Any hope for E36 front struts w/o going 5 lug?

[Digitalwave]

Is there any possible way to use an E36 coilover system (that includes the struts) on an E30 WITHOUT swapping to 5 lug? Perhaps cut the bottom off an E30 strut and weld it to the E36 strut to maintain the correct mounting points? Here is an E36 pic for reference:

[mattdk318i]

yea man, it will work. I just did this the other day. but in reverse

[Danny]

^Explain please.

[mattdk318i]

Im not sure of the diameter of the E36 strut. But you cut the top of the E30 strut(to use the threads) and then use the bottom half of the E36 strut.
Its essentially a cheap way(temp) to keep your good coilovers and struts. I had brand new billy sports and ground control. And i wasnt about to invest in any more suspension parts at the moment.

thats why i mentioned i did this same thing in reverse. But i have a feeling the e36 strut is too large to fit in the E30 tube.

[Digitalwave]

Im not sure of the diameter of the E36 strut. But you cut the top of the E30 strut(to use the threads) and then use the bottom half of the E36 strut.
Its essentially a cheap way(temp) to keep your good coilovers and struts. I had brand new billy sports and ground control. And i wasnt about to invest in any more suspension parts at the moment.

thats why i mentioned i did this same thing in reverse. But i have a feeling the e36 strut is too large to fit in the E30 tube.

You are way off base. E36's don't use strut inserts like E30's. I basically want to use the entire strut/shock/coilover/spring assembly from an E36, but the bottom mounting points are different.

The 2 struts on the left...

[mattdk318i]

now that ive reread tj's post im confused

[mattdk318i]

then no. not without a pain the the ass amount of modification.

[etxxz]

then no. not without a pain the the ass amount of modification.

yeah you are talking about something different. infact two/three threads down is the writeup i did on that.

as for the e36 not using inserts, well lets just say that is something a bmw sales would tell you...but, those coilovers you show are meant to bolt onto e36 spindles. You can't use them...atleast w/o exteeeeensive modifications that i would not even consider. You can use the rear though.

[Rocla]

Maybe the tube could be remover from e30 strut, the make the same thread as in those pictured e36 struts to bottom of the e30 sturt.

Otherwise no.

[Hellabad]

Im not sure of the diameter of the E36 strut. But you cut the top of the E30 strut(to use the threads) and then use the bottom half of the E36 strut.
Its essentially a cheap way(temp) to keep your good coilovers and struts.

Speaking of using replaceable e30 "guts" in an e36 "sealed" housing:

e30 struts are getting too hard to find, to waste them by cutting them up. The threaded part at the top of the e30 is the same as a lot of other cars, plus you can use wrecked struts. You need the top 4 inches or so from any Celica, 240Z, 280Zx, e28, e24, 510, ae86 whatever.

If you can find bent ones from your JDM old school friends, you can sell your perfectly good e30 strut housings.

Jay

[Digitalwave]

Thank you for that completely irrelevent reply to this topic (and I still don't understand what you were trying to describe).

[Hellabad]

Thank you for that completely irrelevent reply to this topic (and I still don't understand what you were trying to describe).

I edited my post so you can see what is relevant about it. There is good info in this thread. But... these are people who are thinking out of the box, and doing things to e30s that do not have directions or a "how-to" posted somewhere.

So sometimes it just may not seem relevant to you until you catch up.

Thats all.

[Digitalwave]

I wasn't talking about using E30 guts in an E36 housing, I don't even know where you got that idea from. What you posted really has nothing to do with what this thread is about.

[FredK]

hm. The question is, on those DDM coilovers, how is the adjustable, threaded part attached to the lower red part. Does it screw on, and get secured by the lower jam nut?

[blueapplesoda]

those look like those ksport type coilovers....36way adjustable lol but hey jdm kiddies love that shit but it works for them.

honestly it wouldn't be feasible. I think you would have to cut through the e30 king pin right around the base of the tube (where the control arm and tie-rod bolt to) and make some sort of adapter plate so it bolts up where the e36 king pin assembly would go on the new strut.

ORR

you could cut the welds off the bottom of the e30 strut tube, pull the tube out and cut a slit in the middle of the casted base where the tube fits, then weld a bolt/clamp type deal like the kinds they use on bmx seat posts or double wishbone type setups to clamp the shock tube into the kingpin assy.

or

probably better off casting a new part wtf cheezits