Spyke
02-28-2009, 04:57 PM
(Sorry, I can't post in the DIY section for some reason)
Because this is so simple, I'm throwing in a little setup to make it look like there's actually some work involved, lol. As with any DIY, be cautious, and use common sense- grab some goggles and ear protection for this one. I'm not responsible for whatever damage you do to your parts, or if you're missing some digibles/limbs after this. This will also void your warranty, but who needs it since you're doing your own work, right?
So just a few days before my birthday in Jan I had a little accident. Since I knew the car would be sitting around for about a month, I'm completely gutting the front end suspension, and replacing everything I can. So I decided I wanted something that would handle a shit ton better than the tired stock setup on my 94 325i, without droping a lot of cash (important to all of us these days). Hell, even if I was rich, I'm not going to pay ridiculous sums of money for some stranger to work on my baby when I can do the work myself, and know it's done right. So everything else is done except the Springs and shocks. and this is where the DIY comes in.
Parts used:
Koni Sports [Part# 8741.1272 sport]
Eibach/Ground Control springs (Rate: 525 lbs) [Part# 181932 // GC150.64.92]
And I don't have a part number for the adjustable collar, but it should be easy enough for anyone to find. The important part is that it has a 2.125" inner diameter, to match the shock body diameter.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0228091220a.jpg
You will also need an angle grinder for this job (though there may be other easier methods, this seemed to work fantastic). I went to Home Depot to pick one up, ready for the worst. I ended up walking out with a Ryobi 4.25" grinder for $30, not sure about how all of this was going to work out- I'll be honest. It came with a metal grinding blade, and I also picked up a cutting blade for it as well (this just looks like a very thin version of the grinding blade, and was about $1.50).
So first things first, get that fat ugly spring perch off the shock.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0227091804a.jpg
As you'll see in just a second, you'll need to cut off the perch right above the factory weld. Using your cutting blade, score your path lightly first, around the whole thing. Then make your passes in little sections, going deeper as you go. Keep checking the other side to see if you're going through if it isn't obvious to you. When you're getting close, you'll see the paint on the other side scorching. Relax- it's fine, we just want to avoid cutting into the shock body if possible, so don't rush. It will go very quick, really no more than 10 minutes even if you're being cautious.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0227091803a.jpg
So now you've either got it off, or you're super close. If you're close, just bang it off with a hammer and you're set. Now you're left with a pretty ugly looking weld line, so it's time to swap out that cutting blade for the grinding blade and get busy. I can't recommend a particular method/pattern to grind that seems to work better than another, but try a few angles to see what works for you. I happened to go perpendicular to the shock (think ufo following a highway), until it got down pretty close, then i went up and down (ufo going over speedbumps) stripping the paint a little above and below where bottom of the adjustable collar would sit. In my case, it's about 3" down, and an inch thick of bare metal. The finished product should look like this:
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0228091206a.jpg
The grinding only took me about 20-30 minutes per shock with some good music playing. Headphones serve as a motivational tool AND ear protection! At this point, I'll take the shock to a nearby shop where I'll have them simply weld on a nice sturdy ring for my adjustable collar to sit on. I thought about doing this, but also welding the collar down, but for ease of replacement I think I'll leave it just resting, since the weight of the car will keep everything where it's supposed to be. I may however, fabricate some sort of a cap to keep it from travelling upwards just in case I happen to get airborne on my favorite onramp. Here it is mocked up:
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0228091221a.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0228091321a.jpg
That's basically it. I would recommend repainting the shock when everything is finished so you don't have any rust issues, or at least a really good, hard clearcoat if you don't care what it looks like. Good luck!
-Spyke
Because this is so simple, I'm throwing in a little setup to make it look like there's actually some work involved, lol. As with any DIY, be cautious, and use common sense- grab some goggles and ear protection for this one. I'm not responsible for whatever damage you do to your parts, or if you're missing some digibles/limbs after this. This will also void your warranty, but who needs it since you're doing your own work, right?
So just a few days before my birthday in Jan I had a little accident. Since I knew the car would be sitting around for about a month, I'm completely gutting the front end suspension, and replacing everything I can. So I decided I wanted something that would handle a shit ton better than the tired stock setup on my 94 325i, without droping a lot of cash (important to all of us these days). Hell, even if I was rich, I'm not going to pay ridiculous sums of money for some stranger to work on my baby when I can do the work myself, and know it's done right. So everything else is done except the Springs and shocks. and this is where the DIY comes in.
Parts used:
Koni Sports [Part# 8741.1272 sport]
Eibach/Ground Control springs (Rate: 525 lbs) [Part# 181932 // GC150.64.92]
And I don't have a part number for the adjustable collar, but it should be easy enough for anyone to find. The important part is that it has a 2.125" inner diameter, to match the shock body diameter.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0228091220a.jpg
You will also need an angle grinder for this job (though there may be other easier methods, this seemed to work fantastic). I went to Home Depot to pick one up, ready for the worst. I ended up walking out with a Ryobi 4.25" grinder for $30, not sure about how all of this was going to work out- I'll be honest. It came with a metal grinding blade, and I also picked up a cutting blade for it as well (this just looks like a very thin version of the grinding blade, and was about $1.50).
So first things first, get that fat ugly spring perch off the shock.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0227091804a.jpg
As you'll see in just a second, you'll need to cut off the perch right above the factory weld. Using your cutting blade, score your path lightly first, around the whole thing. Then make your passes in little sections, going deeper as you go. Keep checking the other side to see if you're going through if it isn't obvious to you. When you're getting close, you'll see the paint on the other side scorching. Relax- it's fine, we just want to avoid cutting into the shock body if possible, so don't rush. It will go very quick, really no more than 10 minutes even if you're being cautious.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0227091803a.jpg
So now you've either got it off, or you're super close. If you're close, just bang it off with a hammer and you're set. Now you're left with a pretty ugly looking weld line, so it's time to swap out that cutting blade for the grinding blade and get busy. I can't recommend a particular method/pattern to grind that seems to work better than another, but try a few angles to see what works for you. I happened to go perpendicular to the shock (think ufo following a highway), until it got down pretty close, then i went up and down (ufo going over speedbumps) stripping the paint a little above and below where bottom of the adjustable collar would sit. In my case, it's about 3" down, and an inch thick of bare metal. The finished product should look like this:
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0228091206a.jpg
The grinding only took me about 20-30 minutes per shock with some good music playing. Headphones serve as a motivational tool AND ear protection! At this point, I'll take the shock to a nearby shop where I'll have them simply weld on a nice sturdy ring for my adjustable collar to sit on. I thought about doing this, but also welding the collar down, but for ease of replacement I think I'll leave it just resting, since the weight of the car will keep everything where it's supposed to be. I may however, fabricate some sort of a cap to keep it from travelling upwards just in case I happen to get airborne on my favorite onramp. Here it is mocked up:
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0228091221a.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh108/gregg_drake/e36%20DIY/0228091321a.jpg
That's basically it. I would recommend repainting the shock when everything is finished so you don't have any rust issues, or at least a really good, hard clearcoat if you don't care what it looks like. Good luck!
-Spyke