[Sniz]

well looks like Spool's friend will be doing my install for a small fee that i'm happy with. I'll be sure to take plenty of pics for a DIY if I can.

[hov333]

what are y'all going with, KW's?

[BoostedBMW]

Originally Posted by Sniz

well looks like Spool's friend will be doing my install for a small fee that i'm happy with. I'll be sure to take plenty of pics for a DIY if I can.

That would be awesome! I know its a PITA, but I will paypal you a donation to get it done.

[BoostedBMW]

Originally Posted by hov333

what are y'all going with, KW's?

Yeah, I think both of us are installing KW V2's.

[Mr. 5]

Originally Posted by BoostedBMW

One other thing... can anyone recommend a spring compressor to use? There are a ton of them FS online for pretty cheap and I know that autozone will rent them out for free, but I have heard that some of them are too tall to use on this car. Anyone have any suggestions?

See? That's one of the reasons. I don't have a spring compressor and I've never used one. Maybe that's why I was so comfortable with the DP install.
All of the tools that I used were with basic tools. It just took some time and patience.

[BoostedBMW]

Originally Posted by Mr. 5

See? That's one of the reasons. I don't have a spring compressor and I've never used one. Maybe that's why I was so comfortable with the DP install.
All of the tools that I used were with basic tools. It just took some time and patience.

I have never used a spring compressor either. On all of the previous coilover installs that I have done, I simply pulled out the stock assembly and dropped in the new shock/spring combo. I never needed to remove the stock tophats or compress the springs on the car for clearance issues like on the E9x. Actually, one of the reasons why I didn't go with KW's on my s2000 was because I knew that I would have to buy a spring compressor and re-use the oem top hats and I had never used a spring compressor before so I said screw it.

After buying a spring compressor today, it is so simple that a chimp could use it. Its basically a set of rods with two forks on each end. You just use a ratchet to tighen down the bolt and the screw turns, which ends up compressing the spring. There is really nothing too it, but it sounds like its a lot more complicated than it is.

As far as installing things like DPs go, I really hate those installs. I don't mind working on the car for 10 hours straight if I can make steady progress, but when it comes to things where you have to spend 10 minutes to find the correct angle and wrench to fit into a really tight space, I start to get really aggravated. I just hate when there is no room to work, and when you are laying underneath the car with 3 inches of clearance it doesn't help much.

[Chowbow]

I did mine by myself in my garage with basically hand tools. I had an electric impact gun that was only used to secure the top nut on the top hat. It was kinda a PITA and it took me just about all day. It would have gone by much faster if I had another set of hands but I did it on a random day off that I had.

If you're pretty good with cars I really don't see it being a huge issue but it's hard to say that now. Everyone is different in how they determine what's a PITA...

[wj4]

Even with the spring compressor, I found that the clearance to get the strut out is very minimal. When you look under the wheel well, you will see that the strut sits incredibly high into the tower.

[S4to335]

I have used several different types of spring compressors..and have even used "in a pinch" really big zip ties..yes, you heard me right. Sometimes spring compressors cant fit in the spot you neet to put them...and you end up swearing your head off when you find out. Anyway, I am curious to see how long it too these guys to do the install.

[Sniz]

still haven't installed mine, this week I hope. Glad you got yours in and your problems figured out Boosted.

[BoostedBMW]

Originally Posted by Sniz

still haven't installed mine, this week I hope. Glad you got yours in and your problems figured out Boosted.

Thanks bro... i'm still not out of the woods yet though... i'm working on the fronts now. There is definitely a learning curve with this suspension since its a little more a PITA then others cars that I have put coilovers in. My passenger rear side took a few hours of on an off work trying to figure out what parts to reuse and how to get the lower control arm bolt back in, and then the driver's rear took me 25 minutes. If you are working with someone who has already done it, you shouldn't have a problem. A lot of my aggravation came from the KW instructions, or lack of them, they really blow.

[Spool]

Well for the front...


use a jack to jack up the control arm and compress the spring on the strut all the way down....then just stick your spring compressor on the springs and then remove it by stepping down on the brake caliper and/or rotor...it should pop out

[BoostedBMW]

Originally Posted by Spool

Well for the front...


use a jack to jack up the control arm and compress the spring on the strut all the way down....then just stick your spring compressor on the springs and then remove it by stepping down on the brake caliper and/or rotor...it should pop out

Thanks for the info... that's exactly what I'll be doing tomorrow on the driver's side. I made the mistake of removing the top hat bolts on the front before jacking up the suspension and compressing it, so I needed to sit there for 30 minutes and compress each spring compressor... it was a PITA. Now I have the front strut out of the car, and the top hat is off, but I can't transfer it over to the KW coilover yet because my POS harbor freight spring compressor has a 1" nut on the top, and I only have 1" open-end wrenches, and 1" sockets that are bigger than 3/4" drive for a huge ratchet. So basically i'm stuck with my spring compressors on my spring because I don't have any 1/2" or 3/8" one inch drive sockets for my impact wrench. Looks like the project will have to be finished tomorrow since everyone is closed now.

[stressdoc]

Hard to do sometimes, but even with all the setbacks and delays, try and have fun doing this. Look on the bright side, try and see it as a puzzle.

[FaintReality]

Originally Posted by S4to335

I have used several different types of spring compressors..and have even used "in a pinch" really big zip ties..yes, you heard me right. Sometimes spring compressors cant fit in the spot you neet to put them...and you end up swearing your head off when you find out. Anyway, I am curious to see how long it too these guys to do the install.

Can you explain this "zip tie" method? Might come in handy adjusting the height of the rear since there is so much pressure and I can hardly thurn the threaded collar w/ the tool.

I assume you just tie up and tighten, but how would you tighten the zip ties w/ that much pressure?

Thanks, Dave

[BoostedBMW]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

Hard to do sometimes, but even with all the setbacks and delays, try and have fun doing this. Look on the bright side, try and see it as a puzzle.

Yeah, actually I figured out how everything was put together I am just taking my time and actually enjoying working on it now. Sometimes doing suspension can just get on your nerves though. Like when you have to realign a rear camber bolt or something like that. I just picked up the 1" socket so I should be able to finish the install today after work.

[Chowbow]

Originally Posted by FaintReality

Can you explain this "zip tie" method? Might come in handy adjusting the height of the rear since there is so much pressure and I can hardly thurn the threaded collar w/ the tool.

I assume you just tie up and tighten, but how would you tighten the zip ties w/ that much pressure?

Thanks, Dave

Well not sure how S4to335 did it but the ghetto zip-tie or hose clamp method that I know of is basically to have the spring in the compressed state already, and then put the zip ties or hose clamp on, and now you have the most dangerous pre-loaded weapon in your hands.

My friends took out the struts from a fox body Mustang, jacked up a toyota truck they had sitting around, put the struts between the ground and frame of the toyota, and lowered the truck so that the springs would compress. Then they used 2 measly hose clamps as spring compressors on each spring and then raised the truck again. Instantly compressed and it took them 5 minutes. They compressed the new springs under the tire of the truck and had that on there in about 1 minute. Then they just unscrewed the hose clamps (a bit better than cutting zip ties as it does uncompress slower), and they changed out front springs and shocks in 20 minutes flat.

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by FaintReality

Can you explain this "zip tie" method? Might come in handy adjusting the height of the rear since there is so much pressure and I can hardly thurn the threaded collar w/ the tool.

I assume you just tie up and tighten, but how would you tighten the zip ties w/ that much pressure?

Thanks, Dave

Yeah...jack up the car...put another jack under the suspension of that specific wheel to compress the spring..put the put 6-7 BIG zip ties evenly around the spring from coil 2-4 or 1-5..depends on how many you got...and then slowly tighten each of them down. This may work on stock springs with low spring rates but DO NOT try this on high spring rates of aftermarket springs..I could just see you trying to do this on 1100 lb springs. NOT GOOD.

Stand back when you lower the suspension...hopefully by then you can remove the spring from its location.

CAUTION: We did this because we couldnt find a suitable spring compressor that would work. This is not recommended but rather a last ditch effort to get the friggin spring out. If you attempt this...overdo it with the zip ties..I dont want you to get hurt trying this.

A pic of us removing a spring on my old car... I am the one with the nice legs.



Another pic of a decent spring compressor (btw this was done on a 2005 Audi A4..not a BMW)...but a spring compressor..is a spring compressor.

[pdjafari]

in case you havent already tried this, be VERY careful using that spring compressor. I changed a spring on my winter beater (mazda protege) and the entire time I had to hold it or manuever it I felt like the autozone rental tool would fly off. I did some internet research and it stated people have actually DIED from springs being released!! I was like...WOW...WTF did I just do? My dads a mechanic by trade (worked on cars for 36+ years) and when he saw what I was doing he was like WTF, do you know how dangerous that is? Anyways I didnt until he told me...see if a friend has one of those ground compressors w/ the turning wheels, they are much easier and safer

After I removed the spring, when putting the other one on after my dad stopped me...I just kept staring at the compressed replacement spring for like 30 min....and i would poke it like a dead snake...over and over...

[Sniz]

Originally Posted by pdjafari

After I removed the spring, when putting the other one on after my dad stopped me...I just kept staring at the compressed replacement spring for like 30 min....and i would poke it like a dead snake...over and over...

haha....sorry I had to laugh at that one. I was working on the suspension on my '69 Camaro SS one day and had an interesting, if not scary experience.

I was trying to get the rear leaf on the drivers side off w/ the help of a friend. It was in the winter, so we were working in the garage w/ a propane space heater blazing away in the open garage space. I was flat on my back under the car trying to get the 30 year old spring to release from its perch. The moment it released it shot one side to the ground so fast that if my shin was 6" to the left it probably would have splintered my leg....lesson learned.

The funny part comes next. I was looking at the thing in amazement and was telling my friend Ray to come take a look. I turned my head after hearing a grunt and saw him rolling on the ground, so I immediately yelled "stop fucking around this is serious, I almost got smashed here!" Little did I know that he was bent over watching me w/ his ass pointed at the heater. When the spring smashed the floor he backed up from the surprise and caught his ass on fire. He didnt realize it for a few seconds so he just stood there as his jeans cooked onto his ass. By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late, he was toast. Thats when he hit the ground and stopped, dropped, and rolled, at which point I started yelling at him.

A few shots of Demoral later and he was ok, they had to peel burnt pieces of fabric out of his ass.......

[judec]

[S4to335]

You guys are beginning to see why I didnt decide to install my PSS9s on my 335.