question for those who have done E30 5-lug conversion

[breakermart]

ok iv used the e36 m3 evo front struts on my e30.
a problem im coming up against is the strut top mount.

i thought im to use the e30 top mounts as the e36 m3 evo ones dont line up with the 3 holes. but doing this iv got the problem of the spindle with the thread at the top of the strut is too big a bore and wont pass through the hole in the center of the e30 top mount.

am i being thick or is there somthing that i need to do or change?

i thought the conversion was purely bolt on job.

if sombody can tell me what parts im to use like im a 5 year old then maybe it will get through to me lol.

[penton08]

I can not remember ever having a problem fitting the top mounts. The bolt is bigger on the top of the e36 damper, (21mm from 19mm) and it is tight fit so you will need to remove the collar from the top mount or get a 6 sided socket machined down to do the nut up. Apart from that it "should" bolt up as normal

[vanos]

I never had that problem but I was using 325i stuff and it matched up perfectly.

[Motorhole]

Don't know about the stock e36 m3 EVO legs, I used e36 coilovers. But you're right, the thread for an e36 strut top mount is m14x1.5 whereas e30 is m12x1.5. I got some adjustable camber plates, e30 ones, but with m14x1.5 threaded insert.

[Motorhole]

Don't know about the stock e36 m3 EVO legs, I used e36 coilovers. But you're right, the thread for an e36 strut top mount is m14x1.5 whereas e30 is m12x1.5. I got some adjustable camber plates, e30 ones, but with m14x1.5 threaded insert.

[breakermart]

ok all, think i need to go over what iv used and see if im missing the trick here. maybe im supposed to use somthing else or iv got to drill out the hole just a smidge... and secondly, am i right in saying i use the e30 springs and not the e36 spring that came with the struts?

[Baurluvva]

Don't know about the stock e36 m3 EVO legs, I used e36 coilovers. But you're right, the thread for an e36 strut top mount is m14x1.5 whereas e30 is m12x1.5. I got some adjustable camber plates, e30 ones, but with m14x1.5 threaded insert.

Did you use e30 top mounts on the coilies? Or did the camber plates do away with them?

[vanos]

Yep E30 springs and tops, E36 evo struts.
When you got it all up together you'll realise the ABS wont work and it was a waste of time doing it and sell everything and go bake to 4 stud.
The only way to do it properly is to use E30 M3 front struts and rear arms.

[Motorhole]

Good point about the abs vanos. My car didn't have abs in the first place and will be a dedicated track car, so not arsed. But if you are, a lot of work to get going. I think e21jason did it...

As for top mounts - yes, the camber plates do away with the stock mount completely. Instead, you have a rose joint and a threaded insert that goes through it, which holds the strut.

[HairyScreech]

The answer to the abs could be a pair of moderators that alter the pulse signal faster or slower depending on what is required. They exist for bike speedos for when non stock wheels are used.

[harry_p]

i think it's a problem with wiring the sensors themselves in, e36 sensors have 3 wires iirc.

if you've done a full 5 stud conversion using m3 evo front bits and 318ti rear arms there should be the same nmber of teeth on the abs rings on all wheels, so although it might be a different number to the e30 setup it shouldnt matter too much, the abs ecu will just think the car's going faster or slower, it should still read any difference in wheel speed the same.

[vanos]

E36 has 3 wires to the abs sensors while E30 have 2 wires.

[e21Jason]

e36 is two sensors in 1, abs + traction control with a common ground.

[harry_p]

even on e36s before they started offering traction control?

[Phill172]

I used the E36 top mounts (adjustables on coilovers) so simply put a new hole in the top mount for it

[Baurluvva]

A hole in the e30 turret?

[e21Jason]

Acording to BMW fans they are all the same 3 wire unit but checking several wiring diagrams early cars use 2 wires, later cars 3 wires from the sensor.

[Phill172]

A hole in the e30 turret?

yes

[breakermart]

yes i did notice the e36 m3 evo top mount plate with the 3 bolt mounts doesnt line up with the existing holes on the e30. i did think about drilling a new hole but then thought hang on.... this is ment to be a bolt on job and shouldnt involve fabbing new holes. think id sooner drill out my e30 top mounts a fraction to get the desired fit. somthing i thought aswell was.... my car is the 316i.
is the hole throught the top mount smaller on those than say a 325i top mount. is this why im struggleing? its only like a 1mm diference from fitting the e36 m3 evo struts.

orrrrrrr have i just got a freak top mount and when i do the other side it will fit like a glove lol

[Phill172]

Only had to drill 1 new hole, although mine maybe set up slightly different due to use compared to road,
But see how you do enlarging the hole for the top mount

[Motorhole]

According to realoem, all front E30 top mounts are the same

[fearlessphil]

I just had i thought, there is mention of people welding and re-drilling 5 stud alloys to the e30 4 stud pattern. Which is a bit of a no no as welding alloys makes them have brittle spots due to the weld. (a mates wheel once collapsed while driving!)

Wouldnt it make more sense to weld up and re-drill the steel hub to a 5 stud? if the welding does heat treat the hub and make it brittle it can easilly be anealed due to its relatively small size, but being steel it would probably be fine!

[HairyScreech]

There isn't enough meat on the e30 hub to get to 120mm pcd.
It was looked at using undrilled blanks.

[harry_p]

would it be massive money to get custom hubs machined up with a larger flange so they could be drilled to 5x120?

[HairyScreech]

not sure, the problem would be bearing units, the genuine ones are pressed in and only come with the unit, if a suitable bearing could be found then its a possibility, however it would be an expensive one.
I would expect each one would be coming in at ~£100 a hub plus likely £40 worth of bearings, at which point the m3 stuff starts to look attractive.
Next issue is the splines for the rear, they wont be cheap.
ABS fitting could then be an issue, are the trigger rings removable?

I have spare legs here and am after some e36 hubs to work up a solution, i think/hope a suitable bearing is out there, otherwise i have a few ideas, sleeveing could be possible with a suitable change to the hub nut, some kind of cap would be the ticket but i havent got time for a month or two to look at it.

[Phill172]

Am i missing something or is this way over the top for the 5 stud conversion?
I simply bolted mine up made the new hole in the top mount, like this

[harry_p]

looks pretty straight forwards to me, although it looks like the adjusters are running the wrong way?

hard to see from the pic, but i suppose it doesnt really matter as long as the overall geometry is where you want it

[Phill172]

Yep, fiddeled around with it a bit to get the geo we wanted (they adjust both camber and castor), but there is not reason why it cant be done in the normal way,

[breakermart]

ok next question is.... what happens about the front anti roll bar and drop links? cant seem to work out if i can use e36 or leave e30 one in. thanks in advance guys

[Phill172]

If your running e36 m3 evo then you can use m3 arb links, particularly with coilovers that give you height adjustment as to where the arb mount sits.

[harry_p]

as far as I know the evo arms still have a hole in the wishbone so you can use the your existing brackets and droplinks.

[breakermart]

so either way is do-able then, e30 or e36 m3 can be used with my e36 m3 evo bits.

[ajay]

I think it means e30 standard set up or e30 m3 with adjustable drop links.

[Phill172]

Yep!