!
 
B

Bimmubishi

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#2
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Boston MA
#2
Bilstein HD and Sport have different compression damping rates as well as rebound. You should stick with a matched set. If you have 4 bolt wheels 4*100 honda wheels will fit but you'll need spacers. I don't know the offset on an IX but the offset on the regular RWD E30 is 20. Most Honda Rims are 40 offset. You'll need 20mm spacers which cost about 100 bucks USD so keep that in mind when looking for deals.

Canadian money conversion rates can be found online. Do a search for currency conversion.

Turnermotorsport will send you suspension. www.turnermotorsport.com
 
R

rjp325i

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#5
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Henderson, NV
#5
If you are using stock springs use Bilstein HD shocks all around. If you are going to change out springs to H&R OE Sport (1 in drop) use Bilstein HDs. If you are going to use H&R Sport (1.5 in drop) use Bilstein Sports (they are shorter). In any case use the matched set all around. Check with The Tire Rack. They can fill you in correctly on tires and wheels. In April I paid $94 US front and $68 US for rear HD Bilsteins at Eurasian Auto Parts in Temecula, CA. (www.ea4parts.com). Springs run in the $200 US range for H&R and Eibach.
 
O

OreoGaborio

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#6
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Topsfield MA (N of Boston)
#6
rjp... thank you for actually posting correct info in this thread

Bilstein HD & Sport are the same exact shocks, except the sports are physically shorter for use with lowering sport springs

the iX has 4X100 patern lugs but require a wheel with a numerically higher offset. the offset you use depends on the width of the rim & tire... rims w/ a 40mm offset will work

15x7 iX wheels are et41.
15x7 Euro wheels are et24.
14x6.5 basketweaves are et30.
14x6 bottlecaps are et35.
 
B

Big Daddy

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#7
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#7
Actually the correct information is that the H&R Sport Spring set lowers your car on an average, 1.3 inches in the front and 1.2 inches in the rear. H&R does not make an "OE Sport" for the 325ix. Further according to Bilstein they do not make a "Sport" shock for your car. Bilstein recommends the "HD" or heavy duty shock for your car, but does make a "TC", Touring Class shock for your car, which is equal to your stock shocks. If your going to upgrade springs I would recommend Eibach or Dinan and Koni shocks. I had H&R on my roadster and the ride was harsh and choppy.

Bilstein



H&R Springs


Dinan
 
R

rjp325i

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#10
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Henderson, NV
#10
Rubber spring pads are available from BMW in 3 thicknesses as well, they are 3mm, 5mm, and 8mm. These can be used to adjust ride height as well when you change springs and/or struts. They list at $7.42 ea before discount at the local BMW dealer. You may want to change these out anyway as well as the strut bearings if they are the originals. You can inspect the rubbers when you remove them to determine which were installed in your car. My base 325i had the 3mm to begin with so I just changed them because I was changing everything else. As to what brand you use, that's up to you. "Big Daddy" loves Dinan others do not. One of our local club members changed out the rear H&Rs because they were too soft. It's personal preference and what you will be doing with the car. On a E30 325i, H&R Sports actually lower the car 1.3 all around, other models differ slightly, I used the 1.5 as a rounded figure to demonstrate the need for using shorter strut cartridges with the shorter sport springs. Eibach and H&R springs are both progressively wound. The E30 325ix as you already know is different in many ways from a standard E30 and not just its all wheel drive. Short springs may not be available for the ix because of the front wheel drive assemby clearance that is required. Remember, the right drive shaft runs thru the oil pan. Consult with the product manufacturing rep for the modifications desired before spending a lot of time disassembling and reassembling because a standard E30 part don't work. But back to your original question whether you use Bilstein, Koni or another brand, use a matched set. Your ix already came from the factory with the sport suspension. The ix sits .8 inches higher than a standard and weighs about 145 lbs more. You may want to stay with stock springs, Bilstein HDs, and a stiffer set of sway bars and a front strut brace.
 
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R

rjp325i

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#12
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#12
The strut bearings are at the top of the towers and are sometimes called the top mounts or strut mounts. They house the bearings and is replaced as a unit at about $40-$42 each for stock mounts. The strut has to be removed to replace them so it is a good time to replace them when doing struts, especially if they are originals as mine were. I subscribe to the theory of just take it apart once and be done with it. The front strut brace or stress bar connects the two strut towers at the top. That is the bar crossing under the hood from the top of each tower. This is an aftermarket part for the E30. You can also install a rear stress bar in the trunk but I think that is overkill for a street car although useful for a dedicated track car. Incidently the rear sway bar for the 325ix is the same as the one on the E30 M3 (14.5 mm) and have the same BMW part number.
 
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