Further suspension issues

[onewhippedpuppy]

So, thus far I've done my thrust arms, tie rods, center link, sway bar links front and back, dogbones, 3mm spring pads, and Racing King subframe bushings. No more shimmy, everything is nice and tight.......except for a very small pop. I get it at low speeds, over sudden bumps, or when starting or stopping slowly. Anything that loads or unloads the suspension, I get it most of the time. It's not really audible, but I feel it, and I'm pretty sure it's from the front end. Again, it's very minor, but there. I plan on double checking all of my torques, even though I double checked them when installed, but does anyone have any ideas? The lower control arms and thrust arms were torqued under load with the car on ramps, so that common mistake was avoided.

[Alexlind123]

Your dogbones might be worn out. On second thought though, i could tell that the sound my dogbones were making was coming from the rear. Do a quick visual inspection to see if the boots are torn (they are right in front of the rear wheels). I could move mine with my finger before i replaced them.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Nah, it's in the list above. On the rear I've done dogbones, sway bar links, and the Racing King bushings.

[Robin-535im]

Playing the odds I'd guess the front sway links or the strut collar nut. Both are notorious for tricking you into thinking they're tight when they aren't, so you button it back up and yet still get a clunk / pop from the front sometimes.

I had new links but didn't tighten them down enough (mine needed to be really tight to not move around at the attachment point to the axle). I could only hear it if I went over a modest bump on one tire only, and it would "clack".

Then again, could be something completely different... and expensive... like a wheel bearing! Ahh yes, the joy of a 15 year old car.

- Robin

[onewhippedpuppy]

Sway bar links are torqued to spec, are you saying you had to go tighter? The occurance of the pop would point to sway bar links, I just didn't figure new ones torqued to proper spec would give me trouble. Strut collar nut was put on with an impact until it began to twist the spring.

[632 Regal]

is this possible?
Strut collar nut was put on with an impact until it began to twist the spring.

[onewhippedpuppy]

If you impact it on, you don't have to hold the strut shaft. The impact will put it on without a backup. If you go too far it starts to turn the spring and unseats it. This is with the spring still compressed. Picked it up from guys doing strut changes on 944s. Makes removal damn nice too.

[mholbrook]

Might be crazy, but when I put the Sachs kit in my last 535, I suddenly heard this awful rattle coming from the front. Turned out to be the fog lights. The "ball" broke and they were sort of "floating" around and making all kinds of noise. Fixed the fog light mounts by drilling a hole in the ball and reattaching it to the housing with the screw and epoxy. No more noise.

So the moral of the story is look around, it could be something unusual like that.

[632 Regal]

the strut collar nut is the big round thing that threads over the shock, thats supposed to me 80lb...real tight.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I'll double check it, I never bothered to torque it after impacting it on when re-assembling the strut.

[632 Regal]

DUDE!!!!

#3 not the top nut...

http://www.bimmer.info/~regal632/Dyno.jpg

[onewhippedpuppy]

#3 in this pic?
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HE53&mospid=47410&btnr=31_0142&hg=31&fg=10

I never had the struts out, I had the springs off to replace the pads.

[632 Regal]

yes, my link sucks, get a pipe wrench and see if you can tighten it some.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I'll double check it, maybe it's been loose all the time and it's just a coincidence. That, or fixing the big suspension problems makes the little ones more obvious.

[Rustam]

the strut collar nut is the big round thing that threads over the shock, thats supposed to me 80lb...real tight.

96ft*lb in fact by Bentley's.
I cut a thin ring (1 mm) using Dremel off the shock insert collar to insure good connection between the nut and the shock absorber, and used a pipe wrench to tighten with the spring off for clearance...

[Robin-535im]

Sway bar links are torqued to spec, are you saying you had to go tighter?

yeah - much tighter - but YMMV so don't break anything on my account :)

[onewhippedpuppy]

yeah - much tighter - but YMMV so don't break anything on my account :)

Ok, how much tighter? Everything under there is tight, but it still pops. Pretty certain it's the sway links.

[Robin-535im]

Ok, how much tighter? Everything under there is tight, but it still pops. Pretty certain it's the sway links.
Depends, how strong are you? :)

I just cranked it down as hard as I could with a hand wrench / no extensions. I don't think I quite have the muscle to strip a 13mm so I just did it as hard as I could, IIRC.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I didn't have much time, so I just put it up on ramps and tested everything. Tight for me with a 3/8 ratchet. This weekend I'll pull the wheels and give it a bit more.

[632 Regal]

WTF are you turning with a 3/8 ratchet?????


I didn't have much time, so I just put it up on ramps and tested everything. Tight for me with a 3/8 ratchet. This weekend I'll pull the wheels and give it a bit more.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Sway links, they only torque to 43 lb ft. I just wanted to make sure they were tight.

[632 Regal]

oh thought you were talking about the strut collar.

[onewhippedpuppy]

What can I say, I'm just that damn good.

[Rustam]

What can I say, I'm just that damn good.

You may need to take the spring off and remount the assembly with out it before tightening. When I tried, I found the coil clearance not big enough for the pipe wrench...

[onewhippedpuppy]

I was just joking with Jeff, I was able to get a pipe wrench on both sides, and they were tight.

[Rustam]

I was just joking with Jeff, I was able to get a pipe wrench on both sides, and they were tight.

still noise?

[Bill R.]

torque as tight as you can with a wrench, you can break it if you do so. And yes you can strip it out easier than you thing but in this case i think it would shear the stud/bolt instead of stripping.



Depends, how strong are you? :)

I just cranked it down as hard as I could with a hand wrench / no extensions. I don't think I quite have the muscle to strip a 13mm so I just did it as hard as I could, IIRC.

[632 Regal]

noise still?

stillnoise?

[Bleeding_Knuckles]

did you replace your front shocks?

[Rustam]

noise still?

Does the noise still occur? <- perfect english

[onewhippedpuppy]

Unfortunately, yes. I would just about put money on the sway links. If I go slow, hitting a sudden bump will get a pop out of both, or going over a speed bump at an angle will get me a distinct pop from both sides as the wheel goes over the bump. Bill R, any idea how tight I should try tightening it too? I haven't gotten carried away with it for that reason, with the right wrench it's certainly breakable.

No, I did not do my front shocks.

[Bill R.]

tight.. for me its easy, its been taught over the last 35 years. You get a feel for whats tight enough right away after you break a few bolts and studs. So its not possible for me to tell you what it should feel like. I just snug them down good.




Unfortunately, yes. I would just about put money on the sway links. If I go slow, hitting a sudden bump will get a pop out of both, or going over a speed bump at an angle will get me a distinct pop from both sides as the wheel goes over the bump. Bill R, any idea how tight I should try tightening it too? I haven't gotten carried away with it for that reason, with the right wrench it's certainly breakable.

No, I did not do my front shocks.

[Bill R.]

am working on their cars, so they learn a little. When i tighten a bolt and they are helping i usually tighten it just a fraction short of what i think feels correct and then have them move the wrench the last 1/4 inch so they will have a feel for how tight i think it should be.... Thats about the only way i know to actually show someone how tight something is.. That or always use a torque wrench on every single bolt and nut which isn't practical in a lot of cases.



tight.. for me its easy, its been taught over the last 35 years. You get a feel for whats tight enough right away after you break a few bolts and studs. So its not possible for me to tell you what it should feel like. I just snug them down good.

[Robin-535im]

torque as tight as you can with a wrench, you can break it if you do so. And yes you can strip it out easier than you thing but in this case i think it would shear the stud/bolt instead of stripping.
Agree completely Bill, you of all people have probably got the feel for how tight is just enough before it strips/shears. As I recall, I wasn't at the point of failure but didn't hold back much either.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Figured it out, somehow my center link to idler arm nut was loose. How I have no idea, because I distinctly remember rigging up some extensions to properly torque the nut down. Perhaps something got in a bind and allowed my wrench to click, I don't know. Anyway, wrenched it down, along with giving the sway bar links a bit more. Quiet, tight and smooth.