Street Stage:
E23s respond very well to minor and relatively inexpensive changes to the suspension.
Sway bars—changing the stock sway bars
to larger diameter bars with urethane bushings produces a car that corners
flatter and feels more stable; you’ll wonder why they didn’t come that way from
the factory. No loss of ride quality; fits with AC.
Shocks---installation of Bilstein
shocks makes a world of difference in
the way the car handles. Keeping the tires in firm contact with the pavement is
the way to make the car handle well; Bilstein shocks do this best.
Springs---the stock springs do a fine
job of keeping the body of the car off the pavement but for higher performance
we want the car lower and stiffer so that the driver’s input is translated to
vehicle response as rapidly as possible. Shorter and stiffer springs are
available from a number of manufacturers---we commonly use Ireland Engineering,
Dinan, Suspension Techniques, H&R, and others (wherever best pricing can be
found). Note: try to choose springs and shocks together since installation
labor overlaps and sometimes shorter springs require shorter shocks.
Tires and wheels---modern premium
tires on alloy instead of steel wheels will improve the appearance of the car,
but, more importantly, will also make the car stick to the road like it never
could years ago when it was new. This is both a matter of performance and
safety, wet and dry.
Street
and Track Stage:
Sway bars---Bigger sway bars are the
mandatory on serious performance cars.
Modern adjustable bars are
sometimes also available, either conventional bars that mount in the usual
location, or special hollow tubular bars with custom aluminum mounting
brackets.
Shocks---Bilstein Sport shocks are the answer here. Very firm control, great when driven hard. Often used in conjunction with fixed negative camber plates at top.
Springs---the stock springs do a fine job of keeping the body of the car off the pavement but for higher performance we want the car lower and stiffer so that the driver’s input is translated to vehicle response as rapidly as possible. Shorter and stiffer springs are available from a number of manufacturers---we commonly use Ireland Engineering, Dinan, Suspension Techniques, H&R, and others (wherever best pricing can be found). Note: try to choose springs and shocks together since installation labor overlaps and sometimes shorter springs require shorter shocks.
Suspension bushings---should be replaced with polyurethane bushings at all suspension pivot points, both front and rear.
Tires and wheels---V- or Z-rated tires on 14”, 15”, or 16” wheels