Stupid?

[jahnaboi]

Actually you can't use 318ti axles...the inside where it bolts to diff is smaller diameter. Maybe you can use output shafts from ti diff too, or maybe small case e30 diffs match, I dunno.

Anyways about this idea...yeah bad idea. If you brought it to a good welder they could make it work but I wouldn't trust a booger welder, shits thick.

You are also going to be changing the angle that the shock sees but I think it would be alright as long as it's not moved so far that it interferes with the body.

And finally of course you can buy just koni rears where did you get that info?

P.P.S I ran e36 m3 konis on e30 m3 springs (not too low, tire about flush or 1 finger over late arch) and never bottomed out once. THey were bottom not top adjust too...they make top adjust e36 konis now? If so I'll figure out a custom shock mount and run those suckas.

Yes, they make custom top adjustable rear konis (from gc kits). So I'm scrapping the whole rear bolt bracket idea. Its totally do-able but, it would just look straight up ugly as they would stick out like a sore thumb when looking at the rear.

I lined up my e30 bilstein sport shock with the e36 m3 koni's and measured the difference. The difference is 2.37 inches +/- some. I really want to run these e36 m3 koni top adjustables, so I'm going to think of some kind of custom shock mounts.

Do you think mounting the rear shock mounts on top of the strut tower rather than bottom but with a spacer that seals between the top of the strut tower in between the raised rsm would suffice?

[MR 325]

Yes, I believe I also has the 318ti diff flanges.

[Mossman]

Actually you can't use 318ti axles...the inside where it bolts to diff is smaller diameter. Maybe you can use output shafts from ti diff too, or maybe small case e30 diffs match, I dunno.

Anyways about this idea...yeah bad idea. If you brought it to a good welder they could make it work but I wouldn't trust a booger welder, shits thick.

You are also going to be changing the angle that the shock sees but I think it would be alright as long as it's not moved so far that it interferes with the body.

And finally of course you can buy just koni rears where did you get that info?

P.P.S I ran e36 m3 konis on e30 m3 springs (not too low, tire about flush or 1 finger over late arch) and never bottomed out once. THey were bottom not top adjust too...they make top adjust e36 konis now? If so I'll figure out a custom shock mount and run those suckas.

[MR 325]

You didn't break yours. So I don't see what the big deal is. Using 318ti trailing arms doesn't require to use the 318ti axles.

Actually I broke my left axle 3 times if I remember right. :)

And yes, you do have to sue the 318ti axles.

[Danny]

Hey man, if it works more power to you.

Post pics! :)

[jahnaboi]

You didn't break yours. So I don't see what the big deal is. Using 318ti trailing arms doesn't require to use the 318ti axles.

[MR 325]

318ti axles with an S52? Have fun breaking them if you're hard on it. ;)

[Stephen]

Wouldnt it be ten times easier to use a upper strutmount that goes farther into the trunk like i've seen vw guys do? And i saw a picture of a GC part somewhere, although i think it was just a prototype

[jahnaboi]

Since I have 318ti trailing arms I'm going to try doing that to those. I have a tig welder and need to practice on something to put it to use, so this will be a good little project.

[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.

[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]

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]

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).

[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.

[Danny]

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