Coilover conversion wanted?

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Are you interested in a simple coilover conversion kit front and back.

Yes
32
97%
No
1
3%
 
Total votes: 33
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Gunni
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Post Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:51 pm

I´ve been thinking about going ahead with one for a very long while now.
I´ve been finding the suppliers and should have them all ready now.

I´m going to allow people to select spring rates and spring lengths.
And I will then give 100% detailed explanation on how to install the kits.
Be it if people want to weld the threads on or let them sit on a metal seat on the strut.

Something good for the road is 350/450lbs and "6 (should give about 55-60mm drop) shorter springs will allow for more drop. This is based on having the spring seat on the same place as the original one is.

Nobody should consider a kit if they have anything less then a 100% fresh and good M-technic dampers.

Prices are still in the air as I´m checking for interest at the moment..

Please post in this thread to ask any questions.
If need be I´ll be able to handle installations.

Note these same kits will work for E36´s, if anybody has them
With great challenges comes great engineering.

Gunni
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Jhonno
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Post Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:56 pm

so it'll be springs, with modded seat cups? what about the rear? could be interested depending on £Â£
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Jhonno
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Post Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:57 pm

doh! ignore my comment bout the rear, i didnt read the 1st post properly..
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Gunni
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Post Wed Nov 21, 2007 6:02 pm

Jhonno wrote:so it'll be springs, with modded seat cups? what about the rear? could be interested depending on £Â£
It´s been proven over a dozen times, by removing the extra metal the original spring cup has and allow for enough metal to remain so that the spring thread sits on it, no issues will be.

The rear is like all e30 coilover kits, thread sits where the original spring was and the adjuster holds the spring that tops off where the spring use to be.

This conversion mostly assumes the original spring cup will be machined down enough to allow for full lowering, no extra seats will be made available
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Gunni
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Gunni
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Post Wed Nov 21, 2007 6:21 pm

Price seems to be 150pounds + shipping.
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Gunni
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Gunni
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Post Thu Nov 22, 2007 9:15 pm

No interest whatsover?
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UweM3
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Post Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:27 pm

any pictures??
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Post Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:33 pm

I expressed an interest in these a while back?????
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318 IS. Sold.
Theo
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Post Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:11 pm

Sounds interesting, would be good to see some pics if possible.
march109
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Post Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:16 pm

Pics and a report from someone using them compared to say H&R or alike would be awesome IMO.
325i Tech 1 Touring, breaking.

2.5 high comp. M20, 3.64 LSD, Fully undersealed, Spax springs & Bilstein shocks, s/s exhaust, Alpina rep wheels and more.
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Post Thu Nov 22, 2007 11:24 pm

Gunni

I would have been interested

However,I've just in the middle of putting these together.

Image

This should give those interested an idea of what's involved
oze30
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 12:24 am

What are those Dave?
JungleGus
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:22 am

sounds like a good idea...similar to the GC kit?
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Gunni
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:05 am

That picture shows exactly what I´m talking about and yes just like the GC kits.

The only problem with regular coilover kits that have long springs is the wheel offset becomes a
problem with wider wheels. as the spring is now in the same height as the wheels inside edge, we had a problem with that on my friends e30 and ET25 "16x7.5 205/40-16.

but by using the old spring cup location there is no interference with the wheels.

In this pic the old cup has been removed and the threads have been slid down the strut. I´ve sold more then 20 of these kits before but can´t get anymore of them. So I found suppliers here in the UK.

Image


The problem normally with stock location and small springs is that they bind sooner but obviously shorter springs would be the answer there. I can get KW race thin springs, they will compress more. But I will have to check the prices on them, I used them on my own 325i back home.

Here the old seat was cut completely off, and a new one welded on, this was before I knew that I could just as well use the old cup and machine it down to size. And these are the KW springs pictured and in "5.5 height not "6 like usual

Image

This still has some lowering left in the back on "5.5 springs
Image

And that´s a show drop in the front. Can be raised about 40mm from there on "5.5 springs
Image
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JungleGus
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 12:44 pm

look great, and quality seems good

so the springs are 5.5" vs 6" to prevent binding. just clarifying for my slowness

would definately be keen, thats a pretty sharp price!

what sort of $$ would the springs be?

also, what brakes are they in the pics ^^
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Gunni
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:18 pm

You can pick length on the height ratio you want. i.e from 0-40mm , 30-70mm and so on.

That´s stock brakes.

That 150pounds price is with springs of your choice.
But KW springs I´ll have to check. They are probably going to raise the price to at least 200pounds.
They aren´t needed unless you just really really have to.
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Jhonno
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:24 pm

what about dislocation of the springs? esp in the rear? MOT failure in the uk..
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Gunni
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 1:58 pm

The swaybar holds those down, unless you go jumping. And I mean some serious rally air.

Also some shocks don´t have as much travel as stock crappers and don´t actually allow the spring
to get out anyway.

Also, the height of the threads will also help the spring not to be able to fall out,
all the retailers have similar stuff as this .

And third. If you have the car raised when you go in for MOT the spring will be pressed up using the coilover threads and thus will be exactly like a normal spring.
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Gunni
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maxfield
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:02 pm

I would be interested, but would want some serious springs for track use!
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Gunni
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:03 pm

maxfield wrote:I would be interested, but would want some serious springs for track use!
What shocks do you have?
And what engine in the front?
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maxfield
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:41 pm

It will be an M42. Shocks I was thinking Bilstein B8 HD.
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Gunni
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 2:52 pm

For strictly track I´d say 470/550 front/rear.
I ran 475/520 on a street car with a M30 and it was real great, swaybar choice will also make a difference
this was with stock mtech sways.

So same spring rate front and a tad more in the rear should suit a M42 ride for track.

EDIT. Is this a fully stripped car?
Do you know the weight
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maxfield
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:08 pm

I haven't got the car yet, I will be looking at future options.

Full stripped, yes.
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Jhonno
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:10 pm

gunni.. e30 2dr, with s50 up front.. h&r sways.. what sort of spring rates would you have thought? mainly road use, some track days, not a daily
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:11 pm

m3 struts btw
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Theo
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:22 pm

I'm interested in a set in the near future, M30 engine, stripped and caged, H&R ARBs, Hartge Bilstein B8's. Track orientated car obviously - what would you recommend?
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:25 pm

those stockers looked massive for some reason!

i like this a lot....would they be able to be installed on an e36 m3 strut, using an e30 top mount? (i am a bit fuzzy on this, would i need to use the e36 shock or could i use the e30 one?)

if you start selling them, ill be down for a set march/april next year
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 3:45 pm

Touring,M3 struts M60B40 and H&R roll bars with M3 links.Fast road with occasional trackday. Recomendations?
Cyruz
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:17 pm

I'd be in for a set...

So let me get this straight, for £150 you get a modified strut housing and spring, and you can use any shock of your choice for example I've got some Spax (non adjustable) up front. I take it this also applies to the rear, you can use any shock of choice, something like koni adjustables?.
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:40 pm

i imagine it wouldnt come with the strut housing, just the threaded sleeve that needs to be welded on

correct me if im wrong!

pretty good value it seems...GC setup which does come with shocks/springs/sleeves/rear shock mounts and front camber adjusters costs around $1700US
Cyruz
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:56 pm

Ahh I was thinking on an exhange basis, e.g old struts replaced for monies and modified ones.
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Gunni
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:56 pm

Jhonno wrote:gunni.. e30 2dr, with s50 up front.. h&r sways.. what sort of spring rates would you have thought? mainly road use, some track days, not a daily
Go for the same as I had just a tad over.
I used the KW with my S50 as well ;)

475/520 as the sways will help further.
Theo325 wrote:I'm interested in a set in the near future, M30 engine, stripped and caged, H&R ARBs, Hartge Bilstein B8's. Track orientated car obviously - what would you recommend?
500/550 as cage furthers chassis stiffness and the effects of the suspension. Without cage you would have to go stiffer for hefty track use
JungleGus wrote:those stockers looked massive for some reason!

i like this a lot....would they be able to be installed on an e36 m3 strut, using an e30 top mount? (i am a bit fuzzy on this, would i need to use the e36 shock or could i use the e30 one?)

if you start selling them, ill be down for a set march/april next year
Yes they will fit a E36 strut without ANY modifications, as the spring cup is almost flat on the E36. You would use the E36 strut and the shock that is unremovable in the strut.
oze30 wrote:Touring,M3 struts M60B40 and H&R roll bars with M3 links.Fast road with occasional trackday. Recomendations?
475/520
I think would be good because of the H&R helping out and the M3 leverage on the front.
Cyruz wrote:I'd be in for a set...

So let me get this straight, for £150 you get a modified strut housing and spring, and you can use any shock of your choice for example I've got some Spax (non adjustable) up front. I take it this also applies to the rear, you can use any shock of choice, something like koni adjustables?.
No this is for the adjuster sleeves, top hats, height adjuster nuts.

These should mostly give very nice track usage (nothing heavy track) and some drivability on the road.

The best thing is that you can buy your own springs later and thus have some to test out on the track as they don´t cost all that much a pair.

I need some solid people in to make sure the price will be 150pounds,
Cause some volume is required to get the price that down.
With great challenges comes great engineering.

Gunni
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Gunni
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 4:58 pm

Cyruz wrote:Ahh I was thinking on an exhange basis, e.g old struts replaced for monies and modified ones.
I´d rather have your struts sent to me and I could mod them and then send them back.
Otherwise some would be sending me struts with bad wheel bearings and might be getting good back and vice versa.

I can do the strut conversion easily if people send them to me or drop them off if they live nearby.
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:01 pm

I'll definitely be interested after xmas!

And you live close by!
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Gunni
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Post Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:07 pm

Good,
I was thinking this would go on in Jan or so, so people can get ready for next years track season.

I´m just letting you guys know that this is available and we can then talk tech before the group buy
begins.

we might be able to talk tech tomorrow if anybody want´s I´ll be in Luton at Sal´s on the dyno day.
With great challenges comes great engineering.

Gunni
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