E30 Megan Coilovers thread!

[RawToast]

Don't look like they can go low enough

[SkiFree]

Did you install a generic 8k/8k kit or actually try proven rates?
If I were to build a track car or daily/auto-x, even cheaply, I'd also go with a proven setup as you mentioned.

For posterity I'll answer this, and then stay out of here, it's nauseating.

Yes we tried multiple commonly used race set-up spring rates along with the strangely chosen original 8k/8k.

[fatphos]

i have megans installed in my four door....A.K and a friend helped out... they re AWESOME...so BUY IT.... NO.... "ifs...buts...ands" "just do it".

im 232lbs..bigger than most you twigs out there.... it handles amazing... so uncross your legs boys..start walking like a man:)

Sebo? Glad to hear that you got it on already! Glad that you're enjoying them as well as your car.

I'm in the process of doing 5 lugs using e36 m3 in the front and 318ti on the rear and I'm thinking putting coilover using megan. Do you guys think I can just purchase megan coilover for e36 m3?

If you need E36 coilovers, hit me up!

Don't look like they can go low enough

You could slam it till the point of where your exhaust is dragging the ground. But at that height, it's not even drivable. See photos of my car, I could go lower if I wanted, but it's already dragging the exhaust over little bumps and banging the skid plate.

After these are welded in are the shock portions replaceable? What do u do when they need to be revalved?

Yea that portion is replaceable. If it's still covered under warranty, then they'll replace them for you.

[Panch007]

I installed a set of these a while ago and finally put up a detailed write-up from start to finish.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=256774

[EDirtyZ]

I'm featuring your link Panch! Thanks bro!

[johnjohnsons54]

Quick question. How do I make sure the strut is welded on with the perfect alignment so that the entire coilover will bolt up perfectly to the car? I'm having a separate shop do the welding so I won't be able to have the welding done with the coilover on the car

[EDirtyZ]

Pray ^

[SkiFree]

Pray ^

No you don't want to just pray.... I must be a glutton for punishment for sticking my head back in here.....


ANY minute variation in angle at the base exponentially affects camber.

Any proper welding at the base of the strut should be done on an appropriate jig (one that would not only be made to the correct strut angle, but also to limit any change of angle that would potentially take place due to the welding itself [ESPECIALLY if you're not welding ALL the way around the tube]). As a minor aside, I'm not sure, but it appears that the megan and bc tubes are stainless steel, which is of course not ideal to weld to the mild-steel base in the first place (especially considering how critical this weld is and how much shock it will endure).

On top of that, if the welding is not done around the entire base then over time (depending on usage) the degree of angle will change anyway ( I've seen this happen on a number of cars with this style setup ). The only way to counteract this is to weld reinforcement plates on either side of the strut-tube (while on the jig of course). The best visual example of this is to look at the over-size strut tubes used on IE's stg. 3 race c/o setup on the 2002 ( http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/2002...cecoilovr.html ).

Obviously this is all a pretty involved process to do correctly and I'd think you'd be charged accordingly by any decent welder ( for you style guys, think of it like a paint job - the paint is only as good as how much prepwork went into it). Could you skip much of this and still have a low car that rides ok on the street? Sure, but it still wouldn't mean it's done correctly (just like a Maaco paint-job). This is one of the many reasons why I'd still consider an IE, GC, or RE weld-on ring style kit over anything like the Megan/BC setup.

[broach328]

have it aligned and just adjust the camber as needed. i cant imagine its too far off. the snug fit of the shock on the spindle wouldnt allow for it to be far off.

[mbonanni]

More people need to post pictures of these installed.

[johnjohnsons54]

Thanks for the input my friend. Fortunately I've found an experienced builder to do my welding and I'll be sure to have him take extra care when lining everything up.

No you don't want to just pray.... I must be a glutton for punishment for sticking my head back in here.....


ANY minute variation in angle at the base exponentially affects camber.

Any proper welding at the base of the strut should be done on an appropriate jig (one that would not only be made to the correct strut angle, but also to limit any change of angle that would potentially take place due to the welding itself [ESPECIALLY if you're not welding ALL the way around the tube]). As a minor aside, I'm not sure, but it appears that the megan and bc tubes are stainless steel, which is of course not ideal to weld to the mild-steel base in the first place (especially considering how critical this weld is and how much shock it will endure).

On top of that, if the welding is not done around the entire base then over time (depending on usage) the degree of angle will change anyway ( I've seen this happen on a number of cars with this style setup ). The only way to counteract this is to weld reinforcement plates on either side of the strut-tube (while on the jig of course). The best visual example of this is to look at the over-size strut tubes used on IE's stg. 3 race c/o setup on the 2002 ( http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/2002...cecoilovr.html ).

Obviously this is all a pretty involved process to do correctly and I'd think you'd be charged accordingly by any decent welder ( for you style guys, think of it like a paint job - the paint is only as good as how much prepwork went into it). Could you skip much of this and still have a low car that rides ok on the street? Sure, but it still wouldn't mean it's done correctly (just like a Maaco paint-job). This is one of the many reasons why I'd still consider an IE, GC, or RE weld-on ring style kit over anything like the Megan/BC setup.

[SkiFree]

have it aligned and just adjust the camber as needed. i cant imagine its too far off. the snug fit of the shock on the spindle wouldnt allow for it to be far off.

Do me a favor and if this is the way you did your setup let me know when you sell your car, I wouldn't want to be the one who accidentally buys it. If someone is of the opinion that the camber plates are for adjusting out poorly put-together c/o's then I'd be afraid of the rest of the car. Frankly if you've messed around with strut angle you'd know a little angle change at the bottom makes a big difference at the top (we're talking 1 degree increments).

Thanks for the input my friend. Fortunately I've found an experienced builder to do my welding and I'll be sure to have him take extra care when lining everything up.

Sounds reasonable, best of luck.

[johnjohnsons54]

UPDATE: I need some 5mm spacers for my wheels to clear the springs at the ride height I'm looking for. Arrrrrrrrrrgh. Looking to secure some ASAP

Just got my coilovers back from my fabricator! According to the foreman they preheated the spindle, fused the outside of the strut housing to the inside of the coilover, welded the bottom, and then slow cooled the whole thing. The shop was adamant about doing a proper job that was guaranteed to be safe. Just speaking to a few of the guys made it obvious that they take a lot of pride in their work.

Truth be told it cost a bit more than I was expecting but the work looks top notch and I suppose some overkill can't hurt in an application like this. I don't know squat about welding to be honest, but I'm pretty pleased with the work so far.

I should have the full kit installed by the end of the day :-o

[broach328]

Do me a favor and if this is the way you did your setup let me know when you sell your car, I wouldn't want to be the one who accidentally buys it. If someone is of the opinion that the camber plates are for adjusting out poorly put-together c/o's then I'd be afraid of the rest of the car. Frankly if you've messed around with strut angle you'd know a little angle change at the bottom makes a big difference at the top (we're talking 1 degree increments).



Sounds reasonable, best of luck.

no they werent poorly put together I had a very reputable fabricator do it. Ive daily driven a 24v swap for almost 3 years now with absolutely no problems so for you to make that comment is complete ignorance and lack of information on your end. it is entirely impossible to install these wrong in such a way that causes plus or minus 1 degree of camber. my car is in spec and both sides are set on the same position. pics to follow of my install.

[johnjohnsons54]

Hey fellas,

Just thought I'd chime in with an update. The megans are installed and running great. I opted for for 6K fronts and 8K rears as my car unlikely to see the track anytime in the foreseeable future. I think 8K/10K would also be great if you have decent roads (which I don't). I must say the ride is a great combination of performance and compliance. You can feel the sharp bumps in the road with the damper set near the soft end but they're not jarring. They perform predictably in the corners when pushing things harder. Turn in is good, but obviously not as sharp as the Jstock setup I have become used to. I can't wait to dial in a bit more neg camber and get my front and rear ride heights where they should be in the near future.

I'm not yet posting any pictures because I can't yet drop my front end near as low as I'd like it. Unless you're running wheels with very aggressive offsets, I'D HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU CONSIDER THE 6 INCH FRONT SPRINGS. I went with the standard length 8 inchers and even with 5mm spacers that I'd rather not use, I can't lower the car substantially because the wheel/tire contacts the spring perch. Keep in mind I am running a pretty beefy setup with 225/45/16's and 16x8 et20's (et15 with the spacers).

So far I'm really liking the performance of these coils for the money. As stated, I'm likely switching to 6 inch front springs and downsizing my front tires a touch as my 225/45's look too big with the new spacers.

I can say that these coils ride significantly better than my E46 M3 GC street/track kit with similar rates during aggressive street driving. That being said, I've heard their e30 kits are awesome and mean no disrespect to anybody running their stuff. Simply something that I can compare to.

Picks to follow as soon as I sort out this ride height business...