Just completed swap!! but front wheel not centered, what´s wrong ?? Please help!

[MikeDE]

If it was a myth, I wouldn't do both swaps. I did it with e36 spindles and then with e36m3 ones. Difference is incredible.... I am able to run 225/45-17 tires, which was impossible before. Don't spread false information, unless you've done the swap both ways.

I'm spreading nothing, merely reposting what I had read only minutes earlier in another thread. I have a 94 325i that I plan on using for part of the swap. That is why I reposted it, more exposure for others input. And thank you for chiming in Craz Azn. I plan on doing the 5-lug for TUV for my M50 swap. More power necessitates larger brakes, and money is of course an issue.

[Aptyp]

the only way to use stock e36 spindles is to move strut mounts forward by 10mm. There's room for it.

[Vtec?lol]

This is all confusing. So to set my caster center, do i need 97m3 lca's or m3 spindles?

[clavinZERO]

This is all confusing. So to set my caster center, do i need 97m3 lca's or m3 spindles?

Both.

[atmosferas]

^ And E30M3 CABs as well ?

[Aptyp]

yup

[atmosferas]

the only way to use stock e36 spindles is to move strut mounts forward by 10mm. There's room for it.

Would you mind giving some details as to how to do this ?

[Aptyp]

drill new holes for your strut mounts 10mm in front of stock holes. Nothing really complicated. Measure enough times to be damn sure to drill once.

[Aptyp]

http://r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=114635
you're a moron. take it down a notch. MY THREAD actually.

used an e30 Koni insert without taking any travel away or elongating the strut. I hate people that think there is one way to do things.

In the interest of not seeing blind following Ray Charles. I read that thread, I posted in it, I had EXACTLY the same plan and there's a reason I made my own thread instead of bumping and crapping on that one:

A. in that thread, video shows how to install e36 koni into e36 housing. Nothing special. Every shop that has ever installed konis into an e36 has done exactly that. Look at that Koni sliding in and being held by the bolt, because it has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of that clown's thread.

B. As I was saying after doing a lot of research:

taken from e30tech member, illustrates difference in height between stock e30 strut insert (long one) and IX/Corrado/Camaro insert (short one). Look at this joker's thread and decide for your self whether he used stock-height Koni e30 inserts or Koni's from GC kit that are in fact short ones.

To reiterate what I am saying... Stock height e30 strut inserts are TOO LONG to install into e36 housings. I used iX ones, part number P36-0251. As I welded my struts together, I used as little of a spacer I could to give shock the most travel and still have H&R Race slightly compressed when bolted down. With all that my spacer was 2.25" that is 57mm. If I would have installed a 92mm spacer, my billies would ride on bump stops at all times.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=139412

So the only response I'd take to all this would be a pic of length of his strut insert, or pic of the part number on the insert, or pic of the shock travel from grand nut to mount. Either one of those 3 options would deduce an answer.


I still want to see GC's (Jay's) solution, but since I haven't seen it, I can't say anything about it. I keep hearing about a miracle fix, but just haven't seen it. It's possible they figured something out that I haven't tried.


I'll have side shot of my car up shortly, I need to put control arms back on. I had a few things to redo. Been working on clearing shop space to work inside and NC's mild winter is turning out to be not so mild. But I have been adding updates to my thread with pics whenever I get a chance.

[BigD]

For the OP with the wheel set back, you need 1996-1999 e36M3 lower control arms ONLY. Nothing else will work.

I did everything I read, E30M3 offset bushings, E36M3 96+ control arms

Clearly not. Get E36 M3 spindles too like Aptyp said and stop guessing. He's tried every combination, unlike some others. His information is confirmed by a local E30 racecar builder here, who uses 96+ M3 control arms AND spindles and his cars come out with the wheels centered. You can get the spindles new from Bimmerworld right now for 70 bucks for the pair.

[atmosferas]

Yep VERY good price on the spindles ^ !!

Been thinking about it, but I would also need a long list of items... M3 rotors, calipers, brackets, struts, springs.... $$ !

I´m considering Aptyp´s advice about moving the strut mounts forward 10mm.. will take a look this weekend... if my kids allow time....

[BigD]

You're right but you could also consider it a brake upgrade. ;)

[Aptyp]

Yep VERY good price on the spindles ^ !!

Been thinking about it, but I would also need a long list of items... M3 rotors, calipers, brackets, struts, springs.... $$ !

I´m considering Aptyp´s advice about moving the strut mounts forward 10mm.. will take a look this weekend... if my kids allow time....

If you follow my advice and you have a strut bar, make sure it will all work together. I ran into that problem and had to shave part of tower's rim to still have strut bar mount.

[Fair!]

Just wanted to thank Aptyp for spreading good tech about this swap. We were doing an E36 front suspension swap onto an E30, following bad tech from elsewhere, and thankfully found his threads here on R3vlimited and in his tech article.


All of the E30 and E36 non-M LCAs were identical. Only the '96-99 M3 LCA has any more spindle offset

The '96-99 M3 LCAs do indeed have more forward offset to the spindle mount, but its not enough to fix what's wrong with the E36 spindle/strut on an E30. You do need the E36 M3 spindles, too.


Left: E36 non-M spindles, E30 LCAs, offset LCA bushings. Right: With the addition of '96 M3 LCAs its better...

With E36 non-M spindles, '95 M3 offset LCA bushings, and '96 M3 LCAs this is where we're at. We still need to move the wheel forward, so we are looking at alternatives to the E36 M3 spindles.

drill new holes for your strut mounts 10mm in front of stock holes. Nothing really complicated. Measure enough times to be damn sure to drill once.

Are you talking about in the strut tower itself? That won't move the wheel forward by much, will it?

We are looking at making new Lower Control Arms to fix this without the need to go to M3 spindles/rotors/calipers. For our project, which has a strict budget ($2010 GRM Challenge), we cannot afford to buy the M3 spindle or brakes.

[Aptyp]

We are looking at making new Lower Control Arms to fix this without the need to go to M3 spindles/rotors/calipers. For our project, which has a strict budget ($2010 GRM Challenge), we cannot afford to buy the M3 spindle or brakes.

Great pics, first of all. I was wondering how e46 control arms compared to the rest and was looking for one in scrap bins for almost a year.


Moving strut mount forward make surprisingly a big difference. Moving up top by 10mm still move wheel hub about 6mm forward. Doesn't sound like a lot, but it really does look much better. This is because you're pivoting entire strut assembly over the outer ball joint. I also imagine that it would help reduce bump steer, because tie-rod also moves lower (but only by 1-2mm).

Any ideas on what will you guys do about control arms? Going group-A sounded excessive to me. I was thinking of modifying spindle itself by welding ball joint connection 10mm further out, but I don't have a lot of faith in my welding abilities on forged spindles. What do you have in mind?