D2 Coilover Question???

[swifthirty86]

Hey all-

So i bought a used coilover setup made by D2 racing, they came off of an e30 and are going on to my 325e e30.

So my question is i only bought the "sleeves" of the coilovers, meaning i have everything except for the strut inserts i believe?. does anyone know if these will fit on Billy's or H&R struts? i want to make sure they will fit before i order struts. i plan on getting sport struts, not welding or trying to go crazy low. i just want the kit to work properly, any Insight would be great from anyone who is using coilovers!

i will post pics of everything i got and you all can see what else i need and what needs to be done!

Thanks!

[DRTSRFR]

The front sleeves should be in the 52mm ID range to fit a 50mm housing.

The choice of front dampers won't have any effect on sleeve fitment.

Throw up some pics. I'll be able to help more...

[IronFreak]

^Listen to him.

[swifthirty86]

The front sleeves should be in the 52mm ID range to fit a 50mm housing.

The choice of front dampers won't have any effect on sleeve fitment.

Throw up some pics. I'll be able to help more...

Excellent thanks for the reply. Ill post up some pics of everything I have tomorrow so please check back around then, appreciate it!

[swifthirty86]

The front sleeves should be in the 52mm ID range to fit a 50mm housing.

The choice of front dampers won't have any effect on sleeve fitment.

Throw up some pics. I'll be able to help more...

hey man i took some pics of everything i have.. hopefully you can help me out with what else i need.. is it mandatory to cut and weld the front struts? im not trying to go super low. let me know what else i need..

also one of the adjusters is stuck on the threads i cant adjust it.. any help with that?

[DRTSRFR]

The setup looks to be pretty complete. It could be the camera, but the front springs look pretty well worn.

You don't have to cut the housings, but might want to consider removing the factory spring perch in front to ease adjustment at lower heights. There is a simple tutorial in the link in my signature.

For the seized adjuster, first try some heat, if that doesn't work, throw 'em in the freezer. It could be as simple as dirt in the threads, or actually cross threaded, which won't be an easy fix unfortunately.

If the ball is loose in the camber plate, replace it. It should be a standard 10 series spherical bearing. I don't see anything to facilitate rotation of the front spring, expect some noise once installed.

Mark

[swifthirty86]

The setup looks to be pretty complete. It could be the camera, but the front springs look pretty well worn.

You don't have to cut the housings, but might want to consider removing the factory spring perch in front to ease adjustment at lower heights. There is a simple tutorial in the link in my signature.

For the seized adjuster, first try some heat, if that doesn't work, throw 'em in the freezer. It could be as simple as dirt in the threads, or actually cross threaded, which won't be an easy fix unfortunately.

If the ball is loose in the camber plate, replace it. It should be a standard 10 series spherical bearing. I don't see anything to facilitate rotation of the front spring, expect some noise once installed.

Mark

Thanks for the great info! What do you mean by facilitate rotation of the front spring? And expect noise? What struts do you all recommend that wouldn't be too $$. Also Mark does this mean I could get something like Billy sports and run this setup with those struts?

[DRTSRFR]

Anytime!

When you turn the wheel, the springs rotate with it. If you look at your stock upper mounts, you will notice they have a roller bearing that the strut shaft goes through. This allows the spring to rotate when turning and when they are extended and compressed (yes, the wire twists slightly when it is compressed).

The bearing in the camber plate you have now is a typical spherical bearing, which by design is not intended to rotate in the manner we are speaking.

Some will add a thrust washer, or thrust bearing assembly between the spring and perch, which works well until dirt gets into the bearings and stops them from rotating. They can be cleaned, but expect to clean them monthly or more frequently if you drive in dirty or snowy conditions. Some quality camber plate manufacturers incorporate a bearing directly into the spring perch.

If you are on a budget, Billys are a very good option, but they will limit your spring choices being non-adjustable.

The noise I spoke of generally comes from the spherical bearing wearing, which allows the ball to jump up and down in the race. The only fix is replacement, which is reasonably straightforward.

[swifthirty86]

Is it ok that they are not going to rotate? Or is that bad? Sorry for all the newb questions never done coilovers. But also which shock setup would you suggest? Within reason. Thanks again

[DRTSRFR]

One way or the other, they will rotate. Without a bearing they will usually bind up and then "POP" when the spring jumps on the perch. If you search, you will find a ton of threads concerning the issue...and it's not car specific, most of the "budget" coilovers; BC, KSport, D2 and so on are made by BC(Bor-Chuann)in Taiwan, and not of the best quality. Yes, they are pretty colors and such, but there's no hiding the shortcomings. I had the opportunity to dyno many of the options, and most were very questionable when it came to consistency in valving. Some showed no change at all when adjusted.

My suggestion regarding dampers is to spend the money on a quality product. They don't have to be "exotic" to work well, just paired with springs appropriate for the ability of the damper. Koni and Bilstein, in that order, are my first choice in that arena, as they both have good reputations for quality and performance at their price-point...as well as a lifetime guarantee.

[swifthirty86]

One way or the other, they will rotate. Without a bearing they will usually bind up and then "POP" when the spring jumps on the perch. If you search, you will find a ton of threads concerning the issue...and it's not car specific, most of the "budget" coilovers; BC, KSport, D2 and so on are made by BC(Bor-Chuann)in Taiwan, and not of the best quality. Yes, they are pretty colors and such, but there's no hiding the shortcomings. I had the opportunity to dyno many of the options, and most were very questionable when it came to consistency in valving. Some showed no change at all when adjusted.

My suggestion regarding dampers is to spend the money on a quality product. They don't have to be "exotic" to work well, just paired with springs appropriate for the ability of the damper. Koni and Bilstein, in that order, are my first choice in that arena, as they both have good reputations for quality and performance at their price-point...as well as a lifetime guarantee.

Would you suggest getting new springs for the Front as you said they were worn? the back ones that came look new. I was looking at Koni and bilstein for the strut inserts, keeping the rear springs that came with and getting new front ones? which would be a good combo for some adjustability as you said billys arent to good for that?

Let me get this right, I have everything to install the kit, with the exception of New Struts all the way around, most likely billys or koni (koni would be better for adjustment?) and some new springs for the front coilovers? do i need new rear upper strut mounts or anything like that?

Thanks for sticking with me here...

[DRTSRFR]

Honestly, being the springs don't take any rocket surgery to R&R, I would give the ones you have a shot first. Springs are going to be $65-70 each, unless you buy used, and you can probably use that money elsewhere for now.

If you want adjust-ability, In my opinion, Koni is a great tried and true choice, and to be honest, there really isn't any other choice at that price point.

I do recommend finding a top adjust option, pulling the shock to adjust it is a pain when you can just twist a knob. I do not recommend Camaro or Mustang options, they are designed to control a 250-300 pound live axle jumping around under the car. They may fit, but the damping is too aggressive for our little hot rods when they are basically street driven.

...no problem sticking with you, I love to help!:D