The stock M3 suspension is really good, but for track/race use it needs
to be a little stiffer. There are many routes to go with the suspension, and since I am
aiming for J-Stock or I-Stock it helps limit the choice. Front coilovers are not allowed
in stock.
I had a tough time choosing what springs to go with but I heard good things about the Turner Springs. They are progressive rate springs that essentially mimic the BMW Motorsport Group N springs. They are probably pretty stiff, but since my car is a track only car it should not be a problem. The picture on the left is the stock front springs next to the Turner front springs.
| Brand | Front Rate | Front Type | Rear Rate | Rear Type |
| Stock | 140 lb/in | 250 lb/in | ||
| H&R Sports | 185 lb/in | 340 lb/in | ||
| Eibach Competition | 166 lb/in | Linear | 457 lb/in | Linear |
| TMS Road Race | <700 lb/in | Progressive | <700 lb/in | Progressive |
I decided to get the Bilstein Sport shocks that were specially valved and shortened to
match the TMS springs. I figure they do alot of racing and probably have a good handle on
the correct valving for their springs. My other choice would have been the adjustable
Konis which you can get from TC Kline.
Turner claims they have the largest rear bar on the market at 19mm. I have the rest of
the Turner Suspension so I figured I go with this as well. Do not forget to reinforce all
the sway bar mount tabs when you put larger adjustable bars on. Front bar is a piece of
cake to install, but the rear is quite a bit more difficult.
Legal in J-Stock this fit between the strut mount and the strut itself. Probably add
about -1 degree of camber. With the springs and camber plates I am hoping to get around -3
degrees of camber.
Replaces the Upper Bearing Cap and adds .5 Degrees of Negative Camber. This is stock factory BMW part available from your dealer.
First impression of these is that are they way lighter than the steel ones. Plus they
have hardened ball joints in them and supposedly are a little stronger. These are a major
pain to replace. I went ahead and removed the front subframe and did the reinforcement at
the same time. It also makes it easier to torque nuts on the Control Arms correctly when
the subframe is off the car.
These things are pretty stiff. I will let you know what I think of them when I get my
car on the road again. I had my local shop (Bavarian Motors LTD) press the old ones out,
and press the new ones in to the mounts. I also drilled and tapped them so they would not
spin in the mount. This step is not needed with the regular offset bushings.
| Part | Price | Vendor |
| TMS Road Race Springs | $349 | Turner Motorsport |
| Bilstein Sport Shocks | $580 | Turner Motorsport |
| TMS Adjustable Sway Bars | $289 | Turner Motorsport |
| Fixed Camber Plates | $219 | Turner Motorsport |
| Aluminum Control Arms | $360 | Turner Motorsport |
| Delrin Offset Bushings | $89 | Turner Motorsport |
| Total: | $1890 | |