Question on rear springs...adjustable/ground control

[frached]

I recently purchased a 75 2002 out of California. The car is modified and the suspension sits much too low. We were able to adjust the fronts up but the rear springs were cut down, I was thinking about going with a set of close to stock springs with the Ground Control kit that makes the rear springs adjustable. Going this route will give us some adjustability to level the car out. Looking for any other suggestions or if you have had experience with the kit from Ground Control, it is a bit pricey. 

[jireland2002]

We make a kit as well.

[kbmb02]

Do you simply want an adjuster for use with stock diameter springs?

[frached]

Just want to have adjustability so we can play with ride height and level it with the front. Are there other springs which would be better than stock? Before raising the front the car was less then 2 inches at teh swayer...not streetable. 

[kbmb02]

I like these: Rear spring height adjusters.

 

There are some considerations, such as using flat ground springs (one side), and likewise the spring length and rate. Ground control did that work for you, which is part of the reason for the cost (other = profit, of course). -KB

[M3M3]

i had a set of the "allstar" adjusters.  really unimpressed with the quality.  cheap junk.  it is just a threaded tube. no flare/flat on the top to sit on perch.  no rubbers.  the collars jam.  no notches in collar to use wrench to turn.   tossed them as soon as GC started selling their rear adjusters.  WAY better.  you get what you pay for.

 

I have not tried the IE rear adjusters, but I have a lot of other IE stuff and it is all nicely designed.  i suspect there rear adjusters are worth it too.

 

all that said, depending on what springs are in the car now, you can also just add thick stock spring pads to raise the rear up a bit.  and use the often discarded front aluminum spacer in the back to raise it up even more.

 

GC

 

allstars

 

 

Edited April 24, 2020 by mlytle

[irdave]

Just try a 3 dot pad?  It's a bigger spacer for the rear.  Can you fit one on top and bottom?

 

(I'm on GC stuff and happy with it.)

[Mike Self]

1 hour ago, irdave said:

Just try a 3 dot pad?  It's a bigger spacer for the rear.

This is probably the best way to go since you have a new-to-you car.  It's the most economical pricewise and can easily be modified if you're not satisfied with the results.  BMW made three different thickness pads for the rear springs, identified by markings of one, two or three dots:  one is the thinnest; three is the thickest.  

 

Coupla ways to go about this:

• Get yourself a set of stock springs (easy to find used) and try some one dot spacers; if that makes things too high, 
• cut a half or full coil off the stock springs and try either a two or 3 dot spacer

The other option is to buy a set of H&R or other aftermarket springs with a known height drop over stock, and then experiment with the spacers.

 

mike

[TobyB]

For one of the racey cars, I just have shims I stick in to raise rear ride height.

They're made out of 3/16" aluminum, but you could even use plywood to play 

with it.

 

Just swapping around springs can be dangerous- the 2002 is sensitive to 

rate in a way that can lead to snap oversteer where there wasn't any before.

 

As in, "I don't know what happened.  All of a sudden I was backwards in oncoming traffic"

 

t

[Son of Marty]

"I don't know what happened.  All of a sudden I was backwards in oncoming traffic"

 

Ah, the big block  El Camino Effect.

[TobyB]

...but you get it with the opposite input...

 

t

 

['76mintgrün'02]

Ah, the Vintage VW Effect.

[kbmb02]

3 hours ago, mlytle said:

i had a set of the "allstar" adjusters.  really unimpressed with the quality.  cheap junk.  it is just a threaded tube. no flare/flat on the top to sit on perch.  no rubbers.  the collars jam.  no notches in collar to use wrench to turn.   tossed them as soon as GC started selling their rear adjusters.  WAY better.  you get what you pay for.

 

Hmm. I guess there are those who don’t require pretty and expensive parts to make it work, and to go fast ?

[s99]

I have Ground control in the front and allstar adjusters in the back. Allstars have been perfect with no problems. Never have gotten stuck, lots of thread for adjustability. $40 a pop, whats to complain about?

[TobyB]

11 hours ago, kbmb02 said:

 

Hmm. I guess there are those who don’t require pretty and expensive parts to make it work, and to go fast ?

 

So far, the shims have worked for me.  But I am slow.

 

t