e34 Front and Rear strut diameters?

[320Touring]

Whilst researching my 535i tracking options, Smiler's website (project Bratwurst FTW!)

I see that the e34 has the rear Coil springs are ON the damper- this got me thinking..

What is the diameter of the Damper unit? Could I fit something like this to it If I removed the bottom spring seat?

http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_in ... ts_id=3458


Moreover, would the front struts take a similar setup?

If they could, It'll be a lot easier to match spring rates and Free lengths if the car is lightened, and track orientated

I'd appreciate any ideas or observations

[steviec_lj]

I'll get you dimensions in the morning, I have a 535 sat in the garage.

[320Touring]

I'll get you dimensions in the morning, I have a 535 sat in the garage.

Thanks a lot!

[rob0r]

Rear E28 sport shocks are ideal for this (Bilstein/Koni), they are the perfect diameter for the 2.25" conversion kit offered by Rally Design/Compbrake, they also fit straight onto E34/E32s. Other 5/7 series shocks should work as long as the outer diameter is approx 50mm. I used E28 koni adjustables with a compbrake 2.25" conversion kit with great success on my E32 735i. I bonded a cut down coilover sleeve to the shock body which sat on the existing spring perch.

Fronts, you can't use a 2.25" conversion kit as the struts are too wide, you have to go for the 2.5" conversion kit which I've only seen offered by Compbrake. They were a perfect fit onto my E34 struts, which I then fitted to my E32. A word of warning though if you super slam the fronts using a 2.5" kit, the conversion kit adjusters and the coilover springs cause clearance issues with standard E34 wheels and tyres as they often sit lower than the original spring perch. Use spacers, smaller tyres on standard wheels or wheels with a lower offset.

Another word of warning, coilover conversion kits use thick spring top caps. Original BMW spring caps are thin steel, these are thicker aluminium items, this has the negative affect of reducing the thread available to the nut for the top mount. Use a smaller nut, get an engineer to reduce the thickness of the top cap or recess the inside of the top cap so the shock can sit further up into it. For what it's worth, I prefer the rally design 2.25" kit as the top caps aren't as thick, for the 2.5" kit you have to go for Compbrake.

They take some work, but once they're done the results are great




E34 strut fully converted using a compbrake 2.5" kit.

[TheHeap]

Oi Fritzl what's with the cellar

[320Touring]

rob0r-many thanks for the comprehensive post

do you have a link to compbrake?

[rob0r]

Oi Fritzl what's with the cellar

I had no idea what you meant until I checked again! It's the workshop pit

[rob0r]

2.5" kit
http://www.compbrake.co.uk/Suspension-A ... d_930.html

2.25" kit
http://www.compbrake.co.uk/Suspension-A ... d_929.html

[320Touring]

ta!

[DanThe]

E34 track slag?

[320Touring]

E34 track slag?

Yep! too fast to use on the strip