suspension questions....

[modifiede30]

I did have offset bushings when I lowered the car but I can't believe that was the problem. I seriously remember looking at my car the first time I lowered it and the camber looked completely positive. The alignment shop even mentioned how far off they were from stock.

The struts aren't bent so I'll have to think about this for a while. Maybe I've lost my marbles a bit.

[DanGillan]

all i've got is a bently.... and hopefully greg helping me out, so thats a plus!

can someone make a list in this thread of parts i should buy in addition to shocks and springs before i start the install. keeping in mind my front suspension has been almost completely re-done (control arms, bushings, ball joints)

thanks guys,

[modifiede30]

Let me know when you do it, I may be able to come as well. Haven't seen Greg in a while so we could all grab a beer too. I did mine just recently when I did my GC and Koni install so its still all very fresh.

[DanGillan]

that would be awesome... ill let you know, where in MA are you?

[Brew]

so we could all grab a beer too..

I'm down. 8)

[DanGillan]

brew (whats your real name?), modifiede30 (whats your real name?) and greg, and anyone else from mass who wants to help out. once i get all the parts, ill try to figure out a date we can all do this if your all still down.

first things first... say i go with the fk suspension kit. (springs and shocks)
what other parts should i get, (make a list)
i have already done control arms and bushings and ball joints. thanks guys,

[modifiede30]

Why are you going the fk suspension. Have you considered other's? Before I list anything, what do you intend to use the car for? track, street, autox? I'd be up for it, names Daniel and I'm in Bolton.

[DanGillan]

im doing (not 100%, but...) fk suspension because after seeing andy's (killercalypso) car at the meet, i absolutely loved the stance, it was a late model like mine too. Im never gonna track it, its a daily driver, and i want the not too stiff suspension because mass roads are terrible. also, once i get wheels, i want 16" so it will sit perfect.

good reason? im definately open to suggestions, shit, i welcome them. but i want to start ordering parts this week, so im looking for a suggested parts list. thanks daniel for helping me out like this, i appreciate it.

[modifiede30]

If you're not looking for something too stiff, mainly a street car, you might want to consider the bilstein sports with GC coilovers. Then you can just adjust them to whatever height you want. You can also order springs more suitable for a street car since I suspect the fk setup will be relatively stiff. Just a thought, what are the fk's costing?

Order good rear shock mounts, not stock. I'm running the urethane aluminum mounts from Ireland Engineering. You may want something that isn't urethane. If the front is completely redone, the only other suggestion is the camber correction strut bearings. Make sure you get all the ancillary shock installation parts if they don't come with the shock system you're buying, such as bump stops, etc. The rear mounts should come with gaskets but make sure.

[DanGillan]

honestly i really have no idea what most of those things are... im kinda new to this stuff
where can i get those parts you were talking about? thanks again man,

[modifiede30]

Bimmerworld is having a sale on the rear shock mounts. They have a lifetime warranty. They also have camber correcting front mounts but they're expensive. Where are you getting you're FK setup from?

[DanGillan]

i think im getting the fk kit from AMI motorsports, andy sent me that way.

[modifiede30]

Which FK are you going to get? They don't sell the ancillary items so you may want to go get rear shock mounts, and front mounts. I'd think everything you need will be included in the kit except mounts. I'd call and make sure though. Bav Auto will get things to you the fastest but they're prices are higher than normal. You could likely get the parts from TMS but I'm not sure if the pricing will be comparable to Bimmerworld on the rear mounts. TMS carries a stronger rear mount for $22 a peice but the Bimmerworld set looks stronger.

Here are the ones from TMS:

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=33521132104

These are the bimmerworld:

http://www.bimmerworld.com/onlinestoreframe.html

Go into the suspension - Stock/performance option and scroll down. You'll see them, they're $39/pair.

Both vendors sell front mounts as well. Do you have a spring compressor for removing the old springs?