Suspension question - United Bimmer Community

**DEATH2000** · 06-14-2005, 10:29 PM

This may sound stupid i know.

Earlier today a friend was hanging out with me and we were at our cars blasting the stereo. He then did the little thing were u push down on the suspention to test it. On the back it didnt give much, like it was nice and firm. But on the front, he could push it down really easy.

He was telling me that if u could push it down like that it means the suspension is worn or shot. Is this true? and if it is should i could i be concerned or worried about replacment?

**Addicted?** · 06-15-2005, 12:39 AM

stock suspension? after market springs after market shocks, both etc? need a little more info, there can be some different cases... if its stock and really mushy may be worn out... but some aftermarket shocks you can adjust the damper so maybe thats it.. need some info

David

**komodo** · 06-15-2005, 01:11 AM

There is a push test to check your shocks....

Push down on one corner of the car as hard as you can and let go. If the car bounces 3 or more times that shock in that corner is shot.

**DEATH2000** · 06-15-2005, 05:49 PM

yea, the suspension is stock as far as i know. i tried the pushdown thingy and when i did it the car "bounced" back up 3 times. on both sides of the front. the back is fine though

**komodo** · 06-20-2005, 01:09 PM

Then your front shocks are probably going out. You'll also probably notice the ride is getting more and more bumpy and you're feeling almost every rock on the road. Am I right?

**DEATH2000** · 06-20-2005, 07:57 PM

Yea, pretty much, ill go over speed bumps at like 25kmh when i used to be able to over em at like 40. The front bounces alot of railroad tracks and shit alot.

**cainchapman** · 06-20-2005, 08:20 PM

Your shocks have 2 actions Bound & Rebound. It sounds like the rebound (decompression) is your issue. It seems that you should replace the front shocks.

**DEATH2000** · 06-20-2005, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cainchapman

Your shocks have 2 actions Bound & Rebound. It sounds like the rebound (decompression) is your issue. It seems that you should replace the front shocks.

Id figure id have to. What should i be looking at to replace? the shocks and springs, or just the shocks.

**cainchapman** · 06-21-2005, 12:46 AM

I would start with just the shocks. Ideally you should do both shocks and springs (really all 4 corners). But I guess that comes down to budget. If you are paying someone else to do it, then it would be more cost effective for labour to do shocks & springs in one hit.

**Dudesky** · 06-22-2005, 06:55 AM

If you're talking about a 3'er, then you're dealing with struts, not as simple as normal shocks. To replace the struts, you'll need 6 mount nuts- the ones on your shock tower, 3 per side. They're designed for one time use, so don't reuse the existing ones. Then you need 4 strut mounting bolts- 2 per side for the bottom end- some people reuse them with threadlocker, but they're cheap enough that you should use new ones. And you should replace the upper & lower spring pads if your mileage is high. Then you'll need a spring compressor to dissassemble the strut assembly and move your parts over to the new strut. Pay the mechanic $500-$700, look for a DIY, or wait for my DIY in a week or so.

As far as springs go, if you suspect the front ones are weak, now is the time to replace them, since it's a huge pain in the ass to go through the process all over again. The rear springs can wait, since they're easier and not part of the shock assembly. But typically, you want to do all four at the same time to maintain balance, and they're sold as a set of four anyway.

Lastly, if you've been hitting hard stuff like potholes & rr tracks, check your control arms for damage, you'll probably wanna at least replace the control arm bushing.

**DEATH2000** · 06-22-2005, 03:57 PM

thanks for the help. i know right now that the car needs a new right front ball joint and an aligment. when i have the car repaired (other stuff getting fixed) ill have em take a look to just to make sure what will need replacing

**///M Power** · 06-26-2005, 07:33 PM

The shock test my shop (it's a performanc car shop) told me is you press down hard on a corner. Then release. If it takes more than a minute to be fully back to it's normal ride height then it may be blow (bound). If it doesnt bounce it might be the rebound.

Also, these tests dont work well on the rears of BMWs. Seeing as how your car is a 88, and i own a 89 bmw, i'll tell you that my front shocks wear out faster than michael jackson can spike your drink. Sounds like you may need the new front shocks.

People have said it already, btu I should reemphasize that if you are not doign this yourself (or even if you are) you should go in and replace the springs as well. It's a lot more cost effective.

Also, don't forget to realign after installation.

**528man** · 07-08-2005, 12:46 PM

mj haha

**zeit00** · 07-18-2005, 04:41 PM

Is everyone saying to replace the springs and shocks on a stock setup??

Unless a spring breaks it is fine. Now if you are going with aftermarket shocks or struts, then yes do it all at the same time. Sport shocks with OEM springs will not handle well, and OEM struts with sport springs will quickly die.
Also, in my experience a good shock or strut should never bounce.