Mo' Bilstein mayhem

[genphreak]

Hi all, (Jeff maybe only!)

I've got a set of Billie sports on shortened springs that have a rattle on a 540i. Wherever you go, however you go.... there's an annoying little rattle rattle as the car moves over every minor undulation.

They are new, and I've just changed the (old, worn) control arms/bushes//tie-rods thinking the noise was probably them, but it wasn't. It's not the swaybar brackets/connections, they are solid as. It's a long time since Kriss and I installed some Billies on the front of a late e34- and I can't remember what hardware one had to use.

IIRC, ideally it was:
- new top-hats/spring supports
- new spring pads if busted
- new dust cover
- no need for a bump stop on the shock piston

Thing is, with these HD/Sport shocks, I remember there being a small collar / spacer thing on the top of the piston where it bolted to the upper support (under #6 below). My theory is that this might be missing the collar. Here's the ETK's diagram... it's not helping much as I think this is a Billie-specific thing.

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=8508&stc=1

Maybe I'm dreaming but were those collars a Bilstein inclusion for making the same shock compatible with guide supports suited to shocks with the smaller threads?

Figured with all that love you spent working on your Nikka's billies you'd know how they go together...


Is that right? Any suggestions?

[632 Regal]

Did you replace the thrust/control arms or just the bushings? If you didn't the balljoints could be worn causing a rattle. You can check this by creeping slowly and tapping the brakes, if worn you will hear a clunk sound. I got new arms from Ebay (China) and at 15K miles are still connected. I can find links if you need. (disgustingly cheap & even the aluminum ones)

======================

#5 bolts directly on top of #1
#3 goes on the top of the strut piston and directly to the bottom of #1


Thing is, with these HD/Sport shocks, I remember there being a small collar / spacer thing on the top of the piston where it bolted to the upper support (under #6 below).

My Sachs/Boge turbo had the spacer for use with both diameter spring supports. All the Billies I got were vehicle specific and did not have the little spacer deals. The 540 should have the big diameter support. That being said you can simply unbolt the top nut #6 and see if the threads are the correct diameter for the support. This however wont cause the rattle you have unless nut #6 is loose. My Spring supports #1 are about as bad as they get and I have no rattles so you can rule that out for a light rattle sound.

Now the rattle you are experiencing is most likely due to the strut collar nut #3 http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=HE23-USA---E34-BMW-530i&diagId=31_0142 not being tight enough. I use a pipe wrench and a 4 foot bar to reaf these things down. How these struts work is an interference fit and if the collar nut isn't tight enough the strut will rattle up and down in the housing. I hope you cleaned the old oil out of the housing good, if 1 little drop touches a Billie it will become garbage over night. Ask me how I know.

8511

I have 2 billies here, 1 good and 1 not so good if you want them to send in for replacement. Not sure what shipping on your end would be through Ebay global shipping but sure it's less than 1 new strut.

[genphreak]

Thanks a lot Jeff, that's what I needed to read.

That picture is a shocker! (I still remember it from the day you posted it- it looks more like you opened up someone's intestines). Are you sure the engine oil in the strut casing seeped in and caused that? Doesn't Bilstein recommend a little oil for cooling, ie sinking heat out of the shock? Maybe your struts had synthetic oil in there(?), as those stops are likely only made from butyl rubber.

Anyway, the LCAs have just gone in, the thrust arms are new-ish, and the rattle has turned out to be one of the (new) swaybar links. I thought I had it tested, but maybe it needed the wheels full lock and weight transferred just right or something. Eugh. Anyway, very relieved its nailed. Maybe it was a cheapy- who knows!

Yes I agree about the glut of control arms now available, the LCAs I' like are the Al ones made in Taiwan. For thrust arms I buy Chinese cheapies with the 'e32 750 bushing (yeah... right!)' but at the same time a set of powerflex bushings for the moment they get torn by something hard. If you just cruise around, who knows how long they'll last- maybe 2 years? I think we'll know sooner or later ;-)

[632 Regal]

That picture is a shocker! (I still remember it from the day you posted it- it looks more like you opened up someone's intestines). Are you sure the engine oil in the strut casing seeped in and caused that? Doesn't Bilstein recommend a little oil for cooling, ie sinking heat out of the shock? Maybe your struts had synthetic oil in there(?), as those stops are likely only made from butyl rubber.


The Billies have a little V-indent to alleviate pressure to the bottom of the strut. It seeps air in and out. If it smells oil the bumpstops will desintigrate overnight. The Billies hold all it's dampening oil on the top in theory using road air to keep them cool. Good design except I am NOT a fan of the garbage I replaced many times.

So far my cheap chinese struts are holding their own. I figured a total fail by now but no deal on the fail. Sensens I think was the brand, ($60 US for both? Have to check my earlier posts on this). They are small for my strut tube but provide the right collar to center them. And I filled that strut tube half way with good used 5W40 synthetic to keep them cool. Most dumped out but I know there is no air or hot spots happening.

I have used the Billies many times on great reviews but personally all I got was PITA with them And they ride like S h i t in comparison to the Boge/Turbo and the China Sensens.

[genphreak]

Ahhh awesome, thank you for taking the time to explain.

Now I see the reason why this oil trouble happens, with some shocks you need oil for cooling, but with some you don't, e.g. if you have twin tube Billies, make very sure any oil is removed from the strut casing prior to installation.

IIRC this is what their instructions say, though they do not mention that this is opposite to factory procedure that calls for 30ml of std engine oil to be present in each strut before installation.

FYI, Meyle's are cheap Chinese struts too, but they are the correct diameter externally and come in 2 settings whilst being quite cheap. Not sure if they are $30 each for the fronts tho, that's a super nice price!)