Suspension noise.

[yy101]

Hi all,

Just wondering whether anyone heres got any ideas. I have a bit of suspension noise on my 540i, its really weird. It only happens when I go over pot holes or rough roads, which driving around where I am happens a lot.

It sounds like something is loose or broken inside somewhere, eg. cut springs but its not cut springs I know that for sure.

I do know that the previous owner lowered the car and replaced the stock rubber bushings with noelethane bushings, and its giving the car a really stiff, harsh ride, something rob101 can testify to.

So anyone got any ideas what this might be?

PS. Got back to the Goldie on indy weekend, my 2002 looks sweet in its brand new mica orange paint:D

[rob101]

yeah i still think the harsh ride is the stiff springs yang.

[Russell]

Check exhaust hangers. I just found the middle muffler rubber hangers were broken. I also have some rear suspension noise over rough bumps. I thought it was the doors or soemthing in the cabin. Will replace the rubber hangers this week and see.

[stu1]

Just been through this - my solution was to pull the springs off the front struts then refit them and then remove one of the links to the anti-roll bar (or sway bar) - this way I could push the suspension up and down about more easily and find out where the noise was coming from :)

Stu.

[Airborne001]

You might also try to identify if it is the front wheels or the rear that are making the noise, and check your brake calipers. For whatever reason, the anti-rattle springs seem to fail/not get reinstalled in a lot of BMWs

[MrMad 525i]

i have the exact same problem on my 525 e34, but its worse, if i hit a puthole with my left backwheel all hell brakes loose noise wise. All other 3 wheels no problem, its really anoying, and somehow the people @ my local car shop dont seem to know where its comming from.

so i was wondering if maybe one of you guys know how to fix this. since i dont seem to be the only one with this prob.

[genphreak]

i have the exact same problem on my 525 e34, but its worse, if i hit a puthole with my left backwheel all hell brakes loose noise wise. All other 3 wheels no problem, its really anoying, and somehow the people @ my local car shop dont seem to know where its comming from.

so i was wondering if maybe one of you guys know how to fix this. since i dont seem to be the only one with this prob.Your dogbones should be replaced as a matter of course, but noise back there would almost certainly be the shock mounts or the lower subframe mounts, unless it be damaged/bent somewhere else, or a failed shock- that is easy for the shop to test on a Boge testing machine. :) nick

[MrMad 525i]

is it possible to fix myself? i consider myself a n00b, but i have some knowledge of taking things apart, and i usually manage to get them back together.

Only prob for me is that i cannot simulate the noise on jacks, or even standing in a working pit. so troubleshooting it is kinda a b****

tnx for your quick reply

[Russell]

Dog bones are an easy fix. Parts are about $100 bucks through BMA in Calif. I assume you are in the US. However, I cannot tell as you do not tell anything obout your car or where you are located. Be a good idea to fill out your profile and/or have some sort of descriptive sig.

[MrMad 525i]

Truly sorry about the missing info,

its a '89 520i i dont think anything is modded except for the engine, there is a 525 engine in there. I life in holland, you know accross the pond from the uk, spare parts are no problem, i just need to know how to put them on, or where to look for the broken parts, like i said i am kinda new to suspension stuff

[BillionPa]

i second the exhaust... as the back left wheel area is where it is, and its pretty loud when smacking into stuff.

the metal part of my hangar turned to rust and dissapeared, so it was only being held on by a single hangar a the back, and a ripped hangar in the middle.

i didnt notice any wierd noises... untill i got the sport suspension, then it was amazingly annoyingly loud over even small bumps.

needless to say, there is a hangar kit which contains all the rubber and metal parts in that area (except for the resonator hangar metal parts). its about $50 and WELL worth it. you dont want to lose the muffler to a pothole do you?

[MrMad 525i]

Right, i would once again like to thank you guys for the replies, and i am sure that i will get to the answer soon, as for the exhaust, i already replaced all the fittings to it, the rubber thingies, checked the allignment of the metal parts, and i even shook the hell out of it to try and replicate the noise, but no such luck

[Airborne001]

Find a pothole, and drive over it once coasting, once in gear, and once with the brakes lightly applied. If you get no noise the 3rd time, you may want to try the anti-rattle spring, it is only a 10$ item, and easy to replace.

[MrMad 525i]

Find a pothole, and drive over it once coasting, once in gear, and once with the brakes lightly applied. If you get no noise the 3rd time, you may want to try the anti-rattle spring, it is only a 10$ item, and easy to replace.

dude seriously, you rule, this is exactly what happens, my only question, what is a anti-rattle spring? and where do i find it

[MrMad 525i]

hey, i think i found it, is it the spring thingie that keeps the brake pads in place?

[MrMad 525i]

I FOUND IT

omg thought i would never find it, put some new anti rattle springs in and the damn thing still rattled, but the brakes seemed the right direction to look in, so what i did was buy a set of new brake pads, and this is where it gets ugly, when removing the left weel and on the way to take off the caliper i noticed that one of the old pads had a little space between it and the caliper.

As you can guess this caused the noise, when i put the new pads on problem was gone, but the thing that scares me is that i have been 2 a few garages and none of them managed to find this problem. Also i would like to thank everyone that replied to this topic for their input. Without it i would have scrapped the car probably in frustration.

[632 Regal]

you are better than any average garage man.

[Airborne001]

Sory I haven't looked at this in a while, glad it could help.