Complete suspension refresh (opinions needed)

[Newjack]

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I will need to replace a bent strut on the front passenger side of the car. My ZHP has 105k on the odometer and I had planned on replacing all of the suspension components at the same time, just not yet.

So right now I'm looking for opinions on which suspension kit to go with. I want to replace

control arms
control arm bushings
rear trailer arms
rear trailer arm bushings
end links
tie rods
shock mounts

front struts
rear shocks


What I want from the suspension kit

OE performance. I want it to handle as good if not better than when it rolled out of the factory. I don't mind the ride being slightly stiffer than stock to get these results. I don't plan to track the car since it is my daily so I don't want it to be racecar stiff. But I do enjoy taking right hand turns hard enough to break a Honda in half.

Lower it. Maybe half an inch maybe. I'm not too worried about lowering the car, especially around MD roads. But I would like to lower it a little bit, whether that means adjustable or not.


So let me know what kits work and let me know if I have missed anything on the list. Or if something is on that list that really doesn't need to be there. I'm all ears ladies and gentlemen.

[ICTZHP]

About a month ago, I did a partial suspension refresh. I went with Koni FSD's. I used the ECS Tuning mounting kit that included strut and shock mounts and reinforcement plates, spring pads, and all new hardware. I replaced the from sway bar links with OEM parts. I replaced the front control arm bushings about 50K miles ago (the car has 111K now) and I used Meyle HD's. They were significantly less than OEM and they are still in very good shape. I am still on the original control arms and ball joints and they are still tight. I did read that Turner Sports uses the ZHP control arms on all of the E46 race cars, so they must be pretty good pieces of hardware. A little pricey compared to Meyle, but when the time comes, I will likely go with the OEM part based on the Turner info.

I hadn't realized how the suspension had worn and become soft. Driving after the refresh was like going back to when the car was new.

That's what I did when I refreshed my suspension. Hope it helps you out!

[derbo]

IMO,

I would only replace things that are necessary as far as the suspension parts goes.

control arms (these should be inspected. Mine are still great after 124k. :) )
control arm bushings (These are definitely always on the list)
rear trailer arms (What exactly are you replacing here? IMO this seems excessive to replace these arms unless there is something wrong with them..)
rear trailer arm bushings (Replace these and get some RTAB limiters for a tighter feel)
end links (I wouldn't replace unless they are worn and need replacement)
tie rods (Unless there is play, I wouldn't replace this either.)
shock mounts (Definitely get some reinforcements for the rear shock mounts from the big companies and the front you can always get the shock reinforcement mounts. http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-M3-S54_3.2L/ES128656/ )

front struts
rear shocks

For suspension that is an OEM style feel, I believe those H&R touring/race combos or Bilstien/H&R setups are pretty close to OEM while dropping the car a bit.

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-4795-e46-325330ici-04-06-assembled-hrbilstein-sport-suspension-package.aspx something like this.


This is my opinion how to go about replacing things on the car related to suspension. IMO it makes sense to replace only the things necessary unless I really insisted on replacing everything at once for a full crazy overhaul. If that is the case, eveything you listed sounds good except the rear trailing arms. Are you expecting to replace the entire arm? or the upper/lower balljoints and RTABs? what about the wheelbearing/hub?

[johnrando]

I like my H&R Cup Kit, Meyle HD shock mounts, adjustible end links. I had already replaced bushings with OEM under CPO, so no comment on those or the other pieces.

[WOLFN8TR]

Good info, Sub'd for when I do mine.

[Newjack]

Thanks for the input guys. Derbo I really like the kit you picked out. However I am concerned that lowering the car 1.4'" seems like a lot.

I'm pretty sure my tie rods and end links are fine (John why did you end up going with adjustable end links?)

I wasn't sure how long rear trailer arms were good for. Again I haven't done any suspension work since I have owned the car in 2011 so I was going to go crazy with it, but it trailer arms aren't really replaced then I'll just leave them and do bushings. I plan to use OEM bushings not Meyle.

I've heard good things about Koni but I really like Bilstein/H&R. I'm gonna keep looking and see what else is out there.


One last thing, will I rub with stock wheels and tired with this suspension you picked out?

[Hermes]

Thanks for the input guys. Derbo I really like the kit you picked out. However I am concerned that lowering the car 1.4'" seems like a lot.

keep your stock springs, buy these late top mounts (some people call them E90 drop hats)

pn 31336764093

this is what they look like installed on an E30
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/328EEE43-95C4-434C-BCF2-68EE66ABCD4B-10303-00000D089AA89F28.jpg

[Johnmadd]

keep your stock springs, buy these late top mounts (some people call them E90 drop hats)

pn 31336764093

this is what they look like installed on an E30
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/328EEE43-95C4-434C-BCF2-68EE66ABCD4B-10303-00000D089AA89F28.jpg

Interesting, mmmmmm...

[Newjack]

keep your stock springs, buy these late top mounts (some people call them E90 drop hats)

pn 31336764093

this is what they look like installed on an E30
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c288/jhermes/328EEE43-95C4-434C-BCF2-68EE66ABCD4B-10303-00000D089AA89F28.jpg

Wouldn't keeping stock springs defeat the purpose of a suspension refresh? Especially since my front passenger strut is bent?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[LivesNearCostco]

Keeping stock springs but refreshing bushings and replacing shocks/struts will refresh the handling performance to where it was when new. If those E390 drop hats lower you 1/4" or 1/2" on OEM springs, that will slightly reduce body roll in the corners. It should be an improvement over what you have now.

If you also replace springs you can get lower (for looks and reduced body roll) and stiffer (reduced body roll, less chance of hitting the bump stops when lowered).

[Johnmadd]

I would say springs last a lifetime of a vehicle usually.

[LivesNearCostco]

Agree, unless you drive in road salt. Then sometimes a BMW spring will rust and break.

[Newjack]

Agree, unless you drive in road salt. Then sometimes a BMW spring will rust and break.

I live in Maryland and they salt the roads heavily here. I'm not to keen on keeping stock springs.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[Johnmadd]

I live in Maryland and they salt the roads heavily here. I'm not to keen on keeping stock springs.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

If its just surface rust your good, don't waste your money unless your upgrading/lowering.

[nike001]

Springs can be saved. Springs either work or they don't.. there's no middle-ground and they rarely break. If you're not too keen on going lower, keeping your stock springs will definitely save you a couple bucks.

[johnrando]

Yup, your springs are likely fine, but you should verify to be sure.

[nike001]

John, could you provide some input on your adjustable endlinks? Any reduced body roll or any of that?

[Johnmadd]

John, could you provide some input on your adjustable endlinks? Any reduced body roll or any of that?

I'm not the John your referring to but they are adjustable so a lowered height doesn't have constant force even when parked, you can dial I t in Just right.

[nike001]

lol you'll work too! I'm not even sure I'd know how to dial it in. I barely know about the pre-load our cars have..

Crash course anyone? :rofl

[Johnmadd]

lol you'll work too! I'm not even sure I'd know how to dial it in. I barely know about the pre-load our cars have..

Crash course anyone? :rofl

I just know that at stand still the less tourqe on any bushing is good, that's what is dialed in on a daily setup. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Hermes]

I live in Maryland and they salt the roads heavily here. I'm not to keen on keeping stock springs.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2


Just paint/powdercoat them. Your springs aren't old enough to be worn out yet

the point of my mod is instead of spending multiple hundred bucks on lowering springs, you can just reuse your stock springs and for under $100 lower your car while maintaining OE ride quality.

Manny's car (the eta I posted) already had Bilstein's so it wasn't 100% stock before that pic, but the pn I posted is what created that slight rake you now see. Personally, I think the slight drop it produced would be perfect for a stock ZHP

[danewilson77]

Just paint/powdercoat them. Your springs aren't old enough to be worn out yet

the point of my mod is instead of spending multiple hundred bucks on lowering springs, you can just reuse your stock springs and for under $100 lower your car while maintaining OE ride quality.

Manny's car (the eta I posted) already had Bilstein's so it wasn't 100% stock before that pic, but the pn I posted is what created that slight rake you now see. Personally, I think the slight drop it produced would be perfect for a stock ZHP

I'll have to add some data now.

When I bought my car, it was at 98k miles. Drove it around for a bit and something didn't feel right. drivers side rear spring was broken.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?91-Spring-restored-to-my-step&highlight=broken

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/IMG_20101103_182107-1.jpg (http://media.photobucket.com/user/nicee46/media/IMG_20101103_182107-1.jpg.html)

[Newjack]

Ok I'm about to pull the trigger but I wanted some last input on what I found.

Gonna go with THESE SPRINGS (http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-4107-hr-race-spring-set-e46-sedancoupe-with-sport-package.aspx) and THIS SHOCK SET (http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3737-e46-bilstein-sport-shock-set-e46-323325328330iciit-set-4.aspx)

My only question is those springs are for cars with the "sport" package, which I'm not sure if my car falls under since there is no performance package to choose from. So does anyone know if these will fit? If they don't then I'll just go with the kit Derbo picked out with more low because why not.

I think the 1.1" drop in the front and .9" drop in the rear will be perfect.

Do I get the repair shop shock mounts with that shock set?

[johnrando]

Nothing happens when I click the links.

[Newjack]

Nothing happens when I click the links.

Fixed. I'm also looking at the H&R touring cup kit.

[aurelius]

If the car in question is a daily driver, consider my post one million red flags.

Ride quality will be unbearable and you will regret this, based upon the shock and spring choices linked above.

If you take the car by trailer to a well-maintained track, then you will love these suspension changes, tho the E46 is still way too heavy as a dedicated track car.

[johnrando]

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised that the race springs weren't too jarring for me (I don't mind a rougher ride). It was a pretty smooth ride for "race" springs. Hitting bumps was more jarring, but general roads were fine. However, my car was REALLY low and it made daily driving tough... I have to go very slow over bumps now, but with those I had to absolutely CRAWL over the smallest bumps. (My sig pic is on race springs, since removed due to mismatch w/shocks). It is a great combo, but not necessarily for street driving unless you are aware of that it's a type of ride you'd have to be OK with. I'd get more opinions and maybe look at e46f to see what others think too. You could consider backing off just a little and go with the "sport" springs. Also, I was told that the H&R kits actually are Biltsteins, which I didn't know when I bought them.

[Newjack]

If the car in question is a daily driver, consider my post one million red flags.

Ride quality will be unbearable and you will regret this, based upon the shock and spring choices linked above.

If you take the car by trailer to a well-maintained track, then you will love these suspension changes, tho the E46 is still way too heavy as a dedicated track car.

I don't plan on tracking the car as it is my daily driver. Thanks for the input, I'm gonna pass on what I picked out.


Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised that the race springs weren't too jarring for me (I don't mind a rougher ride). It was a pretty smooth ride for "race" springs. Hitting bumps was more jarring, but general roads were fine. However, my car was REALLY low and it made daily driving tough... I have to go very slow over bumps now, but with those I had to absolutely CRAWL over the smallest bumps. (My sig pic is on race springs, since removed due to mismatch w/shocks). It is a great combo, but not necessarily for street driving unless you are aware of that it's a type of ride you'd have to be OK with. I'd get more opinions and maybe look at e46f to see what others think too. You could consider backing off just a little and go with the "sport" springs. Also, I was told that the H&R kits actually are Biltsteins, which I didn't know when I bought them.

Yeah Maryland roads can be rough at times and I don't want to have to crawl over bumps. The stock suspension has been great for me. I just wanted a little more with a little more drop. Little being the keyword here.


So based on the above advice, I think the best choice would be this H&R touring cup kit (http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-4323-e46-323i325i328i330ici-with-sport-hr-touring-cup-kit-suspension-package.aspx) which lowers the car a bit and is only a little stiffer than stock springs. (Progressive springs too)

The link I used is for cars with the sport package. I guess the ZHP falls under sport package? The non sport and sport package cup kits have different part numbers.


Really appreciate everyones input here. Thanks a lot everyone.

[johnrando]

I think that's a good call. And yes, the ZHP kinda falls into that category of the "sport" package wrt these springs.

[NorCalZman]

IThe link I used is for cars with the sport package. I guess the ZHP falls under sport package? The non sport and sport package cup kits have different part numbers.


I think I remember reading that the ZHP still uses 330i sport package springs. We have different shocks, however.

[aurelius]

As for RTABs, be sure to use the part number from the MZ4, which is what BMW also later installed in the E46 M3 and sells now as replacements:

33326770817

And as long as you're doing the labor on that, do it right by using RTAB limiters, as someone else noted above.

Meyle HD sells a kit with limiters and RTABs. See oembimmerparts.

Ireland Engineering sells limiters alone, $30 for the set last I checked.

Vorshlag designed and sells arguably the best limiters, I think $50 for the set. At the very least worth reading their info on why you want limiters, whether theirs or not.

[Newjack]

As for RTABs, be sure to use the part number from the MZ4, which is what BMW also later installed in the E46 M3 and sells now as replacements:

33326770817

And as long as you're doing the labor on that, do it right by using RTAB limiters, as someone else noted above.

Meyle HD sells a kit with limiters and RTABs. See oembimmerparts.

Ireland Engineering sells limiters alone, $30 for the set last I checked.

Vorshlag designed and sells arguably the best limiters, I think $50 for the set. At the very least worth reading their info on why you want limiters, whether theirs or not.

Ok thinking out loud here. Going with the h&r touring cup kit so I've got springs and shocks covered. I need

CABs
Rtabs
Zhp control arms
Sway bar bushings?
Reinforcement plates for front strut towers. Do they make these for the rear as well?
Front and rear shock mounts
And rtab limiters. What exactly do these do?

Sorry for all these noob questions. I've never done suspension work like this before and I want to make sure that I have everything I need when I do this. Hoping to pass this info down to someone else someday.

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[danewilson77]

I pulled my sway bar bushings and replaced them at around 110k miles and the old ones looked brand new.

They do make reinforcement plates for the RSM's. I think they are part of the Z4M kit, no?

Or these...

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Suspension/Shocks/ES2075240/

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Suspension/Shocks/ES130271/

[NorCalZman]

Reinforcement plates for front strut towers. Do they make these for the rear as well?
Front and rear shock mounts
And rtab limiters. What exactly do these do?


I saw a set of rear reinforcments on the ECS tuning site the other day. They said theirs was "thicker and stronger" (or something to that effect) than the ones that BMW offers. Which makes me wonder what are the part numbers of the BMW rear reinforcement plates. :) If anyone knows please post. The front plates are well known.

Also wondering what the rtab limiters do.

[danewilson77]

I saw a set of rear reinforcments on the ECS tuning site the other day. They said theirs was "thicker and stronger" (or something to that effect) than the ones that BMW offers. Which makes me wonder what are the part numbers of the BMW rear reinforcement plates. :) If anyone knows please post. The front plates are well known.

Also wondering what the rtab limiters do.

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330...cks/ES2075240/

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330...ocks/ES130271/

[NorCalZman]

oh it says for the "z3." Maybe thats why I couldnt find it.

[Katu]

control arms (these should be inspected. Mine are still great after 124k. :) )
control arm bushings (These are definitely always on the list)
rear trailer arms (What exactly are you replacing here? IMO this seems excessive to replace these arms unless there is something wrong with them..)
rear trailer arm bushings (Replace these and get some RTAB limiters for a tighter feel)
end links (I wouldn't replace unless they are worn and need replacement)
tie rods (Unless there is play, I wouldn't replace this either.)
shock mounts (Definitely get some reinforcements for the rear shock mounts from the big companies and the front you can always get the shock reinforcement mounts. http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-M3-S54_3.2L/ES128656/ )
front struts
rear shocks


^^^ +1

I replaced the following @ 77,000 miles (my control arm bushings were done @ 65,000):

Front: struts & springs (koni fsd / eibach pro-kit) / oem strut mount / reinforcement plates (a must) / swaybar endlinks (these seemed to be in decent shape) / bumps stops / dust boots / spring pads

Rear: shocks & springs (koni fsd / eibach pro-kit) / rogue engineering shock mounts (these come with reinforcement plates) / RTABs with limiters (from vorshlag - http://www.vorshlag.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_8_162&products_id=515) / spring pads / the rear shocks came with bump stops and dust boots so I didn't have to order for rear.

Car rides great, hope this helps!

[webster]

i have not done any suspension mods, so i can't speak directly to post-installation feedback, but based on research, my plan for my ~75k mile suspension refresh is Koni FSD shocks and OE springs. might upgrade the sway bars to Hotchkis. everything else will be OE/OEM.

i have a coupe though so there's no need to go lower. stance-ing (aka ricing) out BMWs makes me :facepalm

[Johnmadd]

i have a coupe though so there's no need to go lower. stance-ing (aka ricing) out BMWs makes me :facepalm

:blink
:slap

[johnrando]

You can replace the shock mounts as they will be off anyway. You don't need reinforcement plates but it doesn't hurt to have them as they are not expensive. (They are typically for "harsher" applications). I don't know about life of control arms but the bushings themselves should be replaced if they are old. I also don't know about sway bar bushings or Rtab limiters. Don't forget the adjustable end links, which were recommended to me when I bought my H&R kit.

[Oli77]

I liked the comments I read above about keeping the original springs (if not broken as in Dane's case).

When I need to do the suspension I will remember that. Thanks fellows.

[Katu]

You don't need reinforcement plates but it doesn't hurt to have them as they are not expensive. (They are typically for "harsher" applications).

I disagree, at least for the front. My buddies 04 325i has mushroomed strut towers and there are plenty of other people online that have reported the same. Reinforcement plates and a strut tower brace are the only thing you can do to protect your strut towers.

[johnrando]

I disagree, at least for the front. My buddies 04 325i has mushroomed strut towers and there are plenty of other people online that have reported the same. Reinforcement plates and a strut tower brace are the only thing you can do to protect your strut towers.

I have no problem with that. I'm just going by what TMS told me, which is good enough for me. The force that setup exerts isn't much worse than stock. It certainly doesn't hurt to have that extra protection though. I have a strut brace on mine.

[Johnmadd]

I have no problem with that. I'm just going by what TMS told me, which is good enough for me. It certainly doesn't hurt to have that extra protection. I have a strut brace on mine.

This+1

[aurelius]

The TMS product description for the front reinforcement plates very much recommends them. Had I not seen F'd up E46 strut towers, I'd be tempted to blow them off. But at $18 per pair, Porque no?

RTAB limiters: see Vorshlag link above as to the reasoning. Bottom line: they limit bushing movement. Which theoretically improves handling. But more to the point extends life of the new RTABs. Pretty much indefinitely. Again, super cheap and no add'l labor, so why not?

Control arms: have them examined. The ZHP-specific arms are very pricey but are also known to last a very long time. You may not need them.

[Katu]

The TMS product description for the front reinforcement plates very much recommends them. Had I not seen F'd up E46 strut towers, I'd be tempted to blow them off. But at $18 per pair, Porque no?

RTAB limiters: see Vorshlag link above as to the reasoning. Bottoming they limit bushing movement. Which theoretically improves handling. But more to the point extends life of the new RTABs. Pretty much indefinitely. Again, super cheap and no add'l labor, so why not?

Control arms: have them examined. The ZHP-specific arms are very pricey but are also known to last a very long time. You may not need them.

Great advice all around.

[terraphantm]

I have no problem with that. I'm just going by what TMS told me, which is good enough for me. The force that setup exerts isn't much worse than stock. It certainly doesn't hurt to have that extra protection though. I have a strut brace on mine.

Plenty stock E46s have mushroomed towers. And to be fair, a convertible in SoCal will not see the same stress as a daily driver in the north east

[johnrando]

Plenty stock E46s have mushroomed towers. And to be fair, a convertible in SoCal will not see the same stress as a daily driver in the north east

Better road conditions, yup. Although it is my daily driver. And, Turner didn't know where I was driving it. My point is, Turner had a chance to pad their sale when I asked about them and they said it wasn't necessary, so I believe it's not "necessary". Now, is it cheap protection so why not go ahead and do it? I already said that makes sense to do.

[Newjack]

Ok final checklist

FRONT

Getting THESE Shocks and Springs (http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-4323-e46-323i325i328i330ici-with-sport-hr-touring-cup-kit-suspension-package.aspx)

OEM strut mount - I'll get these at the stealer or Tischer local pickup

OEM control arm bushings - also getting from stealer or tischer

OEM ZHP control arms - Again Tischer or stealer.

You don't need shock mounts for the front suspension right?


REAR

Rogue engineering reinforced rear shock mounts (http://www.rogueengineering.com/rogue/S_BUSH/RSM.html)

RTAB and Limiters from Vorshlag (http://www.vorshlag.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_8_29&products_id=515)



OK so dust boots spring pads and bump stops.

I don't know what the H&R touring cup kit comes with. It doesn't say on turners page.

So where do I get dust boots spring pads and bump stops? Do I need 2 of each for both front and back?


After this I'm ready to order and install. Thanks everyone.

[aurelius]

You don't need shock mounts for the front suspension right?

Correct. The strut bearings (aka guide supports) are what serve this purpose in front. Do get the reinforcement plates, which are BMW parts. Turner merely resells.



So where do I get dust boots spring pads and bump stops? Do I need 2 of each for both front and back?

I'd be surprised if the kit doesn't come with that stuff for a complete installation and would inquire with Turner.

If not, see realoem diagrams for what you need and order from your favorite source.

Reduce the overhead on all this significantly by purchasing the "dealer-only" parts online from a dealer with good discounts. And by not using OE parts where not necessary. For example, Lemfoerder on the strut bearings and CABs. Lemfoerder also sells the updated split-case RTABs. (They are the OE vendor.)

Note: several of these items are sold individually and must be ordered in quantities of 2. If memory serves, this applies to strut bearings, RTABs, and the strut tower reinforcement plates.

Lastly, it seems you're getting new CAs either way. Save your old ones and if the outer ball joints are good, I call first dibs.....

[LivesNearCostco]

You do need front strut mounts (which include a rotating bearing) but with those shocks and springs you can re-use your current strut mounts if the rubber is not cracked and the strut tower is not mushroomed. Can also re-use dust boots and bump stops if your new H&R cup kit doesn't come with them. My personal take is only need to replace dust boots if torn. Not sure if bump stops compress and break down over time... probably not much if your car wasn't lowered.

[derbo]

Plenty stock E46s have mushroomed towers. And to be fair, a convertible in SoCal will not see the same stress as a daily driver in the north east

I agree. Though, I've seen plenty of stock E46s with mushroomed towers here in San Francisco at the dealership when in for service a few years ago. They were completely bone stock and still had some mushrooming. The extra few dollars to get the reinforcement plates seems completely logical to me.

[danewilson77]

You need front strut mounts.

HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA

[Newjack]

You need front strut mounts.

HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA

Can't reuse old ones?

[danewilson77]

Can't reuse old ones?

Yes you can. Mileage on them?

HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA

[Newjack]

Yes you can. Mileage on them?

HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA

105k

[danewilson77]

105k

Buy new ones.

HTC DNA, Williamsburg, VA

[Newjack]

Started my suspension refresh today. Having serious problems right now. There is an 18mm pinch bolt on the lower end of the front strut assembly. On the passenger side I got it off and back on no problem. Slide the new strut in and it grabs the strut preventing it from moving. Now I'm on the drivers side. Pinch bolt is absolutely maxed out and the strut can slide in and out of that bracket no problem. Hotdog in a hallway. What is going on?!?!


http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/techarticles/BMW-3-Series-E46/48-SUSPEN-Front_Strut_Replacement/images_small/pic05.jpg

[Hornung418]

You need a very thin 16mm open end wrench to stop the free spinning motion from the Endlink. That's what held me up in my attempt to do the refresh. I am paying a shop to do all that shit for me. Can't deal with anymore downtime.

From a GS3, this was sent.

[Newjack]

You need a very thin 16mm open end wrench to stop the free spinning motion from the Endlink. That's what held me up in my attempt to do the refresh. I am paying a shop to do all that shit for me. Can't deal with anymore downtime.

From a GS3, this was sent.

No no its not the endlink that wont go back on. The endlink is on. The pinch bolt at the bottom of the strut assembly. Actually its on the hub/rotor but the bottom of the strut fits right into it. Thats where the little end tapers off. Hard to describe, but the pic above is the exact bolt I'm talking about.


When that bolt is tightened, the strut wont move up or down, it will be essentially connected to the rotor/caliper assembly. Supposed to be 60ft lbs and its definitely passed that, but its loose as can be. Strut slides right in and out. Passengers side was fine going back in. Drivers side is giving me problems.

OE strut that I pulled out was tight. Both struts have the same measurements. I'm REALLY confused....

[Hornung418]

Okay I remember it now. Have you used a vice grips to try and close it down?

From a GS3, this was sent.

[danewilson77]

So.... You've tightened it down and it won't squeeze?

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

[Hermes]

any chance there's a washer you forgot to put on?

[Newjack]

Okay I remember it now. Have you used a vice grips to try and close it down?

From a GS3, this was sent.

No vice grips. I don't have another jack so its really tough to get the hub up in the air. Will try that tomorrow but it still doesn't explain why it was tight taking it off and super loose going back in. Metal doesn't just shift sizes on occasion right?


So.... You've tightened it down and it won't squeeze?

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

Correct.

[Newjack]

any chance there's a washer you forgot to put on?

No washer or sleeve or anything. I'll triple check tomorrow but nothing that I can see.

[danewilson77]

I know that joint on my car.... I typically tighten the piss out of. Much more than 60 ft-lbs for sure.

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

[Newjack]

I know that joint on my car.... I typically tighten the piss out of. Much more than 60 ft-lbs for sure.

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

Oh its definitely passed that. Still nothing.

[danewilson77]

Mmmm... I don't understand. The one you took out was tight coming out, but the one going in will not secure?

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

[Newjack]

Mmmm... I don't understand. The one you took out was tight coming out, but the one going in will not secure?

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

Right. The OE strut was wedged in there. even with the bolt out, I had to hit it with a hammer a couple times and wiggle it to get it to release. Now when I put the new strut on it won't stay on. Even with the bolt fully tightened, its loose all around.

The first side did not have this problem. The pinch bolt did its job and secured that bracket around the bottom section of the new strut.

[danewilson77]

Right. The OE strut was wedged in there. even with the bolt out, I had to hit it with a hammer a couple times and wiggle it to get it to release. Now when I put the new strut on it won't stay on. Even with the bolt fully tightened, its loose all around.

The first side did not have this problem. The pinch bolt did its job and secured that bracket around the bottom section of the new strut.

You're sure it's fully seated?

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

[Hornung418]

Maybe you need to rethread the old pinch threads.

From a GS3, this was sent.

[Newjack]

Problem solved. The new strut wasn't up high enough into the bracket for the pinch bolt to do its job.

[danewilson77]

Problem solved. The new strut wasn't up high enough into the bracket for the pinch bolt to do its job.

Good deal. I knew it was something like that.

You made sure both sides protrusion out the bottom of the kingpin was identical correct?

[Newjack]

Good deal. I knew it was something like that.

You made sure both sides protrusion out the bottom of the kingpin was identical correct?

Correct.

Front suspension is done now. Car is low. Starting on the rear now.

[Tnhl1989]

Rears should be done in a hour :P

[LivesNearCostco]

If changing rear springs, a few tips to get old ones out.
1) Raise whole rear so both sides droop
2) Disconnect rear ride height level sensor
3) Disconnect rear shocks
4) Release parking brake
5) Use OEM jack, prybar, or friend to push down on rear hub/RTA gently to extract rear springs. May help to use prybar on rear springs.

[danewilson77]

If changing rear springs, a few tips to get old ones out.
1) Raise whole rear so both sides droop
2) Disconnect rear ride height level sensor
3) Disconnect rear shocks
4) Release parking brake
5) Use OEM jack, prybar, or friend to push down on rear hub/RTA gently to extract rear springs. May help to use prybar on rear springs.

The only thing the oem jack is good for.

[Newjack]

I'll link this post in my build thread, but for now I'd rather post in this thread so anyone looking at this can see how this job went for me.

OK so I ended up going with an H&R Touring Cup kit, bought new zhp control arms and bushings. Bought Z4M RTABS with Vorshlag limiters. I also bought a big kit of suspension parts from ECS which included lots of new hardware, nuts bolts, spring pads, strut mounts, reinforcement plates, rear shock mounts with reinforcement plates. Overall this bundle kit was a great buy, however I was kinda pissed that they didn't include new bump stops and dust boots for the struts and shocks. Regardless my OE parts that I had worked just fine after some cleaning and armorall.

The H&R touring cup kit with ZHP control arms. So much beef.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GbmH43PuO0Y/UaYlFGQ1w4I/AAAAAAAAA7w/ZxefqpXTFDo/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130529_115557.jpg


So I started with the front passenger side. Since I had damaged my front strut I wanted to get this one done and see how everything looked. Following a bunch of different DIY's I got to work with my dad. Wheel off, pinch bolt loose, wood underneath the hub to prevent damage to cables from too much tension via sagging. Can we get it off? No you need spring compressors. Mistake #1, went to autozone to rent some spring compressors. Before I go any futher, this is what the autozone spring compressors look like. THEY SUCK.

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=22603



It is very difficult to grab the OE springs in a way to safely compress them with these spring compressors. Obviously you want each spring compressor on opposite sides to evenly and SAFELY compress the spring. But due to the size of the compressor arms, we had to improvise. One arm was on a 12 o'clock position and the other was at about 7-7:30. Not ideal. The trick we used was grabbing the top of the spring, and then grabbing the spring perch at the bottom of the spring (mounted onto the strut). Eventually we were able to compress the OE springs down enough so that they were a little loose. If they aren't loose or don't look like it be very careful. We popped off the top nut on one that we thought was compressed enough and the spring shot up just a little bit. Let me tell you this is scary as fuck.


If you can, try to get something like this tool.
http://partimages.genpt.com/largeimages/1022433.jpg
It is a lot smaller which makes it easier to get a solid grip on both the 12 and 6 o'clock position on the spring and makes it WAY EASIER to remove the compressor once the tension in the spring has been released. When we compressed the H&R springs, we had a tough time getting the spring compressor out of the god damn spring. Really frustrating.



Next is removing the top nut. However the top nut is tricky. There is a small 6mm hex that goes into the top of the strut, then a 18mm (I think?) socket on the nut to remove it. Trying to loosen tension on the nut without the hex key in will cause the strut to keep spinning making it impossible. So our solution was to buy this universal pass through Husky ratchet with some sweet sockets. Now we also bought some really long hex bits that were a godsend for this job.

Husky universal pass through ratchet
http://toolguyd.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Craftsman-Max-Axess-Universal-Socket-Set.jpg

Super sweet extra long hex bit set that you will love for this job
http://www.gearwrench.com/images/items/enlargement/80573.jpg
I had this exact one with the balls on the top of the bits


OK so heres a couple pics of what I was working with

You can see how there isn't an even amount of tension on this spring due to the shittiness of the spring compressorshttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fdscKbX1Rdc/UavOn1RRVQI/AAAAAAAAA84/cpP4nPZr_oY/w644-h859-no/IMG_20130601_153907.jpg
We made it work though


Universal pass through ratchet in action with another ratchet keeping the 6mm hex inside the strut. This was really cool.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q48QHzECYjM/UavOqrbGZoI/AAAAAAAAA9I/1rBAgplv80M/w644-h859-no/IMG_20130601_153917.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4Tfx5elG0FM/UavOsxQaO-I/AAAAAAAAA9Q/5TTBSermm0s/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130601_153929.jpg

Ok so once you manage to separate the strut assembly, you want to remove the dust boot, bump stop and other silver bowl bracket thing. Go clean them because after 105k they are disgusting and since ECS doesn't give you these parts after spending $330 on a kit you will have to reuse them. No big deal these parts don't really wear and are fine, just dirty :shifty

So go ahead and compress your new spring after you assemble all of your parts to the strut. New strut hat came with washers in my kit. So I didn't have to reuse the old super dirty ones. Make sure you attach your new rubber gaskets on the bottom of the strut perch and on top of the spring. Now go compress that bad boy and put the locking nut on it. When you go to tighten your top nut, make sure that the spring is still compressed. Otherwise you will be fighting the tension of your spring while trying to tighten it and it will be almost impossible to do properly.

Finished strut
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dFbj_SESDkU/UavOvyE0SDI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/prh4B1MYGnU/w644-h859-no/IMG_20130601_165802.jpg

After installing the new front strut I had one problem. There is a bracket that the bottom of the strut fits into. The end of the strut kinda tapers off at the bottom and there is a bracket that it fits into. When you go to fit the strut into the bracket, make sure that the wheel hub is high enough! If it is not high enough you will tighten the pinch bolt and there won't be enough tension on the strut to keep it from falling. You will get really confused, pissed, post on ZHPMafia asking for help and then figure out later that you made a poor decision.

To ensure that the hub is high enough jack it up. Since we only had two really shitty jacks for this job, I used an OE Toyota Tacoma jack from my dads truck.


This lil' bastard right here helped out a lot
http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/attachments/misc-technical-discussion/50309d1322438778-easy-fix-keep-bottle-jack-rattling-clunking-thunking-thumping-dsc00535cropped.jpg

[Newjack]

Ok so since I installed my front struts it was time to do control arms.

Oh. My. God.

First and foremost, the middle ball joint nut on this son of a bitch became ONE with my car. It was so rusted that it had physically changed properties and became a part of my car. To get the middle ball join nut off you need a lot of patience. Pretty sure it was a 16mm socket to get the nut off. But we sprayed it a lot with liquid wrench and it didn't seem to do anything. Now you are supposed to use a 6mm hex key on the top of the ball joint and then use a wrench on the nut to get it off. Hex key prevents the ball joint from spinning forever. However this was so rusted and stuck that it didn't matter. Just throw a socket onto a 1/4 inch drive and get to work. There is only enough room to really get the ratchet to click once or twice before you don't have any room. So this part took about 45 minutes easy. Unless you have a shitload of arm strength or a 30 pack of coors light I don't suggest you do this. Take it to a shop and let them handle it. Either way we managed to get the nut off which was super rusted and marred.

The nut that is attached to the hub (where the rotor and caliper are) wasn't TOO difficult to remove. But your going to have to spray it with a ton of liquid wrench and have a lot of patience. This nut was very rusted and didn't want to budge either. Next remove your control arm bushing bolts and the control arm will just fall out.

Oh wait no it wont! It's rusted to the car. Go get a nice sized pickle fork. The one we used had about a half an inch of space between the fork and it was too narrow. So something wider would be better. Wedge that pickle fork in and beat it with a hammer and pry. You won't be using this control arm again anyway.


Pickle Fork
http://www.minimania.com/images_temp/800600001660490.jpg



Ok so I finally took a look at my bushings. They were so bad. I'm not just saying kinda bad, they were completely FUBAR. These bushings aren't meant to "give" much. However mine I could twist about a full 360 with my bar hands. They were TOAST.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iUXS_KA02qk/UavOyMRl8FI/AAAAAAAAA9w/36kEQnJcPI8/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130601_181025.jpg

Now go ahead and bolt everything back up. Get the nut on the middle ball joint finger tight and grab that universal pass through ratchet because its about to come in handy again. Throw that over the nut and use a 6mm hex key to fit in and a little baby wrench to hold onto that hex. If you are on the passenger side this is going to be the easy solution. But the drivers side, you can actually see the top of the bolt from above the car. So get a really long extension for your 6mm hex bit and lower it onto the ball joint. (Look right around where the upper intake boot is and MAF, just look down and you will see it). Go ahead and tighten everything up.


Now on to the rear suspension. Overall the rear was about 200000% easier, but was still a bit tricky. Take the wheel off and unbolt the bolt right on the shock. The shock should come free and the trailer arm should start to sag a lot. This is good because you need that arm lowww to get access to the OE spring. If you do this on both sides it makes it sag lower which I didn't realize until after I finished....

Also, remove your ebrake. I found out that your trailer arm wont lower with the ebrake still on. :facepalm


So to get that spring out, you need a lot of tension on that arm so the spring can be taken out. I'll try to explain this with someone else picture since I was pissed by this point of the project and stopped taking pictures.

Look at this
http://horses.in.ua/bmw/rear_spring.jpg


I took that bottle jack, the one from the Toyota Tacoma, and fit it right on the perch of that spring, and pressed up into weird stuff above the spring. I had trouble getting it right on the perch, so I set it on the metal part, right where that bracket is sitting that holds that cable in the picture. This let me relieve tension and take out the OE spring.


So after putting in the new spring I just bolted up the new shock (you have to remove some carpeting in the truck to get access, this part was easy so go look at any DIY) I was essentially done. Now I tried to do the RTABS and throw on my Vorshlag limiters. But after many many attempts at trying to get the old RTAB out I said fuck it. The bushing had rust melded itself the the bracket and REFUSED to come out. So I'm going to have to take my car to a shop and have them replace the bushings and add the limiters, as well as get an alignment.

The reason I'm not just getting an alignment and waiting to get the right bushing removal tool is for one main reason. I'm pretty sure when you remove that bracket that holds the trailer arm and the RTAB bushing, it messes with your alignment a little bit, and I don't want to pay for two alignments. I also just want this done, since this project was absolutely ridiculous and took two full days.




Overall, my car is definitely lower. I wouldn't want the car any lower than it is. My area has a lot of potholes and bumpy roads, too much low would hurt the car. I'll take some pics to update the stance, but its sexy aggressive now. Not all high an mighty like it was before.

I did take it for a test drive, and it was tight. Now I didn't have an alignment done yet, one of my RTABs is probably a little tweaked, and my vorshlag limiters aren't in. But the car rides like stock. Feels a little stiffer, until you start to throw it around. Then you realize that holy shit there is way less bodyroll than there used to be. It just rained pretty hard so I didn't get stupid, but I took some really tight turns and the car was tight.

[Johnmadd]

Good job, Rob!

[danewilson77]

Yeah... That inner ball joint nut is an SOB.

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

[Hornung418]

Good on ya mate!

From a GS3, this was sent.

[kayger12]

Yeah... That inner ball joint nut is an SOB.

HTC DNA ON TT4 BETA, WILLIAMSBURG, VA

Holy +1.

Cut mine off with a dremel when I did it.

Sent from the Last Next Best Thing.

[johnrando]

Whew, congrats!

[Newjack]

Bumping with info.


Did the RTAB's and limiters today. Now it took me and my dad a number of hours to finish this. But we didn't have the "right" rtab removal tool or a lift. If we had a lift and the exact tool it would take about 1 hour per side.

So my dad borrowed a tool from work to get this done. Used a Greenlee hydraulic press tool. It's used for cutting holes through metal. Put the socket things on each side and squeeze until it punches right through the metal. Pretty neat tool and even cooler that it was able to get this job done.

So we jacked up the car, dropped the wheel and removed the rear shock from the hub. Lower the trailer arm with a mini jack to have room to work and set up the Greenlee tool. If you haven't changed your rtabs, there is a very good chance that they are rusted to the slot. Mine most definitely were. The amount of force it took to push out the old bushings is mind boggling, and I have some proof that I'll show you later. It took a while, and a lot of adjusting the tool to make sure that the bushing popped out.


The Greenlee
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-A6Vb05AOfzw/UbTPpbusBaI/AAAAAAAABAM/Hz2ldRfnL1g/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130609_144951.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Uw2EcDI8Wpo/UbTPTNrHNYI/AAAAAAAABAA/MkFCk95y7O8/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130609_144944.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XZ2eHrbXun0/UbTRAihGg5I/AAAAAAAABAs/BcaALp7l2RA/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130609_144853.jpg


https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-itv_G2hwYbQ/UbTQs5RREjI/AAAAAAAABAg/txvM1u02uhI/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130609_144906.jpg

Ok so in the picture above, you can see the solid metal U shaped piece that pushes on the metal outer section of the bushing to press it out. The bushing was in there so tight, that it was spreading the U shape piece outwards. We had to keep adjusting it and eventually bend it back in by hitting it with a hammer. This wasn't some flimsy pot metal, this was the real deal and it was bending like it was made of butter. We finally got it out though, which was a huge relief.


Old bushing removed
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dY5C05vmfz0/UbTmlFn33oI/AAAAAAAABBE/HgAMlNKfS1M/w644-h859-no/IMG_20130609_163203.jpg


Another of the old bushing. Note the washers on the left.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Oc3FofDmuTM/UbTttg-HGqI/AAAAAAAABB0/EwFwh2UxjOs/w644-h859-no/IMG_20130609_163222.jpg


Old RTAB vs new RTAB
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CSd6ZHC_epU/UbTOAzz7lkI/AAAAAAAAA_k/JZWrSG3TU2Q/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130609_144713.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eImTZXiwtBU/UbTOXtMsb5I/AAAAAAAAA_w/UJjF06YZKQU/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130609_144731.jpg


Once the old bushing was out we went ahead and sanded out the slot for the bushing to remove all of the rust and corrosion. Used a power drill with an attachment. Looks like a big fan but its tiny sheets of sandpaper. Spins fast and cleans well. This made things a lot smoother when we pushed the new bushing in. I used white lithium grease on the bushing and the slot to prevent future creaking. Other guides say to use a copper based lubricant, but because Advance auto parts blows and never has anything I need, I didn't get it. White lithium is used for metal to metal, metal to plastic, is heat and cold resistant and doesn't just wash off. So I'm sure it works just fine.




So I told you about how much force was needed to get these out. Well when we pushed out the bushing on the passenger side, it actually bent the washers we were using. In the above pictures you can see the orientation of the washers and how they were pressed against that nut and the larger socket. Well they actually got sucked through the hole in the socket. This was probably around 1000lbs of force here. Absolutely insane.


RIP
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yBLD5FWNhh8/UbTrduyWQUI/AAAAAAAABBc/PKph3vq_yn0/w644-h859-no/IMG_20130609_163307.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T8UCnZDqcsc/UbTuajqAmWI/AAAAAAAABCA/d3teOc6kzuI/w644-h859-no/IMG_20130609_163250.jpg



All in all this job wasn't too bad, but it could have been a lot easier with the right tools and a lift. But because I refuse to pay a mechanic $500 in labor to install some $55 bushings I was going to do this myself. Fuck that.

Anyway, I've got an appointment for an alignment tomorrow at 12:30pm so I will finally have my car normal again. My alignment is crazy jacked right now. The toe and camber on my rear driver wheel is ridiculously off. All of the wheels are off but that one is the worst.

Dat camber?
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-b1nwpNP_Tn4/UbUCaE2jxzI/AAAAAAAABDM/0HJZoljPsl4/w644-h859-no/IMG_20130609_182817.jpg

These pictures are straight on, notice how far inwards the tire points.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Hm8hqd8QCvU/UbUCdomy4VI/AAAAAAAABDY/3OQrxeGwcis/w644-h859-no/IMG_20130609_182847.jpg



For those of you curious as to how low this touring cup kit looks, I took some really mediocre pictures of my really dirty car to show you.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fUt6BQD41aA/UbUCPcNq5pI/AAAAAAAABCk/R9sI-9NJfOs/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130609_182921.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-K0h5a_eBwRk/UbUCTHEVONI/AAAAAAAABCw/tABNkh_nQt0/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130609_182928.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5IgzRWhu3Nw/UbUCXQBsuHI/AAAAAAAABC8/2qvVm-rSscU/w1145-h859-no/IMG_20130609_182932.jpg


Rob out.

[Johnmadd]

Great stuff Rob!

[danewilson77]

great stuff rob!

+1

htc dna on tt4 beta, williamsburg, va

[johnrando]

+2

[WOLFN8TR]

+3. Fly out to Vegas and do mine!

[SC4ME]

Excellent write up.

I am about to tackle my suspension and wanted to do the RTABs so all the advice is great.

My greatest hope is that since my car does not see snow and salt (or even freezing temps) that the rust/corrosion/seizing will be much less.

Thanks!

[Newjack]

Excellent write up.

I am about to tackle my suspension and wanted to do the RTABs so all the advice is great.

My greatest hope is that since my car does not see snow and salt (or even freezing temps) that the rust/corrosion/seizing will be much less.

Thanks!

Good luck brutha! My only advice is to use the official BMW rtab tool if you can borrow or rent it from someone. It will make getting the bushings out a lot easier. The toughest part for me was that U shaped bracket bending constantly. Next time I would use a better bracket. Something more sturdy.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[Avetiso]

How do you like the ride, rob?

[Newjack]

How do you like the ride, rob?

In love with it. Toight like a toiger.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[mLuMaN83]

Great thread. Shows me that I cannot do anything with my suspension myself. I just don't have the time or resources for it.

Gonna have to find a good indie shop.