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Xi Lowering / Have Your Cake & Eat It Too

98K views 388 replies 78 participants last post by  vtwagon 
#1 · (Edited)
For the last 6 months I've been working hard at lowering the E46 Xi chassis suspension, through a cumulative effort with different forum members I've accomplished my goal of not only Lowering the Xi chassis but also providing a smooth & compliant ride at the same time. (Having Your Cake & Eating It Too)

The drop will be about 1.00 to 2.00 inches in the front (Depending on Spring Choice) & about 0.25 to 0.75 inches in the rear, this drop will "Even Up" your current look because as you know the front sits Much Higher than the rear. All in all this will make your Xi chassis E46 look Great while still maintaining its AWD capability with ease. Some of the best points about this suspension system are:

1) You'll still have a nice factory OE ride with planted handling that's very smooth feeling.
2) The price is Very affordable at roughly ~$799.
3) The Front & Rear shocks are BOTH Externally Adjustable, meaning you can make strut or shock adjustments in seconds by twisting a knob.

The four major components to making this Xi Lowering a reality are:

1) Sport Front Xi Struts.
2) Rob43 Special 9 Way External Adjustable Rear Shocks, these special shocks are not only a bigger diameter (they fit perfectly) than any other E46 shock, but they're priced right too.
3) RWD* Lowering Springs.
4) Supreme Power Drop** Hats.

This suspension can also be easily fitted to an Xi Touring chassis, it was tested on several with excellent results.

If you'd like one of these Xi Lowering suspensions for yourself, shoot me a PM & we'll discuss it.



Rob43


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Review Of This Setup !!!
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1112564

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****** UPDATE: For those of you on a tight budget, I've tested a Non-Adjustable option that gives a nice looking drop that "Evens" things up and rides like Stock OE for comfort. Price shipped is roughly ~$549 for this option !!!



* It's NOT well known, but certain RWD suspension parts fit the Xi chassis perfectly; Choosing the "Correct" RWD Springs are one of those items. Only one or two RWD springs can actually lower the Xi chassis the way you'd want.

** Depending on options these might NOT be needed, this could save you ~$90 dollars.
 
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#91 ·
yeah thats why i brought up the KYB's for Fbodies, that everyone has been using on e30's and e36's for years... the AGX adjustables, and are shorter than the stock with decent valving. Ive ran em many times on an e46, and assumed when i saw AGX's that what you guys were running.
 
#96 ·
Everyone needs to understand that I tested those kyb's too, they simply aren't a good shock to use for the E46 chassis.

Besides not fitting properly because of the bottom mount, which of course need to be shimmed or replaced to make it work,......they're REALLY a bad choice based on the fact that they are to Short in compressed length & extended length.



Rob43
 
#98 · (Edited)
*too short for cars on lowering springs.. sorry guys i was reffering to really low cars (ie: coils, bags, etc..)

I have a RWD e46 now, but when i had my XI shortened and re valved e36 M3 rears, and Eibach ERS linears #650 was my favorite setup ;)

I was thinking you guys all wanted to make coils ETC, that is why i recommend such short bodied shocks, my bad :(

Really miss my silver XI ;( You guys should look into making front coils, it was very simple, I was on the hunt for 52mm bodied fronts that are shorter, but the pinch bot design on the XI hub was making that difficult...then car turned into a pop can and i lost interest. I found a couple coilover bodies (like empty housings) that would work well if anyone ever is curious about making good coils yourself:hi:

 
#101 ·
ok sounds good, i think i have you email somewhere from forever ago. I went cheap (just had baby) with my current e46 and am running the SE coils. The reviews on them were good, but the dampening for the rear inst right at all in my opinion, Seattle roads+I5 expansion joints=bouncy bouncy. I miss the planted feel I had with that Tiag above.

Last question, is there other valving available?
 
#105 · (Edited)
1) There are many differences, but the two best are Rob43 9 Ways are more cost effective and only take a few seconds to adjust. Every time you want to adjust a Koni Sport rear shock you must go through this nightmare. Plus they both need to be set EXACTLY the same so that they function the same which is hard to accomplish unless you use a degree wheel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DmhhcEYsVs


2) Not all Ebay E46 Lowering Springs are the same, I would NOT recommend 90% of them.



Rob43
 
#106 · (Edited)
Eibach springs, Supreme Power drop hats, Koni Yellows, Rob43 rear shocks, H&R rear sway bar, 18x8 +40mm wheels w/235/40R18 tires. Rides and handles pretty good so far but it's snowing out so I couldn't push it too hard (that and I would rather something wrong happen at low, controllable speeds). Going autocrossing in 2 weeks so between now and then I should be able to really dial it in to where I want it. I'll get more pics and a more comprehensive report going later.



 
#109 ·
Eibach springs, Supreme Power drop hats, Koni Yellows, Rob43 rear shocks, H&R rear sway bar, 18x8 +40mm wheels w/235/40R18 tires. Rides and handles pretty good so far but it's snowing out so I couldn't push it too hard (that and I would rather something wrong happen at low, controllable speeds). Going autocrossing in 2 weeks so between now and then I should be able to really dial it in to where I want it. I'll get more pics and a more comprehensive report going later.
Matt, great work ! :thumbsup:

The temps in your area will be in the mid 70's next week, so you'll get to really play with it.



Rob43
 
#110 ·
Scheduling an alignment today. Car did just fine in the snowy slushy drive to work. Rides almost exactly like stock until you get on a long bumpy turn, then it bounces a little. On those Koni Yellow rear shocks, I had them in my old car and they were pretty much a "set it and forget it" rule. You pretty much have to remove them from the car (and if you're running coilover sleeves like I was, remove them too) to make an adjustment.
 
#112 · (Edited)
I would wait until you could afford the Konis and drop hats to go with everything if you wanted a comfortable ride, otherwise shoot for the coilovers he has if you just want it to handle like it's on rails. I was able to put together that whole package (wheels included, off of craigslist) for about a grand. The wheels were the only thing I bought used. Going to sell my stock wheels to recoup some of that.
 
#116 ·
This is Koni yellow fronts, rob43 9 way adjustables, H&R sport springs, and supreme power drop hats.
Okay, I'm sold on the drop hats. Now to just decide between Eibach springs and Ebay springs. I do live in WI, so the roads are awful and we get snow, which is why I am thinking the Eibachs would be better. It's just that they are also more expensive.
 
#121 ·
This suspension can also be easily fitted to an Xi Touring (It was tested on one also), but the price goes up ~$ because H&R Sport "Xi Touring" Springs are needed due to the increased rear weight of the touring model.
Hey, Rob. Am I reading this right? Is there no other spring option besides H&R for an Xi Touring setup with your adjustable shocks? I've got no interest in the extra firm ride, nor in lowering it all the way (just a little), so I'm hoping there's another spring kit for the XiT. Would appreciate your wisdom on that.

I currently have worn out factory struts up front and Sachs Advantage shocks with Suplex springs in the rear. Basically, stock ride with strength for holding up all the heavy gear I carry in the back....not very inspiring though.
 
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