E36M3 coilovers w/ E36M3 5 lug?

[sleepy350]

Hi guys, I am starting to piece together a E36M3 5 lug conversion for the front of my E30. I'm also looking at spring shock options as well. I was wondering if I would be able to use a E36M3 coilover setup with the 5 lug conversion? I'm specifically looking at the Stance-Usa setup.

Thanks in advance, Angelo.

[unloadedak]

Just get ground controls kit, I love mine.

[Mossman]

Yes, you can do this. In front the strut has to be 100% E36, so it will work. In rear spring lengths/rates and shock lengths/valving might better match the car if you just buy them for E30, but i've run e36 rear konis before on e30 m3 springs, no bottoming out issues but I wasn't too low.

[z31maniac]

Ground Control sells a "5 lug Bastard Kit" that is designed to correct the caster issues of using E36 5 lug parts up front.

If I wanted to go 5 lug with E36 parts, that is the route I would take.

YMMV.

[Mossman]

I guess I was assuming he was doing it right with 96-99 m3 knuckles, control arms, and offset bushings. In which case any E36 setup would work fine, as long as they interface with e30 strut mounts fine. But you're right, if you're starting from scratch the GC option is good, I like my big m3 brakes though.

[z31maniac]

I guess I was assuming he was doing it right with 96-99 m3 knuckles, control arms, and offset bushings.

That's the thing though, I could swear I remember reading numerous threads of people using even the "correct" parts and still ending up with caster issues?

I could be misremembering though. I don't even know what I had for lunch yesterday.

[Mossman]

Just snapped this pic for someone else, might as well put it to use.

Here's 96-99 M3 knuckles and control arms, eyeball CAB's, along with redrilled strut towers for 96-99 M3 strut hats, mounted as far back as I could.

Result: Wheel damn near perfectly centered, and caster actually more than spec, 10.5-11* last time I got it aligned. I did get it aligned once with stock e30 strut mounts and it was between 9-10* which is fine by me.

[MR 325]

Wow, redrilled? Scary.

I'm running E36 M3 5 lug with E36 M3 Tein coilovers in front. Using the stock E30 upper strut mount.

[Jalves619]

There is plenty of material there for it to be safe. I would just be concerned about getting them to match side to side, well that and actually getting the strut located remotely close to where it actually needs to be since there is no adjustment.

[ColdAccord]

I've never seen the strut tower redrilled, it seems that there would be more than enough material. how did you measure location for the holes?

you used m3 offset cab's instead of thr lollipops? how did the exhaust fit

[BMW_TUNER]

I run GC sleeves on e36 m3 bilsteins with 95 knuckles and 98 arms with treehouse cabs and GC spring plates. I can get any amount of camber or caster I want and my wheel is nearly perfectly centered.

[clavinZERO]

...Using the stock E30 upper strut mount.

Samesies. Re-drilling NOT required.