E28 Coilover suspension DIY (in progress)

[BavarianAddict06]

Diesels not ready. Too hot to roll the fenders. I have to now with the wider rubber. Sneak peak






6 months. The biggest thing is determining spring rates since most people have no clue what to get or if they will blow out their shocks. Also their is the potential hazard of people not relocating the spring perch clips correctly which could make them pop off and completely dumping the rear of the car.

god damn it nigel. those wheels are freakin awesome dude!!!!!! props! hope to see u sunday! bring the e39

[iamsam]

There's a lot of info around for the e28 mods. Someone needs to compile a info thread.

That's why I made this thread.

[cheapshot]

Did anyone ever figure out if there was an alternate rear shock option. Something like the camaro shock for the e30?

[AsharC]

Idk if its been covered, but BC Racing made coilovers for the e28. I'm selling my style 5's to buy them :)

[slammin.e28]

Did anyone ever figure out if there was an alternate rear shock option. Something like the camaro shock for the e30?

All I know of is the 914 rear shock. Donno what kind of modification you have to do, but I know a guy running them on his track car.

[cheapshot]

So here is what I did to my e28 based 6er. Gleaned knowledge from here and other sites and thought I would share. I have since found out from Slammin that 914 shocks will work in the rear but I cannot speak to that myself. I wound up with about $200 in my setup that you see here and it rides AMAZING!! I can still go 3/4" lower in the rear but that renders it "undriveable" due to the exhaust scraping. I have a set of used billy struts that I am going to send off to get rebuilt for the front but I got to tell you that the KYB's are more than adequate. She really does ride and handle VERY well.

Parts List
Slightly used e30 KYB GR-2 strut insers. $30
Slightly used Billy sport rear Shocks $125
Universal Coil kit. 385lb front, 315 rear, 6" springs, 2.5 ID (Free to me) $60 for arguments sake.
Misc nuts because I bought used. $4
Grand total- $199

Section approximately 3/4" out of your stock strut housing below the spring perch.
Cut off the majority of the spring perch, leaving the lower 1/4" or 1/2" for a collar for the sleeves.
Use a flapper wheel on a grinder to clearance the top of the strut so the sleeve fits tight. It will want to go onto it without this but it hangs up. I would not recommend using a grinder wheel as you may wind up taking to much off.
Toss the stock top hats and use the ones in your universal kit.
Set your rear spring perches on the billys to their lowest level, put the sleeve over the shock body. Then install the spring and top hat.
Viola'.
This is what you get.

[iamsam]

^^^ nice!!! So what universal spring kit did you use?

[5Toes]

Need e34 coilovers Nigel!!!

[slammin.e28]

^^^ nice!!! So what universal spring kit did you use?

Ebay breh. "Honda coilover kit"

[iamsam]

Ebay breh. "Honda coilover kit"

ha ha serious? So all you need is 2.5" ID 6" long springs?

[slammin.e28]

ha ha serious? So all you need is 2.5" ID 6" long springs?

BAM! Pick one...

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trks...at=0&_from=R40

Not sure how they'd fare as a track coilover, but for looks, they def do the job. I may give them a whirl when I get around to redoing my e28's suspension, but it's more of a trackable-driver. Figure that if the rates are good, they should hold up fine.

[iamsam]

BAM! Pick one...

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trks...at=0&_from=R40

Not sure how they'd fare as a track coilover, but for looks, they def do the job. I may give them a whirl when I get around to redoing my e28's suspension, but it's more of a trackable-driver. Figure that if the rates are good, they should hold up fine.

How do you tell what the spring dimensions are from any of those ads? They don't seem to list it.

[cheapshot]

Ebay breh. "Honda coilover kit"

ha ha serious? So all you need is 2.5" ID 6" long springs?

Dead serious. The ones I used on my e24 were listed for a 240sx but they are all the same damn thing. I just received my kit for my e21 from a civic. They are all 2.5" id 6" length that I have seen. I will try and test the spring rates on them today. The spring rates are great for a daily driver/canyon carver. If you want to track the car, I would invest in some higher rate springs. The collars and sleeves will work just fine for a track car. We also just did this to my buddies e30 and it is one of the best if not the best riding lowered cars I have ever been in. Only difference is we used g60 struts and camaro kyb gas adjust rear shocks. It's effin ridiculous how good the thing rides and handles.

[cheapshot]

You can also piece this together from afco but you will spend 3x the money.

[iamsam]

Dead serious. The ones I used on my e24 were listed for a 240sx but they are all the same damn thing. I just received my kit for my e21 from a civic. They are all 2.5" id 6" length that I have seen. I will try and test the spring rates on them today. The spring rates are great for a daily driver/canyon carver. If you want to track the car, I would invest in some higher rate springs. The collars and sleeves will work just fine for a track car. We also just did this to my buddies e30 and it is one of the best if not the best riding lowered cars I have ever been in. Only difference is we used g60 struts and camaro kyb gas adjust rear shocks. It's effin ridiculous how good the thing rides and handles.

Hmm this is very very good info. So I assume the ebay honda coilover sleeves fit fine on the E28 strut bodies?

Also, do you have pics of the process?