Mr Tidy's MC Thread - 5 Years On!

[Mr Tidy]

Oh well, here goes - I hope anyone reading this isn't in a hurry!

So I bought my M Coupe last month and it currently has coil-over H & Rs fitted that the previous owner/forum member bought for £1,300 or so last September. According to H & R they have a lowering range compared to standard of 0.9" to 2.0" front and 0.75" to 1.7" rear, so that's 23mm to 51mm front and 19mm to 43mm rear. At present the fronts look like they could go up about 10mm so it's maybe 33mm lower at the front, but I haven't looked at the rear yet.

Anyway last Sunday I went to visit my Mum in Sutton at her care home, but on the way dropped in to check on her retirement flat that is up for sale to meet the future care home fees. And my MC grounded on the speed bumps in the road, and they are everywhere in Sutton. Which is quite a limitation, seeing as about two thirds of my mileage is to that area (my sister lives in the same Borough).

So as I got a suitcase full of bits with the car I could get these wound up as high as they will go, replace them with fixed H & R lowering springs (25mm drop front and rear) or Eibachs (20mm front, 10mm rear) or do something else. :lol:

I don't really want to go to OEM because the springs don't seem to last too long - are there other springs that keep the OE ride height but don't keep snapping?

Or can anyone with the Eibach Pro-kit give me some reassurance about tackling speed bumps?

I've got 8 shockers, but they are all BMW ones over 10 years old so if I went with the Eibachs I'd just get some Bilsteins that would give me the B12 Pro-kit, but would I need B6 or B8 shocks?

Any help or insights would be much appreciated - and it looks like there may be some H & R lowering springs and coil-overs for sale soon!

Still any thread on here needs photos, so here is one of my car, and one of the "scrapers"!

 

[mmm-five]

Those cushions look identical to those I drive over, and it why I have my B16s set quite high (only about 10mm lower than OE)...but your’s looks much lower than mine.

 

[lucasxdiniz]

Those cushions look identical to those I drive over, and it why I have my B16s set quite high (only about 10mm lower than OE)...but your’s looks much lower than mine.

That ride height looks pretty much like mine (non-M), which is supposedly 15mm lower than M-Sport suspension. I go through all sorts of speed bumps with no issues, although I must go slowly otherwise the plastic just in front of the front wheels scrapes.

 

[RedUn]

Oh well, here goes - I hope anyone reading this isn't in a hurry!

So I bought my M Coupe last month and it currently has coil-over H & Rs fitted that the previous owner/forum member bought for £1,300 or so last September. According to H & R they have a lowering range compared to standard of 0.9" to 2.0" front and 0.75" to 1.7" rear, so that's 23mm to 51mm front and 19mm to 43mm rear. At present the fronts look like they could go up about 10mm so it's maybe 33mm lower at the front, but I haven't looked at the rear yet.

Anyway last Sunday I went to visit my Mum in Sutton at her care home, but on the way dropped in to check on her retirement flat that is up for sale to meet the future care home fees. And my MC grounded on the speed bumps in the road, and they are everywhere in Sutton. Which is quite a limitation, seeing as about two thirds of my mileage is to that area (my sister lives in the same Borough).

So as I got a suitcase full of bits with the car I could get these wound up as high as they will go, replace them with fixed H & R lowering springs (25mm drop front and rear) or Eibachs (20mm front, 10mm rear) or do something else. :lol:

I don't really want to go to OEM because the springs don't seem to last too long - are there other springs that keep the OE ride height but don't keep snapping?

Or can anyone with the Eibach Pro-kit give me some reassurance about tackling speed bumps?

I've got 8 shockers, but they are all BMW ones over 10 years old so if I went with the Eibachs I'd just get some Bilsteins that would give me the B12 Pro-kit, but would I need B6 or B8 shocks?

Any help or insights would be much appreciated - and it looks like there may be some H & R lowering springs and coil-overs for sale soon!

Still any thread on here needs photos, so here is one of my car, and one of the "scrapers"!

That's dropped more than 30mm, I'd guess at 50? It just needs the spring platforms winding up, easy job with a trolley jack, don't even need to take the wheel off

 

[MrPT]

My car came lowered -30mm front and -15mm rear and I can’t remember having too many speed bump issues. It had, however, absolutely torn through its front arch liners (and that was with 224s, so not even the wider CSLs).

Now I’m at -15mm front and stock-ish rear but with a /35 profile tyre that fills the arch gap quite well. Doesn’t look amazing but it’s comfy.

 

[Simon 3.2M]

Just wind up the collars to raise the height - surely that’s the easiest option?

 

[bmwaddict]

Firstly congrats on the new purchase Mr T., I'm sure you'll love it!
My Z4MC was on H&R springs 25mm all round, and I'm originally from London and go back there all the time.
It was just about ok but had to avoid the really bad single track bumps, the ones that you straddle as it kept grounding out.
Saying that my front arch liners were completely worn through also, as Mr PT says.

I think you'll be fine with Eibach Pro which is what I was going to change to just before I sold the car.

 

[NSM]

Looks great that low!
I know from experience that it would not be good on most roads, my coupe (non M) was similar height, I could just get my index finger between tyre and arch and as I live down an un-made track in the country the ride terrible.

I now run with ST springs 28220272 which lower by 20mm and 10mm front and rear new front damper and have no problems.

I looked at coilovers which I could have got the same effect but the cost for a good system was prohibitive - I guess what I am trying to say is try adjusting the ride height.

I have new front B6,s for sale that I did not use on another project.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Thanks for the replies.

Admittedly it does look good, but as it is now it's not much use to me other than as an ornament! I want to be able to use it. :lol:

I'll start by getting them wound right up and go from there. If that isn't enough I guess I need to get the Eibachs on it and buy NSMs B6s!

 

[wonkydonkey]

Car looks GOOD!

 

[buzyg]

Car looks good Mr T. 8) Not being much of a slam fan I would raise it simply to make it look even better. The fact that it's too low to drive around town would then be errelevant.

I'm sure you will find that perfect settup soon.

 

[Mr Tidy]

So it must be time for an update after a couple of visits to RBM Hampshire. I can't thank Ross enough for his help - and his Dad for coffee and biscuits!

I went there on 22 January to get the spacers off (15mm front and 10MM rear) and to look at raising the ride height and another issue became apparent - the driver's side back box was totally unsupported!

There is a rubber hanger in front of the box with a metal centre that supports the front bracket, but the metal insert had been pulled out and the rubber was split - probably because the metal bracket on the back of the box wasn't there!

So Ross ordered a new one for me.

The missing bracket, and the passenger side for comparison.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Anyway I did some more research about the coil-overs and we managed to find the rear adjusters today, and still aren't sure they have been fitted right as on its low setting the bottom of the adjuster had been rubbing on the drive-shaft.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Anyway it's now sitting as high as we can get it, which according to H & R's website is 23mm lower than standard on the front and 19mm on the rear and I'll see how that works. It is probably about 20mm higher at both ends than when I got it, and if it is OK I'll get an alignment done.

Ross had got the exhaust hanger, which was apparently the last one in the UK so I hope it lasts, but I need to sort something out for the rear of the back box to help it out.

And now I've got a nearside headlight washer jet on order because the 2 litres of screen-wash I put in on Monday just left a big wet patch under the jet where the car was parked.

Anyway ride height now looks like this.

 

[Mr Tidy]

After that I decided to treat it to a wash so for the 1st time since I collected it it's clean!

Getting there bit by bit.

 

[MrPT]

Aha, result. That actually looks pretty close to stock.

Found this pic from the TMS site of a similar/same H&R perch -



I think they are fitted right they were just lowwwwww.

 

[Mr Tidy]

I think they are fitted right they were just lowwwwww.

Yes, those are the ones we found. The only thing you could see below the lower wishbone was the hex head and most of the thread!

Now it's just the hex head and the circlip.

I'm hoping to keep them fitted now it's riding higher, as the previous owner paid over £1,000 for the full kit including dampers last September so it's virtually new!

 

[MrPT]

Drop it back down, Iain, it looked awesome. Never mind your spinal column. :rofl:

 

[Mr Tidy]

It wasn't my spinal column I was worried about - it doesn't ride any softer when it's higher!

It was the front undertray, wheel-arch liners and exhaust I wanted to save.

 

[MrPT]

It was the front undertray, wheel-arch liners and exhaust I wanted to save.

Did you get there in time? My undertray took a bit of a beating when lowered as well - had to patch it up.

If the rear is adjustable via an allen wrench from below, then that's quite a neat design. Mine have an adjustable top perch but it won't budge with the spring under load so you need to unbolt the rear control arm (!) to change height.