Suspension Overhaul help...

Get a set of Bilstein Dampers from the M635csi. With your club discount you should be able to get these for under £400. Then a set of M635 springs will lower slightly and this will set you back around £300. So much better then the spax set up and will last another 150K.

Then it's a case of replacing all the ball joints and bushes bit by bit, but i would start with the shocks and springs. Also worth considering the upgraded front lower and upper track control arm bushes.

James

If you go for mv2 reps, make sure the offset is correct - ie ET13-20 rather than ET35-45 as the latter will require spacers!!

Paul

Just had a look. most of the offests are in the 40's! looks like after spacers these will cost the 600 mark i was trying to avoid!

The Ebay wheels & tyres. 245/34 would be a better match assuming you have 240/45 x 415 TRX's on now.

What the hell are "Premium Budget" tyres anyway???

If you're wanting to keep costs down, go for something smaller & secondhand. Any wheels from an E34 5-series or E32 7-series will fit.

E39 wheels will fit but require hubcentric spacers which are only a couple of quid.

3-series wheels won't fit as the offset is too great.

As for suspension, you'll be replacing bushes on a regular basis, the bigger & wider the wheels the more often you'll need to replace. If you simply want to replace tired shocks & springs then an ECP Spax or Bilstein kit will be fine.

Beware of getting dragged into a full scale ground up restoration. Costs will escalate to the point where you could have bought a better Six in the first place. Remember, you bought it as a runaround while you got the 335 sorted.


Edited by AndyS

Thanks andy. admitedly, the missus is very wary of another "girlfriend" so to speak.

money wise you are spot on, i do have to watch the budget for this, as i do want the 335i on the road soon.

I forgot all about the lower spec spax kits, so this is something i should consider

looking at wheels the overall diameter is near as damn it the same, and i expect 235's to be ot as wide as what ison there at the moment. The bushes are worn, and the clunk that isnt quite a knock from the rear i think is a rear top mount thats gone? does this happen to the 6's in the same way as the 3?

It look like i need to remove the whole rear shelf to get at the top mounts?

NOOOOOO!!!!! Don't fit modern wheel to a Six Series
as they just look awful. Your cheapest way out is a
set of 15 inch BBS from the E34 along with 225/55 x
15 tyres (standard wear on 525i, 530i, 535i and the
E32. These look proper and give good handling with
a decent ride. You''ll pay around £100 for a set with
decent tyres - look on Ebay.

As for shocks, Spax stuff is okayish I suppose but I
wouldn't bother.
'Yellow' Bilsteins are okay but give quite a firm ride
and are very expensive. The standard Boge gas
shocks used as standard on the 635CSi are
excellent and are better than you'd think - they have
pretty much the same compression and rebound as
an E28 M5 which also used Boge Monotube shocks.
Look on the ECP website and you'll see they sell gas
Monotube Bilsteins for £38 each or Sachs Boge for
£40 (plus VAT). As for springs go for an E28 535i
Ventura set, about £60 I think.
As for springs, Ventura stuff is okay but I'd be looking
at Eibach for something nicer. Rear shocks on the
E24 never seem to wear out in common with the
other semi trailing arm BMW's. I've never had to
replace a rear shock on a BMW in 15 years so if they
aren't leaking fluid and the spring cups aren't rotten
leave them well alone.
After this you're into centre drag links, upper and
lower control arms etc etc etc but problems here will
manifest themselves with vibration under braking. If
you're going to keep this car it's not a bad idea to
replace it all in one hit.
Rear axle beam bushes are not DIY.

Edited by Drew540i

Drew540i wrote: NOOOOOO!!!!! Don't fit modern wheel to a Six Series as they just look awful. Your cheapest way out is a set of 15 inch BBS from the E34 along with 225/55 x 15 tyres (standard wear on 525i, 530i, 535i and the E32. These look proper and give good handling with a decent ride. You''ll pay around £100 for a set with decent tyres - look on Ebay. As for shocks, Spax stuff is okayish I suppose but I wouldn't bother. 'Yellow' Bilsteins are okay but give quite a firm ride and are very expensive. The standard Boge gas shocks used as standard on the 635CSi are excellent and are better than you'd think - they have pretty much the same compression and rebound as an E28 M5 which also used Boge Monotube shocks. Look on the ECP website and you'll see they sell gas Monotube Bilsteins for £38 each or Sachs Boge for £40 (plus VAT). As for springs go for an E28 535i Ventura set, about £60 I think. As for springs, Ventura stuff is okay but I'd be looking at Eibach for something nicer. Rear shocks on the E24 never seem to wear out in common with the other semi trailing arm BMW's. I've never had to replace a rear shock on a BMW in 15 years so if they aren't leaking fluid and the spring cups aren't rotten leave them well alone. After this you're into centre drag links, upper and lower control arms etc etc etc but problems here will manifest themselves with vibration under braking. If you're going to keep this car it's not a bad idea to replace it all in one hit. Rear axle beam bushes are not DIY.

I don't want tofit modern wheels, and jsut managed to sell my sofa's, projecotr screen and bar stools for some extra cash (seriously). merging stuff with the missus, so im more open to wheels. possibly the 800 area now. i'm thinking deep dish stainless rim cross spokes? these would look good on the 6, just as bmw thought. i only want polished if its stainless,i learnt that from bk299's and dodgy lacquer.

Andy, your so petty.

I didnt say i knew best, but you seem to assume a bit too much really. Yes i will have a look, if i think its possible i will do it, if not, i'll look into other means. i look to save cash as much as the next person does. But no, im not going to butcher the car to make a point.

Anyone have any pics of the bush in question, etc?

thanks for the diagram. I don't think i know better and getting fed with explaining to you.

I ask on these forums because i do not know alot about the six, where as people such as yourself have them, and obviously have a better understanding.

Just because i say i am goign to try doesnt mean "your thick, im better and will succeed". rather it means thanks for the advice, much appreciated, and i will look into it bearing in mind what i have heard.

If we all took a say so as ultimate we would all have the same skill set. I like to try, and i will. And if general opinion is correct (which is most likly), i will take one look, and decide that i cannot do it. At the same time, people on these forums do not know my full skill set, tools available to me, and resources i have to get a job done (be it good or bad). I do so i have to make that decision.

 

E30 appears very similar

Centre section was pushed out with a reverse hub puller, tearing the old rubber mount,

A bit of light "bigger hammer" workmanship.

Out!

Now, without being cocky, whats the issue with the 6? is there a capping on the end of the mount? this could make things very difficult.