Rattling shock absorbers

[NielsGalan]

Hey guys.

Just a quick "question": I've been hunting down a very annoying rattle in the front of the car, and have found it to be in the front shock absorbers. Basically the front rattles when driving over anything not smooth and flat. We've established play in the shocks themselves between the piston and the chamber. The shocks "seem" to be working though. But the rattle is driving me mad.

Is this fixable or should I just replace the shocks?

I know for a fact that both shocks and springs are cheapo-no-name-relatively-new-yes-i-was-****ed-in-the-ass-pieces-of-****. Rear shocks died after a year. BMW in Germany put Sachs shocks in the back. Now it seams it is the front shock's turn.

Replace with non-shitty shocks asap, yes?

[Ross]

Ja

[Bruno]

You could lift the front of the car and slide a pipe wrench then tighen the collar nut. That might solve your clunking problem and save you some money until you save for proper shocks.

[gmannino]

What makes you think its the shocks making that noise? It can easily be a more known issue like the sway bar end links failure. Check your shock collar nuts and if they are tight, it might be something else.

I do have the same noise, over bumps and such, but I just installed Bilstein sports shocks and Vogland springs so I know everything is installed correctly. I will troubleshoot the end links and other suspension.

[NielsGalan]

Interesting point, gmannino. I know there is play at the sway bars links! A lot on one side, some on the other. I just didn't connect the dots. I was pretty sure the sound came from the shocks, especially knowing that they're cheapo crap and the rear ones failed a year ago, less than one year old.

You may just have saved me a heap of cash. THANK YOU.


Bruno, regarding the collar nut(s) - Are we talking about the one(s) at the top by the strut tower?

[Tiger]

Collar nut is just on top of the strut black housing... not the one you see in engine compartment

[BMWCCA1]

The '89 E34s (first year for the USA) came to us right off the truck with loose "gland" nuts or collar nuts on the strut housings. We'd have to jack them up and use the world's largest ChannelLocks to tighten them. A pipe wrench is better if you can get one in there between the spring coils. Worth a try

[NielsGalan]

So I changed one of the sway bars today, and it made no difference at all. Could only get my hands on one today, so the other side must wait until the dealer gets another.

So the rattling persists. I still haven't figured out which nut you want me to tighten, but I'll just have to get under there and have a look. (unless someone would be so kind to paint me a picture :-)

[Tiger]

Jack up the car... it is the only way you can see that nut.

[Bruno]

Jack up the car... it is the only way you can see that nut.

See the picture, the pipe wrench is on the nut, this will help you locate the where the nut is.

http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Maintenance/Suspension/Data/shock_step7.jpg

[Barney Paull-Edwards]

you can just get a pair of Stilsons between the coils and it might be the rattle. If they were cheap sh... shocks then they may be about 25 thou short as they are Ford Mondeo ones that are, guess, 25thou shorter..and the same Taiwan part!

[NielsGalan]

See the picture, the pipe wrench is on the nut, this will help you locate the where the nut is.

http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Maintenance/Suspension/Data/shock_step7.jpg

Thank you. Now I know where to start ;-)

I won't be able to get under the car for a few days, but I'll report my findings.