BMW Z3 & E36 Compact

The BMW E36 Compact was born as a compact executive car, providing you with all the luxuries of a BMW…but the Compact also offers the convenience of a hatchback.  You know, just in case you want to pick up some 2×4’s from your favorite home improvement store on your way home from the office.

If you are looking to turn your Compact into something more than just executive transportation, the suspension is a good place to start.  While lowering a vehicle certainly increases the ‘cool factor’, there is so much more to consider besides just going low.  Do you really want to put up with a less-than-luxurious ride?  Does the thought of scraping against speed bumps make you cringe?

Air Lift Performance‘s mission is to stop you from worrying about lowering your BMW—with a suspension designed not only to lower your car, but also to turn it into a smooth-riding, corner-slaying rocket with the ability to clear almost any obstacle!  Doesn’t the idea of being able to adjust your entire suspension almost instantly—with the touch of a button and twist of a knob—sound like what you have been looking for?

Up front, we start with our monotube, threaded body strut, partnered with our smooth-riding, double-bellow air spring.  Not only can you change the height of the car by increasing or decreasing air pressure, but since the strut body is threaded, you can change the height of the strut simply by spinning the lower mount up or down.  To add even more adjustability, these struts have 30 different levels of damping, so you can go from a smooth street ride to race-car-like stiffness with the twist of a knob.  To top it all off, we include adjustable caster/camber plates, made out of T6061 aluminum and anodized red, for a show-stopping appearance and excellent race track adjustability.

For the rear, we simply replace the factory coil spring with a double-bellows air spring, giving you a 5.6-inch drop. To keep the rear from bouncing down the road, we use 30-level damping adjustable, monotube, threaded body shocks. With black chromed shock bodies and bright red accents, these shocks look just as sharp as they function.

Installation is simple with Air Lift Performance’s detailed instruction manuals; if you have the skill to wire a stereo and swap suspension components, you can have your car on the ground—or tearing up your favorite road course—in a matter of hours.  Only basic hand tools are necessary to complete installation.

As the leader in air suspension products for over 60 years, Air Lift is committed to delivering quality parts that last.  To ensure longevity for the customer, the key suspension components have been tested on a durability rig for over one million cycles, which equates to 100,000 miles.  With a one-year, unlimited-mileage warranty—not to mention the Air Lift reputation for great customer service and technical support—you can purchase this kit with peace of mind.  Ditch those coils and get to a new level of low!

• Modifications Req. Front: NONE
• Modifications Req. Rear: Minor trimming of coil spring locator