Needing a custom rear shock for air setup on BMW 2002, any help?

[CubbyChowder]

Hello everyone, I'm in the process of bagging my '73 BMW 2002 and have everything figured out except for rear shocks. I honestly don't know all too much about custom valving and what not and am wondering what would be my best route to take for learning and understanding what I need, and making the right purchase.

The original shocks are almost short enough, they are at about 13" compressed, and I need something more along the lines of 11-12" compressed.

After measuring, my ideal shock lengths would be 11-12" compressed, 18-19" extended. That is just so I have enough travel to air up completely and air out completely. But now I need to figure out what level of damping would be suitable for the car.

I am considering a Chevy Camaro KYB AGX adjustable rear shock, which is a common retrofit on E30's, and the mounting is almost identical on my 2002, so it would be an easy swap. I figure with the adjustable damping, I would be able to dial it in correctly and have it running smoothly. Here is link to the shocks: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ky...t/model/camaro

Am I sort of on track here, or am I missing something completely? I'm eager to learn and want to do this right, so any input would be really appreciated. Thanks guys.

[Average_Jerk]

check out fox body mustang rears. Thats what Ground Control uses on their E30 coilovers. They are short and the dampening adjuster is on the top

[CubbyChowder]

check out fox body mustang rears. Thats what Ground Control uses on their E30 coilovers. They are short and the dampening adjuster is on the top

I will look into that, thank you

[KyleAnderson]

I was just going to say Fox Body. That's what I used on the rear of my Z3. Best bang for the buck I found for adjustable shocks was Strange Engineering S6000EM. I have the exact extended/compressed lengths at home... I'll update later.

[CubbyChowder]

I was just going to say Fox Body. That's what I used on the rear of my Z3. Best bang for the buck I found for adjustable shocks was Strange Engineering S6000EM. I have the exact extended/compressed lengths at home... I'll update later.

That's a great price for an adjustable shock. Do you think these would be suitable for my 2002, as far as stiffness goes? Not sure what the weight differences are between a 2002 and Mustang. I'm wondering if even at the lowest setting it would be to stiff for daily driving. How do they ride on your Z3? Also, compressed/extended measurements would be awesome!

[KyleAnderson]

That's a great price for an adjustable shock. Do you think these would be suitable for my 2002, as far as stiffness goes? Not sure what the weight differences are between a 2002 and Mustang. I'm wondering if even at the lowest setting it would be to stiff for daily driving. How do they ride on your Z3? Also, compressed/extended measurements would be awesome!

They're definitely on the stiff side for my Z3. I run them at setting 2/10, and it's pretty close to stock. Setting 3 or 4 was good stiffness, like a moderate coilover. I would assume your 2002 is a lot lighter and going to feel stiffer... "too stiff" depends on what you're looking for. They are an inexpensive option though, and if you don't like them, Mustang parts have a good resale value.

edit:
Strange Engineering shock lengths-
-S6000EM: 12.53 to 20.39
-S6004LM: 14.05 to 19.68

For reference, stock lengths for a Z3 (E30) shock:
KYB 343330: 13.19 to 21.02
Monroe 5999: 13.75 to 21.0

Another good option is a Saab 900 shock (1979-83):
KYB adjustable (PN KG5558): 11.69 to 17.87

KYB and Monroe both have a pdf posted online with the shock specs (lengths and mounting sizes). I looked for shocks with the same stud and eyelet diameter as an E30, but if you're up for doing a bit of fab work, you'll have a lot more options. Extended shock mounts are also easy enough to make, which will have the same effect as having a shorter shock.