How To: Coilovers and strut tube modification (with pictures!)

[E30_(1st Musk)_]

With Bilstein Sports, GC's, and camber plates you are able to go lower than H&R race and then some. But the ride quality won't be great since you will be touching internal bumpstops even if you cut 1 of the 3 that are inside.

are we talking ride quality once let all the way down? im planning on running them as a daily. and just want to kill the rake in the front with possiblity of being a tad bit lower. and only be slammed on occasion :twisted:

[ak-]

are we talking ride quality once let all the way down? im planning on running them as a daily. and just want to kill the rake in the front with possiblity of being a tad bit lower. and only be slammed on occasion :twisted:

All the way down or around 15mm down, the ride isn't that swell since sports are a long insert.

[acolella76]

All the way down or around 15mm down, the ride isn't that swell since sports are a long insert.

so basically use G60 or 325ix inserts and a spacer is what I'm getting from this

[ak-]

so basically use G60 or 325ix inserts and a spacer is what I'm getting from this

I don't know what the valving is like on iX inserts so I wouldn't even bother since I care for my car.

Go with Koni Adjustable shortened inserts. They are universal and meant for lowered applications.

[E30_(1st Musk)_]

I don't know what the valving is like on iX inserts so I wouldn't even bother since I care for my car.

Go with Koni Adjustable shortened inserts. They are universal and meant for lowered applications.

howmuch do the konis run for now adays? something like $500? i could just run sports till i get the konis

[ak-]

howmuch do the konis run for now adays? something like $500? i could just run sports till i get the konis

Roughly $200 each for the front(short adjustable). I don't know rears.

Yea you could run sports for the time being, but I'm not sure if you want to pay for labor twice for disassembly, cutting the perch, welding the bottom for reinforcement(don't really have to but I would), and assembly. Unless you do it on your own per say.

[E30_(1st Musk)_]

Roughly $200 each for the front(short adjustable). I don't know rears.

Yea you could run sports for the time being, but I'm not sure if you want to pay for labor twice for disassembly, cutting the perch, welding the bottom for reinforcement(don't really have to but I would), and assembly. Unless you do it on your own per say.

true. damn it would be best to just go for the koni setup but im an impatient person and want coilovers! but i deff dont want to go back and re-cut or re-install the entire setup

[Stephen]

I don't know what the valving is like on iX inserts so I wouldn't even bother since I care for my car.

Go with Koni Adjustable shortened inserts. They are universal and meant for lowered applications.

HD valving and sport valving is the same.

[ak-]

HD valving and sport valving is the same.

Everyone says that yet everyone complains of the shitty difference.

I don't really care, I just wouldn't use it on my application is all(iX).

[acolella76]

i'm just thinking out loud, but this looks like what I'm going to do... I already have billie sports, i guess i'll just shave the stock spring perch down, since i saw someone else earlier in the thread doing this, and put the GC kit on that with some camber plates. If I don't like, then i will buy shortened koni adjustables. Any reason this would be a bad idea?

[ak-]

i'm just thinking out loud, but this looks like what I'm going to do... I already have billie sports, i guess i'll just shave the stock spring perch down, since i saw someone else earlier in the thread doing this, and put the GC kit on that with some camber plates. If I don't like, then i will buy shortened koni adjustables. Any reason this would be a bad idea?

Not a bad idea at all. Especially if you're doing the work yourself.

[acolella76]

cool, thanks for the help!

[CorvallisBMW]

i'm just thinking out loud, but this looks like what I'm going to do... I already have billie sports, i guess i'll just shave the stock spring perch down, since i saw someone else earlier in the thread doing this, and put the GC kit on that with some camber plates. If I don't like, then i will buy shortened koni adjustables. Any reason this would be a bad idea?

That's exactly what I would do. GC makes some nice camber plates, as does Vorschlag.

FYI you can easily shave down the stock spring perch and let the GC collar sit right on it, no need to even weld on their supplied collar. We just did it for our LeMons car and it worked great :up:

[acolella76]

That's exactly what I would do. GC makes some nice camber plates, as does Vorschlag.

FYI you can easily shave down the stock spring perch and let the GC collar sit right on it, no need to even weld on their supplied collar. We just did it for our LeMons car and it worked great :up:

That's what I'm thinking. If i decide to go with shortened koni's down the road, i dont want to have to recut, weld, measure, etc all over again

[E30_(1st Musk)_]

^ this is the answer i was looking for all along. thanks for people who tried to explain it to me. now both acolella76 and i need to find out what spring rates were allowed to run