E28 Coilover suspension DIY (in progress)

[iamsam]

Here is a DIY on myE28 on installing coilovers. http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=45048&

However, I still have several questions, and also I would like to compile as much coilover conversion DIY material into this post as I can that may be floating around the internet in various locations. My main goal is to have a comprehensive DIY for building your own coilovers from a set of springs and hats, and appropriate shocks.

Front shock insert options:

Standard E30 inserts are about an inch shorter than E28 inserts, but otherwise the same. E30 iX inserts are shorter still. Good options are Konis or revalved Bilstiens for the front, or Spax E28 specific shocks if you don't need to shorten the housing.

Rear shock options:

It seems that Koni rears are NLA, but I hear that Spax shocks are a great. More on this when I actually get my new Spax shocks installed.

Spring options:

Obviously GC makes the springs/hats/adjusters you need for $400.

You can also use cheap ebay 240SX springs for $45 (with hats and adjusters included), as they are 2.5" ID and 6" length, and I hear they work well (from username cheapshot, see posts following). Not sure on the rates however, but for $45, the worst that can happen is that you are out $45 and have some extra springs and hats/adjusters to fiddle with. (Just search "240SX coilover" on Ebay Motors)


Summit Racing also sells Eibach springs to the spec you need (2.5" ID and whatever length/rate you like) for $60/spring, amounting to $240 for a set of four, much cheaper than CG, but no hats/adjusters of course.

Examples:
Front: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ei...0450/overview/


Rear: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ei...0350/overview/

[Eta power]

Why do you even need to make the strut housings shorter? Seems to me that anyone serious about coilovers (i.e. not solely for the ride height adjustment) would find it unnecessary to shorten the housings.

[White325is]

Shorten the housing, Raise the spring, be low and still have suspension travel and a good ride.
If you dont shorten the housing and just dump the coil down you end up with blown shocks and a shity ass ride.
Simple, not hard to understand. :)

[Robotin]

my friends e28 535i is on coilovers that he found on ebay (they were made an EF, but i guess the spring rate, and width is right) and it put a pretty agressive drop on it.... but the adjusters were too small to fit around the struts.... so he has no adjusters in the front. No shortened struts or anything.... and he still has problems going into driveways...

those cars arent really made for being slammed (in my opinion)

[iamsam]

those cars arent really made for being slammed (in my opinion)

blasphemy.

[Robotin]

blasphemy.

haha.. i only say that beccause my friend has told me the driveability of his car has gone out the window.... plus e28s were made to b highway cruisers...

so once they r slammed.. what are they then??

boats on dryland...

[LuckyHenriksen]

Slammed cars make great highway cruisers, it's when you get into the pot holes and generally terrible city streets that make you wish you were blasting along in your stock 4x4 height car with balloon tires

[Hey_You]

haha.. i only say that beccause my friend has told me the driveability of his car has gone out the window.... plus e28s were made to b highway cruisers...

so once they r slammed.. what are they then??

boats on dryland...

Your friend is running eBay coilovers made for a different car with no adjusters on stock strut housings. I wonder why his car rides like shit

[iamsam]

also: Do E28s and E34s share the same suspension components? As in are the shocks interchangeable? Is the suspension interchangeable between chassies? (wtf is the plural of "chassis"?)

I have heard of the E34 540i brake upgrade to an E28, so obviously something swaps over...

[hotballs]

I know the brakes swap over but not sure about the suspension. Whenever looking up suspension for e28 it always list e24 along side with it, so I infer e28/e24 are the same springs and struts wise.

[hotballs]

Also OP, is that the "$1600" GC kit? I wish there was a $899 coil for the e28. I don't really care about making it handle, just want the adjustibility with a decent street ride.

[iamsam]

Also OP, is that the "$1600" GC kit? I wish there was a $899 coil for the e28. I don't really care about making it handle, just want the adjustibility with a decent street ride.

No idea what kit, I just linked the thread from mye28.

[wildstoats]

It seems like you are after a more DIY solution but I had Gaz (in the UK) make me an adjustable suspension setup for my old e28. I was very impressed with their work, the tubes had a nice nickel plating on them, the adjusters had notches for repeatable adjustments, and it rode great. The obvious downside is that if anything goes wrong you are going to incur shipping costs back and forth across ocean. If anyone is interested in more info feel free to ask away.

[hotballs]

No idea what kit, I just linked the thread from mye28.

Alright, I thought you purchased it new from GC. It's listed at $1599.

http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=862/CA=282

I was basically just asking if that's what you installed or if there was a more affordable setup through GC for the e28. Doesn't look like it.

[iamsam]

Alright, I thought you purchased it new from GC. It's listed at $1599.

http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=862/CA=282

I was basically just asking if that's what you installed or if there was a more affordable setup through GC for the e28. Doesn't look like it.

I don't have coilovers, and I want to make my own for a lot less than $1600, that is why I started this thread. I can get Konis for about $450 shipped through a special discount I can get, and the coilover spring/hat/adjuster setup from GC is $400, so I wanted to make coilovers with that, and my primary questions are which Konis do I get, with regards to shortening the strut tubes, etc.