usmabmass

So, I'm having a weird problem here, and so far three shops apparently don't know what's going on.

I lived in Colorado last month, and, prior to moving out to Arkansas for a new job, I took my car in to get some work done at my BMW dealer. Long story short, I was pretty unhappy with some of the stuff my dealer was trying to have done on the car (made no sense, extra charges, etc), so I brought my car to an indy shop that some buddies had recommended.

The shop found that my right rear strut was busted, and recommended that I replace both rears. Being that the car (2008 500i Sport) was sitting at 88k miles, i figured it was time. I assumed that they were going to replace the struts with OEM Sachs, but instead they put on Bilstein Sport 24-109666's on the rear.

I drove my wife and kid from Colorado Springs up to Denver to drop my wife up at a hotel to fly out, while I drove the car/belongings to Arkansas. On the way up to Denver (1 hour drive), the car started bouncing like crazy, swaying from side to side (like, it felt like it was goign to go into the other lane). Gut reaction - obviously the struts are VERY messed up. Dropped my wife off and went to the local BMW dealer to have it looked at.

Two mechanics drove with me, and were amazed with how bad the car was bouncing - as in, you hit a bump and it bounced 4-5 times like an old buick hooptie, or jumping side to side like the struts were fighting each other.

They wanted to look at it some more, and after a while the service advisor told me that they found that the struts were badly leaking oil (red flag, because I thought these Bilsteins are supposed to be gas struts), and they needed to replace them but needed two days for parts. I said unfortunately that I had to be in Arkansas the next day, so after a while of deliberation, took the car back with the intention of babying the car 1500 miles to my destination and stopping somewhere along the way.

As soon as I picked up the car - everything was perfect! Nice firm sport suspension ride like I had been used to. It lasted all the way down to Arkansas, until I picked my wife up again, then we noticed that there was a rubbing noise coming from the right rear speaker deck. At first I thought it was our child's carseat rubbing against the seat. She looked back and saw that every time we hit an imperfection int he road, the speaker deck was bouncing!

So, again, we stopped, and, looking in through the trunk, I saw that the strut was coming through the top of the strut tower! I found that there was an indy German shop nearby and brought it to them. They determined it was a bad strut tower mount (I had replaced that as well) and ordered a new one.

Couple days later, get the car back, and, after about a week, boom. Same thing. Hit a rough road where they were doing construction and heard the rubbing again. THis time it was both sides. I took the car back to the shop and they said that everything looked to be in the right place, and they had no idea what it was. They were going to ask around and see if anybody else they know might have an idea, but haven't heard from them since (a couple days now).

Here's what I found - if you hit a hard bump/dip in the road, the struts will bust out through the top of the speaker deck. If you jack that side of the car back up, the strut will slide back down, and then catch on the tower again, and all is good until the next major stress on the suspension.

What on earth could this be? I've also noticed that the car is 'jumping' from side to side again when you hit an expansion joint in the road, but not nearly as bad. I'm just used to the nice handling of the car that I used to have, and I'm wondering if I have to go back to Sachs.

The car is a 550i Sport, with 255's front, 295's rear on 9/10.5inch tires.

As far as I can tell, the car is still on stock sport springs, OEM front struts, Bilstein rears. I had asked and been told that it was fine to mix as long as fronts were same, and rears were same. Of course the dealer in Colorodo told me that all aftermarket parts were bunk and I needed Dinan struts.

Any ideas on what I need to check or bring to the shop? Are Bilstein sport struts fine for use with the stock BMW sport springs? What else should I be considering? Thanks!

Gollum Smeagol

If there's a creaking sound, grab the spring and have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth with the car on the ground. It the mount / bearing is the issue, you will feel the spring creak as jumps.

tonyb635

OK, I'm confused, because if you paid the first indy to replace them and they broke, instead of returning to the indy, you go to a dealer, they replace them again, and now they are broke once more and you are now going to a different indy? Why don't you return to the dealer that installed them on the second go? I am thinking if they performed the diagnois and made the repair there is a warranty. If you have since moved, perhaps the repair is transferable to another dealer? Not sure though... I'm in the market to change my struts and was told to make sure that all mounts are also replaced along with the jonts bumpers regardless of how they look. BUt at the moment, I don't have any signs of failed struts...

usmabmass

Ah, after reading it back, it sounds a little confusing. Here's the chronology:

- Took the car to the first indy, received back on a Friday night.
- Saturday, drove the car to Denver, dropped off family at hotel, went to BMW dealer to check (since it was the only thing open that Saturday, and until 10PM to boot!) Dealer didn't fix anything and didn't figure out what was wrong
- Drove the car to Arkansas (everything seemed to be working fine), failed again, took an indy, who initially said it was a bad mount, replaced, same issue = not the mount.

The original indy is more than willing to work on reimbursing cost, but so far nobody has presented an idea of what's actually wrong. It seems pretty clear to me that something that hsould be retaining the struts is failing/missing, but if so, how come nobody seems to be able to find it?

abomination

please keep us updated on this...I've been having the same problem...replaced the top hats of both back struts and still does exactly what you said, I actually size out and cut a piece of 2x2 and wedge it to keep the the top from popping out of the hat...

tonyb635

See, this stuff makes me nervous... As mentioned I was planning to change mine but I can't say that I am feeling a need to do so. If I do, I will go o dealer to buy them just to make sure I get exactly what I need. I had looked at AZ and Advance, but they are not oem and my car has the sport suspension. My luck would be that I would receive the incorrect struts. When I do this, I will change strut, mount plate and bumper. I'm not sure if there is more though.

itz MURDAH

That happened to my car .. my mechanic forgot to put back the thick metal washer SMH the bilsteins doesn't come with it you have to take it from the stock struts .. I had to change the strut brace twice since the shock broke through

I believe it's number 5 in the diagram
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...70&hg=33&fg=45