Front GC height question

[SR20Fastback]

I just picked up another E30 this week, and it has a set of GC coils on it. This is my first experience with coilovers. I adjusted the height in the rear fine. When I went to adjust the front, the passenger side collar was about half way up, and the driver side appears to be all the way down.

The car has IE camber plates on them, and they look pretty beefy. My question is that it doesn't seem very low in the front (like at all). I had a previous e30 with IE3 springs and GC spec e30 plates, and the front seemed significantly lower. Do the GC's not go very low, or are the IE camber plates just too thick?

Pics attached for reference

[ak-]

Show us how they were installed..
Take a pic with your wheel removed.

[E30_fiend]

My experience with IE plates tells me that they are REALLY thick. They are about the same height as stock upper mounts.

The wheel gap in front is horrendous. Im with Abby. I think the fronts aren't installed correctly at all. Even with stock upper mounts, I was still about a finger gap between tire and front fender.

It also may be a bad tire size choice for that wheel that is playing a trick on the eye as well. Post up some pics of the tire off. Make sure you get a picture of where the threaded collar meets the strut shaft. Ive got my money on the fact that the previous owner just threw some threaded sleeves over the strut body and didn't cut off the stock lower spring perch. Thats the only real thing I can think of that explains that much fender gap.


Taylor

[nrubenstein]

IIRC, the IE plates are actually taller than the stock strut mounts.

[E30_fiend]

this could be true. I remember seeing some pictures a while back showing the height differences but I cant recall which was which

[bmwguy325is]

With a 15inch wheel its 25 inches if i rember correctly for stock ride height to the fender lip on the center line of the rim. That can give you an idea of if they are lower than normal.
I have not had GC stuff or ran it. If I recall dont you just cut the stock srut tubes and slide on their collars? Maybe they didnt seat them all the way down?

[ak-]

?

My IE race plates are considerably shorter than stock.
Money is on the PO not cutting off the perch as Taylor said.

[SR20Fastback]

?

My IE race plates are considerably shorter than stock.
Money is on the PO not cutting off the perch as Taylor said.

Good to know. I'll take a look at it this weekend. Gotta continue dismantling my track car, so I'll see if I can squeeze this in. Thanks for all the help!

[einstein57]

How tall are the springs? I think 6" up front is the proper height for unmodified perches.

[DRTSRFR]

Correct, 6" is the standard.

[SR20Fastback]

What is involved in modifying the perches? They look like nothing was touched. If I had to guess I would say it looks like a 6" spring.

Would going to a shorter spring help, or do you think ditching the camber plates for something of better quality would help?

[E30_fiend]

get some pictures up so we know what youre seeing. We will be able to help better after seeing pics.

Measure the spring or take the part number off of the front spring.

Also, we need to know if the front modification was done correctly. Did the PO cut the stock lower spring perch off? Or is the spring and adjuster just sitting in the stock spring perch?


Taylor

[SR20Fastback]

It definitely looks like the front perches were not modified from what I remember. I'll be able to get some pictures tomorrow afternoon of it. What is involved with modifying the spring perch?

[E30_fiend]

It definitely looks like the front perches were not modified from what I remember. I'll be able to get some pictures tomorrow afternoon of it. What is involved with modifying the spring perch?

so you're saying the stock like 7" spring perch is still on there?

all it takes to modify the stock perch is cutting the perch off at the very base of the stock perch. Then, with whats left of the perch, you measure from the top of the strut tube to the where the stock spring perch ends. Write down that measurement as you'll need it later. Grind off the remaining part of the spring perch until you have a smooth surface. You'll then need the weld on perches supplied by GC or piece of flat round plate that will fit over the strut body. That measurement you tok down, thats where this comes in handy. Measure and mark where the old perch was and slide your new perch down to that mark. You'll need to weld the new perch in place right there. The rest is self explanatory.

PM me if you have any other questions.


Taylor

[SR20Fastback]

How much do the GC perches run, and where is a good place to order those from?