BlowMyWhistle 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2010 (edited) 18.s off an e53 40 profile tyres , bilstein HD sports & H&R springs, certainly rides better, a little hard maybe... But My guy who put them in, i supplied them ( cheaper uSa), decided not to change the original cups... $200 for a cup kit... now it's clanking & banging like metal to metal.. grr! Gunner cost me $ to strip it down again & fit new ones, grr. I want to change the front control arms too, the little ones, changed the big ones, the ball joints were shot. But now I've (still) got a slight wheel wobble at low low speeeds? The front control arms? It's got 28mm spacers (H&R) up front & 25's at rear, same ride height as the 17's, don't think the answer lies there.. I've got a shake at about 140k's not major, but annoying, guess I gotta fit new cups & front control arms, start from there? maybe it's the cheap ass ebay tyres, but they said they were good! Like a new car now, handles so much better, looks aggressive, eveybody peels off into the left lane when they see me coming... id a few overdue bits, belts & pulleys, pulled the pan off the auto. $5000 all up, $3k for the servicing, the fitting of springs etc & a few other bits. I'd be interseted to know if I'm on the right track, think I've pretty much answered myself, when you do suspension, do it all, the weakest link will fail... But any insights wood be appreciated? Edit; What I forgot to mention, maybe the most important.. he couldn't fit the bumpstops, left them out. The top nut on the strut tower, the thread is so long the dust cap won't fit! The guys pretty good, auto haus, does euro cars, so I just want to know what's going on & I'm sure we'll sort something out, but the more Information I can glean the better i'll be able to explain 'it's making a noise'. before &after pics, we can get speights in WA! Looked up real oem, the spring pads, not cups are only a few dollars, nowhere near $200, not camber plates?? Heeelp... Edit: Please resize pictures then re-upload. Edited March 6, 2010 by Nick021 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
twisted 45 Report post Posted March 6, 2010 Do you have hubcentric rings? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenetti 0 Report post Posted March 6, 2010 (edited) Are the spacers all hubcentric? If not that is where the issue will be. He couldn't fit the bumpstops? WTF Edited March 6, 2010 by zenetti Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kiwi535 538 Report post Posted March 6, 2010 the e34 is very sensitive to front suspension iregularities.make sure the wheels are very well balanced as a first step.Put the two best wheels on the front Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlowMyWhistle 0 Report post Posted March 7, 2010 Thank you guys for responding to my predicament. Yes H&R spacers. Brand new, almost wheels, be harde pushed to pick 2 best ones... Can you get the wheels balanced on ther car? Don't know what exactly my guy meant when he couldn't fit the bump stops. The spring kit sez to use the factory stops. but are bilsteins different? I printed a picture last night of the spring/shock set up, I'll take that back in to show him. He seems a good mechanic, got a fee beemers, saabs, audis & mercs in his shop, so I'm giving him full benefit at the moment. Pretty sure we can come to an agreement where he fixes it up & it doesn't cost me for all the additional work, alignments etc he subs out... So, from looking at the picture what cushioning is there between the car & the strut without the bump stops? Think he had to cut the rear ones to make them fit. do I need Bilsteinn bump stop & H&R spring pads? If I had a better idea of what was what I could go bak to him & say exactly what it was. Not suggesting he's inept or trying to con me, it was a rush job, I wanted my car back in 2 days, public trnsport sucks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BM WORLD 1264 Report post Posted March 7, 2010 replace all the front arms and bushes , they are all going to be old and worn out . also check/replace brake discs . how good are the wheel bearings (any play in them ) make sure you have the correct inner hub size for the wheels to match the hubs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlowMyWhistle 0 Report post Posted March 7, 2010 replace all the front arms and bushes , they are all going to be old and worn out . also check/replace brake discs . how good are the wheel bearings (any play in them ) make sure you have the correct inner hub size for the wheels to match the hubs Put new disc rotors on it, dunno bout the wheel bearings, but I'll make a note.Spacers were H&R ordered for this model. Plan on replacing the rear control arms & the stubby one up the front & everything else while I'm there. reckon that'll take care of the slight wheel wobble (feels like?) running 40's & sports bilsteins is soon gonna wear out anything soft.. My immediate concern is the bump stops & the fitting of the struts, the top nut seems to be protuding so far the dust cap don't fit & there's a metal to metal contact. Dunno why he didn't replace the stops/ or needed to customise them to make them fit? Or where he got the price $200 for spring pads. Is the bilstein different from factory stops? Could be my bad for not supplying new stops etc. Sure ike to know a bit more about it, but at the end of the day I'm gunner have to trust in his integrity to do the right thing. make it good again & don't charge me for the stuff which he should have got tright the first time. I've told him I'm not happy, but want to pay his account before I take it back, anothe $1000 next weeks pay & we're square... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creaver 55 Report post Posted March 7, 2010 e34's don't have rear control arms? Do you mean the trailing arm bushes? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soarer260@hotmail.com 0 Report post Posted March 7, 2010 the e34 is very sensitive to front suspension iregularities.make sure the wheels are very well balanced as a first step.Put the two best wheels on the front I agree, most sensitive front end on any of my cars. replace all the front arms and bushes , they are all going to be old and worn out . also check/replace brake discs . how good are the wheel bearings (any play in them ) make sure you have the correct inner hub size for the wheels to match the hubs Definitely do all these things. I wouldnt use cheap tires, they wont be evenly balanced causing a shimmy, go for decent tires not made in China etc. The hub rings need to be exact, other wise your going to get a vibration easily. The fact your running big wheels with spacers also take the factory settings out of a wack amplifying any suspension issues further. Just take it all back to running some stock 15/16s on good tires and you will see how smooth it runs, smoother again with new suspension gear up front. Then go back to what your running now to see where the difference lies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
No name user 379 Report post Posted March 8, 2010 my 5c worth i run 245/18/45 all round on my 34 10" rims 1" spacers ive just rebuilt the front end and with the back subframe bushes i used aftermarket and made half sapcers with a large dia spacer to surport them due too much side play. new track arms,ball joints blah blah blah. as for the brakes i did a small upgrade of a GT4 porche cup car, 360mm dia 32mm thick with brembos have yet to put on sub frame support cross ive made and the strut brace with 500lb springs and custom incerts. i dont use eccentric rings and it silky smooth even under hard hard braking. i also run 0 toe and 2 deg negitive chamber and lots of castor. conclusion: bit hard to say without seeing or driving it or take it to another shop and get them to look over it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kiwipetrolhead 1 Report post Posted March 9, 2010 I agree, most sensitive front end on any of my cars. Definitely do all these things. I wouldnt use cheap tires, they wont be evenly balanced causing a shimmy, go for decent tires not made in China etc. The hub rings need to be exact, other wise your going to get a vibration easily. The fact your running big wheels with spacers also take the factory settings out of a wack amplifying any suspension issues further. Just take it all back to running some stock 15/16s on good tires and you will see how smooth it runs, smoother again with new suspension gear up front. Then go back to what your running now to see where the difference lies. Maybe a bit off topic, but... Speaking about tyres, I am very happy with Toyo tyres on my e34 540i, but not so happy with Goodyears. Over Xmas a Goodyear tyre on the right-rear developed a major case separation in Taupo while on our way to Hahei (Coromandel). There was a real bad shimmy, or vibration, as we drove into Taupo – I suspected a tyre straight away, but initially it took a bit of searching to find the culprit. Because it was New Year weekend, Saturday pm, everything was closed, so we could not get another tyre until Tuesday, so we were stuck in Taupo (and try getting unbooked accommodation at the time of year). (We discovered we could not use the spare wheel because unknowingly to us the tyre shop had fitted alloy spacers on the hubs for the new mags that I bought about 3 yeas ago. I bought a set of 5 new mags, but the 5th one was still in the shed at home with no tyre fitted and I still had an original mag in the boot in the meantime). We went into an independent, Taupo Tyre shop, on the Tuesday, off Spa Road (a place with a Goodyear sign) expecting to get some credit on the faulty tyre. But they said the tyre was marked as being made in 2002 and warranties only last for 5 years. What??? I only bought that Goodyear tyre 2 years ago when I accidentally wrecked a Toyo tyre on a sharp step at a Motel in New Plymouth. Since then I went into a bit of an email battle direct with Goodyear, but without success. They offered a Beaurapaires wheel alignment voucher, but I declined that as I prefer to go to specialist wheel alignment shops that know what they are doing. I guess I should take up the issue with the Bridgestone tyre shop in New Plymouth, but I have lost interest now. But this has completely put me of ever buying another Goodyear tyre. Goodyear and Dunlop are now the same company too, so I might be put off Dunlop tyres as well - yet undecided about that one. I think I'll stick with Toyo as they are serving me well so far. Toyo were suggested to me by someone on this forum too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlowMyWhistle 0 Report post Posted March 20, 2010 Maybe a bit off topic, but... Speaking about tyres, I am very happy with Toyo tyres on my e34 540i, but not so happy with Goodyears. Over Xmas a Goodyear tyre on the right-rear developed a major case separation in Taupo while on our way to Hahei (Coromandel). There was a real bad shimmy, or vibration, as we drove into Taupo – I suspected a tyre straight away, but initially it took a bit of searching to find the culprit. Because it was New Year weekend, Saturday pm, everything was closed, so we could not get another tyre until Tuesday, so we were stuck in Taupo (and try getting unbooked accommodation at the time of year). (We discovered we could not use the spare wheel because unknowingly to us the tyre shop had fitted alloy spacers on the hubs for the new mags that I bought about 3 yeas ago. I bought a set of 5 new mags, but the 5th one was still in the shed at home with no tyre fitted and I still had an original mag in the boot in the meantime). We went into an independent, Taupo Tyre shop, on the Tuesday, off Spa Road (a place with a Goodyear sign) expecting to get some credit on the faulty tyre. But they said the tyre was marked as being made in 2002 and warranties only last for 5 years. What??? I only bought that Goodyear tyre 2 years ago when I accidentally wrecked a Toyo tyre on a sharp step at a Motel in New Plymouth. Since then I went into a bit of an email battle direct with Goodyear, but without success. They offered a Beaurapaires wheel alignment voucher, but I declined that as I prefer to go to specialist wheel alignment shops that know what they are doing. I guess I should take up the issue with the Bridgestone tyre shop in New Plymouth, but I have lost interest now. But this has completely put me of ever buying another Goodyear tyre. Goodyear and Dunlop are now the same company too, so I might be put off Dunlop tyres as well - yet undecided about that one. I think I'll stick with Toyo as they are serving me well so far. Toyo were suggested to me by someone on this forum too. I used to live in Hahei! stayed with my mate there a few months, moved to cooks berach for near 2 years, loved it, had a holden commondoor then, with the twisty body...Filipino tyres are reccommended, Chinese ones are not. They have like michelin clones, made in the same moulds but not branded... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kiwi535 538 Report post Posted March 20, 2010 for the record i have had no issues with bridgestones or falkens although i am starting to get a shimmy on my wearing out falken fronts.from experience a alignment and balance will fix it.If it doesnt i will swap the newer rears on to the front.Thats how sensitive the e34 is.All my bushes etc are relatively new Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlowMyWhistle 0 Report post Posted March 25, 2010 Final outcome: sway bar links were loose. replaced them, all good. New radiator, Injector service.. ouch, another $1000 to a good cause!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
