bmwe21.net forums

LOL typing the exact same thing here so I'll leave it unmodified:

Well I was wondering why Ite's M535i handled so wonderfully (see my report on age 2) compared to other E12's I drove (briefly) some time ago. The Bilsteins surely have their influence there, wouldn't be surprised if these were quite fresh, just like the rest of the front suspension that's without freeplay or other issues. Other E12's felt softer and had more body roll. Feels to me like the car has bigger sway bars or something.

They have lowering MOTORSPORT springs.
If you have an 528i and an M535i you have all to make the comparission.
Maybe the http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E12/E ... M30/browse -site is wrong.
Or it is a TOP SECRET of the MOTORSPOTRS DIVISION.
My e21 had much more body roll with original springs, now with the eibach springs the e21 has less.

The problem with BMW is that they combine parts as soon as they are even remotely interchangeable, this is for them to reduce stock levels. Nice cost savings perhaps, but also extremely risky as parts may be very different and hard to combine with other parts. For example, if you break a front spring on an E30 M3, the replacement BMW will send you is from an E30 316. You can imagine what that will look and handle like on that car! So sadly the information in recent versions of BMW's ETK (and bmwfans, realoem and the likes use that as a basis) may vary from what was done by BMW back in the day!

I sincerely believe they should implement this in another way, like mention what part was fitted originally, and what is a suggested replacement so you are alerted and can check for yourself. Now in most cases you won't even know before you run into issues! Sadly BMW's ETK had no provisions to implement the new approach in a better way but you have to be very, very careful! So in other words: current documentation may say that parts are shared with many other models, but that may not be true for the actual car you have on hand.

I just measured the sway bars of my M535i:
24mm front and 18mm rear. I have a rear axle here from a 525 and it does 16mm.
When you look to e12 M535i in BMWfansinfo http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E12/E ... M30/browse
And you click on the bmw mumber of the sway bar"(front and rear) you will see that it fits all M30 e12's.
When you look to e12 528i in http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E12/E ... M30/browse
You will see it has 23mm front and 16mm rear.
So I think it mean the M535i sway bars will fit the smaller engine models but if you take the smaller models(525 528 528i) it will tell you the right diameter.

No, I've done some digging myself as well, you're not reading the ETK data correctly. 525-528-528i have 23 & 16mm sway bars, unless you ordered sports suspension in which case the bigger sway bars would be fitted, 24 & 18mm. The bigger sway bars are fitted as standard on the M535i which explains, at least for a large part, the difference in handling I noticed between the M535i and other models.

That looks like a good explanation to me.
But where do you see the option off sports suspension?

Sorry for the Dutch version

Jeroen wrote:Sorry for the Dutch version

Wich program is that? Is that online?

Nope, dealer ETK.

As promised in an ealier post, Today I was at Jeremy's to speak about some business.
Also, we spoke about this project.
Until now, there wasn't a lot of progress...read: 0

But now, we made a deal to start with the restauration.
Because of the extreme good condition of this body, we are going to make the real deal.
So, Axles, motor and gearbox, all will be taken out for a real good and solid job.
There is not any place which is in need of welding, so just clean up and paint!

And no.... I did not made any picture, but in week 1-2017 it will start, and than I will make some pictures.

@ koos:
Can I come to you at the end of week 1 to dismantel both axles of the 528i?

It is really boxed in... wouldn't know how... only the subframe is the same, btw. Feel free to come and have look, anyway.

Hmm. I really would like to have both axles for blasting.
But than I do that at another time. No worries.

So, the earlier noted week 1 Has become week 8. But nevertheless..it started

It made me, after seeing this car for some time, again very happy.
There is absolutely no rust, nothing. It's unbelievable how good this chassis is.

Yesterday I was at Jeremy's, the car is already on the bridge.
I have completely dismanteled the brakes, and made some preparations to lift of the engine and the gearbox.
In the comming weeks Jeremy will give the car a full treatment.
In the mean time I will give the engine some tlc.
I spoke to lex (my mechanic) and he will take care of that. (Bearings, gaskets, the whole set).

I do not have any hurry, because I also have to manage a big construction time here at my house.
But.. it started anyway.

Really curious to see the finished result

Mee too.

Because of all the construction works at home it will not be finished this year I think.
I have more wishes than my wallet can contain.