I did quite a bit of searching for springs fitted on a 120i, and found very little info (lots of info on e82s). So here is my review, in case others want this info:
Car 2006 e87 120i hatchback
Wheels: GTC specific details here (
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=672160)
Springs: H&R Sport Springs part number 29187-1 (see pic below of label)
Distance from bottom of fender to top of wheel (not the tyre, but the wheel rim)
Rear before: 95mm After: 79mm
Difference in Rear after install: 16mm (.63 inch)
Front before: 108mm After:78mm
Difference in front after install: 30mm (1.2 inch)
Rationale for H&R over other choices:
1. Great past experiences with H&R on M3, M Coupe, GTI, and 911
2. I like the fact it drops the front more than the rear. And in this case, the car is level (wheel gap is now 78mm front and 79mm rear) vs having a bigger gap in the front.
Purchased and Installed on the Gold Coast for a decent price ($700 total for parts, labour, and alignment) by:
Mermaid Suspension Centre
1/3 North Street
Mermaid Beach, 4218
Test Drive:
Significant difference in steering feel/turn-in.
Slightly less body roll.
The combo of the wheels/tyres and these springs gives the 120i much better handling, it corners like a completely different car. It is much more fun to drive now. Plus it looks 100x better, IMO.
Bad: There is a little bounce when going over very choppy roads (like the Gold Coast Highway light rail construction zones). I usually upgrade struts and springs together, however I am not kidding myself that the 120i will ever make a serious racing threat, so I can live with the very minor bounce on harsh roads. On nice roads, the improvement is amazing!
I only have this one pic right now, in the dark garage taken on my phone. I will post more soon to show before/after.
NOTE: the rusty wheel hubs are glaring at me. Next mod: sand and paint them!
And here is the label, to help with part number concerns:
