Well, I'm going to swap out my coil-overs for some Koni-yellows + NM springs, but I'm going to need some help here. I just recieved the Koni struts, but they come with a slip of paper sprinkled with some pictograms... which don't really help with installation. Has anybody installed these before? Also, will I need new lower shock bushings? As a final note, I've been playing with the adjustments on the shock (with the intention of setting it on the softest setting), but I cannot tell whether I reached that point because there are no audible clicks and the **** just keeps on turning and turning.... Anybody have any suggestions?

 

If you kept the OEM shocks, then you have the parts you will need. Yes you will need the bushings on the rear, but they are most likely already on the car now. Go to http://www.realoem.com/bmw/ to look at a blow up of the order that the parts go in. Very straight forward job.
Note: It is not hard to strip the threads while installing the lower bolt in the rear. If you feel resistance, back off and try again.

 

Thanks for the reply, that really helped (looking at the KONI instructions just about drove me mad).

 

I just helped a friend install his. They are a little tricky at 1st, but you use a lot of your OEM parts. Check on yours because he ordered a set of the bushings and turned out there were some already on them. make sure you have a dremel handy as well. You'll need to dremel out the top washer on the rear. Also dremel out the cups, where the spring stops, as well so that it will fit over the strut cylinder but not to much so that it will rest on the lip after the threads where the sleeve for the cushions is supposed to stop. Wish we would have took pics to do a write up on it. hope you have something to compress the springs with. as far as how to adjust them..... make a mark with a sharpie and use it to count how many times you turn, I forgot what the settings require something like a full 360 degree turn for soft on both side to equal 720 degree's. good luck with it take pics and do a write up on it after your done.

 

yes, please write it up - I'll be doing mine in a couple weeks

 

Dremel? No dremel needed on an R53 which I thought was the same (very close).

 

The stock shock have a thinner cylinder and the washer that goes on the top of the rear bushings isnt big enough for the yellows as well as the cups that the springs use as their stops has to be dremeled/ drilled out due to not fitting over the threads.

 

thanks, that's helpfull to know beforehand. I'd have been wth, why doesn't this fit?

 

Yeah, it actually took us 2 days to finish this job...... no dremel bits and in spain their actually kinda hard to find! Just be sure not to dremel them out to big, we did and had to use a washer to stop them.