I'm sure I will get flamed for this but...

[robspeed325i]

Them cut springs probably killed him...

So sad.

hah. hey how much rear drop do you get with typical sub box install? :)

[AndrewBird]

Referring back to the whole "going to kill you" thing, I think that would be worst case scenario. The spring breaks, causing you to lose control fro the sudden change and you fly off the road.

I will agree that cutting springs isn't the best suspension upgrade and I also am leery of welding springs, but otherwise, why not?

[Jand3rson]

Have not seen Daniel on here for quite some time.

He's still around, he's just balls deep in school work. He's still got the red iX, also has a 2002 and a sick E34 540i.

[robspeed325i]

Referring back to the whole "going to kill you" thing, I think that would be worst case scenario. The spring breaks, causing you to lose control fro the sudden change and you fly off the road.

I will agree that cutting springs isn't the best suspension upgrade and I also am leery of welding springs, but otherwise, why not?

if the spring is all one diameter, meaning the coil is not football shaped like on the rear, its easy to cut em (obviously), and you really dont need to torch the cut end and make it pretty... I cut all four springs on my 02 and could not be happier with the ride and handling. I started with "red dot" factory springs from a '73 model (the stiffest ever fitted to an 02) and cut about 1.5 coils up front and 1 in the rear. They are paired with Bil HD shocks and the ride is very nice, and it handles wonderufully. What I might do with my e30 is put whatever sub box and amps i end up settling on in the trunk, and maybe remove the rear spring spacers, filling it with gas and then cutting the front springs to match the rear drop. True that the fronts will end up a bit stiffer than the rears, but that will result in a little more understeer, which is easily managed and safer than having it tail-happy. eventually when budget allows i might "spring" for some H&Rs and bils or konis, but that probably mostly depends on how happy i am with the results of doing it the "free" way... ;)

[StereoInstaller1]

hah. hey how much rear drop do you get with typical sub box install? :)

So if by "typical", you mean one of mine, here is the deal.

The box weighs 45 pounds. Amp and sub generally weigh about 10 to 15 pounds for both, unless you want monster boom.

The sound deadning (AKA trunk tar) that comes in most E30s weighs 57 pounds.

So if you have one of the zillions of E30s with the trunk tar, basically it is a wash on weight.

[george graves]

The sound deadning (AKA trunk tar) that comes in most E30s weighs 57 pounds

Holly shit Luke-e-poo. My personal car only had about 20-25, maybe 30 pounds. What car did you work on that has close to 60 pounds????

[StereoInstaller1]

I have weighed 2 cars trunk tar so far, both early.

Both were within a pound of the same at 57ish.

[robspeed325i]

well i wouldnt be removing any factory sound deadening, if anything id be adding to it. i am used to my 02's >100db ambient sound levels (this is with a five speed conversion mind you) on the freeway, and QUIET(er) is something im looking forward to. ;) well, quiet that is until i light the rumble-box. :D

So with about 60(extra)lbs in the trunk, thats the drop I'll get. No problem, i will just drop my five year old son and a gallon of water in there, and there we go.

Luke, would you be willing to sell the V2 box as an un-assembled "kit" at a discount (since you dont have to build it)? I'm thinking this would make it cheaper to ship as well... :)

[StereoInstaller1]

You can go buy MDF and build your own. It isn't that hard, y'know.

[robspeed325i]

ya but i dont have a tablesaw or even a circsaw here, and where I am staying I dont want to make a huge mess. If i just got the pieces in the mail I could glue em up with less mess and etc. I have built MANY boxes, maybe I'm just gettin old and lazy... Anyway you might get a few more customers this way since costs would be cheaper for both shipping and the box-in-parts idea itself (since again you only have the cutting-the-pieces labor on your side). It was just an idea...