Suggestions for places to buy shocks/springs pls

[DrWong]

Salutations Zroadster Brain Trust
Steering has been feeling vague lately and also getting a knock from the front right. Got the wheel off today and think I found the culprit!

So new springs and shocks to be ordered this week. Having read a few threads I'm going to go with Eibach springs with Monroe shocks, as a cost-effective way to get back to OEM.

Can peeps give me some suggestions for where to buy the kit from pls? Had a quick search on t'interwebs but the amount of choice was a bit overwhelming!

Pretty sure the suspension is all original, so thoughts on doing the rear shocks and springs at the same time? It's a 2001 3lt on 72k miles. Also, any value in renewing all the rubber bushes as well, i.e. ARB and drop links? Front wishbones and lollipops were changed last year for an MOT so I would basically have all new suspension, which is a pretty mouthwatering thought

TIA

 

[t-tony]

@Sean d

Tony.

 

[Faheem]

I bought the Bilstein B12 kit, which included B8 shocks all round and Eibach springs which lower the ride height by 30mm, bought it last year from a company called buycarparts.co.uk - think they send out their parts from Germany but I've found them to be cheaper than anyone else in the UK. Took a week to arrive if I remember correctly. Think a few others on this forum have used them too.

There is a noticeable difference and the old shocks - both front and rear where knackered as the shaft didn't return to its original position when it was pushed down - my Zed had 74k miles at the time of replacement.

I can't say whether the difference was down to the shocks/springs or whether it was because I'd replaced every other bush at the rear of the car too - or a combination of both!

 

[Sean d]

German ebay do the best prices

 

[Sean d]

Drop the rear sub frame and renew all bushes as well as replacing all the rubber at the front

 

[Jjim]

Did the Eibach Pro Springs and Monroe shocks on my silver Z3.
https://zroadster.org/threads/jims-z3-journey.19286/page-9

Got the springs from AutoDoc and shocks from EBay.

 

[DrWong]

I bought the Bilstein B12 kit, which included B8 shocks all round and Eibach springs which lower the ride height by 30mm, bought it last year from a company called buycarparts.co.uk - think they send out their parts from Germany but I've found them to be cheaper than anyone else in the UK. Took a week to arrive if I remember correctly. Think a few others on this forum have used them too.

There is a noticeable difference and the old shocks - both front and rear where knackered as the shaft didn't return to its original position when it was pushed down - my Zed had 74k miles at the time of replacement.

I can't say whether the difference was down to the shocks/springs or whether it was because I'd replaced every other bush at the rear of the car too - or a combination of both!

Thank you mate, will check buycarparts.co.uk out - forum recommendation is good enough for me

If all yours needed doing at 74k I daresay mine will be similar at 72k. I'll save the rear beam and arm bushes for a later date though, cos that looks a massive job from the threads I've read!

 

[DrWong]

Drop the rear sub frame and renew all bushes as well as replacing all the rubber at the front

I did consider that mate, but prob just going to do shocks and springs all round for now, i.e. enough to get the car back on the road. Plan on doing the sub-frame and beam bushes in the summer when I do the big back-end refresh

 

[DrWong]

Did the Eibach Pro Springs and Monroe shocks on my silver Z3.
https://zroadster.org/threads/jims-z3-journey.19286/page-9

Got the springs from AutoDoc and shocks from EBay.

Thanks mate, will check AutoDoc out

 

[DrWong]

German ebay do the best prices

Will definitely check that out!

 

[Jjim]

Been pricing up the spring set again, as need to do my Blue Z3 next and there is a resonably priced new set on eBay - item number 392148293413

 

[DrWong]

Been pricing up the spring set again, as need to do my Blue Z3 next and there is a resonably priced new set on eBay - item number 392148293413

You, sir, are an officer and a gentleman

Although these appear to be the -30mm springs and I reckon I'm just keep mine standard height (which was non-Sport)

 

[Jjim]

The only springs Eibach do for the Z3 will lower it 30mm. They don’t do a standard height replacement.

 

[DrWong]

The only springs Eibach do for the Z3 will lower it 30mm. They don’t do a standard height replacement.

I think I was just coming to that realisation after perusing that ebay page haha. thanks for confirming though!

 

[DrWong]

Ok Brain Trust, in light of the above, suggestions for non-BMW springs (i.e. ones that I can afford) in a standard height would be greatly appreciated

Does such a thing even exist?!

 

[t-tony]

Ok Brain Trust, in light of the above, suggestions for non-BMW springs (i.e. ones that I can afford) in a standard height would be greatly appreciated

Does such a thing even exist?!

May be a daft question, but, have you checked on the Vin. De-coder that your car didn't come from the factory with sport suspension?

Tony.

 

[DrWong]

May be a daft question, but, have you checked on the Vin. De-coder that your car didn't come from the factory with sport suspension?

Tony.

I have Tony but that's a fair shout. The factory sport was option S704 (I believe?) and that wasn't list when I looked my VIN up

 

[t-tony]

Only reason I ask was that I was under the impression (perhaps wrongly) that all 3.0 Z3s were on sport suspension. Good luck on getting it sorted.

Tony.

 

[DrWong]

Only reason I ask was that I was under the impression (perhaps wrongly) that all 3.0 Z3s were on sport suspension. Good luck on getting it sorted.

Tony.

You see, I'm not entirely sure either! And I can see there's been some controversy about this in the past though haha. Unfortunately, the VIN trick leads me to firmly believe mine left the factory on standard suspension

I was toying with changing it to the BMW -15mm drop now that the spring has snapped. But am led to believe that this would cost mega-bucks as it entails shorter springs/dampers all round (which can only be supplied by BMW), in addition to thicker ARBs front and back, and some extra bits in the top mounts.

 

[roadvoyager1]

Like you I wanted to keep OEM spec. so replaced my springs and shocks with standard Sachs (manufacturer of OEM parts from my research) bought from carpartsforless. I also replaced front top mounts with non OEM, SKF units and rear mounts with Meyle. I also replaced spring pads with BMW parts from dealer. Biggest difference, however, was made by replacing rear bushes where I went for rubber rather than poly and used Meyle parts.