GC coilover install trouble

[japspecvr6]

the strut collar......i would have been fakked

[kishg]

Update......you know what crazy i didnt even need the instructions after looking at a few pics........but i only fakk up on one thing........i forgot to put the cap on what you screw in on the strut tube.......lucky a friend came over a told me ............That My Gc Story

do you mean the strut collar or the plastic dust collar? how do you like the ride? im loving the setup so far. no issues except the noise from the spring re-seating from time to time.. but thats to be expected.

[japspecvr6]

Update......you know what crazy i didnt even need the instructions after looking at a few pics........but i only fakk up on one thing........i forgot to put the cap on what you screw in on the strut tube.......lucky a friend came over a told me ............That My Gc Story

[japspecvr6]

imma about ready to install my setup soon too....i expect better instructions as well

[kishg]

I decided to post a follow up to this thread in case anyone searches for this later. So I called GC and they advised that keeping the lower stock perch is fine, it just limits your adjustability. As for the long tubes, they advised that those should be put into the strut housing before the damper is inserted. I've just finished doing that. I also found the following instructions courtesty of bayareamotorsport's writeup of the GC install:

http://www.bayareamotorsport.com/gcinst/gc001.jpg

http://www.bayareamotorsport.com/gcinst/gc002.jpg

[kishg]

a friend and i just installed these yesterday on my 91 325i. We didnt cut the stock lower spring perch off and i agree that it's design doesnt allow the adjuster to travel to the bottom of the threaded sleeve. other than adjustability issues, is it inadvisable to let the threaded sleeve sit on the stock perch? we also put those longer tubes on top and threaded the stock collar back in to secure the threaded sleeve to the strut housing (i guess this is optional?). the GC kit is very high quality but the instructions are non-existent. you'd expect better instructions with a $1500 kit..

[kishg]

The special tool is nearly useless. Use a pipe wrench.

+1 pipe wrench worked for me..

[gstuning]

If your going to use the tubes there , they should go on top,
putting them under the shock will simply raise the top of the shock housing up to the level of the stock one, making 0 diffrence, with the tube on top the shock rod still has alot of travel before bottoming out

[Maeda]

Not A TON but atleast 4-5 times a year.

I found a perch for my perch. Going to the welders tomarrow.

[808BMW]

I'm originally from aiea oahu.

I get it. Thanks for the pic brah. :D

I got the spring uncompressed, and the gland nuts off. Now its time to see what wins.
Lazyness or anal retentiveness. It all hinges on whether or not I can find a piece to weld....

Haha, did you ice skate much? We hit up the ice palace every year, just for sopmething out of the norm :P

[Maeda]

I'm originally from aiea oahu.

I get it. Thanks for the pic brah. :D

I got the spring uncompressed, and the gland nuts off. Now its time to see what wins.
Lazyness or anal retentiveness. It all hinges on whether or not I can find a piece to weld....

[808BMW]

Just don't cut the strut tube down till its smooth.

You don't moved the perch any lower, its just that the cup design is too narrow for the wide GC adjuster to go down all the way.

Excuse the ugliness, I later por15'd them to not make it so rusty

[Maeda]

I didnt weld a perch onto my struts either. I cut the stock perch but left a little bit for the sleeve to sit on. Works great!

Do you have a pic of this? I want to see how clean the install looks... o.o

I'd really prefer not to weld (because i'm lazy and don't have the pieces for it), but I will get it done if the project quality will suffer without welding...

[matt]

I also can't get the gland nut off. I assume theres a special tool i'm SUPPOSED to be using correct?

The special tool is nearly useless. Use a pipe wrench.

[2002maniac]

I use an air chisel to get the gland nut off. Works every time. You could also use a hammer/chisel if you dont have air.

I didnt weld a perch onto my struts either. I cut the stock perch but left a little bit for the sleeve to sit on. Works great!