DIY - e30 Suspension onto e36 Struts

[psyber_0ptix]

just a quick question; if using koni inserts; one wouldnt need to worry much about the welding/transfer of the threaded collar nut section right?

Would one still opt for e30 inserts or are there any benefits to using koni's for the e36m3?

[etxxz]

hahahaha yes i recall now -.- my bad.

got any more or better step-by-step pictures I have 2 wrecked e36's here in front of me.going to remove them before they go to the scraper

i have to re-uphost the pictures that don't show. they are a great step-by-step.

edit* i can't find the pic guys sorry. The first pic (parts) gives you a good enough idea of what you have to do. Just knowing it can be done is help enough. If i ever stumble upon the pics again i'll upload them but for now, just do it!

[e30s50dan]

got any more or better step-by-step pictures I have 2 wrecked e36's here in front of me.going to remove them before they go to the scraper

[e30_kid89]

Really?

[etxxz]

^^ huh? i don't recall using anyone's ideas for this... I took what i had learned from shortening struts on the e30 suspension way back in the day and did the same here.

BAD NEWS ON THE PICS.. i have to find them in my old computer and re-upload them.. lol sorry.

[e30_kid89]

Glad to see people still going this route. I did it wayy back 2years ago and passed on the idea to etxxz since i'm lazy and never post pics.

I have had ZERO issues with the setup like this. And it's cool you can still use e30 inserts with the e36 jazz up front.

[r1lukasz]

etxxz can you please reupload those pictures again? thank you

[Aptyp]

e30 m3 insert is 17" long and e36 inserts (inside sealed housing) are 16"... So yes you can, if you're thinking Koni.

[MR_SAZ]

hey guys question...im running E30 M3 struts with coilover sleeve setup...Engine S50B30 euro spec, springs up front 550lbs, has anyone swapped over the E36 shock into the E30 M3 strut ?? i know its longer but we can shorten them ...or is there a better alternative shock insert??

Dont mean to Hijack thread just a question ive been thinking about...
sash

[asubimmer]

I'm doing the exact same to mine :)

[RobE30]

Considering I'm picking up my new Bilstein sports on sunday (warranty exchange from autozone;)) this sounds like a stellar start to a budget 5-lug swap. My question is (don't have parts in front of me to compare) will this work w/ standard coil springs? I don't see why not but wanted to double check

[Aptyp]

ok, no lie, but I've never seen this thread before, and what I'm doing is 1 for 1 exactly the same thing. How odd.

[bimmer630]

Im looking into a 5 lug swap on my e30, ive got a set of e36 front struts coming to me i think, on top of that i will need e36 tierod ends or can the e30 ends be reused? also my e30 suspension has H&R sport springs and bilstien shocks.. can that stuff be transplanted over to the e36 strut housing using a similar method to this? i dont wanna have to go out and buy all new springs and shocks just to get 5 lug wheels...


Also some of you posted about one-off bearings for the rear. thats not needed according to some info i came across on another thread. http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=131650
if you have an early E30 you will need hubs and bearings from a 318ti or a 4cyl. Z3. if you have a newer e30 (i think 87 or 88 and up) they use a larger bearing and those cars will need the Z3 6cyl. hubs and bearings in the rear.
I think a 318Ti caliper bracket is all thats needed to mount any e36 caliper to the rear suspension. rotors im not sure about, i suppose Z3 rotors are the ticket.


Also alot of guys say not to do the E36 front strut swap because it heavily alters the camber angles. can this be fixed with adjustable plates on top of the struts?

im not really going for a big expensive swap, i just wanna be able to get the more common 5 lug wheels on there because i have access to rims (i work at a dealership) and also i would be getting bigger brakes at the same time

[etxxz]

caster is good now with the 96+ CA.s. the alignment WILL be fine. i have about 30degrees of toe, but it is my mistake for not measuring correctly. i'm using the e36 balljoints too ...my car is officially more of an e36 than an e30

[BigD]

What is the alignment like? One bit of hearsay I see around is that the E36 front struts fuck up the castor... is this true? I know the offset bushings can help but that undoes any good they do to begin with.