Sport Spring replacement discussion

mrscalex

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The Sport spring position is a pain in the backside. BMW only sell the rears in pairs. And I hadn't realised they were on back order too. That's not to mention they are twice the price of Eibachs.

I made various investigations and enquiries about a year ago for alternative -15mm sources. I can't find anyone who makes them. I even went to several spring manufacturers (all seem to be in Sheffield no suprise) and none were interested despite advertising they'll make any spring.

So if I get the chance to buy Sport springs I do. I think I currently have, as acquired - 1 complete set, 1 pair of rears, 1 set missing a front spring and 1 odd front spring. So 2.5 complete sets which is the result of 1 years worth of trawling around.
 

mrscalex

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It's something we need to sort collectively not everyone wants lowering springs to be the norm. I have a couple of sets of Z4 rear springs in the cupboard I'm tempted to give these a go and see what ride heights we get. My only worry is the springs are thicker and I wouldn't want to upset the spring rate ratio upsetting the Z3 handling
Well if anyone has any ideas as to who could make -15mm springs for us all I will happily help investigate. As you are correct, there's quite a few of us only want the Sport springs on our cars.
 

t-tony

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A company called "Brigg Springs" used to make any kind of vehicle springs, leaf or coil. They were based at Brigg, N. Lincs. Don't know if they're still on the go or not?

Tony.
 

Lee

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Wonder if we can make a good set of sport springs between us all and approach a spring company to make a copy. At least give us all another avenue to go down. The amount of Eibach springs I order in a year is in the double figures.
 

mrscalex

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Wonder if we can make a good set of sport springs between us all and approach a spring company to make a copy. At least give us all another avenue to go down. The amount of Eibach springs I order in a year is in the double figures.
Well that was my idea to send a set of springs to them to replicate. I know all the dimensions they should be compared to standard springs so I can identify a 'gold' set from what I have.

That's what I put to all the likely looking manufacturers with no success. Never got any replies.
 
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Nodzed

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Wonder if we can make a good set of sport springs between us all and approach a spring company to make a copy. At least give us all another avenue to go down. The amount of Eibach springs I order in a year is in the double figures.
Got to worth a try
 

Bazza

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thease are the guys for car springs :whistle: spoke to a chap called Ryan, he said they could make up anything we wanted standard or shorter as required, and any amount from a pair to a batch run I think this would solve our problem, he just needs an old spring as a pattern then he would record and keep the data needed to manufacture to our needs, cost roughly for a pair about £130, unit price would come down if larger numbers were ordered ?

2 Woodbourn Hill
Sheffield
South Yorkshire
S9 3NE
Free Phone : 0800 112 3188
Tel: 0114 273 1111
Fax: 0114 273 0222
Email: enquiries@springcoil.co.uk
 

Nodzed

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thease are the guys for car springs :whistle: spoke to a chap called Ryan, he said they could make up anything we wanted standard or shorter as required, and any amount from a pair to a batch run I think this would solve our problem, he just needs an old spring as a pattern then he would record and keep the data needed to manufacture to our needs, cost roughly for a pair about £130, unit price would come down if larger numbers were ordered ?

2 Woodbourn Hill
Sheffield
South Yorkshire
S9 3NE
Free Phone : 0800 112 3188
Tel: 0114 273 1111
Fax: 0114 273 0222
Email: enquiries@springcoil.co.uk
Excellent mate :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 

mrscalex

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SpringCoil.co.uk in fairness did start an email conversation with me when I was asking round a year ago. But the trail went cold as they stopped replying to emails when I was trying to delve into more detail and make arrangements to send them a set to study.

They already sell Z3 -30mm springs and the plan was to just make them 15mm longer at an uplift of £60 set. So £150+£60 for 4. However I wasn't sure I was completely happy with that. I wanted them to have a set to take size measurements (thickness of the rod) and to put them on a test machine to check the compression rates. And £210, whilst cheaper than BMW at around £360 a set is a little dearer than Eibach without the track record.

On the basis they have a solution to hand it may just need someone to buy a set and try them out I guess. But I'm not sure how much I want to play ball with their just lengthen a standard set approach. @Lee you know a lot more about this stuff than I do and you're certainly the man to fit a pair for someone at the next opportunity and to give them a bit of thrash to try them out. Did you want to speak to them perhaps with a willing Zedshed visitor in mind?
 

Bazza

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hi, Malc
Ryan the guy I spoke to said they had never done Z3 springs before thats why he needed a spring to copy ? so as to selling them and having them on the shelf ? are you sure its the same company, not that it matters just trying to help, and he seemed more than happy to help.

Bazza
 

mrscalex

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hi, Malc
Ryan the guy I spoke to said they had never done Z3 springs before thats why he needed a spring to copy ? so as to selling them and having them on the shelf ? are you sure its the same company, not that it matters just trying to help, and he seemed more than happy to help.

Bazza
Definitely the same company. But I spoke to a Jamie. They have an online shop. And the entry is still there.

2A814350-49D6-44D1-AC97-E6B3DDA52E54.png


Now whether they are just fishing for business and have never done a set before I don’t know. But the way Jamie was talking there was nothing to suggest this.

But all the more reason to proceed with caution if they are just winging this and have never road tested their Z3 product. They may just work off of drawings or indeed copy a spring a customer sends. Not exactly Eibach is it.

Btw Robert not Malc ;)
 

Bazza

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Opp's sorry Rob, yes you may have a point procede with caution, maybe a case off too many chiefs and not enought indians ?=))
 

mrscalex

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Opp's sorry Rob, yes you may have a point procede with caution, maybe a case off too many chiefs and not enought indians ?=))
Not at all. I don't particularly want to be the one to take this forward. Well unless no one else wants to do it and people don't mind waiting an inderteminable length of time while I get the opportunity to progress it.
 

Lee

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I'm talking with another company at the moment, they were quick to respond yesterday to me. My intention is to send them a front and rear spring so they can test its spring rate and make something similar. This will be a set to fit between OEM ride height and the 30mm lowering set. GSF and Euros all stock the 'SUV edition spring' but BMW seem to be the only place to get the sport spring 15mm lower. Going further I've asked to supply them in pairs 'Front / Rear' or as a set of 4. I'm hoping this can be done for a a fair price. I will jump on the back of your thread @mrscalex once i know more.
 

mrscalex

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I'm talking with another company at the moment, they were quick to respond yesterday to me. My intention is to send them a front and rear spring so they can test its spring rate and make something similar. This will be a set to fit between OEM ride height and the 30mm lowering set. GSF and Euros all stock the 'SUV edition spring' but BMW seem to be the only place to get the sport spring 15mm lower. Going further I've asked to supply them in pairs 'Front / Rear' or as a set of 4. I'm hoping this can be done for a a fair price. I will jump on the back of your thread @mrscalex once i know more.
Good stuff. You'll pursue it with more knowledge than I can. And to be honest more time and energy than I can currently give it.

I agree they should be done in pairs. Well any springs should be anyway. But with the best will in the world the 3rd party part may behave slightly differently to the OEM part, hence the sense in replacing both. It also gives a bit more business to the spring supplier who is unlikely, at first and depending later on how they choose to market it themselves, to make a bucket load of money out of it.

Besides I will always buy Sport springs, odds or sets off people. As well as try the new springs too :)

Small point at this stage. But would be nice to print, label or mark the springs in some way to show they are 'repro' Sport springs.
 

mrscalex

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I take it the SUV edition spring is the standard spring due to the long length :)
 
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Lee

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I take the SUV edition spring is the standard spring due to the long length :)
Ha! yeah the SUV spring gives you huge arch gaps. I need to try and find out what types I have as most have lost their coatings so the numbers are missing.
 

mrscalex

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I've got umpteen springs, some full sets, some odds and ends. But they are nearly all identified and measured to check what they are if further references are required. From memory a front standard spring is 35cm. A Sport spring is 33.5cm.

I've never got round to putting a micrometer on to check gauge of the rod used.
 
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