GC kit with bilsteins and koni sports

[ak-]

The word coilover mean coil over shock, so how is this set up not a TRUE coilover?

Don't start giving me shit. You know what I mean.

[BMW-UDM]

h&r race, with drop hats. plenty stiff & low.

Thanks!! There's a guy on this forum that wants to sell me billys and IE3's. should i do it considering my wheel/tire set up? i hear they are the same but the IE3 go lower in the front ( abt 1/2 lower).. I do plan on rolling the fenders. Also, any good things on the lowtec stuff? There a white e30 with either ESM wheels or sportmaxx. I think his SN is white_e30_from_philly or something along those lines.. i love his drop. but again %50 say to soft for my set up and %50 say its fine

[e30shmobberr]

Don't start giving me shit. You know what I mean.

sry just wanted to see what you would say back to this. ha

[hotballs]

Just for the record I would assume most coil-over owners set it and forget it. I've owned them before. Sat at the same height for 2 years. You can get what you're looking for with springs.

[Hellabad]

I am in the same situation as you OP. Here is what i was told Just today by GC. Bascially they said if we run the conversion kit with billy sports (Bilstein's) we will "always bottom out" ..which i find exagerated and misleading. I mean they are nice but the comment was a bit dramatic.. :)

My name is Jay from GC, I'm not the guy you talked to, but it doesn't matter. I just need you to see it from our perspective: If an e30 on Bilsteins bottoms out, nobody blames Bilstein, they blame GC for lowering the car!

So I have taken a picture, and I will show you how to do the math yourself so you can understand the emphasis on "always". It is not exaggerated or misleading, it is just mathematics.

OK. In this pic here is a Bilstein sport front strut, #P36-0335. I have put the strut into the famous GC press of destruction and compressed the strut until it is now sitting against the Bilstein internal bumpstop.

I have set a measuring tape against it. I have tried to make it so you can copy this measurement on your own car.

If you look at the pic, the Bilstein strut is sitting on its bumpstop with 2 3/8 inches (61mm) of strut showing. This is why this subject can be so misleading. It LOOKS like you have a lot of travel left, but you actually don't.



Now, go measure your car exactly the same way. Anything you have OVER 2 3/8 inches is how much suspension travel you have left before your Bilstein Sport is hitting its bumpstop. Let's just say you measure your strut (just like I have shown in the picture) and you show a number of 3 1/4. This means you have 7/8 of an inch of strut travel, and every time you hit a bump higher than 7/8, or lean into a turn more than 7/8, you will be on your bumpstop. (3 1/4 minus 2 3/8 equals 7/8 inch)

Ok, what does this phrase mean anyway "You are on your bumpstops" ?

It means that you are not just on your springs anymore, but are on your springs AND your bumpstops. So you are not feeling the spring, but are feeling the combination of spring and bumpstop.

This is the reason why Ground Control has to emphasize the involvement of the Bilstein bumpstop, it is because the customer will not be riding on GC springs, but on a combination of GC spring and Billie bumpstop.

Now, we come all the way around to the whole deal about shortened housings. If I took the same exact picture, but with a shortened Bilstein in a GC shortened housing, then the number would be 3 3/8 for example. Now you can imagine that is the same situation as before, with the car hitting a bump over 7/8, that you will NOT be hitting the bumpstop and will not be affecting the spring rate.

I hope this makes sense, and I hope you will actually go out to your car with a measuring tape and see what I mean. Do not jack the car up, just turn the wheel and slide the tape up until it stops.

Jay from Ground Control.

PS. Sometimes people will speculate that I don't like Bilsteins. However, I just finished a radical set for my own car that is electrically adjustable, with remote reservoirs and custom valving. I also have Bilsteins on my Jeeps, and the GC tow rig. Also the GC motorhome has custom RV Bilsteins.

However, for the GC customers who do not have a complete shock shop 50 feet away from them, GC likes to sell Konis because they have adjustable damping, and do not need to be removed and revalved like the Bilsteins do.

[MC Hammered]

I am in the same situation as you OP. Here is what i was told Just today by GC. Bascially they said if we run the conversion kit with billy sports (Bilstein's) we will "always bottom out" ..which i find exagerated and misleading. I mean they are nice but the comment was a bit dramatic.. Besides we would find numorus threads with guys/gals talking abt therer GC/Billy sport combo bottoming out like a mofo. Anyway, OP I am like you. I want a low drop, minimal gap..say a finger or so (.25" gap between the rubber and fender). Have you looking into lowtec springs/shock combo? they have a 60/50mm spring. But i was told the springs are to soft, yet i am told they are not.. Anybody wanna chime in on this? OP what size tires/rims are u running or plan to run? Cause that will play a factor as well. Which is why i am having a hell of a time with finding a good set up the doesnt cost as much or more than the car. yet do0esn the Job and i can DD in style Mine is a 90 325is. Are u gonna upgrade wheels? If you are maybe you should share specs. For example i plan on running 16x10 ET 12 wrapped on a 215/40/16 (rears) and a 16x8 ET 7 front wrapped on a 194/40/16. Yes i like aggressive/flush fitment (stance) and stretchy tires :)

With the specs you gave it is close to the 16x9 setup I have with 215/40/16 tires.

I have GC setup with Bilstein Sports and I 'bottomed out' as I am sitting on the bumpstops. This picture is with the front adjusters turned all the way down and the fender still sits above the tire a bit.

At first I blamed the springs as the ride quality wasn't that bad and the setup still soaked up big dips on the road. I am looking into a couple of options to fix this issue and will report back.

[BMW-UDM]

Thanks for the Info Jay. Like i said it seems dramatic. didnt say it was complete BS. I just havent heard any complaints from folks with a billy/GC combo. I hope my comments where not offense. I have ordered from u guys before and have my e46 on GC coilover kit. U actually help me with that :) The e30 is another beast altogether

[BMW-UDM]

With the specs you gave it is close to the 16x9 setup I have with 215/40/16 tires.

I have GC setup with Bilstein Sports and I 'bottomed out' as I am sitting on the bumpstops. This picture is with the front adjusters turned all the way down and the fender still sits above the tire a bit.

At first I blamed the springs as the ride quality wasn't that bad and the setup still soaked up big dips on the road. I am looking into a couple of options to fix this issue and will report back.

your car looks awesome man! can u share more pics? like the stretch on your tires and maybe closer look at the fender/tire spacing? u think 215/40 on a 10 is okay, i mean i will be on yoko s.drives and they dont stretch much, so it may very well look like a 225/40 on a 10. does that make sense? lol

[MC Hammered]

your car looks awesome man! can u share more pics? like the stretch on your tires and maybe closer look at the fender/tire spacing? u think 215/40 on a 10 is okay, i mean i will be on yoko s.drives and they dont stretch much, so it may very well look like a 225/40 on a 10. does that make sense? lol

I don't wish to jack this thread so you can find more pictures here:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=182251

[MC Hammered]

Now, we come all the way around to the whole deal about shortened housings. If I took the same exact picture, but with a shortened Bilstein in a GC shortened housing, then the number would be 3 3/8 for example. Now you can imagine that is the same situation as before, with the car hitting a bump over 7/8, that you will NOT be hitting the bumpstop and will not be affecting the spring rate.

Thanks for the description Jay as it clears up a couple of misconceptions I had in my head.

If I were to shorten my Bilstein Sports to work correctly with my GC setup how much would you suggest to have them shortened?

According to your example it would be 1" shorter than stock. Is this enough?

And would I just ask Bilstein to revalve them to match the Eibach 440lb linear spring?

[ak-]

Also interested in the question above.

[Hellabad]

Thanks for the description Jay as it clears up a couple of misconceptions I had in my head.

If I were to shorten my Bilstein Sports to work correctly with my GC setup how much would you suggest to have them shortened?

According to your example it would be 1" shorter than stock. Is this enough?

You cannot shorten Bilsteins, you need to buy new shorter ones.

Clarification: Actually you could shorten them, but it would cost more than buying new shorter ones and having them revalved.

The yellow part of the Bilstein, the chrome part, and the rod all would need to be changed to shorter pieces. So all three major parts would need to bought new, plus labor.

Jay

[Stephen]

H&R race voted: not slammed.

[MC Hammered]

You cannot shorten Bilsteins, you need to buy new shorter ones.

Clarification: Actually you could shorten them, but it would cost more than buying new shorter ones and having them revalved.

The yellow part of the Bilstein, the chrome part, and the rod all would need to be changed to shorter pieces. So all three major parts would need to bought new, plus labor.

Jay

Since I have the shocks already I was considering the option of sending them back to Bilstein to have them shortened and revalved, that is why I was curious about the amount to shorten them.

[jaywood]

Stephen what are you running? You have the stance I want.