"The" NEX coil over thread

[5mall5nail5]

I figured we should start a thread to talk about the latest NEX craze. A lot of people are asking about the hows whats wheres and whys and its scattered. I will also give my initial "review" of the units.

WHY:
I guess the initial point to be made is what they do - they allow adjustable height of your vehicle. They require modification to the strut housings (a portion of the strut housing tube must be removed and welded back together preserving the threaded top) in order to get the most out of them. They can go from stock height (if no minimal removed from strut housing) to stupid low (if ~2" removed).

HOW:
There are some slight catches. Most people getting these will be wanting to go LOW. Going low has its consequences aside from the obvious. The biggest issue with the NEX setup and going super low (we will define super low as removing 2" of tubing from the stock strut housing assembly and strut insert*) is that once dumped, you can't raise the car as high as you'd probably want. Here is an image with the suspension "fully extended" - there is no jack under the wheel or any camera tricks going on:

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/fronts2.jpg

This could be a problem. Say you want the car scraping frame on Saturday but on Monday you want to go to the local ski resort - ain't happening. You can go low with less than 2" removed, but obviously 2" removed will give you the maximum drop. Whats better - putting the perch ALL the way down with 1.25" removed or putting the perch 3/4 of the way down with 2" removed? The way a coil over suspension (with non-adjustable struts anyway) works is you basically adjust the pre-load on the spring. Moving the perch up, compressing the spring, raises the ride of the vehicle as the spring is not allowed to sag or sit closer to neutral. Thus, relieving the pre-load, the vehicle sits on the spring without pushing the vehicle up, and so the weight of the vehicle loads the spring vs compression between perches.

This is an interesting concept because you are adjusting the stiffness with height - the more "down" the perch is, the lesser the pre-load, and the bouncier the ride. So, if you want to have the car dumped or close to dumped but don't want to look like you're bouncing around on cut springs, you want SOME pre-load on the springs yet have the ride height low - enter the reason we cut a portion from the strut housings. So, if you only cut a minimum out of the housings you will have the spring perch very low and thus the least "stiff". There's a balance between ride height and ride quality - for a street car if you are going to ride the vehicle low, you want it stiff. You don't want to be flopping around and scraping and rubbing the tire, so you usually want to have a bunch of pre-load on the springs. BELIEVE ME - 2" removed is low AND stiff. But, remember, the above photo shows the MAX extension which means that is the max ride height you could possible achieve but will require the pre-load on the spring be rather extreme. This is when you need to determine how much you're going to remove from the housing. Too much and you're highest ride height is quite low, too little and you will be slacking the spring trying to get the car low and it will bounce and flop around. This is a decision you have to make - I personally think 2" removed is perfect, but I am after a lower riding car with stiff suspension.

There's another issue yet! If you do cut 2" out of the suspension and you want to go low low, you have to realize that your lower perch assembly will be below the tire if viewing on the Y axis. The stock suspension setup keeps the enter spring and perch above the tire. Since the lower spring perch is adjustable it slides down, if you remove 2" there's a chance you will have the car at a height such that the lower perch is in interference with the tire depending on the offset and tire size.

In my case, I started out with an 17x8.5 ET13 with a 235/45/17. This was not possible at all - the tire wanted to be where the spring was. A 10mm spacer let the wheel spin, sorta, but was still tight. If I raised the perch I could probably have made it work, but just. So I picked up 15mm spacers and it was still too close for comfort and didn't let me utilize the full low potential of the setup. My final selection probably more aggressive than completely necessary, but I wanted things to fit since I had bought 10mm spacers, 15mm spacers, 235/45/17s, and ultimately 215/45/17s. I probably could have used a 225/45/17, but went with a 215/40/17 to be sure. It didn't stretch "crazy" so all is well.

Here is the 235/45/17 on the 17x8.5 ET13 with a 15mm spacer:

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/front15mm1.jpg

Doesn't look TOO bad from that angle but if the car were dumped and a bump were hit, the tire would definitely hit the fender hard. Not even a rub, it would be a "THUNK" dead on hit. Not good.

In order for me to get my particular setup to fit proper, I had to go with 15mm spacers on a 17x8.5 ET13 (ET -2 effectively) along with 215/45/17. My tire is offered in 215/45/17 which would have been a bigger outter diameter, but I wanted to keep it short to keep the stretch. The taller the sidewall, the less its going to pull in.

Here is the view of my 215/45/17 on a 17x8.5 ET13 next to the same model tire in 235/45/17 mounted on 17x8.5 ET13 (Rondell 58 and Rondell 72 but same dimensions):

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/tirecompare3.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/tirecompare2.jpg

You can see what looks like a sligth stretch, but proved to be JUST right in my setup! The OD is shorter by .6 inches, so that helps clear the perch by putting the tire closer to the hub to help keep things kosher. The stretch helps move the inside and outside of the tire away from the wheel flange. It made it fit perrrfect. The spacing inside was crucial and could be measured with the wheel cut all the way outward. The spacing outside is plain to see. Even if a 225/45/17 fit perfect inside, it would be that much closer to the fender on the outside - as you can gather its a delicate balance.

Here you can see how the spacing and tire size came into play:

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/clearancenew2.jpg

I don't have photos of the 235/45/17 clearance but even if it did clear inside its by a MM or two and the taller tire means I couldn't drop that lower perch so far down (you can see how the geometry comes into play). Further, the spacing at the outside of the fender would be compromised.

Here is a housing modified and powder coated. Nex does not provide a modified housing and so the purple is a choice I made. If you are familiar with the length of a strut housing you will see how short this is compared to a stock assembly:

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/cutstrut1.jpg

Here is a photo of the unit "assembled" - obviously has no wheel bearing pressed on. It is a front and rear unit together:

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/nex11.jpg

Here are some photos of the Nex products to display the quality. I am by no means a professional machinist but have a friend who is a machinist and as such I've been introduced to some quality pieces as a benchmark. I am pretty quick to scrutinize the quality of pieces and I can honestly say these pieces are surprisingly nice. My specific set/order was backordered and I believe the place I ordered said they come from Japan, though I can't confirm that Japan is the place of manufacturing.

Product shots:

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/nex8.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/nex9.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/nex10.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/nex4.jpg


WHERE:

Where can I get this stuff? This part is confusing! I ordered mine off eBay. The online eBay store I bought from was actually the eBay store for MaxSpeed Performance in Hayward, California. Confusingly, Pro Street Online is also in Hayward, California. I can't figure out who supplies who, but I think Max Speed Performance is the importer for Nex and provides Pro Street with them, but that's not official and is just my understanding. You could probably order through eBay or their websites, but I got them through eBay.

TIPS for install:

The following tips are just what I can come up with from my recent first and single install.



If shortening the housings you will need to weld the units up. You have two options - shorten the units, weld them back together, spray paint the weld and go to town. Its hard to shorten them with the hub attached as it makes it hard to clamp the piece in a band saw or chop saw to cut the portion out. The other option is to shorten the unit and send them out for powder coating to keep from rusting. If you do this, remember you need to remove the wheel hub and replace it because hubs will not like 400F+ temperatures I don't imagine, plus powder will go all inside the hub and it would be nasty.
Always install the hub ON the car. The spec is 214 ft lb for the hub nut (46mm) and that's tough to achieve with the strut assembly off the car.
Disconnect the sway bar on both sides when installing a cut strut setup! I can't emphasize this enough - I didn't do this and it made installation a PITA. Because you are probably going to do one side, then the other (unless you have a lift or take both sides of the car out) the sway bar is going to be linked on the stock housing on one side while you are attaching the shortened housing on the other side. The sway bar attachment point does not change on the modified housing, BUT, since the unit is shorter and the Nex extension isn't as long as stock, it moves the base (bottom) of the housing up in the fender well that much higher... which ultimately changed the mounting height/position. If the sway bar is attached on the stock and you are trying to attach it on the modified side, you will have to jack the sway bar up BIG TIME. Basically, the sway bar will be twisting (which its supposed to prevent, thats how the sway bars function) and make the install much harder. If you have something like RD sways it will be VERY hard to make the bar attach. I recommend either doing both sides of the car at the same time or detaching the sway bar on one side prior to doing the other. That way, you can attach the short side and then attach the free side on the next side.
Test fit your wheel / strut assembly off the car! If we get enough posts in this section to help people with wheel, tire, and strut height fitment this will be an unnecessary step, but until then, before removing the hub (if you do), test the exact wheel, tire, and spacer on the setup you have modified to make sure it fits on the insde. Granted, you can cut the wheel once its installed and see how it clears on the inside tire clearance, but it will save you a lot of time and scrapes on your arms if you can just look at the clearance while the assembly is off of the car.
Adjust the setup for a "high" initial stance. The reason for this is because since the threaded coil over sleeve threads onto the strut assembly, it can "unthread" as you crank the ride height up. Try and picture this - you turn the sleeve clockwise (if looking down on the assemblyfrom above) to act as the cap that holds the strut tube down and inside. Well, to raise the car, you turn the perch counter-clockwise to raise the height (pre-load the spring). Because there is no plastic or teflon washer between the perch and the spring, and the spring is powder coated, the friction between the spring and the perch becomes increasingly strong as you increase the pressure on the spring. There comes a point where the friction between the spring perch and spring is greater than the friction holding the threaded sleeve to the strut housing. So, if you try and raise the car by increasing the load on the spring, you risk unthreading the colloar/sleeve holding the strut down. This actually happens on the stock setup occasionally whereas the strut retaining cap loosens and then the strut bounces around (more of a knock around) inside the housing. So, just make sure you tighten this puppy down and feel it out. I hope to make something to assist with this issue, but right now I am trying to source a part. A trick to tightening them is to use the front spring perches as a double nut and use your wrench (included in kit) to tighten the strut sleeve down. This is only really possible once the assembly is in the car.
The rears have absolutely no issue. They are great, install in < 20 mins per side and that's that. The entire tube on the rear is threaded. I didn't understand this at first but it made sense once I looked at it - the coil over provides an adjustable spring pre-load and thus ride height, but you can also adjust the total length of the rear strut by moving the pewter threaded end. With this, you could adjust the setup to the spring pre-load you like, and then change the ride height by adjusting the bottom - longer = higher, shorter = lower. But, its only useful to do that if you want a higher ride height in the rear. On my setup, the bottom pewter sleeve is all the way down (note: do not bottom out the pewter bottom sleeve! Bottom it out and then back it out a thread or two - because this is a strut and it will be taking some impact, you don't want to stress the part by forcing it into the unthreaded area as this is going to create a binding effect should it twist some or take a hit), and then preloaded the spring a tiny bit. The rear is bouncier than the front at the height I have it, but its nothing to worry about - its comparable to a Bilstein/H&R rear setup in terms of "bounce" - I can video this later because we have a '95 530i with that setup still.
Replace your control arms and bushings everywhere if they are crap. This is important - you're going to lower the car quite far if you are doing this as intended, and therefore you're changing the angle of the control arms and other links. I bought new sway bar links (thinking of ordering RD sways though) and pitman bushings for the rear.
Buy a low profile jack! I have a standard Sears jack - it doesn't fit under the side skirt let alone under the inner frame rail. I have a 1" block of aluminum I drive up on to get the car in the air. Its annoying - buy a low-profile jack.
Lower the car and then turn the steering back and forth. This will help settle the suspension once you've set it, but additionally you can see how much clearance you have at lock between the wheel and fender. Its important not to rip your fender off :) With my 235/45/17s I could only tuen the wheels maybe 10 degrees from straight before it would rub on the fender. Not good. Now with the 215/45/17 I have full range of motion.
Consider an alignment. My car tracks straight, but I know a ton of guys are going to have issues because of worn bushings that are now moved around with the car so low. Consider getting it aligned.

As I think of more, I'll add it - hopefully we can document any issues or non-issues in here and have a consolidated resource.

That said, here are some pictures to demonstrate how this may look on an E34:

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/coilfinal1.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/coilfinal2.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/rondel215_45_15mm1.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/spare10mmspace1.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/rear15mm3.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/all_low1.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/all_low5.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/frontsdone3.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/hood1.jpg

** Some of the above photos here are with a 235/45/17 setup and 10mm spacer, which ended up not fitting correctlyon my setup. So, some of the pics of the front are not as low as they could be, nor drive properly because of rubbing.**

[Sam Son]

i <3 you

[screwbiedoo15]

very impressive write up!

[93FIM5]

Very nice thread 5mall5nail5!

[5mall5nail5]

i <3 you

I try so hard!

Oops forgot something:



Consider wheel studs! Because we're talking about initial guys playing around with wheel spacers, I would not want to be the guy to say you will need XX mm spacer, and XX mm wheel stud or bolts. The reason I recommend wheel studs is simple - get the 75 - 90mm ones (the studs on my car are 90mm fyi, look at the pic with the spare tire to see how far it sticks out on a standard wheel with a spacer. On the rondells with spacer they tuck in nicely) and you can play with spacers up to 40mm if you want. If you get a set of 10mm spacers with 10mm longer wheel bolts and they don't work out, you need new wheel bolts and spacers for 15mm or more, whereas with studs once you have them you're set. If your wheel has a center cap (like a Style #5) you may need to do some prelimary measuring else you could end up with studs that stick too far out and the center cap won't go on. You could measure and see what you need, or you could just get something longer like 75 or 90mm and then cut them down some to clear the caps. Its really your call - but I would recommend that guys get wheel studs - they help install brakes (no more set screw to hold the rotor on), make wheel installation a snap (no more aligning the wheel and hub and screwing around with that) and are encourage for anyone who is going to do some auto-x or racing, as its easy to see how much of the lug stud is through the lugnuts, whereas a bolt could be half out and you'd never know. Additionally, some clubs or classes require studs. I use VAC Motorsport spacers and studs.

[ShapeShifter]

One of the most informitive write ups ive seen here.

Kudos!

[Christoffer]

Dear God....

[4500 RPM]

Nice. Let's see how they hold up.

[Shuasha]

New Meyle HD rear shock mounts, right? :)

[5mall5nail5]

New Meyle HD rear shock mounts, right? :)

The nex come with their own jobbies installed!

[xatlas0]

Looks like you have the same problem I do: speed bumps are actually stop bumps.

[5mall5nail5]

Its worse than that - they're turn around and go home bumps :)

[CleanE34]

nice write up jon. very informative. btw, i love your car.

[5mall5nail5]

^^^ Thanks! I know there are a few other guys running this setup. Hopefully they will give their input as well.

[paanta]

Holy low mother of god that looks good. Awesome writeup.

PSA: There are tradeoffs beyond ride height when you go this low. It'll look good and you'll have better fore-aft weight transfer, but counterintuitively it'll also have a greater tendency toward body roll in corners, more bump steer and wacky camber curves. The people that sell coil overs tend to gloss over these things, so buyer beware. If you want to go fast in a straight line, it's great, but it's not the setup if you want to go around corners as fast as possible. Horses for courses and all that.

Fairly good article from SCM of all places: http://www.modified.com/tech/0508_sccp_making_it_stick_part_3/index.html

[5mall5nail5]

I notice less body roll with this setup than what I had previously (Bilstein Sport and H&R sport). Not sure about bump steer, but camber is only a little more negative in the rear and shouldn't change with ride height in the front.

[Burn535i]

Amazing write up, I kinda wish I could go slightly lower, but it just seems like way more of a hastle than it's worth

[paanta]

With spring rate X, you'll have less roll with a higher ride height (ideal is often around .25-.50" lower than stock). You've stiffened the springs so much that you've canceled out one of the negative effects of lowering. Basically, if you've got three factors: body roll, spring rate/comfort and ride height. Maximizing two means minimizing the other. You can have a car that rolls very, very little with relatively soft springs if you keep it in that sweet spot. You need stiffer springs as you go lower to get the same degree of roll control. Further complicating it is that it's hard to feel body roll anyway.

Camber-wise, they're probably fine at rest, but the rate of camber change with suspension deflection will be changed quite a bit. I have absolutely no clue what the net effect will be, but it's going to be different than stock. My guess would be it'll be best at whatever the ride height of the M5 was. :)

[M5W]

Jon, im looking into something like this soon. How low could you go in the front if you only had say an inch cut off the strut housing instead of 2 ? Im planning on running some 255 or even 265 up front next time around so your perch setup wouldnt work for me. I just want the front tire to tuck inside the fender well slightly, like your stance, or is it not possible leaving the perch that high ?

[5mall5nail5]

I still don't understand how you figure. We didn't compress the spring a ton, we shortened the housings. This means that the springs are still 500 or 550# (whatever nex provides) and the set up is low while still maintaining that that firmness. But even still, a super stiff setup is subjected to the same lateral inertia as a super loose setup, the difference is the stiff setup will not allow the body to physically roll wile the loose setup will. But, that's regardless of ride height. Additionally, the sway bars have a lot to do with roll as well.

Race cars, even mild setups, are usually very low and firm.


Jon, im looking into something like this soon. How low could you go in the front if you only had say an inch cut off the strut housing instead of 2 ? Im planning on running some 255 or even 265 up front next time around so your perch setup wouldnt work for me. I just want the front tire to tuck inside the fender well slightly, like your stance, or is it not possible leaving the perch that high ?

I don't think a 255 or 265 would fit honestly. You'd have to get the perch above the tire, so yeah probably only 1" removed at which point you may be at the very bottom of the threading (least firm ride) and still may not fit.

I would recommend getting the 255/265 mounted on your setup now and see if that clears. If it does, then you can worry about trying to get the coil overs on with it. I don't think you'll be tuckng much tire at all with 255 though, I couldn't get 235 to fit comfortably.

Also - i really don't think the camber on the front changes neutral, loaded, or extended, because the strut tube has no pivot point. It doesn't hinge at the top or bottom whereas the rear hinges at the bottom. The strut tube is mounted dead middle of the control arm assembly plate and since the strut mounts are a fixed design (unless you add camber plates), the wheel cannot change angle.

[M5W]

Thanks Jon. Ill try that and see then.

[SicStang03]

Hawt!

[Boogieboy]

Well here's my setup....still sitting in the living room.:mad
http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt190/djrockit01/DSC05679.jpg

I guess my input so far would be that i sure am glad you went first Jon!;)


And that your car is like good porn right now!

[Sam Son]

^^^ Thanks! I know there are a few other guys running this setup. Hopefully they will give their input as well.
in good time...

[5mall5nail5]

Looking hot Boogie! Just so you know, on the rear that 3rd lock collar goes at the bottom to keep the base from turning. Are those new dust shields or did you paint or powder coat the oldies?

[pushpins]

The car looks hooot!

Thanks for sharing this.. Will be useful for many, me included!

[5mall5nail5]

No prob! Hope it's helpful!

[russiankid]

Ohh I hate you....

[5mall5nail5]

Ohh I hate you....


:nono No haters in this thread!


:stickoutt

[russiankid]

:nono No haters in this thread!


:stickoutt

:shifty



I must stay focused on one thing and not want to lower my car. :mad

[kipwinger]

^^^
You sure? I may have some springs coming up for sale soon.....





Edit: Hate hate hate

[russiankid]

^^^
You sure? I may have some springs coming up for sale soon.....





Edit: Hate hate hate

My auto trans is having a slow and painful death, you get where this is going. :devillook

[Boogieboy]

Looking hot Boogie! Just so you know, on the rear that 3rd lock collar goes at the bottom to keep the base from turning. Are those new dust shields or did you paint or powder coat the oldies?
Thanks man.......i got new ones from the dealer....i get 20% discount.:D

I actually installed them today, and i have to say that i think that i got lucky and got the stance perfect on the first try!

It's about as low as i care to go and i only had my cell phone with me to take a few pics. My battery died before i could get a full shot of the car.

This is while it was up on the lift.....
http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt190/djrockit01/coilovers001.jpg

This is a picture of how much clearance i have between the tire and the spring perch. Sorry for the quality....cell phone....i am running a Fuzion Zr1 235/40/17 on a 17x9 et6. it is honestly really low, but i still have the ability to go another inch lower i think? I would have to move down to a 215......but it would be too low.

If anyone questions the reason for stretch then this picture should answer all of your questions.
http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt190/djrockit01/coilovers003.jpg

So as luck would have it after we took it off of the lift, all the brakes lockes up....long story short i need a new brake master cylinder.

I will have it all done tomorrow finally.....i'll hopefully be able to wash it up and take some pics.

[5mall5nail5]

Damn looking nice Ralph - yeah I think 9" wheel saved you with the 235/40/17. I was running 235/45/17 on 8.5" and it wasn't enough clearance for my blood, but maybe I will try again later but I actually like how my car sits now.

Looking good - sucks about the brakes wow. Did you punch the wheel hub nut?

[Boogieboy]

Damn looking nice Ralph - yeah I think 9" wheel saved you with the 235/40/17. I was running 235/45/17 on 8.5" and it wasn't enough clearance for my blood, but maybe I will try again later but I actually like how my car sits now.

Looking good - sucks about the brakes wow. Did you punch the wheel hub nut?I think that the 9" wheel made a big difference! Are you that far down on your threads? Once we sat it down the stance was pretty sweet....unfortunately i didn't get a chance to drive it. I sat on the front and i weigh 200lbs and my buddy from the shop is at least 240lbs, we turned the wheels and no rubbing at all.


What do you mean about "Punching the wheel hub"?

[Jcbe34]

Here is mine with 1.5" shortened housings, about 1/4" from all the way down in the front.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3339/3604665116_1d625a0077_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3405/3603851831_fbedc4b118_o.jpg

If my front fenders weren't rolled it would look much better

[5mall5nail5]

I think that the 9" wheel made a big difference! Are you that far down on your threads? Once we sat it down the stance was pretty sweet....unfortunately i didn't get a chance to drive it. I sat on the front and i weigh 200lbs and my buddy from the shop is at least 240lbs, we turned the wheels and no rubbing at all.


What do you mean about "Punching the wheel hub"?

Yeah 9" saved you - here is what I mean:

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/bearingstaked.jpg

Gotta stake it. Didn't see it in your pics.

Here are some pictures I took this afternoon - some people have asked how this setup compares to typical drop setups.

Here is my '92 525i* on NEX 2" cut units vs my sisters '95 530i on Bilstein Sports w/ H&R Sports

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/525vs530_2.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/525vs530_4.jpg

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/525vs530_5.jpg

[M5W]

Thats the look I want with a meaty tire.

[Boogieboy]

Here is mine with 1.5" shortened housings, about 1/4" from all the way down in the front.





If my front fenders weren't rolled it would look much better
That's about how low i am sitting now i think.

I actually went to the shop today for something else and seized the oppurtunity to use a lift. I do appreciate you offering to help though.:D

[5mall5nail5]

You'll get 'er done. Need pix :)

[Boogieboy]

Yeah 9" saved you - here is what I mean:

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/bearingstaked.jpg

Gotta stake it. Didn't see it in your pics.



Here is my '92 525i* on NEX 2" cut units vs my sisters '95 530i on Bilstein Sports w/ H&R Sports





OK....yeah i did....those pics were taken before i even torqued them down...figured it would be easier to do on the car.


Honestly i think my car is as low as yours in those pics.....i will get some better feedback when i drive it tomorrow.

[5mall5nail5]

OK....yeah i did....those pics were taken before i even torqued them down...figured it would be easier to do on the car.


Honestly i think my car is as low as yours in those pics.....i will get some better feedback when i drive it tomorrow.

Tough call, measure from the fender to the street - mine is deceiving if you look at the wheel/tire, since its a 215/45, but look at the front lip. I don't think I could get a lift arm under my car.

[Jcbe34]

Tough call, measure from the fender to the street - mine is deceiving if you look at the wheel/tire, since its a 215/45, but look at the front lip. I don't think I could get a lift arm under my car.


How far down are you guys on the adjuster? Mine definitely won't go near a lift arm on a 215/45.. Measure from somewhere other than the fenders, mine are, uh, bent

[5mall5nail5]

How far down are you guys on the adjuster? Mine definitely won't go near a lift arm on a 215/45.. Measure from somewhere other than the fenders, mine are, uh, bent

I am about 1/2" left on the adjuster

I could measure from... the... front of the hood down?

[Boogieboy]

Tough call, measure from the fender to the street - mine is deceiving if you look at the wheel/tire, since its a 215/45, but look at the front lip. I don't think I could get a lift arm under my car.


How far down are you guys on the adjuster? Mine definitely won't go near a lift arm on a 215/45.. Measure from somewhere other than the fenders, mine are, uh, bentI definitely could not get it back on the lift after lowering it. We had to use 2 inch blocks under the tires when we dropped it down.

I know the pic is fuzzy but you can get an idea about how far down we went on the threads in the front. The rears i basically rolled down to the bottom, marked it with a marker and then slowly turned it up 54 turns then locked it.

[MacR]

I'll get a pic of mine as soon as my front camber plates come in. I just installed KMAC rear bushings as well. Jon, you have a shot from the rear to show camber?

[5mall5nail5]

Mac I will snap a photo tomorrow from the rear. Its got a raised rear for rake right now, but I will get a pic.

Where did you source your camber plates and KMACs?

[Boogieboy]

Mac I will snap a photo tomorrow from the rear. Its got a raised rear for rake right now, but I will get a pic.

Where did you source your camber plates and KMACs?
Maybe?

http://cgi.ebay.com/FRONT-CAMBER-CASTER-KIT-BMW-E34-E28-E24-E30-82-SERIES_W0QQitemZ330289882263QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMot ors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item4ce6cfa49 7&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116



http://cgi.ebay.com/KMAC-REAR-CAMBER-TOE-KIT-BMW-82-E34-E32-E28-E24-E23-M5_W0QQitemZ250287823052QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_ Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item3a465118cc&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

[5mall5nail5]

Damn I am eying up those front camber plates - are they adjustable?

[Boogieboy]

Damn I am eying up those front camber plates - are they adjustable?
I think so....i have been eyeing them for a while....i think the GC camber plates are not much more? The GC's are defintely adjustable.......Jcbe34 says that the GC's will raise up our car though.

[5mall5nail5]

Damn we can't have that! Does GC sell theirs separate? I don't know that he KMAC fronts are adjustable.

[TheRedZit525i]

Well here's my setup....still sitting in the living room.:mad
http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt190/djrockit01/DSC05679.jpg

I guess my input so far would be that i sure am glad you went first Jon!;)


And that your car is like good porn right now!

put those baby's on and sit slammed nigga!!

[MacR]

Damn I am eying up those front camber plates - are they adjustable?

Yes sir they are. I'll warn you though, KMAC has none in stock and (to my knowledge) only mine in production. Peter at IAP had them ordered through KMAC about 2 or 3 weeks ago. So expect a month.

I bought the rears through them as well. Email Peter at peter@iapdirect.com. Let him know MacR sent you.

If you guys are interested, I'm talking to him about a KMAC front and/or rear group buy. So maybe we'll get them cheaper.

The front plates only allow around 1.5 degrees of camber. Some people want more than that, however a couple people say the GC plates don't match up with the Nex kits so that may be all we have.

[Boogieboy]

Damn we can't have that! Does GC sell theirs separate? I don't know that he KMAC fronts are adjustable.
GC will sell them seperate......the K-macs sound like they are adjustable by the look of the description:
This auction is for the the Stage I street/semi race kit which is manufactured out of steel and includes Urethane bushings and Ball Race Thrust bearings for long life, commuter use. We also have Stage II Street/Race and Stage III Full Race kits available. Please contact us for pricing.
Tired of wearing tires quickly? Then an alignment kit is what you need!
Correcting camber will allow for more even tire wear and caster will improve straight line, Hi-Speed directional stability. This kit utilizes a unique, patented Bolt-on system. Change from road to race settings quickly! In time it takes to loosen the 3 top strut nuts!

[Vigoras]

Wow Jon that looks awsome and of coarse your fit and finish to the project was superb.

Now i must hump your tailpipe!

[eightynine535]

Any chance we could ever get a side by side comparison with a Ground Control coilover?

[525fourthew1n]

Jon, you ARE the man. I really dig the write-up and this will be very handy when mine arrive! Can't wait to have the wagon sittin' puuurty and to take some fresh pics.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r110/fuzzy_fury/stanceanchorman.jpg

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r110/fuzzy_fury/stancehaircut.jpg

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r110/fuzzy_fury/stancegwash.jpg

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r110/fuzzy_fury/stancelumbergh.jpg

:buttrock:D

One question.....if I install the NEX setup, and mount my STOCK wheel and tire setup, will I need spacers or anything? When I put on my M systems (17x8 ET20) and a stock tire setup will I need spacers? If so, would I need so many that I'll need the 75mm or 90mm wheel studs?

Thanks in advance!

[E34nication]

I had those kmacs and could I could only get about -1.7 out of them with my gc's.

Edit: yes the kmac's are adjustable.

[5mall5nail5]

One question.....if I install the NEX setup, and mount my STOCK wheel and tire setup, will I need spacers or anything? When I put on my M systems (17x8 ET20) and a stock tire setup will I need spacers? If so, would I need so many that I'll need the 75mm or 90mm wheel studs?

Thanks in advance!

Too funny - if you go with the nex setup on stock rims and tires yeah you will need spacers. The 15x7 wheels fit you'd think, but the the bigger balloony tires make it difficult. I can put a stocker on and snap a pic. Probably this weekend.

[Binjammin]

Get stock 15" wheels and like a 185 tire stretched :rofl

[5mall5nail5]

Haha - stockers with 20mm spacers.

[acet]

5nails,

If I want to keep my staggered M-pars on, how much would you suggest I reduce the housing by??

i believe they are 18x8 in the front and 18x9.5 rears

[grecobeemer]

I think it also depends on your ET and Tire Size. But this does raise a good question. This guy on the forums has a write up and only removed 3/4". So would 3/4" to 1" be ideal for most people who want adjustability in lowering, but not slammed?

http://imagineauto.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/bringing-down-da-haus/


5nails,

If I want to keep my staggered M-pars on, how much would you suggest I reduce the housing by??

i believe they are 18x8 in the front and 18x9.5 rears

[Boogieboy]

Finally got to drive it around today, and i have to say that i am pleasantly surprised with the ride! It's not as harsh as i tought it would be and even with the extra 100lbs+ in the trunk it didn't rub. The front is perfect....the rear i am going to play around with after i take out the stereo in the rear.


It rides a little stiffer than the previous H&R/Billstein setup but i went out and purposely tried to get it to rub, and it wouldn't.



Here are some pic's that they took at the shop........it's a half an inch lower than the pics now.....i think.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1249052

[Binjammin]

Epic!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/alank/RALPH022.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/alank/RALPH020.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/alank/RALPH018.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/alank/RALPH021.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/alank/RALPH019.jpg

Looking absolutely perfect! I'd leave the stereo in and not touch a thing!

[Sam Son]

goddamn that looks mighty fly...
id lower the front just a tad even as it is it looks sexy

[Boogieboy]

Epic!










Looking absolutely perfect! I'd leave the stereo in and not touch a thing!Thanks man!


goddamn that looks mighty fly...
id lower the front just a tad even as it is it looks sexyThanks! i had the rear a half inch higher and it made the front seem lower. I still like the front now but it could go a little lower. I just don't feel like scraping all over the place.....i actually drive my cars pretty hard and i could not get it to rub today the way it sits.

[grecobeemer]

I never knew an Alpine could look that freaking amazing. Hands down one of my top three favorites on the board.

Epic!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/alank/RALPH022.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/alank/RALPH020.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/alank/RALPH018.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/alank/RALPH021.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v157/alank/RALPH019.jpg

Looking absolutely perfect! I'd leave the stereo in and not touch a thing!

[Binjammin]

Yeah man, it's the hotness!

[grecobeemer]

Any full on side shots?

[Boogieboy]

Yeah man, it's the hotness!I guess i should thank you and Jon for your help.:D


Any full on side shots?Not yet.....i am going out to a local meet tonight so i will take a few shots and post them up later.


I'm glad you guys like it!:D

[VacMan]

Looks hot! Well worth stickying. :)

[E34nication]

Wow to Boogie and Snail. Those ACS wheels are the hotness.

[Binjammin]

Wow to Boogie and Snail. Those ACS wheels are the hotness.







:confused




*(cough)*

[attack eagle]

Also - i really don't think the camber on the front changes neutral, loaded, or extended, because the strut tube has no pivot point. It doesn't hinge at the top or bottom whereas the rear hinges at the bottom. The strut tube is mounted dead middle of the control arm assembly plate and since the strut mounts are a fixed design (unless you add camber plates), the wheel cannot change angle.

It does change the camber, and they are not fixed. they are rubber and allow several degrees of movement.
Struts pivot around the upper mount, unlike an uneven a-arm set up.

[MacR]

It does change the camber, and they are not fixed. they are rubber and allow several degrees of movement.
Struts pivot around the upper mount, unlike an uneven a-arm set up.

Correct, making the hardened KMAC camber plates more appealing.

[attack eagle]

remember, they are supposed to be replaced every 2-3 years.

without any play in the upper mount there would be some binding going on. If you are very low, and have the suspension strapped so it can't droop excessively (limited travel) you'll be ok with solid mounts. (probably ok on nex or gc, not ok on coil strut suspensions.)

you try to let it droop as low as factory (on a lift for example) you can wind up with problems like bent strut shafts.


ther ereally is no need for them, if you guys rare that low you are probably well into negative camber anyway. I was at -.2 degrees on the Touring.

[shelbyz4u2nv]

wow, i flat out need this in my life...an e34 with a perfect stance is mind blowing....so friggin simple and it works in every way. i know its been asked but not answered, how much will i need to cut the strut housings for staggered m-pars. i want to go low but not to the point of no return like 5nail lol... will i have to play with tire size?

[5mall5nail5]

Looks killer Boogie - love it. Yeah my front has the tire in the fender some, so still a little lower, but yours has no front lip so you definitely have better clearance. I will prob have to raise mine especially since I have a 4" exhaust under there.

LOVE IT. Meet up, we'll do pix :)

[MaxSteel]

I plan on running some NEX coilovers once I get my paycheck... and strut housings shortened.

I was recommended 265/35/18 for my 18x9 and 235/40/18 on an 18x8. I'm guessing I'll need to run a bit of stretch though correct?

[5mall5nail5]

Don't run 235 on an 8". Run 215 or 225. You will like hot it looks too. It wont be stretched.

[tonyroc14]

is it bad that I practically just lowered my car, and now I want coil overs? I remember saying, "I won't want to go lower then this!" the exhuast rubs on speed bumps, and I want to go lower? :confused I am absolutely in love with boogie's and 5nail's setup's. They make me so jealous...

[5mall5nail5]

Its completely normal - about 3/4 of the way through doing this i stepped back and was like wtf am I doing this for? Then I lowered the car on the ground and smiled :)

Wtf are you rubbing exhaust on at that height :)

[MaxSteel]

Don't run 235 on an 8". Run 215 or 225. You will like hot it looks too. It wont be stretched.

So 215/40/18 and 245/35/18 will be good for 18x8 and 18x9. No rubbing issues?

[Boogieboy]

Looks killer Boogie - love it. Yeah my front has the tire in the fender some, so still a little lower, but yours has no front lip so you definitely have better clearance. I will prob have to raise mine especially since I have a 4" exhaust under there.

LOVE IT. Meet up, we'll do pix :)Thanks brotha! After driving around today i am definitely raising the rear about a 1/4 inch, and lowering the front another 2 turns of the collar. I had the rear a 1/2 inch higher before and it rode almost as good as the H&R/Billy setup, that 1/2 inch completely changed the ride quality and overall feel drastically! It's so weird how that little bit made such a big difference in the ride. Overall i am happy with them.....i was doing 90mph on the way back home tonight and even on big dips and bumps did not rub at all.
I would love to get a big E34 photoshoot together for sure!:D


is it bad that I practically just lowered my car, and now I want coil overs? I remember saying, "I won't want to go lower then this!" the exhuast rubs on speed bumps, and I want to go lower? :confused I am absolutely in love with boogie's and 5nail's setup's. They make me so jealous...your only rubbing because your spring rates are much softer than the Coilover spring rates, allowing the car to travel when you hit bumps. Realistically you can get lower and fix your rubbing problem all at the same time because of the stiffer spring rates. The guy i rode behind tonight has a slammed 3 series with 700lbs springs and it didn't move at all!

Looks hot! Well worth stickying. :)Tanks!:D


Wow to Boogie and Snail. Those ACS wheels are the hotness.Thanks!:buttrock


:confused




*(cough)*I think the ACS thing was directed to me only..........i hope.:D

[bam240sx]

wow after those pics i need this set up lol. looks soooo clean and badass

[tonyroc14]

Its completely normal - about 3/4 of the way through doing this i stepped back and was like wtf am I doing this for? Then I lowered the car on the ground and smiled :)

Wtf are you rubbing exhaust on at that height :)
I haven't made it over any speed bumps yet without hitting. No matter how slow I go. I scrap on driveways too! and can't fit the front lip over parking blocks. I didn't think my car was that low. And boogie, I scrape no matter how slow I go. Oh well, it's fun, gives you something to think about while driving.

[grecobeemer]

How much did you chop out of the strut housings?


Finally got to drive it around today, and i have to say that i am pleasantly surprised with the ride! It's not as harsh as i tought it would be and even with the extra 100lbs+ in the trunk it didn't rub. The front is perfect....the rear i am going to play around with after i take out the stereo in the rear.


It rides a little stiffer than the previous H&R/Billstein setup but i went out and purposely tried to get it to rub, and it wouldn't.



Here are some pic's that they took at the shop........it's a half an inch lower than the pics now.....i think.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1249052

[Binjammin]

2"

[mikeday1036]

Awesomse write-up Jon!


I have the same 2" removed and couldnt be happier. I've put about 3k miles on it so far with complete satisfaction, I do keep hitting sway bar on truck ruts though :stickoutt


I'll have to post up some pics of mine when i get home.

[Sam Son]

please post up some pics...how do you like the ride?

[mikeday1036]

Rides great, stiffer than vogtland/billie for sure, but not stiff enough to make cringe at bumps.

[Sam Son]

perfect just what i wanted to hear...now about them pics....:D

[zakizzy]

is john's hood see-through or is that a photoshop????

[Sam Son]

nope its see through...its a carbon fiber-saran wrap composite...way light and it shows ricers just what theyre goin up against

[bblazen]

nope its see through...its a carbon fiber-saran wrap composite...way light and it shows ricers just what theyre goin up against
:rofl

[e34TouringShwag]

If I were to dump my E34 wagon as low as that ... the wife would kill me ... cause all my cars are that low, the E34 is the only car which is at an acceptable ride height. But the lowness calls to me ... always ....

[byeyou]

would you you suggest this suspension on a touring with a family?

[attack eagle]

no. even only as low as I was, with the fam aboard I had clearance issues entering my driveway, speedbumps, etc.

[byeyou]

thank you, but do you what would be ideal? i'm actually looking for one right now & not sure what to get.


no. even only as low as I was, with the fam aboard I had clearance issues entering my driveway, speedbumps, etc.

[eightynine535]

How long do you think it will be for some smart thinker to start selling shortened and powdercoated E34 strut housings?? :devillook

[Boogieboy]

would you you suggest this suspension on a touring with a family?My little 8 year old girl loves it!:D


How long do you think it will be for some smart thinker to start selling shortened and powdercoated E34 strut housings?? :devillookI might know a guy!:shifty


UPDATE!

I raised the rear up another 1/4 inch from the pics and the ride quality was like night and day! I am so amazed how much difference that little bit made. It's still low but not as bouncy and zero rubbing anywhere.:buttrock

[Sam Son]

How long do you think it will be for some smart thinker to start selling shortened and powdercoated E34 strut housings?? :devillook
Im assuming that this is sarcasm and the little smiley at the end denotes as such

[attack eagle]

if the doors don;t clear the curbs, and the bumpers don;t clear a stoppie you will regret it on a family car.

[Sherman]

I'll get a pic of mine as soon as my front camber plates come in. I just installed KMAC rear bushings as well. Jon, you have a shot from the rear to show camber?
Not trying to hijack the thread, but how did you find getting the kmacs in? Were you able to leave the trailing arms basically in place? I keep staring at this job contemplating options....


Any chance we could ever get a side by side comparison with a Ground Control coilover?
Can do comparison pics... anyone in the Pacific NW or north-er with NEX?

[Boogieboy]

Can do comparison pics... anyone in the Pacific NW or north-er with NEX?
Seems like a silly comparison........i mean they can both go lower than the car needs to go? The only real comparison would be the ride quality...and you need to ride in both cars for that.

[Sam Son]

theres no comparison Ground Controls are better...end of story...its just that Nex are priced better

[MacR]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but how did you find getting the kmacs in? Were you able to leave the trailing arms basically in place? I keep staring at this job contemplating options....


The tough part is getting the old bushings out. Yours may press right out, or may need torched out. You have to remove the arms completely. Installation is a breeze.

[Sherman]

If I may, for a moment, go all the way back to the beginning of the thread, I may comment on some of the statements regarding spring preload. In an adjustable setup such as NEX or GCs, typically referred to as coil overs, the spring is not preloaded. Preloading means artificaially loading the spring beyond the natural compression of the spring caused by the weight oft he vehicle. In the case of the NEX and GC, the spring load is not changed, only the perch hight, EI, the hight of the bottom of the spring is adjusted, but the spring remains only loaded by the weight of the vehicle. The spring length remains the same regardless of the hight o the spring perch.

The suspension is ride height adjustable, but the spring rate remains the same. Ghetto methods of lowering, like spring clamps, will change spring rates. Coilovers are designed specifically to avoid the problems of varying spring rates.

This is not to say there is not a lot to consider about setting up coilovers. Everything discussed about varied geometries are very true and have significant impact to ride quality and performance.

The GC's have a static insert, so some consideration needs to be given to the shock performance over it's range. If the shock is not linear throughout it's range, varying performance characteristics may be encountered from a high ride setting to a low ride setting, however to my understanding most decent shocks (like the Konis in GC's coilovers) have a progressive valving that vary based on the rate of change rather than position. Therefore the neutral position of the shock within it's range is irrelevant.

I believe from reading about the NEX setup prior to buying the GC's, that the NEX also has an adjustable shock position... Looking at the pics at the front of the thread I see how that works on the rear but not the front. On the rear, the shock tube threads into the mounting tube, and the spring perch is adjustable. This means that by threading the tube fully into the lower mounting tube, and setting the ride height, you can have the shock near the top of its throw. You can than adjust the throw position of the shock by winding the tube out of lower mounting tube, and the spring perch down the same amount. The spring position remains the same in relation to the ride height, but you have raised (shortened) the shock throw. I am very curious to better understand the characteristics of the shocks used. If they are not linear within the range, you could potentially vary the suspension characteristics significantly while maintaining the exact same ride height....

[attack eagle]

you are right, these have no preload. I missed that assumption on the first read thru. the only preload is that they remain seated when the car is lifted off the ground.

I bet they are changing the ride characteristics by altering the shock piston location, ando or changing the corner balance /FR balance of the car.

[MaxSteel]

So 215/40/18 and 245/35/18 will be good for 18x8 and 18x9. No rubbing issues?

anyone?

[attack eagle]

why so tiny?

245/40/18 is what I ran up front and out back. are you talking about perch clearance?

[MaxSteel]

why so tiny?

245/40/18 is what I ran up front and out back. are you talking about perch clearance?

The wheels are staggered so thats why there's the difference. I just need enough stretch to not have any rubbing issues with the NEX COs. 245 and 215 shouldn't be much of a stretch right?

I was originally suggested 265/35/18 and 235/40/18 but I don't think they knew I'd be dropped so much.

[attack eagle]

maybe 235s or 225w up front? 215 is hella stretch on an 8. imo.

that is a size more appropriate to a 7 inch tire.

on my 8.5 the 245 40 18 was almost perfectly vertical. so a 245 rear would be aslight stretch and a 225would be about hte same upfront.

[MaxSteel]

I was looking at this gallery and 215 doesn't seem like much. Maybe I'll up it to 225.

Should I still do 35 in back and 40 up front?

http://www.tyrestretch.com/
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a14/Maxsteel991/8_215_35_R18_Falken_FK452.jpg

[5mall5nail5]

They are pre-loaded. We know this because the ride firmness changes AND it requires effort to move the perch. Loading the spring with the cars weight is one thing, but when you crank the lower perch up and are actually compress the spring, you are loading it. This brings up another issue that I am attempting to correct with the use of torrington bearings... thats for another day yet as I locate some parts.

[Sherman]

What compresses the spring? If you lift the spring seat, the only thing that would compress it are A. the limit of travel of the shock, ei, it's fully extended and the spring is compressing against the outer limit of shock travel, or B. that corner is compressing, but it may only be due to the swaybar effectively 'weighing' down that corner while you're adjusting it.
Preload requires varying forces applied to both ends of the spring. In this case the upper force on the spring is always only the weight of the car unless A applies. Am I missing something?

Edit:
Are the springs tight when you lift the car? Maybe it's a very different setup than the GC's.... If so, A does apply and you're right, you would change the spring rate by lifting/ lowering the car. With the GC's the springs are loose when the car is lifted, even in a high ride position, so the spring is only compressed by the car's weight. NEX may be more like a stock setup where the spring definately preloaded. If that's the case, the GC's design will have much better (consistent) handling and performance characteristics through the ride height range.

[Boogieboy]

What compresses the spring? If you lift the spring seat, the only thing that would compress it are A. the limit of travel of the shock, ei, it's fully extended and the spring is compressing against the outer limit of shock travel, or B. that corner is compressing, but it may only be due to the swaybar effectively 'weighing' down that corner while you're adjusting it.
Preload requires varying forces applied to both ends of the spring. In this case the upper force on the spring is always only the weight of the car unless A applies. Am I missing something?

Edit:
Are the springs tight when you lift the car? Maybe it's a very different setup than the GC's.... If so, A does apply and you're right, you would change the spring rate by lifting/ lowering the car. With the GC's the springs are loose when the car is lifted, even in a high ride position, so the spring is only compressed by the car's weight. NEX may be more like a stock setup where the spring definately preloaded. If that's the case, the GC's design will have much better (consistent) handling and performance characteristics through the ride height range.Just from what i have experienced in the rear: A) When i dropped it down to low in the rear it felt very mushy and bouncy, it also felt like it traveled a bit more over bumps. I raised it up a 1/4 inch and it's like a completely different car! Very tight and connected not as much travel.
B) The front springs stay tight when the car is lifted and really don't move much under load at all. I am probably going to lower it some more in the front so i will let you know what it does.

[525fourthew1n]

Man I can't wait, I just ordered the NEX kit today, and it'll be the first thing I see when I get back from France!

So cut 2", and give a little pre-load? Jon, are you sure 2" is best, and not cut less like 1.5"?

Edit: may I ask how much it cost you to have the struts powdercoated? There's a powdercoating shop right across the street from where I'll have the car worked on, and so it could be cool to get them painted... What color though...

[renemesis]

I have no interest in NEX coil overs, but just wanted to give SS props on an excellent informative write-up. This is the kind of stuff that makes the forums so great!

[bmwwheelman]

Damn that looks so good!
I just ordered mine today! I cannot wait to get them!!!

BTW 5mall5nail5, where did you get your hood liner stuff??? I WANT!

[5mall5nail5]

You can get the hood liner material from http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=1838

[pspassos]

after reading all this, I cant wait to get my engine build up againg so I can order my GC's,,,,

[loustylez]

maybe 235s or 225w up front? 215 is hella stretch on an 8. imo.

that is a size more appropriate to a 7 inch tire.

on my 8.5 the 245 40 18 was almost perfectly vertical. so a 245 rear would be aslight stretch and a 225would be about hte same upfront.

running 225/40/18's on these coils, same size tire on 8.5 fronts and 9 rears.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_VLoMHJkXRLE/Shtty_7EreI/AAAAAAAAApM/t40cshA3L8U/s512/e34_03.jpg
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_VLoMHJkXRLE/Shttz9pt-kI/AAAAAAAAApU/1-xUthdV_Yo/s512/e34_01.jpg

[grecobeemer]

How long are the NEX springs? Could Eibach springs be used to change the preload(spring length) and ride characteristics of the system?

[attack eagle]

running 225/40/18's on these coils, same size tire on 8.5 fronts and 9 rears.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_VLoMHJkXRLE/Shtty_7EreI/AAAAAAAAApM/t40cshA3L8U/s512/e34_03.jpg
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_VLoMHJkXRLE/Shttz9pt-kI/AAAAAAAAApU/1-xUthdV_Yo/s512/e34_01.jpg

yep big stretch, particularly big on the rear

looks like a vdubber owns the rear 1/2

[Sam Son]

How long are the NEX springs? Could Eibach springs be used to change the preload(spring length) and ride characteristics of the system?
no...NEx springs are wayyy too short theyre like half a stock spring..really really friggin short

[grecobeemer]

My bad I should have clarified. I meant the Eibach springs that are for coilovers.


no...NEx springs are wayyy too short theyre like half a stock spring..really really friggin short

[Jcbe34]

My bad I should have clarified. I meant the Eibach springs that are for coilovers.

Yes you could buy replacement springs for the rear, but not the front. They are stock diameter or close to it

[Cirno]

Are the stock e34 struts oil filled, or gas filled?

[BAzN]

I am looking into this for my car but i don't want to modify anything. I was wondering how low is it without the modification. My m5 should look nice with keeping it the stock with Nex coilovers i hope.

[M5W]

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff56/wiiam1/rear15mm3.jpg

Jons car rolls in and **** in my pants :X lol dude your car is so freaking hot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4

[bigsixe34]

I am looking into this for my car but i don't want to modify anything. I was wondering how low is it without the modification. My m5 should look nice with keeping it the stock with Nex coilovers i hope.

beyond the fact that i'm not sure it's even possible, it would probably look high

[M5W]

I am looking into this for my car but i don't want to modify anything. I was wondering how low is it without the modification. My m5 should look nice with keeping it the stock with Nex coilovers i hope.

Coilovers are for going LOW. If you have no desire to go low, stick to springs and struts.

[mottati]

Coilovers are for going LOW. If you have no desire to go low, stick to springs and struts.

i'd argue that coil overs are for adjustability. I guess there's two schools, one that is going for the look, and the other that wants the most out of their suspension.

I went with the ground control system, and at it's highest setting, it's at stock ride height, not that i necessarily want that, but it's nice that i can raise it up. I wanted particular spring rates, and the adjustable camber plates, and you just can't get as much adjustability with the off the shelf eibach/h&r and bilstein/koni combo's.

That said, you should talk to ground control, they do have an option using stock strut housings, with shorter struts, but i'm not sure how that works. They cut/modified a set of strut housings for my kit.

[Sam Son]

I am looking into this for my car but i don't want to modify anything. I was wondering how low is it without the modification. My m5 should look nice with keeping it the stock with Nex coilovers i hope.
if thats your line of thinking stick with a conventional spring/shock setup without the modded housings it will ride like CRAP!

[Boogieboy]

if thats your line of thinking stick with a conventional spring/shock setup without the modded housings it will ride like CRAP!
This!


I would be the equivelant of cutting your springs to far.....the car would just bottom out and bounce on everything.

[bmwwheelman]

Woohoo! Coilovers arrived today! Took 1 week exactly!
Now for shortened strut housings and I'll have this thing slammed by mid july!

[Boogieboy]

Woohoo! Coilovers arrived today! Took 1 week exactly!
Now for shortened strut housings and I'll have this thing slammed by mid july!
Congrats!:buttrock

[Yahweh]

Cut off wheel is for going LOW.

Fixed ;)

Anybody slap these on a touring yet?

[Mye34]

Beautiful, and amazing write up.. wish i had another job so i could afford somthing that nice :/
What percent tint is that first e34??

[Sam Son]

Jon can you check your IM's

[MaxSteel]

Woo Drove down to Hayward today and picked up my NEXs.

[shragon]

nice write up jon!

loving the pics of the dumped e34's!

[5mall5nail5]

Woo Drove down to Hayward today and picked up my NEXs.

:buttrock


Jon can you check your IM's

Sorry bro was rebooting on/off installing a new OS, PM me


nice write up jon!

loving the pics of the dumped e34's!

thanks stranger :)

[MaxSteel]

Im confused. You can adjust the height on the front and back by twisting the perches with the wrenches but the back can be adjusted by twisting the unit into the threaded metal unit as well?

[525fourthew1n]

Im confused. You can adjust the height on the front and back by twisting the perches with the wrenches but the back can be adjusted by twisting the unit into the threaded metal unit as well?

Yup, check the picture....


http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/nex9.jpg

The gunmetal piece that has "NEX" printed on it is threaded to screw onto the black threaded strut shaft thing. This let's you mess with the rear height or rake without adjusting the spring rate. Helpful if you use it to carry passengers a lot, or for us wagon folk.

[5mall5nail5]

Threaded sleeve and perches. So you can adjust the length of the shock AND the position of the spring on the shock.

[MaxSteel]

Threaded sleeve and perches. So you can adjust the length of the shock AND the position of the spring on the shock.

Do you just twist the whole unit with your hand? The wrenches are only for the perches right?

[Boogieboy]

Do you just twist the whole unit with your hand? The wrenches are only for the perches right?
I twisted mine on by hand.......theer are 2 locking rings as you can see in the picture above. The bottom ring is to lock in the part you twist on and the top ring locks the perch.



For the record i have mine twisted on as far as it would go.

[MaxSteel]

I twisted mine on by hand.......theer are 2 locking rings as you can see in the picture above. The bottom ring is to lock in the part you twist on and the top ring locks the perch.



For the record i have mine twisted on as far as it would go.

I'll probably just screw it just a few threads from the bottom and only use the perches to adjust height. I'm excited :D

[Boogieboy]

I'll probably just screw it just a few threads from the bottom and only use the perches to adjust height. I'm excited :D
Just know that when i used the perch adjustment to lower the rear it got really squishy and bouncy....that was with the big part on the bottom screwed all the way on.

Once i raised the perch back up a little it felt much better and more connected with the road.....and it's still low enough for me.

[MaxSteel]

Just know that when i used the perch adjustment to lower the rear it got really squishy and bouncy....that was with the big part on the bottom screwed all the way on.

Once i raised the perch back up a little it felt much better and more connected with the road.....and it's still low enough for me.

I'm not going super low so that's good to know. When you put together the fronts did you have to torque down the strut retaining collar with a tool or something?

[Boogieboy]

I'm not going super low so that's good to know. When you put together the fronts did you have to torque down the strut retaining collar with a tool or something?
Well you must have missed that thread.....technically you should be able to tighten them down by hand. One of mine did, but what can also happen from welding and heat on metal is that sometimes distorts or swells. This happened with mine making it a tad bit harder to screw on.


Hopefully you will get lucky and they should just thread right on.

[MaxSteel]

Well you must have missed that thread.....technically you should be able to tighten them down by hand. One of mine did, but what can also happen from welding and heat on metal is that sometimes distorts or swells. This happened with mine making it a tad bit harder to screw on.


Hopefully you will get lucky and they should just thread right on.

Cool. Thanks for the info.

Did you guys have to cut the pole-thingy that's on the bottom of the front strut to get it to fit into the shortened strut housing?

I think I remember Jcbe34 posting something about that.

[5mall5nail5]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

Did you guys have to cut the pole-thingy that's on the bottom of the front strut to get it to fit into the shortened strut housing?

I think I remember Jcbe34 posting something about that.

Yep!

[Boogieboy]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

Did you guys have to cut the pole-thingy that's on the bottom of the front strut to get it to fit into the shortened strut housing?

I think I remember Jcbe34 posting something about that.Yes.....cut the same length out of the "Thingy" as you do the actual housing.

[525fourthew1n]

This will be so awesome, I'm having the car worked on now and in a few days, it'll be lowered on the NEX kit. I'm so pumped... I did a quick chop.... is this roughly the ride height I can expect? [wheels will be flat black soon too]

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r110/fuzzy_fury/concept2.jpg

:D

[Binjammin]

That's the kind of ride height you can expect if you never want to cross train tracks, but you can probably go that low, yeah.

[Sam Son]

as my father says..."lower than a taiwanese taxi"

[525fourthew1n]

AWESOME.

Stäncé Impяäçtiçö

[MacR]

Jon, send me a pic of your front tire/fender clearance. I was getting away with 235/45r17 on rondells w/ 15mm spacers until today. I drove a hard sweeping left turn with a little dip and clipped the fender.

I don't want 215's. But I may force myself to pending the picture you send me. Hurry and do it. chop chop

On a good note, my rear camber is only -.5 degrees now with the kmac rear bushings; a huge improvement over the -2.5 degrees. My front camber is sitting nicely at .5 as well. Have you had your camber checked Jon?

[Sam Son]

Mac you runnin the kmac camber plates i guess?

[5mall5nail5]

Jon, send me a pic of your front tire/fender clearance. I was getting away with 235/45r17 on rondells w/ 15mm spacers until today. I drove a hard sweeping left turn with a little dip and clipped the fender.

I don't want 215's. But I may force myself to pending the picture you send me. Hurry and do it. chop chop

On a good note, my rear camber is only -.5 degrees now with the kmac rear bushings; a huge improvement over the -2.5 degrees. My front camber is sitting nicely at .5 as well. Have you had your camber checked Jon?

Yeah man people don't believe me when I say 235 wont fit. It'll fit if you are medium height, but if you go super low it will hit. If you run enough spacer to have good clearance inside you will hit the fender on a 8.5" wheel.

Here is what mine looks like - they are 215/45/17 so they are not only narrower but slightly shorter OD as well.

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/coilfinal3.jpg

I can snap head on pics tonight or tomorrow for you. The stretch brings it in just nice.

[MacR]

Yeah man people don't believe me when I say 235 wont fit. It'll fit if you are medium height, but if you go super low it will hit. If you run enough spacer to have good clearance inside you will hit the fender on a 8.5" wheel.

Here is what mine looks like - they are 215/45/17 so they are not only narrower but slightly shorter OD as well.


I can snap head on pics tonight or tomorrow for you. The stretch brings it in just nice.

I knew they wouldnt fit as soon as they were bolted up. I rose the front of the car up a hair just so I could roll around with them. I've put a bunch of miles on them like this, but once I thudded I was done.

I would like a shot from the bottom of the wheel facing up, so I can see the gap from an ant's-eye view. More pics the better. I appreciate it man. PM me or email me them if you want. high-res is great.

[MacR]

Mac you runnin the kmac camber plates i guess?


Yessir

[Binjammin]

How did mac defeat automerge?

Is there some new trick?

[kipwinger]

Post and then post again with a quote.

Happened to me before.

[Binjammin]

I've done that before too.


Post and then post again with a quote.

Happened to me before.

But it didn't work.

[MacR]

Mac defeats automerge because Mac is Mod

[Binjammin]

Mac defeats automerge because Mac is Mod

I now officially hate you for that.

[MacR]

I now officially hate you for that.

Oh hunny :D

[MaxSteel]

Sent out my housings today...

and took a pic :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2555/3664332966_2184663752_b.jpg

[5mall5nail5]

Looking good!

Thank goodness for 215's!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnGWGT8SLJ0

Sorry for wind noise, it gets real loud as I go faster.

[nmp411]

What's the constant humming noise in the vid?

[Sam Son]

fuel pump

[nmp411]

That's what I was thinking, but dang is that loud!

[MacR]

Thanks for the vid Jon.

Ordering my tires tomorrow

[Boogieboy]

Cool Vid Jon!:buttrock

I must have a ride in that thing one day! M50 FTW.:D

[bigsixe34]

damn you can really tell when that thing is getting on boost. it's like night and day. sweet vid. height looks awesome with the NEX's too

[bman10]

Looks good!

[Binjammin]

So Mike (Sam Son) has joined the NEX party. These are the housings I modded and drove to PA to hang out with Jon (5mall5nail5) and powder coat. The housings are Dormant Orange, and the backing plates are Granny Smith Green. Totally hot color combo, for real. A color combo like that needs a big brake kit *cough*

What I didn't get from all the planning ahead of the day was that when we were taking the vogtland/billie setup off Mike's car was that it was going onto Ted's car afterward. No big deal, any job worth doing is worth doing twice. :D

All in all it was a really good day. The only real mishap was when we (me) forgot to put a spacer on one corner on Mike's car, but it got noticed and taken care of LONG before we hit the road.

Mike's dope Dormant Orange powdercoated wheel bolt style 5s.

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4225.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4226.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4227.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4231.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4232.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4234.jpg

Vogtland/Billie... who needs that crap? :rolleyes

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4235.jpg

Sadly we finished after dark, so all after-shots are without a lot of light. I can't wait to get another chance for some daylight.

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4249.jpg

Ted's car. Haley (Redfive's dog) says "Black on Black? Meh, it's been done..."

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4259.jpg

Scrubascruba

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4267.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4300.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4302.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4331.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4329.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4347.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4350.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4351.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4355.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4370.jpg

[Boogieboy]

I knew those were for him! He tried to play tricks.......the car looks great! I wish i was closer to you guys so i could come help on build days.:(

[Binjammin]

The best news is that I got two sets of cores from Mike. Two more sets of housings that will be ready to ship to Jon for coating next week. ;)

[MaxSteel]

The best news is that I got two sets of cores from Mike. Two more sets of housings that will be ready to ship to Jon for coating next week. ;)

Three if mine haven't gotten there yet :D

[Binjammin]

Three if mine haven't gotten there yet :D


Did you send me a set? I don't know why you would have, you sent me a set of housings to mod, so I wasn't expecting a set of housings from you.


***EDIT*** I thought Boogieboy had posted this. Reading comprehension fail.

[Boogieboy]

Did you send me a set? I don't know why you would have, you sent me a set of housings to mod, so I wasn't expecting a set of housings from you.


***EDIT*** I thought Boogieboy had posted this. Reading comprehension fail.
Are you trying to say that all of us white E34's look alike!:stickoutt

[Binjammin]

Are you trying to say that all of us white E34's look alike!:stickoutt

:shifty

[MaxSteel]

Did you send me a set? I don't know why you would have, you sent me a set of housings to mod, so I wasn't expecting a set of housings from you.


***EDIT*** I thought Boogieboy had posted this. Reading comprehension fail.

I sent them out saturday so hopefully they should arrive soon.


Are you trying to say that all of us white E34's look alike!:stickoutt

lol



:shifty

[Binjammin]

Sweet man, looking forward to it.

[MaxSteel]

Sweet man, looking forward to it.

Judging by the other sets I've seen I'm definitely looking forward to it as well. You and Jon are great.

I'm pumped to throw them on. :buttrock

[4500 RPM]

Damn, they look good. Mike's car is awesome, it's come a long way.

I can't wait to ride in MacR's car with his Nex setup.

[Sam Son]

Damn, they look good. Mike's car is awesome, it's come a long way.

I can't wait to ride in MacR's car with his Nex setup.
thank ya:)

[02vortec]

How are these holding up for you guys. I really want a set butttttttt...... I don't want to be blowing struts like modana in the 80's.

Can someone please let me know how these are lasting. someone who has had them for a year or longer preferably.

Thank you

[MaxSteel]

I can't figure out tires sizes for my 18x8 and 18x9 style 5s! 235/40/18 and 265/35/18 would fit great but would it rub the spring perch? Do I need a bit of stretch?

When I asked tire rack about 215/45 and 245/40 guy at tire rack said I at least needed 235 on the 8 and 255 on the 9 because of load capacity issues.

Halp

[JohnBoy540i]

Vogtland/Billie... who needs that crap? :rolleyes

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/Mike%20and%20Ted/IMG_4235.jpg



Wayyyyy off topic, but Ben what are you going to do with your old shocks/springs? Just wondering...

[Binjammin]

They weren't mine to begin with :D Bigsixe34 bought them, and we swapped them on the same day. It was a dual suspension swap day.

[Sam Son]

ahaa good times...i think those springs were on my car for only 4 months:lol3

[loustylez]

How are these holding up for you guys. I really want a set butttttttt...... I don't want to be blowing struts like modana in the 80's.

Can someone please let me know how these are lasting. someone who has had them for a year or longer preferably.

Thank you

i replied earlier that i bought ride1099's car, the first E34 to get Nex's, and that I've had it myself a year as of 4th of July this year and he put them on before that. so they've got about 20k miles on them at least and they're holding up just fine. i've also been to two HPDE's with them as well. i get a little clunking in the front over some bumps but he has convinced me, as well as the extent of what i can tell, that it's the springs and the little preload they have. i've shaken twisted and pulled and pryed everything up front and i can't get anything to make the noise so... there you have it. Nex ftw.

[5mall5nail5]

It could be the springs and the minimal preload or it could be sway bar links or the coil sleeve not being tightened down far enough to keep the strut still.

If they're so un-loaded at your ride height, consider removing more of the strut housing to allow you to pre load them.

[calypsoe34]

I have 17x8.5 wheels with 235 45 tires. i need 215 45 correct. i need to get new tires soon anyways so this wont be a problem, but want to get the right setup. loooooove x1000 your cars stance. thanks and excellent writeup. as you can tell my car needs these badly. :)

[Sam Son]

yeah youre gonna want a 215
i have a 17x8 ET20 with a 235/45 on it and a 15mm spacer up front and theres about 3mm worth of clearance between the spring perch and the tire
ima be ordering some 215s soon

[calypsoe34]

so then 215/40 or 215/45? i get very confused with the size of tires that i need lol sorry. and thanks for the reply

[Sam Son]

Either will work I'm prolly gonna go for 45s
Check the original post by jon see what he got

[calypsoe34]

yeah he says he went with a 215/45/17. so jon what size tires are those in the rear then? looks like your rims are staggered.

[MacR]

I'm running 17x7.5 fronts on 215/45 and 17x10 rears on 255/40. Perfect sizes IMO. NOTE: I'm running a 15mm spacer up front to miss the front spring perch. This is necessary pending your wheel offsets. the 17x7.5 front wheels were an offset of 13mm, with the spacers it is essentially 2mm now.

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/5229/ty5.png

[calypsoe34]

i have 17/8.5 wheels all around. i will be running the 215/45's up front, and no wheel spacer they are et15, and 235/45's in the rear with 15mm spacers with rolled fenders. do you think this will be a good setup with the nex coilovers?

[5mall5nail5]

i have 17/8.5 wheels all around. i will be running the 215/45's up front, and no wheel spacer they are et15

Won't fit

[calypsoe34]

no? what will i have to do??

[Sam Son]

get a spacer 10-15mm

[5mall5nail5]

Going to need a spacer yep - did someone unsticky this? Crappity.

[MaxSteel]

18x8 and 18x9 What tire sizes should I go with? 215/45 and 245/40? Offsets are 22 and 20. I'm guessing I'll have to grab some spacers.

[Sam Son]

Ok this goes out to pretty much everyone an et20 wheel in the front will need a 15mm spacer and 215 tires
In the rear a 20mm spacer is good for flushness but depending on rear wheel width you may or may not need to roll your fenders you can go with a 225 or 235 tire in the rear
And that's all I can think of at the moment

[5mall5nail5]

Yeah guys - anything 8.5 wide with an ET of about 13 - 15 WILL need a spacer and slightly narrower tire if putting the car down on its face.

My setup is a 17x8.5 from ET13 initially to -2 w/ a 15mm spacer, running 215/45/17 Sumitomo HTR Z III. The rear is 17x10 ET15 with a 10mm spacer for ET5 running 255/40/17 Sumitomo HTR Z III. The rear is fine even without a spacer, the front NEEDS to be lower ET than ET 13 - 20 in 8.5" width. Some wheels vary. As more guys move to this setup we can get a more comprehensive list of what works or not.

[Boogieboy]

Yeah guys - anything 8.5 wide with an ET of about 13 - 15 WILL need a spacer and slightly narrower tire if putting the car down on its face.

My setup is a 17x8.5 from ET13 initially to -2 w/ a 15mm spacer, running 215/45/17 Sumitomo HTR Z III. The rear is 17x10 ET15 with a 10mm spacer for ET5 running 255/40/17 Sumitomo HTR Z III. The rear is fine even without a spacer, the front NEEDS to be lower ET than ET 13 - 20 in 8.5" width. Some wheels vary. As more guys move to this setup we can get a more comprehensive list of what works or not.Just for reference my Fronts are 17x9 et6 with 235/40/17 and the rears are 17x10 et19 (et4 after 15mm spacer) with 255/40/17Fuzion ZR1. Fuzions do not have as flat of a sidewall as the Sumitomo's so i think that it helped me in the front. I have had zero rubs during regular driving, but if i am in a full turn and going up or down a really steep hill it will catch a little in the front.

I have not rolled the fronts yet but i think after a little rolling it will remedy the full turn rubbing.

[5mall5nail5]

You can't really roll the fronts there man. Also I meant for inner spring clearance. 235/40/17 is a shorter tire than OE, which would be 235/45/17 so thats helping you and its stretched a bit onto a 9. I will retry my 10mm spacer and see if it fits. But ET is going to have to be betwee 0 and maybe 8mm to clear perfectly on the inside IMHO.

[MacR]

You can't really roll the fronts there man. Also I meant for inner spring clearance. 235/40/17 is a shorter tire than OE, which would be 235/45/17 so thats helping you and its stretched a bit onto a 9. I will retry my 10mm spacer and see if it fits. But ET is going to have to be betwee 0 and maybe 8mm to clear perfectly on the inside IMHO.

QFT. Please note, Jon and I have both failed at trying to get 17x8.5+ 13mm offset wheels to fit. When we say you'll need spacers, you'll need them.

[m60b30530i]

MacR your E34 is stunning :drool:

[Boogieboy]

You can't really roll the fronts there man. .
You can get a little out of them....and that's all i really need. It's the lip under there that i am either going to cut out or just flatten a little.

[Binjammin]

NEXt round.

Perches removed.

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/IMG_5884.jpg

3 more sets, ready to get some pretty colors.

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/IMG_5886.jpg

http://i435.photobucket.com/albums/qq75/bin_jammin3/IMG_5887.jpg

[NeonMuffler]

anybody here sell ready kits or used ones? i need some coils bad

[MaxSteel]

Who else's housings are getting shortened and PCd?

[Binjammin]

Who else's housings are getting shortened and PCd?

There's a few people interested besides your set :devillook

[loustylez]

ride1099 has done a couple for ppl. i can ask him if he'd be willing to do some more, let me know. i actually live with him now.

[Binjammin]

Jon and I have ben doing them for peeps too, got it down to a science :thumbup:

[MaxSteel]

There's a few people interested besides your set :devillook

Some sort of secret? :shifty

[Binjammin]

Some sort of secret? :shifty

Not exactly a secret, but some people don't like to advertise, and I don't want to make assumptions for them. Don't worry, I'm sure if they want everyone to know they'll share.

[NeonMuffler]

any prices on ready sets?

[Binjammin]

PMed

[MaxSteel]

18x8 and 18x9 What tire sizes should I go with? 215/45 and 245/40? Offsets are 22 and 20. I'm guessing I'll have to grab some spacers.

You guys think 18mm spacers front and back would work well?

[Binjammin]

18mm sounds right to me at first glance, but I'd wait for Jon and Mac to weigh in on that.

[MacR]

You guys think 18mm spacers front and back would work well?

18mm would work. Depending on how low you go, you could possibly get away with 225/45r18.

[MaxSteel]

Thanks guys.

[loustylez]

couldn't tell you the offset, and i couldn't confirm in ride1099's old posts, but he remembers them being 20mm front and 25mm rear and i'm running 225x40x18 Falken ZX's if that helps. fenders rolled to the maxizzle.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj63/noslices/BMW/brickwall.jpg

[Binjammin]

With an offset of like 2-3 you shouldn't need any rolling.

[ride1099]

ride1099 has done a couple for ppl. i can ask him if he'd be willing to do some more, let me know. i actually live with him now.

Yup, I've done quite a few sets for people all over the country. I'd be happy to do them for free for anybody local. Only takes a few minutes.

[MacR]

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5512/41821970214509448170.jpg

Nex vs. Billiesport/Eibach Comparison. 1.5" shortened housing, an inch from the bottom on the thread. About half an inch of front tire tuck.

That is all.

[calypsoe34]

Yup I'm goingbto be doing this to my car very very soon.

[bmwwheelman]

binjammin!
I has money for you! but you dont seem to reply to my pms anymore :(
I still need you to get back to me on the shipping costs....
PM ME or call me!

[Binjammin]

Respond to PMs? When did you send them, I haven't seen one from you in weeks. I'll give you a call tonight, I dropped extra sets off with Jon yesterday, so they're ready to rock and roll when you are :)

[Sherman]

I'm long way from most of you, but if anyone needs a set of strut housings for cores, lemme know. I'd be happy to get them out of the way

[bmwwheelman]

Hmm thats messed up?
Oh well! haha.. ummm might be incoherent tonight, probably not a good idea to call... a friend is having a bbq, might get out of hand... actually i know it will...
any who! hah..
I have the money, If you just wanna get me a final price I can pm the money to whats his face with the powder coating or however you want me to do it!


Respond to PMs? When did you send them, I haven't seen one from you in weeks. I'll give you a call tonight, I dropped extra sets off with Jon yesterday, so they're ready to rock and roll when you are :)

[Binjammin]

I'm long way from most of you, but if anyone needs a set of strut housings for cores, lemme know. I'd be happy to get them out of the way

Price?


Hmm thats messed up?
Oh well! haha.. ummm might be incoherent tonight, probably not a good idea to call... a friend is having a bbq, might get out of hand... actually i know it will...
any who! hah..
I have the money, If you just wanna get me a final price I can pm the money to whats his face with the powder coating or however you want me to do it!

No worries, I'll be in touch.

[Sherman]

Price?

Shipping + spring compressor rental + a beer, unless you want the springs too. Shipping would be slightly more.

[Binjammin]

Shipping + spring compressor rental + a beer, unless you want the springs too. Shipping would be slightly more.

I don't need anything except the housings. No wheel bearings, springs, pads... MAYBE the backing plates, but you can remove them and pack them separately, it makes it easier. Find out how much shipping to 06410 would be, and the tool rental, and let me know. FYI, if you have a torch you can cut the springs and then just take the nut off, you won't have to worry about it kicking that way.

[Sherman]

I don't need anything except the housings. No wheel bearings, springs, pads... MAYBE the backing plates, but you can remove them and pack them separately, it makes it easier. Find out how much shipping to 06410 would be, and the tool rental, and let me know. FYI, if you have a torch you can cut the springs and then just take the nut off, you won't have to worry about it kicking that way.

Bearings are already off, and the backing plates I reused. The ones that came with the cores I bought were both cracked at the mounting holes. The bearing seats are still be on, but they don't add enough weight to worry about. Springs and inserts are off.

Shipping looks like about $60 cdn. Maybe less now that they weigh less with the inserts out.

[MaxSteel]

WTF does NEX mean by "don't adjust height by the spring perch"? So it doesn't rub against the spring? Do you adjust them using the supplied wrenches on the ring below the perch?

[mhax]

stupid question but, can coilovers be installed without cutting the strut housing? I'm trying to figure how they work!

[Sherman]

Shipping looks like about $60 cdn. Maybe less now that they weigh less with the inserts out.
Bin, yes/no?

[Binjammin]

Sorry, I've gotta run out but I'll have answers when I get back, promise :thumbup: