M Roadster problems with 18” BBS LM and KW Gewinde (From Denmark!)

[MikVest]

Hello guys! As you can see this thread is in English; I read German fairly well but can’t write your language well enough for you to understand it. Hope its okay

I have an BMW Z3 M Roadster from 1997 with brand new BBS Le mans rims in the dimensions: 8,5*18 ET 30 (LM 124) in the front with Bridgestone Potenza S-03 225/35-18 tires. It looks great but the car it not low enough for my taste. I therefore bought a KW Var. 2 Gewinde Fahrwerk and looked forward to a low mean M Roadster.

BUT! During the fitting of the KW we discovered that the rims touch the suspension on the springs. Searching your GREAT forum I found that this is a “common” problem with the KW suspension when using the rims setup I do (8,5*18 ET 30). The only way to solve this problem (I think) is to use wheel spacers – “spurplatten” – but that’s not an real option as the rims already is on the edge of the bodywork and I really don’t want them to stick further out.

The next option is to sell the KW-suspension and buy another suspension witch leaves more space for the rims. So my question is; Is there a suspension on the market that will fit with the BBS wheels I have WITOUT spacers and still be able to lower the car 5-6 cm? I have heard that maybe an H&R suspension is one where this problem does not occur – can anybody confirm that?

This is a picture I found on the internet showing how low I hope my Z3 can be:

bb33.jpg

The car in the picture has a FK-suspension and 18" rims but I don’t know the ET.... Is FK a possibility for me?

I really hope you can help me….

PS: If anyone is interested in the KW Var. 2 suspension please feel free so tell me. It has never bin driven so it is as near to “NEW” as possible – 0,000 KM!

Best Regards
Michael Vesthave

[QP30]

Hi Michael,
welcome to the forum.

Can't really help you on the suspension front but am curious about the appearance of your car. You say it's an M Roadster yet it has the standard 2.8l front spoiler and non-M gills on the side The rearview mirror is also the standard 2,8l one.

were they changed out of a matter of taste? Or possiblily as a means of understatement?

Or have you had an M-engine fitted to a 2,8l or ..... dare I ask.... is it possibily a 2,8l

Cliff

[scarver_ox2]

Zitat von MikVest

The car in the picture has a FK-suspension and 18" rims but I don’t know the ET.... Is FK a possibility for me?

[MikVest]

Hehe, the car on the picture is not mine but just one I found on the internet – it is just an illustration of how low I want my own Z3 to be.

[QP30]

Zitat von MikVest

Hehe, the car on the picture is not mine but just one I found on the internet – it is just an illustration of how low I want my own Z3 to be.

alright alright.... a german would now say: Wer lesen kann ist klar im Vorteil

sorry for the false accusation

Cliff

[Rennschnitzel]

FK is shit

I think you can try it with an H&R Gewinde. It has a smaller suspension.

I have the same problem with my KW. That´s the reason why I drive with 8x17 in the front

[klein170478]

don´t buy FK. It´s bad quality.
I have H&R Gewinde. Its great for Z3. I have front 8,5x19" ET 35 with 235/35 wheels and back 9,5x19" Et40 with 265/30 whells. No Problems.
I have the H&R justed to 30/30 mm deeper

[MikVest]

Okay – it sound like H&R is the right way to go (and FK is a definite NO GO!) – But I am not sure how I can compare 19” ET 35 with 18” ET 30...

klein170478 -> how much can the H&R lower the car?

[scarver_ox2]

usually between 30mm and 60mm!
Is it enough for you?

[MikVest]

Well; right now the car is lowered 30mm and 30mm more would do a world of difference – so yes that enough . It sounds like the suspension for me but I still don’t know if it will fit together with the rims. I really don’t want to stand in the same situation again (PS: I still have the KW for sale )

[Hein Bollo]

Hi!
This is a Photo of my car with exactly the same rims in the same dimension - 8,5x18 ET 30 (LM 124) (in the front, tyres are Conti)! And I have a KW Gewindefahrwerk in the car!

You have to use 12mm wheel spacers that the wheels wouldn´t touch the suspension - there is defitely no other way exept using another suspension (Gewindefahrwerk), not build by KW!

[MikVest]

You have to use 12mm wheel spacers that the wheels wouldn´t touch the suspension - there is defitely no other way exept using another suspension (Gewindefahrwerk), not build by KW!

12 mm is A LOT… in my opinion that’s not an option - do you have any experience with other suspensions?

By the way – love the look of your roadster

[Benny1986]

hy mikvest

this is my car:


http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/2710/tiefcs6.jpg

not as low as the car you posted, but low. at he front i got 8.5x18 et 30 with 225/35 continental sportcontact 2 on my car.

my kw suspension still got 2 cm space to make the car lower, but, hmmm, now i got 5cm from the lowest part of the underbody to the street, and that´s the limit in my opinion.

EDIT:

My Rims usually got ET 35, and 5mm Spacers on each Site are enough that rim and tyre do not touch the suspenison.

[MikVest]

Hmm are you sure you are running ET 30? Because there is no way my BBS with ET 30 will fit – I have to use spacers on top of ET 30 as Hein Bollo says making the ET around 25 or 20… maybe there is a difference in the suspension between a non-M and a M.

[Hein Bollo]

Zitat von MikVest

12 mm is A LOT… in my opinion that’s not an option - do you have any experience with other suspensions?

By the way – love the look of your roadster

No I don´t have, sorry.

But the problem with the BBS rims and the contact to the suspension is not caused by the BBS rims, the reason is the KW-Gewindefahrwerk.
I had to use also 12mm wheel spacers with the original wheels from the car (BMW Styling 40). Wheel spacers less than 12mm at the front won´t work with an M-Roadster+KW!

There is a big difference in the suspension between M and non-M. A suspension from an M won´t work in an Non-M because almost every part of the suspension is built complete different.

[MikVest]

Damn – didn’t think KW would make that kind of mistake. Well it seems like I have to sell the suspension to the highest bidder (http://www.zroadster.com/forum/biete/40474-for_sale_unused_kw_gewindefahrwerk_vari_2_z3_m_roadster_%3D_1000%80.html) and then get some confirmation that H&R works with the BBS rims…

[Karsten]

I also own a M Roadster with a KW (Var.II) Gewindefahrwerk with BBS RK II 18" Wheels (8,5x18 ET 30 front, 10x18 ET 25 back) and I also *have* to use the spacers for the front wheels...

[MikVest]

I also own a M Roadster with a KW (Var.II) Gewindefahrwerk with BBS RK II 18" Wheels (8,5x18 ET 30 front, 10x18 ET 25 back) and I also *have* to use the spacers for the front wheels...

How large are the spacers at the front (what are your “net” ET)? Don’t the tires stick far out from the fenders?

Do you perhaps have at picture showing how much the tires are wider than the fenders?