Stupid?

[jahnaboi]

So I have e36 m3 koni adjustables for all 4 corners for my 5 lug setup from an e36 m3 (external top adjustable). I really don't feel like biting the bullet and buying a new set of rear koni adjustables to match the front as they don't sell the e30 koni adjustable rears as a set (you have to buy all 4). So I was thinking, because the e36 shocks are 2 inches longer and cause the e36 shocks on an e30 chassis to bottom out more often, would it be feasible to fabricate a bracket that bolts to the existing mounting point on the trailing arm that allows the shock to sit lower allowing more travel and not bottoming out the shock?

Its just a quick thought. Spur of the moment kind of thing.

Also is the body of the absorber the main difference between lengths of the shock or the shaft + body?

[kronus]

You'd probably be better off extending the tower upward... akin to drop hats for the front.

[jahnaboi]

Extending the tower upward? That would cost more to fabricate/weld wouldn't it? Fabricating a thick steel plate would be less work and just as effective, wouldn't you think? Theoretically speaking it would. I don't know if it would clear certain rim choices, although I don't think it should matter.

[Danny]

I don't think that's a great idea.

[jahnaboi]

When I decide to swap things over, I'll do some concrete measuring and see if it is at all feasible.

Which part Danny? the tower extending or the bracket?

[Danny]

Well, both really. There isn't much room to extend the tower, and were you just thinking to do a nut/bolt through a steel bracket?

Just seems kinda hokey.

[jahnaboi]

I was thinking of a steel plate with triangle plates welded to the bottom of the trailing arms for added strength.

[Danny]

Seems like an awful lot of work for something you'll worry about day in and day out.

[jahnaboi]

I don't think it'll be so much to worry about since there isn't as much load being carried as the perches of a spring.

Only one way to find out.

Here's a shot of the stock positioning. I should be able to move the shock down and slightly towards the rear end a bit.



Pictured borrowed from pelicanparts.com website.

[Danny]

Just remember, they call it a shock absorber for a reason.

[Wh33lhop]

I don't think that's a great idea.

Well, both really. There isn't much room to extend the tower, and were you just thinking to do a nut/bolt through a steel bracket?

Just seems kinda hokey.

Seems like an awful lot of work for something you'll worry about day in and day out.

I'd strongly agree on all accounts. Get the right Konis, sell off your old ones--if you can't get top-adjustability, then so be it (or you can check out the Mustang Konis). I personally would not want to fuck with something like that, doing it right would be way more trouble than it was worth.

[jahnaboi]

I only need adjustable rear koni's for an e30. Only way to acquire them new is to buy a full set, meaning 2 fronts and rears as they don't sell the rears separately. It would be useless buying the set as the fronts render useless for the e36 m3 struts as I'm not going to use e30 inserts as I have koni inserts for the front m3 struts already. Comparing the stiffness of the e36 m3 koni adjustable rear on compression/rebound to an e30 bilstein sport is pretty vast. I'd love to have it on my car.

Wheelhop and danny, i understand the concern, I'm pretty skeptical of the whole idea itself. The mustang top adjustable koni's are less stiff and are probably the same thing that gc uses in their kits but are re-valved to be stiffer as the suspensions on the e30 are different (so I've read).

[Farbin Kaiber]

Just remember, they call it a shock absorber for a reason.

Remember, it's really only there to decrease cyclic bouncing from the springs, which do most of the "absorption" of shock.

[jahnaboi]

My thought exactly. Which is why I don't see the "real" danger in my attempt to retrofit these shocks. Think it'll work?

[Farbin Kaiber]

If you could fabricate a plate to drop the bolt, you would still need to cut and rethread the TA end so that the bolt and pickup point would not interfere with the angle of the shock absorber. That is the real issue, moving it really isnt. I'd rather pick up another TA, and take it to a race shop, and have them fabricate this on the arm. You could get away with 200-500 bucks for that I'd bet.