E36 top mounts on E30....

[Brycey]

Are these interchangable. Mate has a set of adjustable E36 topmounts wondered if they'd fit my E30.

Thanks.

[Kos]

front, no unless you decide to fit the whole suspension set up

[Brycey]

bah worth a try. dont wanna shell out £200 for some really lol.

Why in specific wont they fit?

[DanThe]

The stud pattern is different

[oldroydsr4]

Just re-drill them to the e30 stud pattern

[DanThe]

Fine for coilovers, but with standard spring/strut the spring diameters are also different I believe, which will give locating problems

[Simon13]

e36 springs are wound wider at one end to the other, e30's springs are same top and bottom

[jaistanley]

I use E30 top mounts on E36 M3 Evo struts.. The E36 topmounts wouldn't fit due to the stud pattern being different. Sure, you could drill your E30 to accept the E36 ones, but how are you going to orientate them to get the geometry you want?? IMO they aren't useable..

I used E36 M3 Evo struts/hubs/wishbones, which accept E30 diameter springs. The E36 non-M springs are wound differently, and are larger diameter which would almost definately foul the body work if anything near acceptable geometry is desired.

It's also worth noting for completeness, that the E36 struts require a 19mm nut at the top, the E30 struts a 17mm. This means that to fit E30 topmounts to E36 struts you have to make a very narrow (thin) socket to actually be able to tighten them. I welded a box-spanner to a normal spanner and also had to thin it out with the ggrinder till it slid into the E30 top-mount.

Moral of the story: Don't use E36 suspension components unless you are 100% sure about what you are doing/what you are after. It's a can of worms! It CAN work, you just need the right bits and adjustable topmounts to get good geometry.

Jai

[oldroydsr4]

I was reffering to fully adjustible coilover items.

Several guys in the PBMW championship are using re-drilled e36 ones, I have just done this also.

[Dezzy]

Jai all you need is a 19mm alloy wheel socket and remove the plastic protector to get a 19mm bolt on the shock.

[penton08]

Jai all you need is a 19mm alloy wheel socket and remove the plastic protector to get a 19mm bolt on the shock.

iirc they are 21mm on the e36 strut, i had to turn down a 6 sided socket on a lathe to get in there. its fookin tight

[Dezzy]

I would have to agree mate. There's no fooking way a 21mm alloy wheel socket would fit. I have been building up my E30 M3 front legs today. I fit new 19mm nylock nuts that's why I said it.

[jaistanley]

I must've meant 19mm and 21.. Either way it was a shite but I made a nice tool so was chuffed..

If you are fitting an adjustable E36 topmount I suppose you are a bit better off, as long as your new E36 holes aren't too far out of where they'd need to be. Make sure you use the E36 M3 compatible ones as they run the same diameter springs as the E30...

You will also want to make sure the hole in the topmount that accepts the shoulder on the shock is the same diameter or you are into getting a collar turned to fit (ie and E30 shock into an E36 topmount). PITA.

Jai