GC Coil-Over Kit

[WJSM3]

Hi All,

New to the forum and new to the E30 platform so please bear with me if this is a stupid question....(though my teachers told me there are no stupid questions).

I purchased a car with a Ground Control Coil-Over suspension setup and recently had the car looked over in which the shop noted they wanted to replace the entire suspension setup with a GC Coil-Over suspension setup. Unless I am missing something can I not just replace the shocks/struts and springs in the system to revive it? Or, do I need to replace the entire system.

I am fairly new to tinkering with cars, but a few YouTube videos leads me to believe I should be able to do this...

[mtech325]

Do you have pictures of the suspension? There are couple of different flavors of the GC coil-over kits. Their conversion kit uses threaded collars with eibach racing springs designed to be paired with standard Koni (or other brand) shocks/struts for use with the stock strut housings (they'll work without cutting the stock spring perches, but cutting off the stock perches allows for more adjustment range). The GC complete coil-over system adds their custom revalved shocks and camber plates, and usually features shortened & powder coated strut housings with extra reinforcements. The complete setups are easier to spot since the shocks will also have "GC" added to the part numbers, plus the rear shocks will also be top adjustable.

Unless the threaded collars are seized, or the camber plates (if you have them) are worn out, you could probably get away with just replacement shocks/struts or getting the current ones rebuilt.

[Tinkerer007]

Did the shop say why they wanted to replace a Ground Control Coil-Over suspension setup with a GC Coil-Over suspension setup?

Seems redundant?

Maybe they need money...

[WJSM3]

Do you have pictures of the suspension? There are couple of different flavors of the GC coil-over kits. Their conversion kit uses threaded collars with eibach racing springs designed to be paired with standard Koni (or other brand) shocks/struts for use with the stock strut housings (they'll work without cutting the stock spring perches, but cutting off the stock perches allows for more adjustment range). The GC complete coil-over system adds their custom revalved shocks and camber plates, and usually features shortened & powder coated strut housings with extra reinforcements. The complete setups are easier to spot since the shocks will also have "GC" added to the part numbers, plus the rear shocks will also be top adjustable.

Unless the threaded collars are seized, or the camber plates (if you have them) are worn out, you could probably get away with just replacement shocks/struts or getting the current ones rebuilt.

I will take a picture and post it here tomorrow. I reached out to GC as well but no reply as of yet.

[WJSM3]

Did the shop say why they wanted to replace a Ground Control Coil-Over suspension setup with a GC Coil-Over suspension setup?

Seems redundant?

Maybe they need money...

I honestly didn't follow up with them on the quote as I was relocating from NJ to TX. I have been working with this shop for a solid 7-8 years now and they have never led me wrong, so I don't think it's like that...at least I would sure hope not.

[moatilliatta]

Eibach springs sag, adjusters get seized, Konis love to leak.. Need more deets. A good shock shop can rebuild the konis if that is all that is needed... But usually $250 a shock to rebuild.. SO balance that out.

[WJSM3]

Jacked the car up, to find Bilstein struts with Eibach springs on a GC setup.

[Northern]

Adjusters could be seized, but it looks fairly new? hardly any rust on the springs.

The shocks could be blown? You can pull the PN off the shock body near the bottom, it's probably not a stock e30 shock in the rear, but the -1186 part number from this thread:

https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/e30-technical-forums/suspension-unsprung/springs-shocks-sways-steering/130070-e30-shock-option-thread

[E30andy]

You are running a nice upgrade from stock. Proven to work well and pretty bulletproof. If the suspension feels good, why change it?? The only thing that can go wrong here is a worn out shock, easy to replace those bilsteins. I guess the question remains why did your shop suggest replacing the suspension?