I just bought a '99 M3 a few weeks ago and it needs a little bit of love in the suspension department. I am about to order some new urethane bushings but I am going to need some new dampers soon as the car was lowered on what I think H&R sport springs with the stock dampers and I am pretty sure they are about dead.

I posted the same question in the e36 M3 forum but I think I will probably get a more valid answer in this forum. I have a 2002 Focus SVT that I track as often as possible which is on H&R coilovers and I would like something of similar ride as the coilovers I have on my Focus since the M3 will probably turn into a weekend track car as well. I don't really adjust the height all that much on my coilovers on my Focus and I not necessarily looking for an adjustable damper either but would consider it. I am wondering what is a good damper to be looking at for my M3? I am looking at getting Bilstein for the car or maybe a set of Koni adjustables but I personally feel that the Bilsteins are a much better damper then the Konis but the Konis are adjustable.

I am also considering getting some stiffer springs as I think the sport springs are way too soft for my liking. Do the H&R race springs have too high of spring rates for the Bilstein dampers or should I be looking for a better damper over the Bilsteins and Konis? I am slowly learning about these cars and admittedly, I know hardly anything about these cars.

If it's going to be a weekend track toy, call Ground Control, TC Kline or Vorshlag up for their basic S/A coilover sets.

If you have the springs, and are using it on the street mainly, with some track time thrown in, you are spot on - Bilsteins or Koni (however, I would lean more toward Koni with those springs). If it is mainly a track car, or you think you will be going that with some street thrown in, or you think you will be going that way, take osborni's suggestion - his will be the most cost effective in the long run.

Other upgrades to consider is to rethink/replace every piece of rubber in the suspension. An almost 10 year old car has bad rubber everywhere in the suspension. This is often overlooked.

New Konis, new rubber with some poly thrown in for some areas, possibly camber plates (great time to do them), you'll have a new car for the street or track.

If you have the springs, and are using it on the street mainly, with some track time thrown in, you are spot on - Bilsteins or Koni (however, I would lean more toward Koni with those springs). If it is mainly a track car, or you think you will be going that with some street thrown in, or you think you will be going that way, take osborni's suggestion - his will be the most cost effective in the long run.

Other upgrades to consider is to rethink/replace every piece of rubber in the suspension. An almost 10 year old car has bad rubber everywhere in the suspension. This is often overlooked.

New Konis, new rubber with some poly thrown in for some areas, possibly camber plates (great time to do them), you'll have a new car for the street or track.

The definite first step for me is replacing all the rubber bushings but I usually look into things for a while before actually doing them, aka looking into dampers. I would really like to get a decent of coilovers and camber plates but I am a bit broke right now after getting this car and I would like to pay it off a bit more before doing something expensive like coilovers. The issue is, I need new shocks on this car now. It definitely is underdamped in the front and at times, I get a bit of clunking sounds coming from the front struts after dropping off a large speed bump or something.

I also need to fix my other car, which is down for the count with a seperated half shaft and maybe a busted up transmission.

Now, does anyone know what has a more agressive damping curve, the Bisteins or the Konis set to full stiff? Granted I know the Koni's are only rebound adjustable.