[FaintReality]

I just installed the KW V2's and the front I can tuck tire with the lowest setting, but in the rear, I have it set at the lowest setting which is 1/2" lower than stock on my 08 e92.

What am I doing wrong? I have over 3" of thread to raise, but can't go lower? I should be able to drop them ~2" correct?


Help please


Dave

[FaintReality]

On the rear shocks, I am using the stock upper plate and that little bump stop that goes up through the chassic thats covered in the black rubber boot/lining. Should I remove all of this?

[Digital.James]

Originally Posted by FaintReality

On the rear shocks, I am using the stock upper plate and that little bump stop that goes up through the chassic thats covered in the black rubber boot/lining. Should I remove all of this?

yeah i think that's wrong. you should just be using from the silver washer up on the rear shocks. you also probably installed the springs wrong if you cant go any lower than .5 inch.

[FaintReality]

Originally Posted by Digital.James

yeah i think that's wrong. you should just be using from the silver washer up on the rear shocks. you also probably installed the springs wrong if you cant go any lower than .5 inch.

I can't see how the springs could be wrong since they only fit one way and I did not use the top plate off the stock springs, which is why I am stumped.

Also, as for mounting hardware, I used everything from that silver washer/cup and UP! So basically everything except the stock large bumpstop and dust boot since these were supplied w/ the v2's


Do you have any pics of your rear setup, preferably your upper spring and shock mounts?

[Digital.James]

not my pic but this is the correct set up.

look at the set up for the spring also, shoud look like that too.

[FaintReality]

Originally Posted by Digital.James

not my pic but this is the correct set up.

look at the set up for the spring also, shoud look like that too.

Thats what my shock mount looks like (i'll snap some pics tomorrow). My springs on the other hand, the purple part is spun all the way to the top of the threads, so I am as low as I can go

[Digital.James]

hmmm what does the bottom of your springs look like?

honestly if your shocks look like that then it has to be your springs. is the bottom of your springs seated correctly into the rubber piece? Did you use the metal hat piece that came on your stock springs? your kw adjusters should mount to th chasis.

[FaintReality]

Originally Posted by Digital.James

hmmm what does the bottom of your springs look like?

honestly if your shocks look like that then it has to be your springs. is the bottom of your springs seated correctly into the rubber piece? Did you use the metal hat piece that came on your stock springs? your kw adjusters should mount to th chasis.

Bottom of spring, I just used the stock rubber piece which did seat firmly. Up top, I only used the KW supplie parts (purple adjuster and black threaded sleeve / did not use the stock e92 top hat).

Maybe they gave me the wrong springs?


I am sitting level all the way around (2 finger gap) and my rears are as low as I can go, where as my fronts are turned up 30 full turns from the lowest setting. ugh

[Digital.James]

hmmm if thats correct then im stumped.

is the bottom of your shocks seated okay? did you use the kw supplied nut on the top of the shock or the bmw one?

[FaintReality]

Originally Posted by Digital.James

hmmm if thats correct then im stumped.

is the bottom of your shocks seated okay? did you use the kw supplied nut on the top of the shock or the bmw one?

Shocks seems to have seated top and bottom, but I have yet to tighten the bolts since they just spin (haven't figured out how to tighten).

I used the supplied KW nuts on top and bottom.

[Digital.James]

i used the bmw nut on the top. once we got the shock in, i just held it in place while my friend used an impact wrench to tighten.

[FaintReality]

Originally Posted by Digital.James

i used the bmw nut on the top. once we got the shock in, i just held it in place while my friend used an impact wrench to tighten.

I'll work on it tomorrow. You think that has anything to do with the height though? I am seriously beginning to think I have the wrong springs in the rear...

[Digital.James]

ill take a look at mine tomorrow morning and write down the numbers on it so you can double check

[FaintReality]

Originally Posted by Digital.James

ill take a look at mine tomorrow morning and write down the numbers on it so you can double check

Please do. Snap some pics of your upper shock and spring mounts too if you don't mind...



Thanks, Dave

[BoostedBMW]

Dave, i'm experiencing the same exact thing in the rear of my car. At first I thought that the springs weren't threaded low enough, but now i'm thinking its because my rear shocks aren't tightened down enough (ie. just like you, the top nuts just keep spinning). When you use an impact wrench it will spin the nut with enough torque to tighten it down even though the strut is spinning. When I get back from the gym, i'm going to work on the car again, and i'll either hit the top nuts with an impact or just use a towel around the strut with a vice-grip and tighten the nut down from the top (thanks to longtran for suggesting this). I'll let you know how I make out. If you make any progress, keep me posted.

[FaintReality]

I am going to head out to the garage now and post back in a bit.

Thanks for the help guys...

Dave

[JacobT]

OK, guys. Just jacked up my car and took some pics for you. After I pulled down the bump stop, this is what the shoock looked like. And the spring just sits on the KW purple ring and no stock rubber piece.

[FaintReality]

Here are a few pics I just took.

In the below pic, this is the only mounting hardware I used on top of the new spring.




Below the new spring, I used the stock rubber seen in the pic below.




On the new shock, I used the mounting harware from the stock shock (only the upper pieces from the silver cup upward / pic is of stock shock, not the KW).




Here is a pic showing how far up I had to thread to get 1/2" drop in the rear.




Last pic is to show the spring part # (correct spring?)

[FaintReality]

Originally Posted by JacobT

OK, guys. Just jacked up my car and took some pics for you. After I pulled down the bump stop, this is what the shoock looked like. And the spring just sits on the KW purple ring and no stock rubber piece.

Your springs look to have the same part number as mine, but I could be wrong. Are the e90 and e92 springs the same? Maybe I have the e90 springs

Can you confirm your spring #'s w/ the #'s I have shown in my pics?

Thanks, Dave

[JacobT]

Just checked. Your spring part # is exact the same as mine. Your installation looks right to me but why the height differences?

[FaintReality]

Originally Posted by JacobT

Just checked. Your spring part # is exact the same as mine. Your installation looks right to me but why the height differences?

You have an e90 and I have an e92. I am thinking the springs are different for the e92 and I have e90 springs

[BoostedBMW]

Dave... listen, I just fixed the problem on my car. Your problem is definitely that the rear struts aren't tightened down. What I did was just take an air wrench and hit the top nut with it. It tightened it down just enough so that I could fit a vise-grip onto the top of the strut and tighten down the nut with an open-end wrench. After I tightened them down a few turns, the car lowered perfectly... no more 2 finger gap. BTW, I set my drop distance from the tophat on the spring to the top of the spring to .75", and I think once it settles it will be perfect. If you have it dropped all the way, it will be WAY too low. So, after you get the struts tightened down, just adjust your springs again before slapping your wheels back on. Here's a picture of what i'm talking about... Hope this helps you out...



BTW, thanks to Bigchow, Spool, and Longtran for the advice in helping me to figure out wth was going on with the rear struts.