Modifying e36 m3 Struts

[Aptyp]

Cheap e36 m3 Strut Solution
Alrighty, r3v boys and girls, here's another friebie from Aptyp camp.

Parts Needed:
1. Blown e36 m3 strut housings. Good news, these can be had free.
2. Strut inserts: e30 iX, Corrado, or z28 Camaro (I'll put up Bilstein part numbers)

Tools Needed:
1. Pipe Cutter
2. Measuring tools: tape, ruler, level, marker, and etc.





I'll do it in pictures with explanations of what's happening.

1. Magic Tool $22 at Home Depot

you need this tool to cut down struts and spacers.

2. Pieces

With pipe cutter, you cut off top of e36 m3 strut, and remove insert with all of the fluid. That's that for the bottom piece. on the top you see threaded top portion of e30 strut housing. Notice that threaded piece is at least 1.5" in height. It's that height to give you enough room to later machine it down to correct size.

3. Machining Spacer

Machine shop can cut you perfect spacers on a lathe. My spacers are 2.75" in height and seats were machined to seat Bilsteins in perfectly.

4. Machining Threaded Top

Place spacer inside of the strut, put strut in, and threaded top on. When strut nut is threaded in all the way, you should have 1mm clearance between strut housing and threaded top. Make sure strut is threaded in all the way, and that nut sits inside of the strut's lip, as that alone is 1mm. Make sure to machine each side individually. By this I mean you measure and cut right side strut and mark it so, then measure everything for the left side and cut. Not for a second think that you calculations for the right strut can automatically apply to your left strut.

5. Welding

Tack


Remove paint around welded are, breeze to do after it's tacked.


Weld

Piece of advice, make sure you weld with e30 strut nut threaded in to assure top threads not to warp from heat.

After everything cools off, assemble your struts.


Huge thanks to Earnies Machine Shop. This entire process took them just a little bit over an hour. If you come prepared and everything ready, and measured and precut at home, you could easily have this done in under an hour. They surely did me a favor, but even if charged full amount, I'd still be saving nearly $400 from buying brand new e36 m3 struts. Not to mention, whenever I want to, I can by e30 IX, Corrado, or Camaro strut inserts and have everything bolted right back in in no time, saving you shit ton of money in the future, and allowing you e30 m3 sway bar links . Good stuf here.

6. Assembled

And that's that.

Result:
1. You've saved at least $300 from buying new e36 m3 bilsteins or Konis.
2. Because of 2.75" spacer, you're giving your Bilsteing Sport 1/4" more travel room. It makes a huge difference in allowing your shocks to last longer.
3. Makes future replacement that much more affordable.



Hope you enjoy and be able to use this and come support my e30/DIY/Project site, Torque-Bound, and as always I'll continue being loyal r3ver and answer all questions that come my way that I have answers for.

[jrdeamicis]

I am going to be doing the same thing, but using Koni 8611 Inserts w/ GC sleeves

Thanks for the photos.

[Aptyp]

if you're using Koni's, you don't need to weld or machine anything, there's a write-up on here about drilling a hole on the bottom of the strut to keep insert in. I'll have secong write-up soon about my coil-over setup, if I choose to do it.


My car is a street car, and I bought GC coilovers, and since I've been second guessing whether I won't go that route for a non-track use. I do have coilover perches welded for a 5-lug application though.

[asubimmer]

I want pics of your coilover ones ;)

[Aptyp]

OR, you could hop on your bike and come over, lol

cell pics came out awful, as you can tell by the last one... it started getting dark, so I stopped taking pics.

[asubimmer]

When we do mine I'll take pics w/ my DSLR for ya. Fri is looking promising for getting the car back on the ground. I'm off sat but I'm gonna be busy all day...

[Aptyp]

I am putting you in my calendar for friday, when I call you and you're not under your car, I'll be pissed and come over to beat you, lol

[asubimmer]

I am putting you in my calendar for friday, when I call you and you're not under your car, I'll be pissed and come over to beat you, lol

haha hold me to it. The only thing I have to do fri is shoot a few rounds at calibers, but I won't be there long. But I'm not doing that in the morning.

[jrdeamicis]

if you're using Koni's, you don't need to weld or machine anything, there's a write-up on here about drilling a hole on the bottom of the strut to keep insert in. I'll have secong write-up soon about my coil-over setup, if I choose to do it.


My car is a street car, and I bought GC coilovers, and since I've been second guessing whether I won't go that route for a non-track use. I do have coilover perches welded for a 5-lug application though.

You should read before you post. Sorry.

The 8610 / 8611 is a SA and DA insert. They use gland nuts rather then the bolt in the bottom.

To get a proper drop for 17's you need a real shortened assembly. GC makes a nice unit. The 8611's fit the description perfectly. However, they are 45.5MM while the housings are 51. Gordan from Koni says that the gland nut on the top locates the strut. The DA's are top and bottom adjustable. So you need to drill a 1/2" hole in the bottom for the adjuster.

GC's struts are a modified Corrado strut, they shortern the stroke and supposedly revalve them. However they are only SA.

[asubimmer]

You should read before you post. Sorry.

The 8610 / 8611 is a SA and DA insert. They use gland nuts rather then the bolt in the bottom.

To get a proper drop for 17's you need a real shortened assembly. GC makes a nice unit. The 8611's fit the description perfectly. However, they are 45.5MM while the housings are 51. Gordan from Koni says that the gland nut on the top locates the strut. The DA's are top and bottom adjustable. So you need to drill a 1/2" hole in the bottom for the adjuster.

GC's struts are a modified Corrado strut, they shortern the stroke and supposedly revalve them. However they are only SA.

you bitch at the man you are asking for help, smart move

[Aptyp]

You should read before you post. Sorry.

The 8610 / 8611 is a SA and DA insert. They use gland nuts rather then the bolt in the bottom.

To get a proper drop for 17's you need a real shortened assembly. GC makes a nice unit. The 8611's fit the description perfectly. However, they are 45.5MM while the housings are 51. Gordan from Koni says that the gland nut on the top locates the strut. The DA's are top and bottom adjustable. So you need to drill a 1/2" hole in the bottom for the adjuster.

GC's struts are a modified Corrado strut, they shortern the stroke and supposedly revalve them. However they are only SA.

HOLD ON, you're doing this on your 4-lugger or for your 5-lug swap? If you're doing this for the 5-lug swap, you could buy a complete assembled bolt-on coilover kit for e36. No cutting or welding required... Especially if using Koni's.

You're being incredibly unclear about your intentions, you maybe wasting a whole lot of time reinventing something that's already on the market and ready to be installed.

[jrdeamicis]

I am not here to burn bridges guys.

I have a 5 lug, on e36 w/ custom lollipops for corrected caster.

Hes the LD.

To buy a double adjustable coilover suspension that uses shortened struts would not be very cost effective for me.

The AST 4200 is 2800 bucks. Thats a lot of cash. Minus that I already have CP from vorshlag. It would be a little less but not much.

AD Shocks + GC housings dump me out in the $2200 range due to the bastard kit starts @ $1700 bucks. But again I already have camber plates. So subtract $350 from the cost.

KW V3 $1800 bucks. DA, Does not come with plates from what I can tell.

So here is my plan. The 8611 inserts start at the 300/in# and go up to 900/in#. The are 280-300 an insert, and they have a warranty.

The bad part about the inserts is that they have an OD of 43-45.5 depending on the model. But that can easily be fixed with a spacer ring inserted into the housing. I think the more you can locate that shaft the more you can prevent that bushing from getting roasted.

So the price breakdown goes like this.
$600 - Both inserts
$400 - GC Coilovers
$20 - Spacers
$0 - Left over e30 strut assemblies
OR
$50 - Get gland nut threads installed.

That puts me @ a G for a DA suspension on whatever spring rates I would like with Vorshlag Plates.

For reference Page 10

http://zzyzxmotorsports.com/docs/KONIMotosportCatalog.pdf

[jrdeamicis]

And yes the E36 M3 inserts use a bolt through the bottom, but the height of the shock is too large to really have any nice drop on the car without sacrificing suspension travel.

[Aptyp]

you're out of my league...

my entire 5-lug swap is costing me under $700, and you're thinking about spending a grand on the front alone. And for the money you're spending, you should just call TC Klein, Korman, or any other respectable tuner and buy coil overs for that kind of money. It will save you a whole lot of headaches.

Personally, for my coilover set, I'm doing exactly what you see I did for H&Rs and I'm using Ground Control coilovers, even though I've to a realization that I love the way my car handles and don't see needing anything harder or lower any time soon.


... but yeah, you're too rich for my blood. After all very first word says "cheap." :)

[Aptyp]

pics locations updated