Spring Paint Codes e3 e9 e12 & e24

[Jan Gullett]

I am taking a close look at what the coil spring options are for my coupe. I have adjustable front struts which gives me some freedom otherwise I would just keep my CN lowered springs.

But in considering my options I have been exploring BMW paint codes on springs. Posts in the e9 and 2002 forums indicated:

Blue dot (blau?) stiff and shortest in length.
Yellow dot (gelb) medium stiffness and length.
Red dot (rot) soft but longest in length.

Looking at the front coils for instance,
The gelb (#31-33-1-114-897) was found only on CSL and CSil,
The rot (#31-33-1-113-321) was found on CSL city packages, other e9's, the e12 and e24.

Does anyone know where White dot (weiss) fits in here?
The weiss (#31-33-1-112-869) was found on US & Euro 3.0 CS and CSi and a number of e3's.
The weiss (#31-33-1-112-799) was found on the Euro 2800 and US and Euro 3.0 CS and CSi.

Looking at the rear coils:
The rot (#33-53-1-113-536) was found on the 2.5 CS Euro and 3.0 CS US & Euro.
The weiss (#33-53-1-112-107) was found on the 1600, 2002, 2800 US, 3.0 CS US & Euro, CSi, CSil & CSL.
The gelb (#22-53-1-114-900) was found on the CSL and CSiL.

It seems pretty clear the the gelb springs are the stiff progressive springs used on the CSiL and CSL without city packages, and the weiss were most frequently used on the 3.0 cs. But it is not clear to me whether they were stiffer or softer than the rot.

 

[sfdon]

try the official BMW parts website for the info

user name is eu111111
password is bmwetk1

link is http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/ac...rts-catalogue/electronic-parts-catalogue.html

look directly under the pic of the brake pads for the words:

Electronic parts catalogue Find original spare parts and accessories for your BMW.

Click on that sentence and you will go into the official BMW website. Do not register- just logon with the id and password I listed.



03

COIL SPRING


























03

COIL SPRING

GELB

2

09/72

11/75







33 53 1 114 900






































03

COIL SPRING



2

09/72

11/75







33 53 1 111 820

E









only in conjunction with "Städtepaket"

 

[Jan Gullett]

Spring Table

Thanks for the referral. I found this to be more complete and helpful than RealOEM or my parts book. What a resource!

Unfortunately they do not have a spring table for the CS and the supplemental part info for the rot and weiss springs does not provide any info on their use or relative characteristics beyond which models used them (which I was able to garner from RealOEM).

It does appear that you can swap out the upper rear spring damper to adjust height by at least 9 mm and if lower damper ring is considered as an alternative perhaps more although this would not be OEM correct. I going to check the damper rings on the rear of my coupe and see what I can change.

Ideally I would like to raise the rear by about an inch and the front by half an inch. Perhaps my fifteen year old springs have settled a bit or perhaps my preferences differ.

My front struts may have another half inch of range higher, but I might need to go with new springs. Since I have about two inches of downward adjustment I could go with OEM springs.

In the rear, if changing the damper rings is insufficient I might need to go with OEM springs there is well. Or a new set of CN springs might do the trick.

Does anyone know how much springs settle over time? I have 70K miles and fifteen plus years on my springs.

 

[Jan Gullett]

e3 e9 e12 e24 Curb Weights

In thinking about my questions I compiled these. Given google I thought this info might be of use to others.

Curb weights:

1974 3.0cs 3,086 pounds (e9)
1974 3.0csl 2,756 (not town/city package)

1969 2800 2,932
1971 Bavaria 3,170 (e3)
1973 3.0si 3,086
1979 528ia 3,053 (e12)
1976 630cs 3,250 (e24)
1979 633csi 3,300 (e24)

Of course these weights are approximate and would vary with options, fuel load, cargo and passengers.

 

[Jan Gullett]

rot versus weiss

Info on coil springs I compiled:

Front Coil Springs
Part Number Weight Price Notes Vehicle
31-33-1-112-143 3.50 $225.15 rot red 2800 & 3.0cs
31-33-1-112-799 3.42 $105.64 weiss white 2800 & 3.0cs
31-33-1-112-868 2.97 NLA rot e9
31-33-1-112-869 2.95 $129.47 weiss white e3, e9
31-33-1-113-321 3.01 $225.15 rot red e9, e12, e24
31-33-1-114-897 2.40 $325.87 gelb yellow CSL, CSiL

Rear Coil Springs
Part Number Weight Price Notes Vehicle
33-53-1-112-107 3.00 NLA weiss white e9, 2800, 1600, 2002
33-53-1-112-116 3.15 $146.32 weiss white e9
33-53-1-112-122 3.00 weiss white e9
33-53-1-113-536 3.24 NLA rot red e9
33-53-1-114-900 2.17 $329.22 gelb yelow CSL, CSiL

From Motorcar International 2500, 2800, 3.0 & Bavaria Shop Manual for 2800cs coil Spring ratings are:
Red 397-410 kg or 875 - 903 pounds
White 411-425 kg or 906-937 pounds
Green 426-439 kg or 939-958 pounds

From Factory Maunal Blue Books for 3.0 cs:
Red 395-405 kp or 871-892 pounds
White 406-416 kp or 895-917 pounds
For CSL:
Red 408-418 kp or 899-912 pounds
Yellow 432-444 kp or 955-974 pounds

 

[Jan Gullett]

Height Adjustment with Spring Pads, Damper Ring & Base

Front
Spring Pads Part Number Weight Price Notes
Lower 31-33-1-101-636 0.055 $13.07
Upper 31-33-1-100-635 0.055 3.5 mm
Upper 31-33-1-113-670 0.160 $21.14 10.0 mm
Upper 31-33-1-113-671 0.160 $19.85 15.0 mm
Upper 31-33-1-113-672 0.235 $20.03 22.5 mm

Rear
Spring Damper Ring Part Number Weight Price Notes
Lower 33-53-3-450-105 0.15 $20.44
Upper 33-53-3-450-107 0.22 $23.45 28 mm
Upper 33-53-3-450-106 0.30 $20.67 37 mm

 

[Jan Gullett]

Ride Height

I did some further research that I thought it migh be helpful to share.

My current road height is as follows:

Front 15.2 inches / 38.6 cm
Rear 13.6 inches / 34.5cm

This is very close to what Stefan reports as Euro standard

Front 15.0 inches / 38.0 cm
Rear 13.2 inches / 33.5 cm

And what JHJacobs reports as his measurements before modification with CN springs:

Front 15.0 inches / 38.0 cm
Rear 13.5 inches / 34.5 cm

With CN springs JHJacobs reports after modification

Front 13.75 inches / 35.0 cm
Rear 12.25 inches / 33.5 cm

All measurements are from the wheel center to the fender lip.

So it appears that my fronts struts have been adjusted up to stock height with the CN springs (In the front my top rubber is 1.4 cm compressed with the car on its wheels and the bottom rubber is 0.3 cm).

In the rear, I have three dot rubber at the top which is 1.5 cm fully compressed (the bottom is about 0.3 cm.) which may explain the rear difference versus JHJacobs.

But in any event it appears that my CN springs have settled little if any over 15 years and 70K miles.

 

[blumax]

Springs--????

Somehow I have missed your obsession with spring heights. I like simplicity and the BLUMAX has been fitted with the CN spring set and HD Bilsteins all round--sans the aluminum ring--that all US spec E-9's had--since 12-1995 and its stance has remained "just right" since without issue of sagging or fatigue.

My question--what is it are you seeking to solve??

 

[Honolulu]

Jan as noted indirectly by Murray, you don't seem to have included the effect of the aluminium spacer ring that most of us USA users have removed from under the inner fender. That could restore about 5/8" or something like 17mm of front ride height, and it wouldn't change your spring rate at all, in the front.

 

[Jan Gullett]

Suspension Fine Tuning

Thanks blumax and Honolulu.

As mentioned in another post, I have front shocks that stick slightly until first bounce, a noise in the left front strut on large bumps, negative camber causing tire wear (I am aware of the handling benefits of negative camber), cross caster that is out of spec and a coupe where the front appears slightly higher than the rear. I restored the car adding Bilstein comforts and CN springs fifteen years and 70K miles ago.

I can adjust the front up or down with my adjustable struts. But I am not inclined to lower the front to balance the appearance because my tires are a very tight fit and will be more so if I correct any of the negative camber. So I was looking at raising the rear and hence looking for slightly stiffer and longer springs than what I have. I am familiar with rolling the fender lips and have had a number of tire and wheel combinations and like what I have. I run 16" style 82 wheels with 20 mm offsets and 205 55 16 tires.

After my research I decided to keep my current springs and I am going to try to modify the fixed CN camber plates to adjust my alignment, then corner balance my front struts for tire clearance and maintain current front height (I hope). Then add new damper ring rubber to the rear using the thick upper rear damper and perhaps an extra cut rubber ring spacer. I also decided to move from comforts to HD shocks.