Coil over Assembly help.

[ARChapman23]

Ok guys, please help me out. This is a ring that i need to weld some where, but i have no idea where i am supposed to weld it. Currently there is nothing that is going to be supporting the bottom collar, but as you can see from the pictures, this cant support it either. This ring is the exact same diameter of my strut tubes. Or, if someone could point me in the right direction for a general coil over install for e30's that would help. I already saw a topic that someone made about shortening tubes and such. It was a good write up, and if no one knows what this piece is for, I'll just do it the other way...

I got my kit through Top end, and they're only open on weekdays, so i cant ask them.

Feel free to ask for any additional information. This car is my DD and I gotta have it put back together Monday, coil overs or not.

Oh and this is my first post or something.... so, Hello everyone. Looks like a helpful community here.

Image has been scaled down 8% (948x633). Click this bar to view original image (1024x683). Click image to open in new window.

[moto650]

Threaded tube should slide down over your strut tube. The bottom of the threaded tube should rest/supported by a ring,collar whatever which you weld in place.
On the regular e30s depending if you bought shorter inserts(shocks) or standard length you can choose at this time to cut your strut tubes a little shorter by removing a small section of strut tube from the middle of it and welding it back together. You don't do this if you have standard length inserts though.
You can get a general idea of how this coilover process goes by using the "search" feature.
You can look at these pictures to get a general idea though this is on my IX

[ARChapman23]

Threaded tube should slide down over your strut tube. The bottom of the threaded tube should rest/supported by a ring,collar whatever which you weld in place.
On the regular e30s depending if you bought shorter inserts(shocks) or standard length you can choose at this time to cut your strut tubes a little shorter by removing a small section of strut tube from the middle of it and welding it back together. You don't do this if you have standard length inserts though.
You can get a general idea of how this coilover process goes by using the "search" feature.
You can look at these pictures to get a general idea though this is on my IX

Sorry, Maybe I needed to be a little bit more clear.

-I am using bilstein shortened struts, and im shortening my tubes 1.5 inches.
-In the kit, I received 2 weld-able pieces, one that aligns my spring up top, and then this mystery ring.
-I know how this is all supposed to fit together, except for this one ring. I know that it welds onto the strut tube, somewhere underneath (not visible) the threaded collar. I can't find anything that is specific for this design that I was sent.

Slightly off topic...How do these bilstien adapter nuts work?

[moto650]

This may help you out then.
Thread here

[ARChapman23]

Yep, I already read that, and it was the most helpful thing I found so far. Thanks!

[moto650]

Mmm, seems to me, if one of your weldable pieces has to go up top to locate the top of the spring then this other ring must be for your threaded tube to rest on. It's a split ring, are you meant to stretch it open enough to slide over your strut tube ?

[AndrewBird]

It's a split ring, are you meant to stretch it open enough to slide over your strut tube ?

This is what I was thinking. It might be split so if you do cut a section out and re-weld it, you don't have to grind the weld down to fit the ring over it. You can just spread it open and snap it on.

If all else fails, but some tube the correct size to fit over the strut tubes and make some rings.

[einstein57]

I can think of two possible uses for that split ring. I think its a retention tool. you slide it on first. Then you place the actual collar that needs to be welded on (I don't see a reason to align the spring up top). Slip on the coilover sleeve till its completely flush with the opening on top. The cut piece will will act as a clamping marker on where to weld. Remove the sleeve and tack weld the solid collar in to place where the split is. Remove the split piece and weld all around he bottom of the permanent collar.

The second possible application is to hold the two pieces of strut tube together. You compress and slide the cut ring in to the shortened tube halfway in. Then install the upper half. Tack weld the upper piece on. Remove the cut ring and complete your weld.


Here is a pic of my shortened tubes. I just bought some pipe from the hardware store and used a pipe cutter to get a nice even flat cut.

[ARChapman23]

Thanks for the help guys. It turns out, my collars are actually tapered (one end is 2.05 inches and the other is 2.15) so I slide on and open up the ring, weld it about an inch from the top, and then the collar just gets wedged in there. I would have never guessed that's how it was supposed to assemble. However, this is better than having a ring below the collar because that method doesn't stop the collar itself from freely spinning.