Height Adjustment
Before we started, Sam had measured the height of the car. Once the OE 18" wheels were refitted, the car was lowered and we measured again. At this stage, we could see what needed to be done without measuring. The rear was too high and the front too low.
It's possible to adjust the H&R spring perches without removing the wheels again, so Sam started on the rear. He lowered it by using a 10mm Allen socket in the bottom of the threaded shaft, as we said (pic 21). It's all about trial and error but after a couple of attempts the car was lowered to where we wanted it - which turned out to be the maximum amount the rear spring perches would allow the car to be dropped. After measuring we discovered it was 1 3/4" lower than the stock ride height. It's left the tires nicely tucked under the fenders.
Conversely, the front needed to be raised. This was achieved by turning the adjustable perch on the threaded strut using the C wrenches supplied by H&R (pic 20). Unlike the rear, the thread on the strut is very fine and moving the perch one inch will alter the ride height approximately one inch. So we had Sam raise the car about " so that it now sits 2" lower than a stock 135i. (see before and after pics 1, 2)
At this height, the car looks significantly more dramatic and sporting. And despite the reduction in suspension travel, we're delighted to report the ride quality remains exceptionally good. It certainly doesn't crash into potholes as some aftermarket suspensions can do. It also controls the car in corners more effectively, although we anticipate fitting larger sway bars in the future to replace the thin OE bars.
The only real drawback of lowering the car so drastically is that we're now scraping the front spoiler on steep driveways. And you need to slow down over speed bumps. But otherwise, it simply looks and handles better.Obviously, you don't need to lower the 1-Series as much as we've done here to enjoy the benefits. And that's the advantage of the H&R Street Performance Coilover kit from Turner Motorsport. It gives you the ability to adjust the car where you want it. Contact Turner Motorsport for a special price offer for Eurotuner readers.
And stay tuned for the next update to Eurotuner Magazine's BMW 135i project car. We have custom wheels being built and are talking to several tuners about software and exhaust upgrades.
For those of you who have been unable to get a look at the new 135i, we've also included some interesting photos, such as a look at the flat underside of the car (pic 23), and the rather torturous route the stock exhaust takes (pic 24, 25), plus a look at the electrical equipment under the trunk floor (pic 28). There's also a close up of the axle (pic 25) and those enormous six-piston Brembo-sourced front brakes (pic 26) - the biggest ever fitted on a production BMW - as well as the rear brakes (pic 27).
Our sincere thanks to Evosport (and Sam) for the expert fitting.
Contact:
www.turnermotorsport.com
www.hrsprings.com
www.evosport.com
Greg Emmerson
Editor