Seeking advice - E86 coupe suspension refresh & lowering

M

mrlightyear

Member
Seeking advice for a 2006 E86 coupe si sport on 18” non run flats, 70k miles.

Looking to refresh, what I think is, the original suspension + lower the car slightly + wheel spacers.

Suspension refresh to improve ride, and lowering and spacers for aesthetics only to fill out the arches more.

Don’t want to stiffen or reduce the suspension capabilities with regards to comfort and handling the rough roads we have up the hills of Scotland.

Read a lot of post about how an oem suspension refresh is a game changer. Having never experienced new oem suspension I have no frame of reference. In a perfect world would want improved handling and comfort but don’t think that’s possible somehow. Thought about going aftermarket coilovers, adjustable etc etc but really don’t know what way to go and thought perhaps it’s easier to just do an oem for like refreshment first…?

Also curious about people who have went all out on aftermarket suspension and the experience , outcome they got from it? Was it worth it etc?

Is it possible to lower the car slightly while not negatively affecting the ride?

Also when people say “m sport suspension” does the non m sport si coupe come with the “m sport” suspension?

Would appreciate any advice. Thanks in advice!
 
Hey Buzz, I'm no expert but I've read a few comments on here, and many members have had great success with refreshing their tired suspension on the coupe. Many members have successfully gone the eibach/bilstein eibach/sachs route. This would be my choice as it keeps a degree of comfort with a slightly lowered stance, and probably be relatively problem free when it comes to the dreaded speed bumps and ditches. But its not the choice if your plans include track days. In that case, I think your better off going for coilovers. I'm sure there will be far more experienced members on here to help and advise. Autodoc usually offer some good discounts for competitive prices. Good luck :thumbsup:
 
Special Kay said:
Hey Buzz, I'm no expert but I've read a few comments on here, and many members have had great success with refreshing their tired suspension on the coupe. Many members have successfully gone the eibach/bilstein eibach/sachs route. This would be my choice as it keeps a degree of comfort with a slightly lowered stance, and probably be relatively problem free when it comes to the dreaded speed bumps and ditches. But its not the choice if your plans include track days. In that case, I think your better off going for coilovers. I'm sure there will be far more experienced members on here to help and advise. Autodoc usually offer some good discounts for competitive prices. Good luck :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Lots of different options indeed, but do bear in mind that coilovers on the front have a longer spring, extending further down the strut. This can cause clearance issues with some wheels and putting spacers on the front to clear them is not an ideal solution.
Tbh, ignoring the desire for a lower stance for a second, simply refreshing the OEM equipment will make a huge difference.
Out of interest, have a look at this thread...............
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=144454
 
Some good advice here from enuff_zed.

All I can add is that if your Coupe is a Sport model the OE suspension would have been the M-Sport set up, which is a bit stiffer and 15mm lower than SE suspension.
 
Also have a read of https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=144765
I’m going through exactly the same scenario as you with my 2006 coupe.
All the parts have been ordered, just waiting delivery. Before and after photos will definitely be taken.
 
Special Kay said:
Hey Buzz, I'm no expert but I've read a few comments on here, and many members have had great success with refreshing their tired suspension on the coupe. Many members have successfully gone the eibach/bilstein eibach/sachs route. This would be my choice as it keeps a degree of comfort with a slightly lowered stance, and probably be relatively problem free when it comes to the dreaded speed bumps and ditches. But its not the choice if your plans include track days. In that case, I think your better off going for coilovers. I'm sure there will be far more experienced members on here to help and advise. Autodoc usually offer some good discounts for competitive prices. Good luck :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Hey special, yeah Iv seen many post about the bilstein shocks & eibach springs. I’d need to check what ones exactly…? Not much in the way of tracks my way just the cairngorns and narrow b roads. Focus would be very much real world U.K. country roads.
 
enuff_zed said:
Special Kay said:
Hey Buzz, I'm no expert but I've read a few comments on here, and many members have had great success with refreshing their tired suspension on the coupe. Many members have successfully gone the eibach/bilstein eibach/sachs route. This would be my choice as it keeps a degree of comfort with a slightly lowered stance, and probably be relatively problem free when it comes to the dreaded speed bumps and ditches. But its not the choice if your plans include track days. In that case, I think your better off going for coilovers. I'm sure there will be far more experienced members on here to help and advise. Autodoc usually offer some good discounts for competitive prices. Good luck :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Lots of different options indeed, but do bear in mind that coilovers on the front have a longer spring, extending further down the strut. This can cause clearance issues with some wheels and putting spacers on the front to clear them is not an ideal solution.
Tbh, ignoring the desire for a lower stance for a second, simply refreshing the OEM equipment will make a huge difference.
Out of interest, have a look at this thread...............
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=144454
Click to expand...

A very good read, and nice to see this happening, tip my hat to you sir. There no chance your wife’s is coming north to visit the family, I can save you from the inlaws and provide a coupe to refreshen, inclusive complimentary driveway tea and shortbread included.

Gonna ask thou, I hear people say coilovers as if the car doesn’t already have them as stock, atleast on the front thou. Or is it just me that notices this and wonders if I’m misunderstanding something here…?
 
chanlon1 said:
Also have a read of https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=144765
I’m going through exactly the same scenario as you with my 2006 coupe.
All the parts have been ordered, just waiting delivery. Before and after photos will definitely be taken.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your post, yes sounds very similar. Can I confirm your a coupe si sport? - think all coupes were si thou..? Looking forward to seeing how you got in, please keep us posted. Can I ask exactly what’s parts you got?
 
Thanks for you comments gents, very much appreciated!

Reading enuff zeds post in the other thread, I completely agree with refreshing out old tired components while your in there anyway. Would appreciate a list of parts to do while in there, think enuff had a list on the other thread when I read o last night.

I’d be keen to try do this myself, would however be on the parents driveway and imagine gonna be more than a day works for me so means I’m stuck there the night. The thought of the springs compressor does give me a bit of reservations but I’m sure if your not an idiot it shouldn’t be issue.


Guess I’m still curious about exactly what shocks and springs the go for and if there’s a guide or table on how much of a drop in height you should expect. Think I’m only after 15mm ish but I haven’t exactly measured anything yet.
 
mrlightyear said:
Gonna ask thou, I hear people say coilovers as if the car doesn’t already have them as stock, atleast on the front thou. Or is it just me that notices this and wonders if I’m misunderstanding something here…?
Click to expand...
The standard strut does have the coil 'over' the damper but if you look in the wheelarch (or at the photos on that other thread) you will see that the lower mounting of the spring is above the level of the tyre and the spring is relatively short and wide.
When you fit 'coilovers' you will find that the spring is much longer and narrower. The outer part of the damper body is threaded and the lower spring mount can be adjusted up and down that to give variable spring rates.
The problem with this is that the spring is wider than an original strut is at the bottom and therefore it can cause clearance issues with the wheel and tyre.
I noted that you mention fitting spacers anyway. There are many opinions on this but mine is that fitting them to the front 'may' compromise handling as you are effectively changing the geometry.
I recently drove a 2.5i with coilovers back from Great Malvern to Norfolk. To clear the front springs the car had 15mm spacers on the front wheels.
On the A14 the handling was so bad in the LH lane with the truck ruts that wherever safe to do so I drove in the RH lane!

I must point out that this is my only drive of an E85 on coilovers so my experience is a little light.
I would recommend asking people with more knowledge of this set up before you decide.

What I would say though is; do you really need to go lower? Consider refreshing with all standard OEM sports suspension. The difference from your originals will be impressive on its own. On your mileage you could keep the original springs, assuming they are not cracked.
Possibly 15/20mm spacers on the rear and maybe 5mm on the front if you really want to.
 
enuff_zed said:
mrlightyear said:
Gonna ask thou, I hear people say coilovers as if the car doesn’t already have them as stock, atleast on the front thou. Or is it just me that notices this and wonders if I’m misunderstanding something here…?
Click to expand...
The standard strut does have the coil 'over' the damper but if you look in the wheelarch (or at the photos on that other thread) you will see that the lower mounting of the spring is above the level of the tyre and the spring is relatively short and wide.
When you fit 'coilovers' you will find that the spring is much longer and narrower. The outer part of the damper body is threaded and the lower spring mount can be adjusted up and down that to give variable spring rates.
The problem with this is that the spring is wider than an original strut is at the bottom and therefore it can cause clearance issues with the wheel and tyre.
I noted that you mention fitting spacers anyway. There are many opinions on this but mine is that fitting them to the front 'may' compromise handling as you are effectively changing the geometry.
I recently drove a 2.5i with coilovers back from Great Malvern to Norfolk. To clear the front springs the car had 15mm spacers on the front wheels.
On the A14 the handling was so bad in the LH lane with the truck ruts that wherever safe to do so I drove in the RH lane!

I must point out that this is my only drive of an E85 on coilovers so my experience is a little light.
I would recommend asking people with more knowledge of this set up before you decide.

What I would say though is; do you really need to go lower? Consider refreshing with all standard OEM sports suspension. The difference from your originals will be impressive on its own. On your mileage you could keep the original springs, assuming they are not cracked.
Possibly 15/20mm spacers on the rear and maybe 5mm on the front if you really want to.
Click to expand...

It’s these kind of comments that make the forum a goldmine for people like myself.

I think I’m more inclined to go the oem for like replacement route. But ideally I would like it lowered slightly for the looks not gonna lie.

The car came with run flats when I got her and the change to normal tyres was night and day. I was advised by a forum member who’d tried all configurations to not go with 19” wheels as the reduced tyre wall would negatively effect how the car handles bumps etc. I appreciate that lowering it slightly will probably “stiffen” the suspension and reduce the available travel in the suspension. I was hoping that with a refreshed suspension would compensate for the loss of travel by lowering it slightly.

Im assuming that as a suspension ages the height of the car drops slightly. Therefor wouldn’t replacing like for like actually increase the ride height of the car?

Please excuse my ignorance but it is the size of the damper that effects the ride hight is it not, as the spring is always under compression?

Compiling a list of things to do here in terms of parts to refresh etc.

Curious about the strut tower reinforcement plate I see online to stop this mushrooming effect - thought as a precautionary measure?

Also with regards to undercarriage bushing etc is it worth doing these parts at the same time?

Reminds me I sometimes notice a “judder” and dare I say a mechanical noise when clutching in at low speed when the car is cold and also when turning off the engine coming from the engine bay. Thought it may be engine mounts. I’m told the car is lovely whenever it’s in for a service , mot etc and they didn’t notice anything.
 
The spring length is what governs ride height.
If you go too short on the spring then the damper will be slightly compressed, giving less free travel.
In your case, on that reasonable mileage, keeping your existing springs should see the ride height remain the same. (It may take a few miles to fully settle in.)
For the strut plates, look at the three studs sticking up in the engine bay. If they are all pointing straight up then all is well. If they are starting to point slightly outwards then you may have a bit of mushrooming.
In the dozen or more front end replacements I've done I have yet to see any requirement for them.

If you have no evidence of ARB bushes being done previously then it may be worth doing them while it is all apart anyway.
The front droplinks regularly get picked up for damage to the rubber cover over the ball-joint. They are easily damaged when removing the strut, so having a rerplacement pair to hand makes sense.

There are lots of little hints and tips to bear in mind if you're doing it yourself.
After breaking two of them, I now always triple check I have disconnected the headlight levelling sensor from the OSF lower arm first, as when the arm drops it snaps the linkage if you're not careful.

If you want to do the work yourself, but are worried about compressing the springs, you may find a local garage with a hydraulic compresser who will do that bit for you for a bit of beer money.
 
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