Anyone using shocks made for non-bmw car on their E30?

[surfevo]

I own a 2003 Evo and I am currently running MR Bilsteins, so I have my stock KYB shocks and springs sitting in a box. I am wondering if with a little modification I can get them to fit my E30. They are a very firm shock/spring combo. I am a little fuzzy on the rate, but it is firmer than my Evo with the Bilsteins.

I am just curious if anyone else is running shocks or spring designed for another car on there E30?

I idea came about from a lack of funds for Bilsteins, but access to this shock/spring combo and a full machine shop.

[surfevo]

no one has tried this or even thought of trying this?

[gearheadE30]

Might as well give it a try. The only issue would be the diameter and mounting point of the strut housings. E30 rear shocks are actually compatible with Mustang shocks, among other things

[Philo]

If you're asking this question, you should not be the one attempting to modify your suspension.

People use mustang dampers on the rear.

[E30SPDFRK]

Give us pics and measurements and we'll tell you if they will work. Do evos have inserts or are they integrated with the housings?

[kylekrueger]

Yeah we need to know if its the whole strut housing that you are replacing or is it just the dampener insert. Is the evo even have McPherson struts I thought they used multi link or just straight double wishbone?

If its just the dampener inserts that you want to replace then there is a possibility of them working but probably with some major modifications to the strut housing. chances are that the evo inserts are either too big or too small for the e30 strut housing in which case that is a lot of time just for some dampeners.

And in the case that its the whole strut housing that you want to replace then some major modifications would probably have to be done to get all the mouning points correct.

Although I'm no suspension expert. I think one of the guys from ground control is sometimes here I would ask him maybe if you are seriously considering doing this.

[surfevo]

Here is a photo of the stock evo setup:


I was planning on cutting or grinding off the current mounting. The rear uses a two bolt mount but a different setup on the bottom than an E30. The fronts I was just hoping I can get the insert out and find a way to mount it. As I said I have access to a machine shop/welder and other tools.

Do you guy know what year mustang models? Front and rear or just rear?

I know this may not work but the evo shocks are just sitting there.

[kylekrueger]

This I believe would require some major modifications. Considering the rear suspension of the evo uses a coilover system you would really have to change a lot on the dampener it self like take off the spring and make custom shock mounts as well as trying to cut off the bottom mounting bracket and weld on a custom one that works well would be very difficult. Not only that, I don't know how good of a welder you are but the new bottom bracket would have to be welded very well and not to mention exactly perpendicular to the dampener otherwise the whole dampener will not fit correctly. As for the front, I don't know how much measuring you have done but it looks like those coilovers might be too large. Also you would have to cut off the bracket for mounting them onto the double wishbone system rendering them useless if the project doesn't work. Also the fronts look much too short to fit because if you look at one of the e30 inserts they are quite lengthy.
But if you have some time and money to burn and all the measurements look relatively the same as the e30's then what you would have to do is cut off the tubes on the e30 strut housing and weld the new ones directly onto that bottom part of the strut housing.

In my opinion, those dampeners look like they are in pretty good condition. I would try to sell them on craigslist or ebay first and put that money toward buying some really nice suspension for your e30.

It should be interesting if you do it. If it works out I'm sure people would like to know how you did it, and with those short dampeners it sure would drop your front a lot.


~Kyle

[dashboardmonkey]

I have e-gay honda coil-over springs on my E30

[surfevo]

Kyle- A few things, the ones I am using are not the bilsteins in the pic. I am running a set just like it on my car. The set I am planning to try are the stock KYB shocks. They are very firm. I do not plan to use the springs as I know they will not work well. I think the front and rear looks so short because the springs are mounted. You have to use a spring compressor to take these apart, so the shocks are compressed. I plan to buy some dead shocks from an scrap yard to use as a guide.

I will not be welding, I don't trust my skills yet. I have a welder who has done everything from lowriders to crazy 4x4s. I trust his skills. After I get the dummy shocks I will really be able to see how difficult this will be.

monkey- coils on the front only or front and rear? Using the provided springs or standard 2.5" ID springs? I know in the miata crowd people have used the ebay height sleeve with other springs no problem.

[e34john]

Couldn't you sell that stuff you already have and get some Bilsteins?

[surfevo]

You may be surprised but they are only worth about $100 bucks, if that. The bilsteins are worth $400-800, if I had a set of those lying around I would sell them.

[kylekrueger]

Ok, well if you are going to do a total mock up before you do any actual welding and fitting then I would say give it a try especially if they are only worth 100 bucks then you really don't have anything to lose.

If your welder friend is helping you then I would run your idea by him and see if he thinks the idea is plausible.

Remember before you even go get some crappy springs for mock up I would start by removing the whole stock strut housing and start measuring dimensions on that and then compare them to the dimensions of the KYB shocks that are going in place of it. If they are close or hopefully exactly the same (probably not) then I would say go for it and see what happens.

So, are the KYB shocks that you want to use for this project designed for a double wishbone system or does the evo use a McPherson strut in the front?

[surfevo]

In front, MacPherson struts with forged lower control arms, coil springs and tube shocks. A multi-link setup, with forged aluminum links, and the requisite coils and tube shocks bring up the rear.

[e30guydownunder]

if the kyb shocks you have are like those bilsteins with the spring seats and mounts welded to them, you will not be able to modify them successfully for use in an E30. Witha sealed shock you won't be able to effectively weld to the shock body.

regarding your question.

I run Holden Commodore (similar to the new Pontiac GTO) strut inserts in the front of my E30, they are 30mm shorter in length.

And have Ford Falcon shocks in the rear. These are short enough to just keep a 140mm long spring captive in the rear.