Wrong again, the Koni STR.T will not fit:
Attachment 20775
Printable View
Wrong again, the Koni STR.T will not fit:
Attachment 20775
I am not used to playing with suspension stuff at all but clearly, at rest, the Koni is one inch too tall.
The problem is that the original BMW shock on the left can be extended up maybe 1/4 of an inch.
The koni on the right, at least a solid inch.
In the end, with the coils relaxed, there is a 2 inch difference and the Koni can not fit (see pics several posts above).
Getting the KYB Excel-G FedExed ...
When we pulled my OE shocks, Bruce S. and Stuart M. noticed they would compress and had to be pulled out. We assumed it was a defect in the shock. Perhaps they can comment as BP, Dan and I left to try and find a replacement set.
Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.
Shawn,
Mine compress and come back up all the way and they have 100 K miles. They are still alright I guess. The thing is, I have it apart, so might as well put something new back on.
I had assumed that because the back went bad, so did the front. When I compressed the back shocks we changed at the Mafiafest 2015, they stayed compressed and never came back up.
The KYB Excel-G arrived today! And....they fit! In a side by side comparison, the KYB Excel-G are almost an exact replica of the original BMW shock. The Koni Str.T were not by a long shot.
They are a little taller than the original but not as tall as the Koni STR.T with springs relaxed.
Was tricky install, had to remove the brake caliper and compress them a bit.
The key, that was missing from my knowledge base and that I would like to share with you, is that you have to put the top part of the shock and spring combination (with upper strut mount) up in the shock tower and secure with a couple of nuts. THEN, attach the knuckle at the bottom of the shock.
Again, I had to have some degree of spring compression during the mounting process because overall, those KYB Excel-G are a bit taller than OEM.
Will to the left side tomorrow.
Glad it worked out. A floor jack can help with compression and an extra set of hands is almost a must.
Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.
Yes, I used the hydraulic jack under the control arm outer ball joint to raise the knuckle all the way up and then tighten the knuckle bolt.
Even with that done right (I think), the car currently sits about 1.5 cm higher than the original. Weird because everyone says the springs are what determines the height. I did add the rough road plates above the upper strut mount but that probably only added 2 mm.
Maybe the springs will need time to "seat" into their new position?
It may drop a bit when you drive it.
Thumbs, iPhone, TaT.
Yup, it should.
Still looks like I am driving an XI!
It feels darn good and tight though. Much improved cornering performance for sure.