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Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 7:38 pm
by JdmFanBoy
I know obviously the diameter is different but I'm ordering some BC coilovers for my 316 chromie which I assume is 45mm?

Any advantage to swapping over to 51mm at all?

Any help appreciated :)

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 8:24 pm
by SGP
The 51mm unit is stronger.

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 8:45 pm
by jmc330i
If you're sticking with the 4pot lump, the 45s will do fine. If you think you might fit a 6 pot (or larger winkeye ) in the future, you may as well change to 51mm struts while you're at it.

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 9:47 pm
by Jozi
If your getting BC's there's no point wasting a pair of good 51mm struts if you already have 45mm ones.

The only difference between BC's 45 and 51mm is that the bottom piece thats welded to the bottom of the strut is thicker to make up the difference between 51mm and 45mm, other than that the whole setup is the same :thumb:

---edit---

Image

The wall thickness of the silver part of the bottom piece of the coilovers is thicker for 45mm struts than 51mm, no difference other than that.

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Make sure not to cut it to long or you will have less room for lowering because the BC shock is hitting the strut stub.

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 9:59 pm
by threelander
am i wrong in thinking all you need is the inserts

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 11:15 pm
by JdmFanBoy
Awesome thanks for the help, it's going M52 but as above I'm only keeping the very bottom of the strut anyways. Was kind of a silly question but when your forking out 700 quid for coilovers its nice to be sure :P

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 11:18 pm
by Jozi
Ah your only right to have asked if in doubt.

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 11:26 pm
by rich318i
JdmFanBoy wrote:Awesome thanks for the help, it's going M52 but as above I'm only keeping the very bottom of the strut anyways. Was kind of a silly question but when your forking out 700 quid for coilovers its nice to be sure :P
did you give andy a call mate? @AMW?

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 4:30 pm
by JdmFanBoy
Not just yet mate, might be getting a friend of mine to do it. If not I'll give him a call :)

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 10:43 pm
by redcar
Jozi, are those bcs for your e30? My bc rear coilover doesn't look like that one! 8O

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 10:46 pm
by Jozi
No, they were a picture I googled. My rears are nothing like that either. Their on the car at the painter so couldnt get a pic of them.

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 10:48 pm
by redcar
Ok cool. With the bc rears it looks like its possible to use them as a true rear coilover as opposed to having an inboard spring.

Btw, my bc are welded on to the smaller struts :)

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2012 11:20 pm
by Jozi
With the E30 bc's? I've not really looked at it but would be cool. How do you find them

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:54 am
by redcar
Jozi wrote:With the E30 bc's? I've not really looked at it but would be cool. How do you find them
yep!

I find that they're very good on the road. Have yet to test them on track though.

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 9:41 am
by MrBenn
The 45mm struts don't have the hole in the strut housing for the ABS sensor.

Re: Any difference between 45mm or 51mm front struts?

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 11:20 am
by Jozi
redcar wrote:
Jozi wrote:With the E30 bc's? I've not really looked at it but would be cool. How do you find them
yep!

I find that they're very good on the road. Have yet to test them on track though.
I don't think I've found anyone who has anything bad to say about them :) I can't wait to drive the touring with them fitted.