e30 coilover adjustment help

[bahkdan]

Hi,
I am pretty new to e30's and the stance game. I got some ksport coilovers installed into my e30 awhile back and now that i i'm finally running spacers on my wheels im ready to drop my car way more
Due to my lack of mechanical experience, i was wondering if any of you guys would be able to give me some pointers on how to take the coilovers out and also how adjust the coilovers the correct way so i could gain some experience. Pointers on front camber adjustment would be great also. Any input would be greatly appreciated thanks

[Ant]

This is one of those times i think doing your own install would be good as adjusting etc will always be needed.

Camber - adjustable only at the front. Adjustable from the camber tops that you see in the strut towers under the bonnet. To adjust, jack car up, take wheels off, then loosen the allen/socket head fasteners a bit. The plates will slide in and out giving you adjustment. They should also be marked for measurement. You may notice one side is more/less than the other, this is common when shops do alignments cause they have it different since roads slant inward for water drainage, they arent flat and even like race tracks. That said, if you want it even and/or want maximum camber, then just do them in as far as you wish.

Height - since these are body height adjustable you dont want to adjust the springs up front, leave them alone just nipped up tight. To adjust height you basically need to pull all the shit apart in front in order to rotate the body of the coilover upward which lowers your car. This means off with the wheels, off with the front wheel hubs/bearing units, off with the calipers and brake rotors, so you end up with a 'naked' spindle sticking out. You can then turn it around in an upward motion to lower.
In the rear its easier, shocks and springs are separate. The shock is still body height adjustable so you can wind that in but the height relies on the springs. The springs sit on adjusters but to get very low basically you just remove those adjusters altogether and then with body of shock up then that is your lowered height. To get any lower than that you need shorter springs.

Enjoy + learn!

[bahkdan]

Thanks for the help bro once I have time I'll lower it and put up some pics

[Ollie]

You don't need to remove anything to adjust ride height. Just jack the car, take the wheels off, and adjust the locking collars. It's totally simple and self-explanatory when you get under there. The rears might be a little tougher but it's still pretty simple.

[Stephen]

In fact, on an e30, you can usually get in there without even taking a wheel off. Just make sure its a jack you trust so your fender doesnt take your hand off if the jack collapses.

[Ollie]

In fact, on an e30, you can usually get in there without even taking a wheel off. Just make sure its a jack you trust so your fender doesnt take your hand off if the jack collapses.

Haha I did that the other day on my Q45.

[Ant]

i've just been researching my butt off on coilovers so i made an assumption you;d have to remove things to adjust the fronts since the body needs to rotate to move up and shorten the coilover. But you guys say you dont have to? How is that possible?
I've had base adjustable coilovers in my last two cars (not BMWs and not bottom spindle type cars) and to lower the car you need to disconnect the bottom mount of the shock body from the arm to turn it and wind it up. How can you do that without taking stuff off the bottom spindle?