Suspension Refresh: Needed?

[ourZHP]

It's been a while but I've appreciated the knowledge and advise. I have a 2005 vert with 88,000 miles. The car is not lowered with no plans to do it. It won't be tracked. There are no noises or clunks. Everything feels tight. The ride still amazes me with the Michelin PS4s. Question is should I replace any or all of the suspension due to age? If so, what parts and brands would anyone recommend? I have gone through the forum and haven't seen any posts that fits these circumstances. Thanks in advance

[John in VA]

Lots on info here: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?11957-The-Random-E46-ZHP-Question-Thread&p=547702#post547702

[Pilot05]

I have same car with 105k and orig suspension. I am starting to feel some clunks. My car is summer only, and I try to do a little each year to keep it maintained. If you plan to do this work yourself, you might put a list together and start assembling parts. I found the best price on OEM Sachs ZHP struts to be Ebay -Germany..even after shipping.

In your case, I would be inclined to give it another year given how tight it feels. However, If you wanted to, you could put the car on a lift or jack stands with wheels off the ground and give the suspension a visual once over. Any oil leaks from struts, cracks in bushings, loose ball joints. Take a long screwdriver or pry bar and flex control arms, links, etc. to see if there is any play.

One benefit of BMW CCA membership is the free tech inspections the local chapter does in my area...usually at dealer. Every new (used) BMW i get will get a look-see at one of these tech inspections. They often see pblms with my suspension before I feel them, and I have learned how to inspect the suspension from these tech inspections.

[fredo]

+1. I refreshed the suspension at 150k miles. The deciding factor was cupping on the front tires. If you like how the car drives and feels, then you can wait longer.

[Vas]

99.9% the rear shocks are dead and the front ones are on the way out. You just never notice it due to the way the chassis is.

A basis refresh goes a long way and with a proper alignment is an investment to prolong the life of the tires.

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[t.er]

99.9% the rear shocks are dead and the front ones are on the way out. You just never notice it due to the way the chassis is.

This is so true. When I did mine, my front struts were okay, but my rear shocks would not rebound. Car seemed to drive fine, but after replacement with Bilstein B4 (OE replacement) the back end felt less bouncy.

[Pilot05]

This is so true. When I did mine, my front struts were okay, but my rear shocks would not rebound. Car seemed to drive fine, but after replacement with Bilstein B4 (OE replacement) the back end felt less bouncy.

Are Bilstein B4's really an OE replacement? I thought they were all Sachs....I do run Bilstein B4's on my E39...

[t.er]

Are Bilstein B4's really an OE replacement? I thought they were all Sachs....I do run Bilstein B4's on my E39...

Sorry, probably could've worded that better. Sachs are the OE replacements, but Bilstein B4s are the Sachs equivalent, just from a different manufacturer. Whereas Bilstein B6, B8, Koni Yellows are upgrade dampers that are more expensive

[BMWCurves]

If you don't notice any issues, then the suspension is not necessarily needing replacement.

However, these cars are now 14 years old at their youngest, and age of parts is as much a factor as mileage. Rubber dries out. Seals fail. Plastic gets brittle. I replaced my suspension parts when I purchased my car; it had ~50k miles and was 10 years old. What really prompted me to do it wasn't so much issues when I was pushing the car in the corners, but how jarring the car was over low-speed bumps. If I went over a speed bump or a pothole at 10 mph, there was noticeable slack in the suspension that translated to a harsh ride.