7+ Best BMW E36 Coilovers: The Ultimate Guide
Are you looking to take your E36 to the next level with set of coilovers? In this post I’m going to give you the best coilover options for the E36 platform.
In a Hurry? Here Are My Top 3 Picks:
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BMW E36s have been become incredibly popular cars in basically all forms of car culture. From stance and show cars to track racing and drifting, their light chassis, good suspension design, rear wheel drive setup, 6 cylinder engines and good looks provide a fantastic platform for pretty much anything you want to do.
However, with these cars are getting on in years, and the oldest models now past 30 years old, their original suspension is well past due for an upgrade.
Coilovers are one of the best upgrades you can do to an E36, taking the already well handling chassis and making it even better with stiffer, more performance based suspension.
However, there are some things you need to know that are particular to the E36 if you want to select the right kit and avoid problems down the road.
As I have personally owned several E36s including a 318is and a 328i, I have experience with these cars and will give you “insider information” that I learned while I had them.
In this post I’m going to cover what I believe are the best coilover options for the E36, and I’m going to give you a top 3 which will include:
- One top of the line winner
- Best budget coilover
- Best value for more
So no matter what your budget is or what you intend to use your E36 for, there will be a coilover option for you.
What to Look for when selecting E36 Coilovers
There are two major things you want to take into consideration when purchasing coilovers for your e36, they are:
- Budget
- What you will use the car for
These two above all else will dictate which coilover kit you should get. This is because there is a big difference between what’s best for the track vs what’s best for daily driving, and even what’s best if you just want to go as low as possible.
There are coilovers to suit these needs in almost all budget ranges, but generally speaking as they get more expensive they get significantly better at doing what they were designed to do, so you need to factor that in.
It is possible to get coilovers that will do most if not all of the things on that list, but they will generally compromise in some area in order to do so, whether that’s ride quality, how long they last or how well the car actually handles (and I don’t just mean that it’s stiff).
So deciding how much you can spend and what the main purpose of the car will realistically be is the most important thing before you select a kit. Once you have that figured out, you can move on to selecting a kit that will best suit your needs (and this post is here to help you do that).
Ride Height Adjustment By Shock Body Vs Spring Perch
One of the main reasons people buy coilovers is to lower the car. Coilovers are great because they allow you to adjust how high or low your car sits.
However, there are two ways to achieve this, and it’s something you need to consider, especially if you want to go super low.
1. Ride Height Adjustment By Spring Perch
Lowering by spring perch means that in order to lower the ride height, you lower where the spring sits in relation to the shock body. You literally loosen the locking ring from the spring perch, lowering the perch on the adjustment threads, and then lock it in place with the locking collar.
This was the most common setup for coilovers a few years ago, and you will typically see this system still on European manufacturers like KW, Bilstein, H&R. As such, you will see many of the E36 coilovers with this design.
The problem with doing it this way is that as you go lower, the damper loses some of its travel, and you get closer to bottoming out and hitting the bump stops. If you go low enough, depending on the design of the coilover, you eventually get to the point where the shock has next to no travel, and you bottom out over every bump.
This is the quickest way to blow your new dampers.
This is why you will see manufacturers who use this method recommend a specific ride height setting that their coilovers are optimized for, and will often not honour the warranty if you have been riding on them lower than that.
In my opinion, this system is not ideal, and has been replaced with a better system I am about to go into in #2. I’m not exactly sure why some manufacturer’s insist on still using this method, but they do.
2. Ride Height Adjustment By the Shock Body
This system is much more common these days, and how it works is you actually wind the whole shock body with damper and spring up and down in relation to the base at the bottom.
What that does it is moves the whole thing up and down, which means you get to retain full suspension travel no matter how high or low you go, because the spring is in the same position relative to the damper.
I think this is a much better system because of this, and it also allows you to set and adjust spring preload which can affect the ride quality and how the car handles, as well as properly corner balance the car.
Most coilover manufacturers these days use this design including BC Racing, Fortune Auto, Megan Racing, TEIN and more.
Dampening Adjustability
Dampening adjustability is another thing you’ll want to consider whether you need or not.
Dampening adjustability lets you soften or stiffen the dampers, which affects the ride comfort as well as the handling.
This option is most useful for people who intend to use the car at the track, but will regularly street drive it, so that they can set the ride to be more comfortable on the road, and then stiffen it up for the track.
Basically, there is no downside to having this adjustability, and most coilovers have this option now.
So unless you are dead-set on a particular coilover that doesn’t have this, or your budget is super low, you may as well get coilovers that have dampening adjustability and have the option to set the ride how you like.
Divorced Vs True Rear
On the standard E36 suspension, the rear spring is separate from the shock – this is known as “divorced rear”. Due to this, most of the coilover kits also have a separate spring in the rear.
However, some kits have the option of “true rear”, which means they are a true coilover in that they have the coil over the spring like on the fronts.
While practically all race cars use true rear coilovers because it can help save weight and contribute to handling, for most cars that are used primarily on the street and track days, the difference is not going to be noticeable.
Also, true rear coilovers add more stress to the strut tower that it wasn’t designed for, which can cause problems like cracking or even failing completely in extreme circumstances, with the top of the tower breaking off and the coilover coming straight through.
Given that the E36’s strut towers are known to be a weak spot (I will address this in the next section), going for a true-rear style coilover is not worth it unless you are building a proper race car and need to squeeze out every last bit of performance.
Strengthening Shock Towers
As I mentioned, E36’s (along with other BMWs such as the E46) are known to have weak strut towers which can mushroom, crack, or break entirely under extreme circumstances.
This is so well known that BMW themselves made OEM strut reinforcement plates to put between the strut mount and the strut town to prevent this from happening.
If you are installing coilovers, particularly if you are going low or going to the track, you will want to at a very minimum get the reinforcement plates.
All it can take is one bad pot hole and now you have a cracked tower which is going to be much harder and more expensive to fix than just installing the plates.
If you want to get serious with the car or are installing true rear coilovers, further strengthening by welding in thicker plates and tying the towers in to a roll cage is a good idea.
E36 Coilovers VS Lowering Springs
If you are looking for a mild drop or just want a slight increase in handling performance, or you just want to save some money, you may be thinking that lowering springs might be a better option.
While there certainly are many people who had lowering springs and were happy, in my opinion coilovers will always be better. Here’s why:
- The factory shocks are not valved to match the lowering springs, so will often not ride that well, meaning you need to buy shocks as well. This will cost you the same if not more than a decent coilover kit, so you may as well just get coilovers and have the height adjustability and possible dampening adjustability as well.
- The factory shocks will be around 30 years old on an E36 and are well past their use-by date anyway, so they will probably blow if they haven’t already when mated to stiffer springs
- You can’t make adjustments to the lowering springs, and 99% of the time you won’t be fully happy with how they sit (ask me how I know)
So with these points in mind, there is very little reason to get lowering springs over coilovers unless you are just trying to save money, but in that case you will probably find your shocks will blow sooner rather than later and will need to be replaced – putting you back at square one.
Can You Fit M3 Coilovers On Your 328i or other E36 Models?
Yes, M3 coilovers will fit non M3 E36 models like the 328i, but not the other way round. The difference between them is that the M3s have the sway bar link which attaches to the shock, whereas the Non M’s don’t. So the M3 coilovers have the bracket for the sway bar link, which you can just leave on there.
You cannot, however, put non M3 coilovers on an M3, because they will be missing the sway bar bracket, and you won’t have anything to bolt your end links to.
I personally put M3 coilovers on my 328i, so I know first hand that they do fit.
Will Z3 Coilovers Fit an E36?
Yes, Z3 coilovers will fit an E36, and the other way around, just be aware that the Z3 rear shocks are about 2 inches shorter than the E36, so they won’t be optimal unless going super low.
TI Coilovers
TI’s share the same rear end as the Z3 meaning the rear shocks will be 2 inches shorter than a regular E36 sedan/couple. Keep this is mind if you are buying coilovers for your TI, look for a TI or Z3 specific kit.
Benefits Of Getting Coilovers For Your E36
- Ride height adjustability from 0.5” (10mm) up to 5 inches (125mm) depending on the coilovers
- Dampening adjustability to fine tune the ride comfort and handling (if the kit has this option)
- Significantly improved handling
- Increased ride comfort
- Camber adjustable strut mounts (depending on coilover model)
Pretty much any set of coilovers is going to be a significant upgrade over your stock E36 suspension and will give you the ability to set up the suspension exactly as you like it.
The Best BMW E36 Coilovers
1. Fortune Auto 500 Series
Best For: Daily drivers, street and occasional track use
Lowering: 1-3 inches (2.5 to 5 inches on the Super Low option)
Price range: $1799
I put the Fortune Auto 500 Series coilovers at the top of the list because out of all the coilovers brands I have looked into, they have impressed me the most.
Fortune Auto has taken an extreme amount of effort and care to put together a truly quality coilover kit, which is reflected in the countless positive reviews from happy customers all over the internet.
They race-test their suspension components, and they test every single damper on the shock dyno to ensure pairs are matched to within a 3% tolerance.
Every coilover kit is hand-assembled to order at their facility in Virginia, USA to ensure super high quality control.
All their kits are also modular, meaning you can upgrade them to 2-way dampening adjustment to external reservoir, instead of having to buy a new kit.
They also offer a 5 year warranty which is one of the longest in the industry – that says something about their confidence in their product.
The 500 Series features include:
- Ride height adjustment by the shock body (giving you full suspension travel)
- 24-level rebound dampening adjustment
- Monotube dampers with high pressure nitrogen and high flow digressive valving
- Fully rebuildable
- Swift Spring upgrade option
- And lots more
You can get the Fortune Auto 500 series for the best price here:
GET E36 FORTUNE AUTO 500 SERIES COILOVERS FOR THE BEST PRICE
2. KW V3
Best For: Daily drivers, street and occasional track use
Lowering: 1/4 inch to 2 inches (10mm-50mm)
Price range: $2284
The KW V3 is an extremely popular and highly regarded coilover kit for the perfect mix of comfort and handling.
KW have been in the game as long as coilovers themselves have existed, having made the complete suspension kit to be approved by the Technical Control Board in Germany.
Ever since, they have specialized in making super high quality suspension kits which provide excellent ride comfort and very good handling. They also make OEM suspensions for several high end car manufacturers and are heavily involved in many forms of motorsport.
Their kits are also very well known for their superior corrosion resistance, being the most durable against any weather on the market. So for people living in places with harsh weather conditions such as snow, KWs are a great option.
The V3 features include:
- Ride height lowering (done by spring perch) from 1/4 inch to 2 inches (10mm-50mm)
- 16-level individual rebound adjustment
- 12-level low speed compression adjustment
- Super high durability against corrosion
- Springs and dampers fine tuned to each vehicle application
- Made in Germany by KW
- Limited lifetime warranty for the original purchaser with no mileage restriction
- Rebuildable (but must be sent to KW in Germany)
You can get KW V3 coilovers for your E36 at the best price here:
GET E36 KW V3 COILOVERS FOR THE BEST PRICE
3. Silvers Neomax
Best For: Daily drivers, street and occasional track use
Lowering: Up to 3 inches (75mm) – Super Low kit goes 5 inches (125mm) lower than stock
Price range: $1299
Silvers are not as well known as some of the other brands on this list but they made a very good entry level coilover kit which competes with BC Racing.
All Silvers suspension is manufactured in Taiwan, however unlike most of the other brands that get their kits made in Taiwan, they have their own facility where they hand assemble every kit to order.
Like Fotune Auto, Silvers also test every single damper on the shock dyno to ensure they are within a 5% tolerance, or the internals get scrapped.
They have very strict quality control and pride themselves on very fast turn around times, even for custom kits which take only 10 days.
The Neomax is their entry level coilover and is modular like the Fortune Auto 500’s, allowing you to upgrade to 2-way dampening adjustment with external reservoirs.
Everything I could find on these coilovers was positive, making them an excellent option that is pretty budget friendly.
The Neomax features include:
- Ride height adjustment by the shock body
- 24-level dampening adjustment
- Monotube dampers with 44mm linear piston and digressive valving
- Carbon steel shock bodies, electroless nickle plated for corrosion protection
- 18 month warranty
- Custom spring rates and valving options
- Swift Spring upgrade available
- Divorced and true rear options available
- And lot’s more
You can get the Silvers Neomax coilovers for your E36 at the best price here:
GET E36 SILVERS NEOMAX COILOVERS FOR THE BEST PRICE
4. BC Racing BR Series
Best For: Daily drivers, street and occasional track use
Lowering: Up to 1-3 inches (25-75mm) – Extreme Low kit goes 2-4 inches (50-100mm) lower than stock
Price range: $1195
Possibly the most popular coilover on the market today, the BC Racing BR series combined value for money with quality and performance, bringing you the perfect all round coilover that’s not going to cost you the world.
BC Racing have so many happy customers all over the world it’s not even funny, with their coilovers being proven to handle both street and track use time and time again.
One of the things that makes them so popular aside from the low price is that they are very customizable. From custom spring rates and valving to Swift Springs, Extreme Low and more, you can put together the perfect coilover kit to suit your needs.
They are also fully rebuildable and BC Racing sells all the parts required to do any servicing, repairs and rebuilding.
The BR Series features include:
- Ride height adjustment by the shock body
- 30-level dampening adjustment
- Monotube dampers with linear damping
- Front camber adjustable strut mounts
- Custom spring rates and valving available
- Swift Springs upgrade available
- Extreme Low option available
- 1 year warranty
- Fully rebuildable
You can get the BC Racing BR Series coilovers for your E36 at the best price here:
GET E36 BC RACING BR SERIES COILOVERS FOR THE BEST PRICE
(Says M3 fitment but will fit non-M3 as well)
5. Ksport Kontrol Pro
Best For: Street cars that will see some track use
Lowering: Up to 1-3 inches (25-75mm) – Extreme Low kit goes 2-4 inches (50-100mm) lower than stock
Price range: $1062.50
Ksport is another good option if you are looking for coilovers around the $1000 mark.
Ksport has a history of being in motorsport, having had their own drift team running a 350Z with a Chevy 6.7L stroker V8.
Despite being an entry-level kit, Ksport has designed the Kontrol Pro to handle both street and track use.
If you are looking for a coilover on a budget, these coilovers will get the job done.
The Ksport Kontrol Pro features include:
- Ride height adjustment at the shock body
- 36-level dampening adjustment
- Monotube shocks with separated oil and gas design
- Camber adjustable pillowball strut mounts
- 6061-T6 billet aluminium used for most parts including mounts, collars and spring perches to ensure rust resistance as well as weight reduction
- Zinc electroplated steel shock bodies
- Come with anti-rust paste for the threads
- 12 months warranty
You can get the Ksport Kontrol Pro coilovers for your E36 at the best price here:
GET E36 KSPORT KONTROL PRO COILOVERS FOR THE BEST PRICE
6. Solo-Werks S1
Best For: Daily driver on a budget that might do a track day or two
Lowering: Front 1.6-3.1 inches (40-80mm) – Rear 0.8-2.0 inches (20-50mm)
Price range: $499
If you are really on a budget and can’t spring (pun intended) for $1000 coilovers, the Solo-Werks S1’s are pretty much the best value you’re going to get.
Having had these coilovers on my own 328i, I can personally recommend them as an excellent option at a super low price.
These are the cheapest coilovers on this list, and don’t have many of the features that most of the other kits on this list do, however they are excellent value for money and great quality considering the price.
The build quality is good, the ride quality is good and they can handle track days (I used them on the track). They also come with a 3 year warranty, which is practically unheard of at this price range.
For the price they are, they are really hard to beat.
The S1 features include:
- Ride height lowering (by spring perch) up to 80mm on the front and 50mm on the rear
- Twin tube dampers for a more comfortable ride, tuned specifically for each car
- Heavy gold zinc plated housings which have been salt spray tested for 500 hours
- Special progressive elastomer bump stops for additional ride comfort
- Bottle of Boeshield T-9 thread lubricant
- 3 year warranty
Note: These use the factory strut mounts, so be sure to order new ones if you are getting these coilovers.
You can get the Solo-Werks S1 coilovers for your E36 at the best price here:
GET E36 SOLO-WERKS S1 COILOVERS FOR THE BEST PRICE
7. Megan Racing Euro I Street
Best For: Daily driver with occasional track use
Lowering: N/A
Price range: $999
I round off this list with another highly regarded budget coilover option.
Megan Racing have been making budget coilovers for quite some time now, and have become high regarded in terms of the value they offer at low prices.
People regularly use Megan Racing coilovers both on and off the track and are very happy with both their performance and ride comfort.
If you can’t afford to go with the BC Racings, the Megans are pretty much your next best bet.
The Euro I Street features include:
- Ride height adjustment by the shock body
- 32-level dampening adjustment
- Monotube dampers
- Aluminium strut mounts
- Sway bar end links (on applicable models)
- 1 year warranty
You can get the Megan Racing Euro I Street coilovers for your E36 at the best price here:
GET E36 MEGAN RACING EURO I STREET COILOVERS FOR THE BEST PRICE
My Top 3 Picks
#1 – Top of the line: Fortune Auto 500
The Fortune Auto 500 series are a seriously impressive coilover kit, and are actually not that expensive when you consider the price.
Not only are they extremely high quality, they are also modular and can be upgraded, something very few other coilovers offer.
Add to that their 5 year warranty and there’s really nothing else to discuss.
If you are looking for serious coilovers, you really can’t do much better than Fortune Auto.
GET E36 FORTUNE AUTO 500 SERIES FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE
#2 – Best budget coilover: Solo-Werks S1
If you are on a tight budget, the Solo-Werks S1 has you covered.
They may not have as many features as the other coilovers on this list, but the super low price combined with the good build quality and the great ride comfort make these pretty much the best budget kit you’re going to get.
Having personally run these on my E36 328i, I can recommend them as a great option.
GET E36 SOLO-WERKS S1 COILOVERS FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE
#3 – Best value for money: BC Racing BR
If you want the best combination of price, quality, ride comfort and performance, you really can’t beat the BC Racing BR Series.
Having proven themselves time and again on the road and the track, these coilovers are fantastic all-rounders, and being just over the $1000 mark makes them excellent value for money.
If you want the best overall coilover you know is going to perform, and don’t necessarily have top dollar to spend, it’s going to be very difficult to find something better than the BC Racing BR Series.
GET E36 BC RACING BR SERIES FOR THE BEST PRICE HERE
Conclusion
I hope that this article helped you select a coilover kit for your E36. If there is anything else you’d like to know or have another coilover kit you’d like to recommend, feel free to post in the comments below and I will personally respond to you.
Cars owned: Mk2 Golf with 1.8T swap, BMW E28 with M30B35 swap, BMW E36 328I Mtech, BMW 750IL, Nissan 300ZX, Honda Civic EF
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