Lowtec Suspension kit

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Lsdumoff
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Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2020 4:55 pm
Location: Kent, CT

Lowtec Suspension kit

Post by Lsdumoff »

I am considering ordering the Complete Lowtec suspension kit 35/35MM for my 1983 633 CSi.
Anyone have experience installing and using this kit / Lowtec equipment in general?

Really appreciate any feedback comments.

Thanks
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hornhospital
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Re: Lowtec Suspension kit

Post by hornhospital »

To be honest I'm never even heard of Lowtec.

Have you done a Google search for reviews?
Ken Kanne
'84 633CSi "Sylvia"; '85 635CSi "Katja";'85 325e "Hazel Ann"; '95 M3 "Ashlyn"
Lsdumoff
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2020 4:55 pm
Location: Kent, CT

Re: Lowtec Suspension kit

Post by Lsdumoff »

I usually ask this group first. But I did a search and found this:

The Product: Lowtec Suspension Kit 35/35mm
Link: http://www.schmiedmann.com/5_series/E28 ... .htm#13100
Scroll down the page to find it, it's product #0600134.

Shipping: transit time was pretty good for the parts coming from Denmark. It took about a week to show up once they got it in stock. Took about a $20 hit on customs for the kit, not bad at all.

The price: delivered for about $500. Considerably cheaper than a full bilstein + h&r kit. Are the savings worth it? Absolutely not. This kit is also available from a US vendor, Abrahams Motorsports.

The ride quality: pretty bad. It's definitely lower, it's definitely stiffer. At first, I didn't mind the ride quality, but after about 4 months with the kit, I despised every minute of it. It was so loud over bumps, the entire front end would clunk, and it was just as uncomfortable as it sounds. I may as well not have had any shocks, as they provided no dampening value whatsoever. I did not have to roll my fenders any further than they already were, and I get zero rubbing with this kit, while I did before on my blown out OE shocks. Please note that my back left fender was rolled to accommodate my E34/E38 style 5 wheels (can't remember which). I'm running a 5mm spacer on the front wheels. The car is low enough that my exhaust will scrape over medium sized speed bumps. I have installed a skid plate as well, which has already come in handy twice. I urge you to get a plate if you lower your car with this kit.

The looks: pretty amazing I think. It's much lower than before. I get more looks and compliments than I did previously.

The problems: this wouldn't be a good project without problems, and there are quite a few. First, the parts are not a perfect fit. Size wise, they work just fine, but they came with extra material that needed to be removed, you'll see in the pictures. The front shocks came with a small threaded stud on the bottom that had to be cut off, and the rears had this golden/yellow plate on the outside of the seating surface that kept it from installing correctly. Once I had cut that plate off, the "tube" for the bolts was still about a half inch too long, so I trimmed it down entirely on the one side and a bit off the other to get it to fit properly. The front shocks are simply not long enough to fit the strut housings, so each time you hit a bump, the entire car moves an extra .5 inches or so as the shocks move in their housing.

The verdict: 1/10 I would not buy this again, and would not recommend it to anyone. Yes it looks awesome, but the extra work and aggravation is not worth it at all. If I was going to do it again, I'd spend the extra $300 and get the real deal, the Bilstein and H&R combo. Don't make my mistake, don't cheap out.

Full pictures of modifications required, before and after shots: http://imgur.com/a/IPzKt

8/11/15 UPDATE: I have edited my review above. At the beginning of August, I was fed up with the loud, clunky, uncomfortable suspension, so I decided to swap the shocks to the Bilstein Sports while keeping the lowtec springs. I am much, much happier with my car now. I can't compare the lowtec springs to anything else as they're all I've had, but do NOT buy lowtech shocks. You will regret it, and end up spending way more than you wanted to when you replace them.
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635sharknose
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Re: Lowtec Suspension kit

Post by 635sharknose »

Lowtec, what a name... sounds like the opposite of hightech. :roll:
Paul
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1987 635CSi Bronzitbeige
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