How to install coilovers on your e30

Notes

Main focus on the front passenger side and touched based on the rear.

The front driver side is identical except for the fact that the brake wear indicator sensor wiring is only on the front driver side and right rear passenger side, its just a wiring harness you need to unplug.

parts

Front

• coilover sleeves
• springs
• top hats
• sport strut shock
• gland nut for the strut
• washer
• stock strut bearing or camber plates
• automatic transmission fluid or motor oil

Rear

• heavy duty rear shock mount or aftermarket rear shock mount
• sport shock
• bolt for the bottom of the shock
• lower spring pad
• coilover sleeve
• spring
• polyurethane top spring pad

Tools

• safety glasses
• spring compressor
• 3/8 impact gun
• 12 deep 6 point
• 13 deep 6 point
• 17 deep 6 point
• 19 deep 6 point
• 15 mm open end wrench
• 5-8mm size allen for the abs sensor
• air chisel-hammer attachment
• ruler
• water pump pliers
• calipers with a dial gauge
• bungee cord
• long pry bar
• Bilstein tool for tightening the shock onto the strut
• carb spray

FRONT ASSEMBLY

new Bilstein sports

GE coil sleeves

HyperCoil springs

take an initial height measurement

a hair under 23 inches at the highest point on the fender

leave the key in the ignition and make sure the steering lock mechanism is not engaged

get the car up in the air

remove the wheel

rotate the steering rack towards the driver side to allow better access to the caliper

remove the 17mm bolts on the caliper by holding the inner nut with a 15mm open end wrench

hang the caliper to relieve stress on the brake line

loosen the bolt on the tie rod

17mm

6 inch extension

3/8 impact gun

loosen the bolt on the control arm ball joint

19mm

6 inch extension

3/8 impact gun

un bolt the sway bar

13 mm

3/8 impact gun

unbolt the abs sensor

5-8 mm allen bolt

(cant remember size)

unbolt the 3 nuts on the strut

hit the strut where the tie rod and control arm are bolted to

with the hammer/chisel gun to break it free.

with a long pry bar insert it into one of the holes in the control arm

push on the control and use leverage

to move the ball joint off the strut to remove it from the car.

now the strut is here complete

next aim the spring at wall and wear safety glasses

disclaimer

if you are removing stock springs i would take your struts to a a shop and have the springs decompressed and removed.

these springs are shorter and dont have as much "spring in them" when compared to stock.

make sure you are wearing your safety glasses

Step on the strut with your left foot

hit the top gland nut with your impact gun

and commit.

19mm

3/8 impact gun

a second later

all arms legs and eyeballs still intact

water pump pliers to remove the retaining nut on the strut insert

you could also use large channel lock pliers

coworker here demonstrating one technique while i snapped the picture.

lowered the lift slowly onto the strut to keep it from rotating

then loosing the retaining nut on the shock

old vs new

left old H&R touring cup kit front strut insert

right new Bilstein Sport shock custom valved and the bumpstop cut in half

compare the shock shaft size.

After speaking with an owner of a shop in L.A. Cesar Navarro

has the same setup as mentioned in the first picture.

He recommended setting up the front coilover sleeves at an

1.5 inches from the bottom.

Going to use this as a base/starting point

add some oil to the shock strut.

use about shot glass amount

clean the strut well slide the coilover sleeve on

install the shock strut

tighten the retaining nut

install the spring

install the top hat

install the bearing

install the washer

tighten the new 19mm nut

with the car back on the ground the front sits at 23 3/4 of an inch

id like to come back down 1/2 an inch.

23 1/4 would be good

REAR ASSEMBLY

the rear is much easier

un bolt the top shock bolts

2 13mm nuts on each side

right angle air ratchet with a deep 13 mm works best here

un bolt the lower rear shock mount

19mm and 3/8 impact gun

no picture

 

new rear shocks

reusing old external bump stops

old dust boots on

turner motorsports polyurethane/aluminum rear shock mounts

17mm nuts tightened back on with a 3/8 impact gun

lower spring pad

lower spring pad with alignment o ring installed

1 inch from the bottom as a starting point

sleeve pressed on top of the o ring and lower spring pad

600lb rear spring placed on top of the new spring pad

polyurethane top spring pad placed on top

clean the lower mounting area with some carb cleaner.

installed

 

1 big problem I ran into

My front coilover sleeves where made out of round.

I had my coworker true the sleeve a little bit.

the strut is 2 inches outer diameter

the sleeve is 2.10-2.15 inner diameter

i had him take off 0.0055 TIR

and they still fit tight but exactly what i wanted.

i tapped the sleeves on the strut with the palm of my hand.

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