Suspension help…

[1990m3]

How? The slot is not centered, it is offset to one side? Hmmmm

Maybe the wrong knuckle on the wrong strut, this would make the control arm and steering arm mounts, hit the rotor, if you could reverse it on the same strut? No?

Now I'm confused lol



T

I don't recall exactly, but like 10+ years ago I put them on and hooked up the control arms and had ridiculous negative camber and then realized my error. It was kind of funny actually, gave me a good laugh anyway.

[EThirtyinCT]

Hope I didn’t start a shit storm! Lol

[nsubre]

The front had Ackermann steering which is so the outside wheel goes around a larger circle in a turn than the inner one. The way that works is if you draw a line from the strut steering ball joint through the strut bottom ball joint and continue the line \from both sides the two lines will meet at the line of the rear axle. So with the steering ball joint in front of the strut bottom ball joint the steering ball joint should be further out than the steering strut ball joint for the line to go toward the center of the car, not the other way.
Larry.

[kronus]

just to settle things up here, I have a set of strut housings on the bench.

The steering linkages are labeled L and R.




Assembled correctly.



Left is on the left, right is on the right, for both photos.

Note that these have roll center spacers installed, yours may look different, etc etc. The ones in OP's photos are assembled correctly.

[EThirtyinCT]

just to settle things up here, I have a set of strut housings on the bench.

The steering linkages are labeled L and R.




Assembled correctly.



Left is on the left, right is on the right, for both photos.

Note that these have roll center spacers installed, yours may look different, etc etc. The ones in OP's photos are assembled correctly.

Awesome. Good stuff.

Beyond the linkages, could there be any issue with the currently run control arms messing any of this up?

[kronus]

nope. all the available choices (E30, couple different E36 variants, E30 M3) are dimensionally similar enough that the strut should be able to at least bolt up.

[EThirtyinCT]

nope. all the available choices (E30, couple different E36 variants, E30 M3) are dimensionally similar enough that the strut should be able to at least bolt up.

I think we have the anomaly here. The tie rod. Have some proper ones coming today so we’ll try that.