Thinking about the GC coilover conversion kit with my Billie sports

[Lof8]

I've currently got IE3s (no spring pads) with my bilstein sports and would like to go about 1" lower.

Ideally, I'd get the $400 conversion kit (possibly with shorter than usual springs), throw it on my unshortened strut housings, and adjust the height down an inch lower.

I'm just wondering if I can go that low with unmodified housings and if I'll be bottoming out the struts.

Anyone have experience with this exact setup (GCs on billies with no modification)?

Also, I know the $1500 track kit is the right thing to do, but I don't want to spend that much.

Heres a pic of my current stance for reference:

[twistednut]

Think about getting the GC camber plates so you can retain some travel.

[gearheadE30]

I have billies, 350f/475r rates on GCs (that's as high as you should go with these shocks) and Vorshlag plates. With stock tire sizes, I have about half a finger of fender/tire clearance and no bottoming out. I think that I could probably go down almost an inch more, but ride is more important to me right now. Another option would be to get plates and the conversion for now, and then spring for the GC inserts ($180ish each iirc) when you have the money and time to shorten the housings. That is what I plan on eventually doing.

[Lof8]

I have billies, 350f/475r rates on GCs (that's as high as you should go with these shocks) and Vorshlag plates. With stock tire sizes, I have about half a finger of fender/tire clearance and no bottoming out. I think that I could probably go down almost an inch more, but ride is more important to me right now. Another option would be to get plates and the conversion for now, and then spring for the GC inserts ($180ish each iirc) when you have the money and time to shorten the housings. That is what I plan on eventually doing.

Thats some good info for me. Could you post a side shot to see how low the car is?
thanks

[Hellabad]

Billie Bumpstops

Billie Bumpstops:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka3PjPW3gk8

12 1/4 is pretty much on the bumpstops, thats your limit

jay

[Lof8]

I see no pic, just a caddyshack clip

[91 318is]

so the point of cutting strut housings shorter is to gain more drop? I have GC coil over conversion as well and thought cutting the strut housings was NEEDED, I'm guessing I'm wrong.

Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread, but this seemed like a good question for this thread.

[Hellabad]

so the point of cutting strut housings shorter is to gain more drop? I have GC coil over conversion as well and thought cutting the strut housings was NEEDED, I'm guessing I'm wrong.

Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread, but this seemed like a good question for this thread.

No its not needed at all, but most people decide to shorten them "while we're at it".

This is why: get one inch travel from camber plates. Get another inch of travel from shortening struts. Get another inch of travel from a shorter bumpstop.

Now lower the car three inches and take your Grandma to church, because it still rides pretty good.

$1000 is a steal.

[91 318is]

No its not needed at all, but most people decide to shorten them "while we're at it".

This is why: get one inch travel from camber plates. Get another inch of travel from shortening struts. Get another inch of travel from a shorter bumpstop.

Now lower the car three inches and take your Grandma to church, because it still rides pretty good.

$1000 is a steal.

so basically people are cutting strut housings to use shorter shocks to get the most drop out of the coil over's as they can?

And you can't just shorten the housings and be done either right? You have to get shorter struts to work with the shortened housings? Sorry but I haven't touched an E30 suspension before so I'm trying to picture this stuff in my head.

Sorry again to hijack

[DRTSRFR]

The main reason for shortening is to RETAIN as much bump travel as possible.

[Jean]

Andy, I had off the shelf bilsteins with GC kit on my 318i but with gc camber plates.

Here is how the camber plates / springs seat -



front drop



rear drop




IIRC rear was almost all the way down here, maybe 1/4" left to go, front had maybe anoter 3/4" to go. This is with 6" front springs and 5" rear springs.











Hope this helps. I would not go any stiffer than these rates on off the shelf bilsteins, ride quality is affected significantly enough that a drop of 1/2-3/4 effects how bouncy it gets. I ended up adjusting it to have more suspension travel and handling improved as well as ride quality.

To go lower you would probably want to :

a) use shorter springs
b) not use rear adjusters at all
c) modify front strut housings

Hope this helps.

[gearheadE30]

'91 318is-they are uctting the housing so that the suspension has more travel. Lowered all the way on stock-length shocks, the car is almost on the bumpstops, which are very stiff and can cause erratic handling as well as excessive stress on the chassis. If you shorten the housing, you need a shorter strut. The only reason to use a shorter housing is to house said strut. The best shorter struts to buy are the ones from GC.

lof8-my ride height is currently at 12 1/4" from wheel center all around. This pic is about 1/4" lower than that at the front, but the tires are quite undersized.

[E30nate]

this is all the way down in the front, and about 1/2 way up in the back. my brother welded the perch an inch higher than he was supposed to, so if you do it right, you have the potential to go an inch lower. i was running sports with 450/650 rates with no complaints.

[91 318is]

'91 318is-they are uctting the housing so that the suspension has more travel. Lowered all the way on stock-length shocks, the car is almost on the bumpstops, which are very stiff and can cause erratic handling as well as excessive stress on the chassis. If you shorten the housing, you need a shorter strut. The only reason to use a shorter housing is to house said strut. The best shorter struts to buy are the ones from GC.

lof8-my ride height is currently at 12 1/4" from wheel center all around. This pic is about 1/4" lower than that at the front, but the tires are quite undersized.

thanks man, hopefully I can mine where I want to without modifying the strut housing at all, I think I'll be ok, we'll see though.

[Erick]

IIRC rear was almost all the way down here, maybe 1/4" left to go, front had maybe anoter 3/4" to go. This is with 6" front springs and 5" rear springs.

Wow that's crazy. I am not sure what's different in my case because I am with 5" rear springs, WITH adjusters. My settings are on the half way mark, and I am tucking 16x9s w/ 205/50/16s.