Installing coilovers is a popular and cheap way to modify both the look and handling of your E36.

I couldn't find a decent DIY when I went to do the job on my own car. I was pointed in the right direction by other kind folk and went at it. I have them in now and love them.

This will be no means a definitive guide but more a quick idea of whats involved for those wanting to do this themselves. I'm certainly open to correction and alternative ways of doing things.

Jack up the front of the car and place on axle stands.
(If unsure please be safe and read this: http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/tech...Jacking_Up.htm though personally I would use a trolley jack)

The basic concept on the install is to replace all the springs and their struts front and rear and replace them with the below or other after market adjustable options.

Front struts and springs
Rear shocks, springs and height adjustment "helper".




Also it would be a good idea to replace the top mounts for new ones when doing this job. (Depending on the type of coilover you have they may or may not come with new top mounts)
In this instance JOM bluelines were used and they do not supply new mounts so the old ones were kept.

Begin by removing the wheel.

There will be brake hoses etc secured to each front strut. Carefully free these from the strut making sure not to damage or put any strain on them.

Removal should be done from the bottom up as gravity is not your friend

Remove the retaining bolts at either side of the bottom of the strut ( Number 3 in the below)

Remove the bolt and self locking nut half way up the shaft (6 and 5) This nut is self locking so will require two ratchets or spanners one either side to go clockwise and one anti clockwise. This will free the bottom of the strut from the brake carrier.

Next is to move to the top and free the strut and attached mount from with in the turrets either side of the engine bay.

This is done by undoing the 3 retaining nuts around each turret being careful to support the strut from below as it may fall and cause you or the car damage.

Once released remove the whole assembly from the car being careful again not to damage any cables or body work. Personally, I found it easier to drop the bottom of the strut down past the tie rod and then back up as it gives more room to move but it's a case of what ever works here.





Once removed it should all look like this (you can support this with a jack to avoid any unnecessary strain)





Next we need to free the top mount from the original strut as we will be using the mount again.

Place spring clamps either side and begin to tighten the clamps to compress the spring. A word of caution is needed here as if this incorrectly done a spring under load released can cause you injury so be careful.

It should look like the below then slowly tighten alternating between sides evenly.



Once the spring is compressed we can release the top nut from the mount.

Open the dust cap to reveal the top nut and using a ratchet and socket remove the nut. You may also need to vice the strut to get this done. Once off the mount may be really on strut so a love tap with a hammer or mallet will free it.



We now need to install the old mount onto the the strut and spring assembly. The coilovers I used came with built in bump stops so I removed the originals and their washers (17,18 and 19). Once on it's a good idea to adjust the coilovers to an even height while out and then fine tune once in.

Installation, as the Haynes book of lies is fond of saying, is the reversal of removal. The hard part here, once you have the mount back on and tightened down, is trying to get the mount pins to line up in the turret and secure them with nuts. It's quicker to get a helping hand when doing this.

Below is what it should look like once you have it all back in and bolted together. Make sure all your hoses and lines are secured to the strut correctly. Lock the steering out both ways to ensure there is no strain on anything.

It is simply then a matter of adjusting the springs using the handy little supplied ratchet. A couple of things to note are when installing don't tighten everything 100% until the mount, strut and brake carrier all sit and fit correctly. Then tighten down completely. Secondly, once you have completed this on both sides of the car and the wheels are back on. Before you let the car down put timber blocks or similar under the wheels as once down the car will be lower and unless you have a low entry jack you may find it stuck. The added height will allow you free the jack then drive slowly off the blocks.



Next to do is the rear of the car.

Again jack it up and use axle stands.

Remove both rear wheels and release the handbrake. What needs to be done is to remove the shock and the spring which are independent of each other in this case as opposed to the front which are one unit.



First we remove the shock or strut. To do this support the trailing arm with a jack and undo the shock bottom to top again. Removing 2, 11, 12, 13, 14 from the below.



Once out it looks like this



Again we need to repeat the process of recovering the mounts and adding them to the new shocks. The only difference being no spring clamps are needed.



The spring sits in the upper wishbone (5 from above) between it and the body of the car. There will be rubber mounts either side of the spring.



There are several ways of getting the spring out like using a pry bar. Personally, I'd took the safe route and had someone apply pressure downward onto the hub and arm to release the tension on the spring and allow enough room to move it free from the car.

Once it's out it's time to install the new parts. The spring and "helper" need to go in first. The helper is used to adjust the ride height in the rear and sits on top of the spring. It's a good idea to adjust both of these to match each other before you put them in. These will be easier to put in than removing the originals as the spring is shorter but again some downward pressure on the hub trailing arm may be needed.

Once in bolt everything back up and lower the car the same as before.

You have now lowered your car

Just another two points that may help!

This is wrong as the helper should be at the top



All nut sizes and torque specs etc are available online or if someone wants to post them? This is a guide, I'm not a mechanic and assume no responsibility for what you may do to your own car or good self!