Well, I finally got around to a project I've been wanting to do for a couple of years now, I did a complete rear suspension overhaul. I already had a Ground-Control setup with Bilstein Sports and ST sway bars. Here is a list of the new parts:
Powerflex urethane subframe bushings
Modified subframe for adjustable camber and toe
New rear springs from G-C
H&R height adjusters
reconditioned and reinforced trailing arms
reconditioned axles
I was supposed to have urethane trailing arm bushings and upper rear swaybar reinforcements, but thanks to repeated screwups from someone, I never got the parts. I think they will make it right on my next order.
What it looked like before...gotta love the salt:
One of the used trailing arms I bought (off of a California car)
One of the trailing arms cleaned off. I was going to sand them down and repaint them with some POR-15, but they were in such good condition, I just did a really quick job and painted up to where the axle hooks in.
This is one of the sway bar mounts reinforced with the metal triangles that ST provides with the bars.
Here are the axles I got off of an M3 in Las Vegas with only 100k on them. The top one is after I cleaned it and the other one is what they looked like before (still pretty clean)
Here's the car in the garage all torn apart...
EVERYTHING torn out from underneath...
My buddies putting the differential back in...
Shot of the left side
Shot of the right side
Here you can see how small the camber is with the modified subframe
Afterthoughts:
I like the H&R rear adjusters SOOOO much better than the G-C, they are a much better design. They flare out towards the bottom, because the nubs on the trailing arm flare out. There is also a much larger surface area at the bottom to distribute the load better...unlike the G-C ones that in combination with WAAAAY to soft of spring rates broke the nubs off. With the new H&R adjusters, the G-C 2.25" ID springs don't fit around them. I chose to get a taller spring at the same time and went with 2.5 ID, 500 lb./in., 6" length. In that last picture, the adjusters are all of the way down.
The subframe adjustments are sweet as hell. Looking at pictures, you can't really appreciate how well it works until you actually have stuff put together and you turn that wrench yourself. Sorry, I didn't get pictures of it, but Gustave has great pictuers here: http://www.e30m3performance.com/inst..._sub/index.htm
The rubber trailing arm bushings probably won't be replaced with urethane because it's just a hell of a lot of work to remove everything again, and they were in decent condition anyway. I'm going to order some upper subframe reinforcements soon though, probably from SBI, what was their website again?
All of that money I dumped in really pays off, I seriously have a really difficult time breaking the rear loose in the corners. That's all for now, sorry for the long ass thread.[/b]
Powerflex urethane subframe bushings
Modified subframe for adjustable camber and toe
New rear springs from G-C
H&R height adjusters
reconditioned and reinforced trailing arms
reconditioned axles
I was supposed to have urethane trailing arm bushings and upper rear swaybar reinforcements, but thanks to repeated screwups from someone, I never got the parts. I think they will make it right on my next order.
What it looked like before...gotta love the salt:
One of the used trailing arms I bought (off of a California car)
One of the trailing arms cleaned off. I was going to sand them down and repaint them with some POR-15, but they were in such good condition, I just did a really quick job and painted up to where the axle hooks in.
This is one of the sway bar mounts reinforced with the metal triangles that ST provides with the bars.
Here are the axles I got off of an M3 in Las Vegas with only 100k on them. The top one is after I cleaned it and the other one is what they looked like before (still pretty clean)
Here's the car in the garage all torn apart...
EVERYTHING torn out from underneath...
My buddies putting the differential back in...
Shot of the left side
Shot of the right side
Here you can see how small the camber is with the modified subframe
Afterthoughts:
I like the H&R rear adjusters SOOOO much better than the G-C, they are a much better design. They flare out towards the bottom, because the nubs on the trailing arm flare out. There is also a much larger surface area at the bottom to distribute the load better...unlike the G-C ones that in combination with WAAAAY to soft of spring rates broke the nubs off. With the new H&R adjusters, the G-C 2.25" ID springs don't fit around them. I chose to get a taller spring at the same time and went with 2.5 ID, 500 lb./in., 6" length. In that last picture, the adjusters are all of the way down.
The subframe adjustments are sweet as hell. Looking at pictures, you can't really appreciate how well it works until you actually have stuff put together and you turn that wrench yourself. Sorry, I didn't get pictures of it, but Gustave has great pictuers here: http://www.e30m3performance.com/inst..._sub/index.htm
The rubber trailing arm bushings probably won't be replaced with urethane because it's just a hell of a lot of work to remove everything again, and they were in decent condition anyway. I'm going to order some upper subframe reinforcements soon though, probably from SBI, what was their website again?
All of that money I dumped in really pays off, I seriously have a really difficult time breaking the rear loose in the corners. That's all for now, sorry for the long ass thread.[/b]
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