bmwe21.net forums

Does anyone know what shock inserts will fit the e21 45mm O.D legs?
I've tried mk1 golf gti inserts and they are 40mm so don't fit....
Can anyone suggest something else? Are the e30 shocks shorter?
Thanks

E30 shocks are shorter, they work well.

wiz0r wrote:E30 shocks are shorter, they work well.

^^ this, just make sure you get the right size/type and dont end up buying the 51mm ones. Good luck

Are some of the e30 ones the right size to fit in the smaller e21 legs?
Thanks guys

There are two sizes. I believe the 318i E30 struts suit the 45mm strut. Any others suit the 51mm strut. If you just go onto google and type in E30 45mm strut it will come up with a bunch of options, just find the website that is best for you. But you need to check the length of the strut insert, as just buying a direct replacement stock insert wont have any benefit to you lowering your car. Make sure to pick up a sport insert (or make sure it says is suitable for lowered cars). Then you just need springs and you should be good. While you're at it you may as well replace some bushes as well, check out Eurometric if you're going to. Its run by one of the guys on here and the quality of the product/service is amazing.

Hope this helps

That's brilliant thanks, I was going to try and source a set of koni's and I've already got a set of coilover threads and springs that il use, will be doing polybushes all round at some point but it already had a lot of new standard parts so feels pretty tightly the mo
Thanks a lot for your advice

With the mk1 golf gti front inserts you cut steel tube spacers to put below them in the front struts. This is a most because cutting the front struts for the gti inserts to fit correctly would make the front suspension 40mm or so too short. We put hard rubber "O" rings at the bottom of the inserts to keep them centered in the ID of the struts. It might also be possible to turn down some PVC pipe to center the insert in the strut.

We run custom valved Bilstien gti sports in the track car. I have done a few sets of front struts at home over the years, if there is an interest I can find the info and do a quick DIY article for the site, I might even have some pictures somewhere. Daryl

Edit - just realized that you may be talking about using GTI stock replacement inserts but the Bilies should be the same od inserts?

Hi thanks for that and sorry ive only just see your response! I tried quite a few different shocks in the end but eventually settled on a set of koni adjustables from an e30, they were short enough to cut the leg down by 30mm giving me enough movement on my coilover threads to allow adequate height adjustment and half decent suspension travel at lowered height. Very happy with how they turned out to be honest. Cheers!

I'd like to see that DIY article on using the GTI struts.

The golf gti shocks? It's online somewhere if you search hard enough, the rabbit shocks were to fat for my skinny shock legs so I settled for the e30 koni's!