DISCLAIMER: For those of you on a budget, and looking for a small suspension upgrade while maintaining daily driver comfort, this guide is for you. For those of you looking to track your car, achieve crazy stance, or just get super low: buy properly rated shocks and quality springs. Basically, for anything other than the minor upgrade this process provided, don't be stupid, do it safely and do it right.
I have a 97 Miata that I autocross with H&R Race springs and adjustable shocks with about 1k into the suspension alone. I am no stranger to doing serious suspension upgrades and getting very low. This is not going to get that kind of handling or lowness, so don't expect it, and don't cut the springs more to do it lower.
/DISCLAIMER
By sticking to the relatively low budget KYB shocks/strut inserts, e90 drop hats, and conservatively cut springs I was able to achieve a minor drop, a stiffer suspension, and greatly improved handling (for a DD).
My 200k+ mile DD 87 325e had some seriously tired suspension components. I replaced bushings, tie rods as necessary, as well as replaced the steering rack. Everything is tight and inspected.
For the suspension upgrade, I purchased a set of KYB shocks/strut intserts and rear shock mounts from CarQuest for just shy of $200. I picked up a set of e90 spring cups from the local dealer for about $25, and rear shock mounts for $15 a piece. I used the stock springs.
Before: monster truck height.
Step 1: jack up car and remove wheel
Step 2: Disconnect wheel speed sensor wire. (I have found it much safer to unplug the wire then to remove the sensor. I know the connector will pull apart. I don't know if the sensor will pull out without breaking.
Just feed the wire through the grommet in the body.
Step 3: Remove caliper and rotor from hub.
Step 4: Remove nuts for tie rod and ball joint. Hit the side of the knuckle with a hammer, swinging perpendicularly to the ball joint, to vibrate the metal and loosen the joint from the knuckle. One or two decent hits normally does it.
Step 5: Using pry bar, lever the control arm down to get the knuckle off the ball joint.
Step 6: Remove three 13mm nuts from strut mount and pull the strut assembly out.
Step 7: Using a spring compressor, CAREFULLY compress the spring enough to safely remove the nut from the shock, and carefully remove the strut mount, bearing and spring cup. set aside for now.
Step 8: CAREFULLY remove the spring compressor. I have had spring compressors twist off and had springs break at this point. When I am dealing with a compressed spring, I slide it straight off the strut around a long piece of wood (about 8 feet) with the thought that if something does go wrong, and the spring takes off, it is at least on a 'track' with it being around the piece of wood. It is certainly still scary, but reduced the directions the spring can travel.
Step 9: Cut a single coil off of the spring. This is the point were most people overdo it, and the reason cutting springs has a bad rap. A single coil is not going to drastically change ride height, and is not going to drastically change the spring rate. With one (of seven) coils removed, you are increasing the spring rate by approx 13%, and lowering the car approx 3/4ths of an inch.
Step 10: Using a torch, heat the coil about a third of the way back from the cut while leaning on the spring, until the gap is reduced to about 1 coil width. This will return the original seat shape to the spring, and allow it to sit flat on the spring cup.
Step 11: If your strut looks as crusty as mine, I would recommend heating the top inch of the strut all the way around to loosen up the threads. Then stick a pry bar between the bottom of the strut tube and the knuckle, and lay the strut on its side. I used a pipe wrench on the shock collar, and stood on it to loosen it. A few bounces got it to start spinning.
Step 12: Replace the shock insert with the new unit, and fill the body with oil. Thread on the new shock collar.
Step 13: Compress the spring and put in back on the strut. Replace the original spring cup with the e90 piece, and put everything else back on the strut in the same order. Install a new nut on top and tighten down. Don't use vice grips or pliers on the strut insert shaft to hold it, or you will mark them up and then tear up the seals when the strut up and down.
Step 14: Insert the strut assembly back in the opposite order of removal, and once everything is tight, put the wheel back on and lower the car.
Step 15: Get your car aligned. A: its been a while since you've had it done, and B: your car definitely needs it now.
After: A greatly improved stance without the monster truck height! Enjoy your new stiffer, tighter, and lower e30!
Height measured before letting the suspension settle. It is lower than that now. I will update this picture soon.
I have a 97 Miata that I autocross with H&R Race springs and adjustable shocks with about 1k into the suspension alone. I am no stranger to doing serious suspension upgrades and getting very low. This is not going to get that kind of handling or lowness, so don't expect it, and don't cut the springs more to do it lower.
/DISCLAIMER
By sticking to the relatively low budget KYB shocks/strut inserts, e90 drop hats, and conservatively cut springs I was able to achieve a minor drop, a stiffer suspension, and greatly improved handling (for a DD).
My 200k+ mile DD 87 325e had some seriously tired suspension components. I replaced bushings, tie rods as necessary, as well as replaced the steering rack. Everything is tight and inspected.
For the suspension upgrade, I purchased a set of KYB shocks/strut intserts and rear shock mounts from CarQuest for just shy of $200. I picked up a set of e90 spring cups from the local dealer for about $25, and rear shock mounts for $15 a piece. I used the stock springs.
Before: monster truck height.
Step 1: jack up car and remove wheel
Step 2: Disconnect wheel speed sensor wire. (I have found it much safer to unplug the wire then to remove the sensor. I know the connector will pull apart. I don't know if the sensor will pull out without breaking.
Just feed the wire through the grommet in the body.
Step 3: Remove caliper and rotor from hub.
Step 4: Remove nuts for tie rod and ball joint. Hit the side of the knuckle with a hammer, swinging perpendicularly to the ball joint, to vibrate the metal and loosen the joint from the knuckle. One or two decent hits normally does it.
Step 5: Using pry bar, lever the control arm down to get the knuckle off the ball joint.
Step 6: Remove three 13mm nuts from strut mount and pull the strut assembly out.
Step 7: Using a spring compressor, CAREFULLY compress the spring enough to safely remove the nut from the shock, and carefully remove the strut mount, bearing and spring cup. set aside for now.
Step 8: CAREFULLY remove the spring compressor. I have had spring compressors twist off and had springs break at this point. When I am dealing with a compressed spring, I slide it straight off the strut around a long piece of wood (about 8 feet) with the thought that if something does go wrong, and the spring takes off, it is at least on a 'track' with it being around the piece of wood. It is certainly still scary, but reduced the directions the spring can travel.
Step 9: Cut a single coil off of the spring. This is the point were most people overdo it, and the reason cutting springs has a bad rap. A single coil is not going to drastically change ride height, and is not going to drastically change the spring rate. With one (of seven) coils removed, you are increasing the spring rate by approx 13%, and lowering the car approx 3/4ths of an inch.
Step 10: Using a torch, heat the coil about a third of the way back from the cut while leaning on the spring, until the gap is reduced to about 1 coil width. This will return the original seat shape to the spring, and allow it to sit flat on the spring cup.
Step 11: If your strut looks as crusty as mine, I would recommend heating the top inch of the strut all the way around to loosen up the threads. Then stick a pry bar between the bottom of the strut tube and the knuckle, and lay the strut on its side. I used a pipe wrench on the shock collar, and stood on it to loosen it. A few bounces got it to start spinning.
Step 12: Replace the shock insert with the new unit, and fill the body with oil. Thread on the new shock collar.
Step 13: Compress the spring and put in back on the strut. Replace the original spring cup with the e90 piece, and put everything else back on the strut in the same order. Install a new nut on top and tighten down. Don't use vice grips or pliers on the strut insert shaft to hold it, or you will mark them up and then tear up the seals when the strut up and down.
Step 14: Insert the strut assembly back in the opposite order of removal, and once everything is tight, put the wheel back on and lower the car.
Step 15: Get your car aligned. A: its been a while since you've had it done, and B: your car definitely needs it now.
After: A greatly improved stance without the monster truck height! Enjoy your new stiffer, tighter, and lower e30!
Height measured before letting the suspension settle. It is lower than that now. I will update this picture soon.
Comment