Differences in strut housing and ABS sensor location

[apextheorem]

I have a 1991 535i/5 and I have just Installed Ground Control coilovers (Option 5) [0] and a new set of GSP hub/bearings but found that the ABS sensor was not able to fit. At first, I thought it was the powdercoat causing fitment to be tighter than usual but then found the problem to be the sensor bottoming out on the ABS ring after about 20mm.

Since my car is a 09/1990 production date, I bought a set of the 97mm asymmetrical GSP hub/bearings, which were used on E34's prior to 03/1991 [1]. According to RealOEM, all E34’s share the same strut with the same part number [2], but it seems this is not the case. I found a thread [3] where another owner ran into similar issues, and it turns out that the 3/91 onwards 83mm symmetrical hubs [4] are needed in order to be compatible with the later model struts.

Based on this information, it seems that my GC struts are also based on the later model E34 struts rather than the earlier model.

Can someone confirm whether there is in fact a difference in pre- and post- 3/91 E34 struts accounting for the difference in the hub/bearing units? Is the solution for my ABS sensor figment issue to use a set of 83mm symmetrical units instead? Thanks in advance.

[0] https://groundcontrolstore.com/colle...e-coilover-kit
[1] https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3...91-production/
[2] http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/part...487&series=E34
[3] https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...ng-(M5-Msport)
[4] https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3...z3/?pdk=AgIBBg

[zubbie]

I've read of this before. From my reading of realoem the change occurred @ 11/91.

[jrockbk01]

I have a 1991 535i/5 and I have just Installed Ground Control coilovers (Option 5) [0] and a new set of GSP hub/bearings but found that the ABS sensor was not able to fit. At first, I thought it was the powdercoat causing fitment to be tighter than usual but then found the problem to be the sensor bottoming out on the ABS ring after about 20mm.

Since my car is a 09/1990 production date, I bought a set of the 97mm asymmetrical GSP hub/bearings, which were used on E34's prior to 03/1991 [1]. According to RealOEM, all E34’s share the same strut with the same part number [2], but it seems this is not the case. I found a thread [3] where another owner ran into similar issues, and it turns out that the 3/91 onwards 83mm symmetrical hubs [4] are needed in order to be compatible with the later model struts.

Based on this information, it seems that my GC struts are also based on the later model E34 struts rather than the earlier model.

Can someone confirm whether there is in fact a difference in pre- and post- 3/91 E34 struts accounting for the difference in the hub/bearing units? Is the solution for my ABS sensor figment issue to use a set of 83mm symmetrical units instead? Thanks in advance.

[0] https://groundcontrolstore.com/colle...e-coilover-kit
[1] https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3...91-production/
[2] http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/part...487&series=E34
[3] https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...ng-(M5-Msport)
[4] https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3...z3/?pdk=AgIBBg

Just space it out with washers from home depot I have to do that to run e30 axles in my E36 bc abs ring is larger


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[apextheorem]

Does your ABS actually work with that setup? My understanding is that the magnet for the sensor should be next to to the teeth of the ABS ring so that the Hall Effect sensor could detect the differences in the magnetic field from the teeth. In this case, the sensor would be behind the ring and not directly facing the teeth.

[Sir Montalbon]

Bump. Investigating the same after swapping strut towers and losing ABS/ASC-T.

I used my old hubs on the "new" strut towers, re-used same wheel speed sensor also. Everything "seemed" to go together fine, but ASC-T light comes on immediately, and ABS lights up after a few miles of driving.

TIA

[doubleJC]

From what I recall, I thought you needed to match the later style symmetrical hub to the later model ABS sensor?

I may be wrong though.

John

[Sir Montalbon]

Agreed. However, I put my old hubs on the "new" strut housing, so the hubs and ABS sensors did not change, only the strut mount.

Did the mounting location of the ABS sensor in the strut housing change, possibly? I don't believe the part number for the strut housing for the entire e34 run ever changed, per realOEM.