The purchase of a new coilovers can be a very special event. Emotions when the courier arrives, when you open the box, pull out the fresh components, and proceed with assembly. The suspension is a key element of the car. There are amny questions about how to install coilovers on the E30 chassis and for good reason. Unlike later BMW models, the E30 has the strut housing and knuckled welded together. Because of this, it becomes a little more involved to truly install a coilover suspension. No worries, let's walk you through it.
What is Needed?
The basis, of course, is the appropriate conditions to start the work. The best option will be a stable car lift. It is worthwhile to prepare the necessary tools – socket wrenches 17 and 19mm; 5 / 6mm Allen hex keys with extension, 14, 17,18,19mm wrenches; 12 / 14mm ring spanners and ratchets with 13 and 22mm sockets. In addition to these basic hand tools you will need a cut off wheel and a welder.
When the car is already placed on the lift, it must be loosened in the upper shock absorber fasteners using the 13 and 19mm wrenches before lifting it. At this stage, it is also worth losing the wheels using the 17mm wrench. Then you can start lifting the car and completely remove the wheels.
Replacing the Front Suspension
Before loosening the hub trailing arm and brake caliper, make sure to spray it with lubricating oil, reducing the risk of damaging bolts. After unscrewing the control arm with a 19mm wrench and removing the brake disc with a 6mm allen key, you can proceed to the final removal of the upper fixing bolts. Hold the strut assembly so that it does not fall out after removing the last nut. The strut assembly pulled out of the car should be dismantled only after securing the springs with clamps.
The element devoid of unnecessary components should be cleaned in the place where the shock absorber enters the knuckle assembly. This will be the place of cutting, which should be made in accordance with the installation instructions enclosed with the set. The shortened tube that remains on the hub after cutting should be thoroughly cleaned of old paint and the sharp edges removed. Next, place the GWBR08 bracket in this place and weld it to the hub. Fresh weld is recommended to be protected against corrosion. If you are not comfortable with this part, please seek a professional welder.
The GWBM11 front column is delivered in complete form, with the GWFE96 main spring produced by Eibach, the helper spring GWHE02 and camber plate, MTSTP01. The prepared shock assembly should be screwed into the GWBR08 bracket previously welded with hub, covering the threaded surface with Teflon dry grease with PTFE.
The whole strut can be mounted in the car, remembering that the final tightening of the upper fixing bolts takes place only after placing the car is on the wheels. Before reassembling the brakes, it is recommended to clean the hub surface from metallic deposits. After doing this, you can proceed to the final tightening of the shock absorber in the bracket. The counter nut is tightened with the MTSKL06 wrench included in the set. This is one of the two options to adjust the height of the car. The main is the threaded surface of the shock absorber, on which the car height is adjusted by hexaCOIL spring perch.
Replacing the Rear Suspension
When the front axle suspension is complete, you can go to the rear suspension. In the design of the BMW E30 rear suspension, the spring and shock absorber are separate components. Using a 13mm wrench, unscrew the top mounting of the standard shock absorber, and then place it on the MTS Technik MTSBM002R shock absorber. If the upper shock mount shows signs of wear, new ones should be purchased so that each suspension element works without any objections.
When replacing the spring with the equivalent of MTS Technik, it is essential that the factory rubber spring holder is put down and placed in the car’s rear control arm. In the current place of the holder, the GWBM10HA height adjustment should be installed, which will at the same time keep the spring in place and allow the car’s height to be adjusted.
After making sure that all the elements are in place, you can proceed with reinstalling the wheels. When all its weight rests on the wheels, tighten all bolts, including wheel bolts. In this way, the assembly process can be considered finished.
If you would like to see a video installation of this process, please see the video below.
Finally, if you are not comfortable welding, we do offer a No Weld E30 Coilover kit as well from MTS Technik which is becoming increasingly popular. Please see the links below if you would like to purchase any of these kits. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at info@racegerman.com
Learn more about MTS Coilovers at www.racegerman.com
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This blog was republished by permission of MTS Technik