Front end to high

[Lowered and Louvered]

Hi folks, I recently rebuilt my front suspension, I had IE race springs, to stiff for street use. I cut one coil off stock springs, installed them with new sway bar links. Front end is way to high. Any thoughts, sway bar links too long? Thanks Bob

[Son of Marty]

The longer/taller springs are the rear ones.

Edited January 18 by Son of Marty

[TobyB]

It's not the links.

 

My first thought is to get...

wait for it...

shorter springs!

 

We need a bit more to go on, here- what're you going for?

Low and stiff?  Low and softer, for street?

 

Height adjustability is one of those things that people claim is 'only for race cars'

but I always thought it made equal sense for people who like a low look on Friday night,

but want to drive on normal roads the rest of the week.

 

t

 

[jgerock]

2 hours ago, Lowered and Louvered said:

Hi folks, I recently rebuilt my front suspension, I had IE race springs, to stiff for street use. I cut one coil off stock springs, installed them with new sway bar links. Front end is way to high. Any thoughts, sway bar links too long? Thanks Bob

Did you tighten all the suspension bolts with the wheels off the ground?  If so, it’s putting everything in a bind and it will be riding too high.

[2002iii]

Did you remove the US mandated 5 mph aluminum spring spacers from the top of the under the strut mount?

[John76]

5 hours ago, Lowered and Louvered said:

sway bar links too long?

Flip the links upside down so the threads & nuts are on top.

This also will save the threads from getting damaged on speed bumps, etc.

5 hours ago, Son of Marty said:

The longer/taller springs are the rear ones.

I made this mistake when I installed my new springs... I assumed (in my younger days) that the long springs go on the struts.

Wrong!  Everyone had a good laugh when they saw my new suspension.  🥴

['76mintgrün'02]

4 hours ago, jgerock said:

Did you tighten all the suspension bolts with the wheels off the ground?  If so, it’s putting everything in a bind and it will be riding too high.

 

This is only true if you are using rubber bushings.  The suspension needs to be in an "at rest" position, with the weight of the vehicle (plus a 'typical load' - which is prescribed in the BMW service manual) because the inner sleeve is fused to the rubber.  

 

You can tighten the suspension bolts with everything dangling if you're using polyurethane bushings, because they pivot on the sleeves like a hinge.  

 

Original springs have (had) brushed on paint stripes that can be used to differentiate between front and rear.

 

c.d.iesel

• 
• Solex
•  112
• 12,172 posts

 

Posted September 14, 2012 · Report post

what I contributed many moons a go :

stock / oem 02 suspension coil spring colour codes and free length (not mounted length);

REAR SUSP SPRINGS

Green 776-803 lbs

White 750-776 lbs

Red 725-750 lbs

wire thickness 12.3mm (.049")free length unmounted 334.6 (13.17")

Heavy duty conversion ( for trailer towing )

grey/green 769-789 lbs

grey/white 730-769 lbs

grey/red 710-730 lbs

wire thickness 13.2mm (.052") free length of unmounted 324.2mm (12.76")

FOR touring - USE ONLY RED (in emergency WHITE is permissable

always use "1 Dot " rubber top cushion

FRONT SUSP SPRINGS

green/blue 635-656 lbs

white/blue 614-636 lbs

red/blue 595-614 lbs

wire thickness 11.8mm (0.465") free length unmounted 337.2mm (13.28")

Heavy duty conversion (only if rear is also converted)

green/grey/green 606/626 lbs

white/grey/white 584-606 lbs

red/grey/red 564-584 lbs

wire thickness 12mm (0.47") free length unmounted 345mm (13.58")

..........SO, AS YOU CAN SEE , WHEN INSPECTING UNKNOWN SPRINGS, THE FREE LENGTH CAN BE CLOSE, BUT IT'S THE WIRE THICKNESS THAT YOU NEED TO MEASURE CAREFULLY

THIS REF. FROM BMW REPAIR MANUAL (PRINTED) VOL.2

and. . . ..

rear coil spring upper rubber 'damper ring' comes in 3 heights:

28 mm height = 1 dot and green color code

33 mm height = 2 dot and white color code

37 mm height = 3 dot and red color code

Note: always fit top spring damper with 1 dot for Touring models (of course for orig springs)

check availability with dealer, one was NLA reciently.

the bottom rear coil spring rubber damper ring comes only in one thickness = 24mm

ref. 33-0/8 specifations BMW Repair Manual Vol. 2

AND........

SPRING TIME TECHNICAL DATA:

Message Title: Re: front or back?

10 1/4 " = Front

12 " = Rear

these are my 'old' Suspension Technique (dark GOLD painted) springs

measured "free" un-mounted length

and from factory manual:

13.28" = Front std

13.58" = Front Heavy Duty

13.17" Rear std.

14.25" Rear for Baur Convertible

...so according to this info, you could have shorter or longer springs in the rear than front ! What matters is wire diameter and lb. rating / spring load rating. 

 

 

[jimk]

17 hours ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

 

This is only true if you are using rubber bushings.  The suspension needs to be in an "at rest" position, with the weight of the vehicle (plus a 'typical load' - which is prescribed in the BMW service manual) because the inner sleeve is fused to the rubber.  

 

You can tighten the suspension bolts with everything dangling if you're using polyurethane bushings, because they pivot on the sleeves like a hinge.  

 

Original springs have (had) brushed on paint stripes that can be used to differentiate between front and rear.

 

c.d.iesel

• 
• Solex
•  112
• 12,172 posts

 

Posted September 14, 2012 · Report post

what I contributed many moons a go :

stock / oem 02 suspension coil spring colour codes and free length (not mounted length);

REAR SUSP SPRINGS

Green 776-803 lbs

White 750-776 lbs

Red 725-750 lbs

wire thickness 12.3mm (.049")free length unmounted 334.6 (13.17")

Heavy duty conversion ( for trailer towing )

grey/green 769-789 lbs

grey/white 730-769 lbs

grey/red 710-730 lbs

wire thickness 13.2mm (.052") free length of unmounted 324.2mm (12.76")

FOR touring - USE ONLY RED (in emergency WHITE is permissable

always use "1 Dot " rubber top cushion

FRONT SUSP SPRINGS

green/blue 635-656 lbs

white/blue 614-636 lbs

red/blue 595-614 lbs

wire thickness 11.8mm (0.465") free length unmounted 337.2mm (13.28")

Heavy duty conversion (only if rear is also converted)

green/grey/green 606/626 lbs

white/grey/white 584-606 lbs

red/grey/red 564-584 lbs

wire thickness 12mm (0.47") free length unmounted 345mm (13.58")

..........SO, AS YOU CAN SEE , WHEN INSPECTING UNKNOWN SPRINGS, THE FREE LENGTH CAN BE CLOSE, BUT IT'S THE WIRE THICKNESS THAT YOU NEED TO MEASURE CAREFULLY

THIS REF. FROM BMW REPAIR MANUAL (PRINTED) VOL.2

and. . . ..

rear coil spring upper rubber 'damper ring' comes in 3 heights:

28 mm height = 1 dot and green color code

33 mm height = 2 dot and white color code

37 mm height = 3 dot and red color code

Note: always fit top spring damper with 1 dot for Touring models (of course for orig springs)

check availability with dealer, one was NLA reciently.

the bottom rear coil spring rubber damper ring comes only in one thickness = 24mm

ref. 33-0/8 specifations BMW Repair Manual Vol. 2

AND........

SPRING TIME TECHNICAL DATA:

Message Title: Re: front or back?

10 1/4 " = Front

12 " = Rear

these are my 'old' Suspension Technique (dark GOLD painted) springs

measured "free" un-mounted length

and from factory manual:

13.28" = Front std

13.58" = Front Heavy Duty

13.17" Rear std.

14.25" Rear for Baur Convertible

...so according to this info, you could have shorter or longer springs in the rear than front ! What matters is wire diameter and lb. rating / spring load rating. 

 

 

Rear stock springs removed from my car have red splash down one side and orange down the other.  What gives???

 

Photo of both sides, one I cleaned.  Both the same length.

I can attest these are original to the car.

['76mintgrün'02]

6 minutes ago, jimk said:

What gives???

 

The search function only gives one hit for [rear spring orange paint], but I was glad to find any mention of stock springs with an orange stripe, since that color isn't listed on c.d.'s page. 

 

 

As for why they'd mismatch them at the factory, all I can think of is that it's possible the installer was color blind.

 

Googling gave me this--

 

Do colorblind people see red as orange?

 

 

 

Another task that can be frustrating is driving a car when color blind; for the color blind person, green light tends to look very pale green or nearly white, and red light may seem closer to orange.

 

Tom

[Lowered and Louvered]

Hi Folks, thanks for input, I bought a pair of used front springs off eBay, after seeing your comments I have realized they are rear springs, once again thanks I’m glad to have some like minded folks to help me 

[jimk]

3 hours ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

Do colorblind people see red as orange?

 

My camera too ?  😄

[jimk]

3 hours ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

The search function only gives one hit for [rear spring orange paint], but I was glad to find any mention of stock springs with an orange stripe, since that color isn't listed on c.d.'s page. 

 

Interesting that I just finished installing the Eibach spring kit too, front and rears 

['76mintgrün'02]

   

13 minutes ago, jimk said:

My camera too ?  😄

 

They both look red to me, Jim!

[jimk]

2 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

   

 

They both look red to me, Jim!

Should I turn them over and take a picture of the paint on the other sides?

['76mintgrün'02]

Okay, I'm still confyoozed.  Saying "one side" and "the other" had me thinking right spring and left spring, as in you have an orange spring on one side and a red spring on the other.  I just reread your first post and now I am thinking each of your rear springs has an orange stripe on one side and a red stripe on the other.  It's not a mixed pair, just an odd color combination.  Is that what you're saying?