ground controls on e36

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:41 pm

supposed to be doing the install tomorrow but i can't find any instructions...i'm not sure it they require cutting or not, and i don't want to get started and not be able to finish the job...anyone know off hand or know of a good install procedure online...using koni yellow btw.

Dustin Fredrickson · **Posted:** Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:32 pm

Nope, but let me know how it goes

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:01 am

Chris Brown wrote:

supposed to be doing the install tomorrow but i can't find any instructions...i'm not sure it they require cutting or not, and i don't want to get started and not be able to finish the job...anyone know off hand or know of a good install procedure online...using koni yellow btw.

It's really easy. The only thing you will need to cut is the front spring perches if you want to go really low. The perch interferes with the adj collar. I did not cut mine because I have the standard length koni's in the front. You will wind up with about 1 inch of travel if you go lower than what the spring perch allows.

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:12 pm

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Chris Brown wrote:

supposed to be doing the install tomorrow but i can't find any instructions...i'm not sure it they require cutting or not, and i don't want to get started and not be able to finish the job...anyone know off hand or know of a good install procedure online...using koni yellow btw.

It's really easy. The only thing you will need to cut is the front spring perches if you want to go really low. The perch interferes with the adj collar. I did not cut mine because I have the standard length koni's in the front. You will wind up with about 1 inch of travel if you go lower than what the spring perch allows.

are you sure? the very bad instructions that came with the kit says to cut the sleeve at a weld??? i don't trust those instructions is why i'm asking.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 4:31 pm

Chris Brown wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Chris Brown wrote:

supposed to be doing the install tomorrow but i can't find any instructions...i'm not sure it they require cutting or not, and i don't want to get started and not be able to finish the job...anyone know off hand or know of a good install procedure online...using koni yellow btw.

It's really easy. The only thing you will need to cut is the front spring perches if you want to go really low. The perch interferes with the adj collar. I did not cut mine because I have the standard length koni's in the front. You will wind up with about 1 inch of travel if you go lower than what the spring perch allows.

are you sure? the very bad instructions that came with the kit says to cut the sleeve at a weld??? i don't trust those instructions is why i'm asking.

I don't speak Bimmerdouche but that just does not sound right.

GC instructions are HORRIBLE and I have spent my last dollar with them.

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 7:23 pm

Chris Brown wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Chris Brown wrote:

supposed to be doing the install tomorrow but i can't find any instructions...i'm not sure it they require cutting or not, and i don't want to get started and not be able to finish the job...anyone know off hand or know of a good install procedure online...using koni yellow btw.

It's really easy. The only thing you will need to cut is the front spring perches if you want to go really low. The perch interferes with the adj collar. I did not cut mine because I have the standard length koni's in the front. You will wind up with about 1 inch of travel if you go lower than what the spring perch allows.

are you sure? the very bad instructions that came with the kit says to cut the sleeve at a weld??? i don't trust those instructions is why i'm asking.

I think they are talking about cutting the perch near the weld if you want to use the full range of adj. Like I said, you don't have to cut them unless you want to go really low. If you have a good spring compresser you don't even have to take the struts off the car.

I can give you a hand next weekend if you need it.

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:32 am

update...i did the install yesterday...i did end up cutting off the spring perch per the directions and also because of some advice i got from bimmerforums. it wasn't all that hard and it allowed me to use the grinder i got for christmas.

all in all, it was pretty easy...i did a new front sway bar at the same time and the entire job was done in about 4 hrs.

the ride is surprisingly comfortable...only slightly harsher than the h&r sports.

so my question now is, "how do you know what height to set the front and rear to?" is this what corner weighting is for?

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:42 am

Chris Brown wrote:

update...i did the install yesterday...i did end up cutting off the spring perch per the directions and also because of some advice i got from bimmerforums. it wasn't all that hard and it allowed me to use the grinder i got for christmas.

all in all, it was pretty easy...i did a new front sway bar at the same time and the entire job was done in about 4 hrs.

the ride is surprisingly comfortable...only slightly harsher than the h&r sports.

so my question now is, "how do you know what height to set the front and rear to?" is this what corner weighting is for?

Did you end up having to weld anything?

DanDurusky · **Joined:** Sun Apr 10, 2005 7:31 pm **Posts:** 686

i forgot the numbers, but GC has some baseline front and rear ride heights that seem to be generally accepted by the e36 track crowd. I'd start w/ those for a good baseline for height and rake.

if you search bimmerforums, you'll find the chart.

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:07 pm

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Chris Brown wrote:

update...i did the install yesterday...i did end up cutting off the spring perch per the directions and also because of some advice i got from bimmerforums. it wasn't all that hard and it allowed me to use the grinder i got for christmas.

all in all, it was pretty easy...i did a new front sway bar at the same time and the entire job was done in about 4 hrs.

the ride is surprisingly comfortable...only slightly harsher than the h&r sports.

so my question now is, "how do you know what height to set the front and rear to?" is this what corner weighting is for?

Did you end up having to weld anything?

nope...no welding.

essentially, the threaded sleeve sits on the old weld for the spring perch...at first i was a bit aprehensive about it since it seems like it might slip down a bit over time. but then i though, hey, the spring perch sat on that weld and due to the fact that it was much wider than the sleeve. also, if it does slip a mm or two, i can just adjust the height accordingly.

ideally, i would have liked to weld the sleeve in place, but i don't have the equipment or skills for that.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

That's really not a good idea. Get the perches welded on.

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:15 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

That's really not a good idea. Get the perches welded on.

i'm certainly not opposed to doing this, but do you see any flaw in my logic?

the springs sit on the same weld as they did when the perch was there. the only difference is that now they sit on the weld itself rather than a piece of metal attached to the weld.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Chris Brown wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

That's really not a good idea. Get the perches welded on.

i'm certainly not opposed to doing this, but do you see any flaw in my logic?

the springs sit on the same weld as they did when the perch was there. the only difference is that now they sit on the weld itself rather than a piece of metal attached to the weld.

If there is any chance of the perch "slipping" over the weld, even just a little bit, you're putting forces on that aluminum collar that it's not designed to handle. There could be a big stress riser at one point, where the force of the weight of the car is constantly cycling. There's a good chance the collar would crack eventually.

The original perch welded on would be spreading the force all along the solid weld. The aluminum perch needs to have a continuous flat area to rest on, not a bumpy sloped area.

Who knows, it might not break.

Chris Brown · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:35 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

Chris Brown wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

That's really not a good idea. Get the perches welded on.

i'm certainly not opposed to doing this, but do you see any flaw in my logic?

the springs sit on the same weld as they did when the perch was there. the only difference is that now they sit on the weld itself rather than a piece of metal attached to the weld.

If there is any chance of the perch "slipping" over the weld, even just a little bit, you're putting forces on that aluminum collar that it's not designed to handle. There could be a big stress riser at one point, where the force of the weight of the car is constantly cycling. There's a good chance the collar would crack eventually.

The original perch welded on would be spreading the force all along the solid weld. The aluminum perch needs to have a continuous flat area to rest on, not a bumpy sloped area.

Who knows, it might not break.

no, that's a good explanation...i didn't think about the distribution of force...i did a pretty good job of cutting so it's probaby reasonably distributed, but i still see your point...i'll see what i can do about getting it welded up soon. for the time being though, i'm going to throw caution to the wind.

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:37 pm

I don't remember my kit even comming with anything to weld on. What does it look like?

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