Busy day with Mr Bilstein😀

Hopalong64

Hopalong64

Zorg Addict
Joined
May 14, 2013
Points
59
Location
Southampton
Model of Z
2.2 Sport
Busy day yesterday fitting the Bilstein kit, top mounts, reinforcement plates, new front calipers and brake hoses.
Can you tell which is the 'before' and which is the 'after' photo 🤔🤔😂😂

Then it's on to the rear.

Not forgetting front wishbones and drop links etc ...
 

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Did you tighten your bolts with the wheel drooping? If so, it could be your bushes are over strained.

Always tighten suspension nuts and bolts with the suspension at running height.
 
Hopalong64 said:
I tightened them while car was still on axle stands. How do I correct this?
Click to expand...

Assuming you are working with just a car jack and some axle stands...

Put the car back on axle stands (for access), then loosen the bolts.

You need to raise the suspension to the running height (or close to the running height). Working at each corner. I usually jack up the car on the suspension (under the ball joint, with wood for protection, is my spot) until the car just starts to come off the axle stand, then lower it until it's just touching the axle stand (for a bit of safety). Then I tighten the bolts.

The same goes for the rear damper lower bolt, and anti-roll bar nuts, if you touched them. The most important ones are the rear swing arm nuts and bolts, but I don't think you've touched them.
 
Thank you Pingu. Looks like I have another job to do on the car this morning!
Your input is much appreciated.
 
Also important to ensure front struts slip fully down into the front hubs, refreshed a 3.0l a few weeks back front and rear shocks then found out the ride height at the rear was higher on one side, not really noticeable visually but a tape measure confirmed the mismatch. Changed the rear shocks again but still the same. Turned out it was one of the front struts not fully down in the hub clamp causing it. Car drove fine so all our attention centred on the rear until we found the mismatch on the front. Since that I ensure that I use a spreader tool on the hub to ensure the strut drops cleanly into the hub and once the top mounts are in tighten the clamp bolt with a jack under the hub and double check it when the weight of the car is back on it.
The spreader tool is also good to use when getting the strut out of the hub, makes it very easy.
www.ebay.co.uk

Automobile Suspension Expansion Separator Tool for FORD Peugeot VW BMW Hot UK | eBay UK

Double Ended: The double ended design allows suspension strut split spreader to be used with the larger upper hub and the lower ball jointed hub to be split, not easy to break. Easy to Use: Used to remove and install suspension struts while leaving the hub on the vehicle, designed to keep the...
www.ebay.co.uk
 
I have a top tip for doing the rear swing arms...
  • Use a pair of external dividers to measure the distance between the lower and upper spring plates (the ones on the car, not the rubber ones) when the car is on the ground. It's not easy with a tape measure, but is possible.
  • Raise and support car with suspension free to droop.
  • Disconnect the lower damper bolt, and remove the spring.
  • Adjust swing arm height (using divider setting) to the correct distance between the spring plates.
  • The swing arm is now at the correct running height, and you can get access to the bolts without the spring being in the way.
  • Fully tighten the nuts on the bolts.
  • Refit the spring.
  • Refit the damper lower bolt.
After driving the car for a bit, check the rear height.

Rear height can be adjusted using different thickness rubber spring plates. There are three thicknesses available (5mm, 7.5mm and 10mm)

5mm BMW Part No. 33531136385
7.5mm BMW Part No. 33531136386
10mm BMW Part No. 33531136387
 
Pingu said:
I have a top tip for doing the rear swing arms...
  • Use a pair of external dividers to measure the distance between the lower and upper spring plates (the ones on the car, not the rubber ones) when the car is on the ground. It's not easy with a tape measure, but is possible.
  • Raise and support car with suspension free to droop.
  • Disconnect the lower damper bolt, and remove the spring.
  • Adjust swing arm height (using divider setting) to the correct distance between the spring plates.
  • The swing arm is now at the correct running height, and you can get access to the bolts without the spring being in the way.
  • Fully tighten the nuts on the bolts.
  • Refit the spring.
  • Refit the damper lower bolt.
After driving the car for a bit, check the rear height.

Rear height can be adjusted using different thickness rubber spring plates. There are three thicknesses available (5mm, 7.5mm and 10mm)

5mm BMW Part No. 33531136385
7.5mm BMW Part No. 33531136386
10mm BMW Part No. 33531136387
Click to expand...
Thanks Pingu. Although the issue this morning was with the front strut, I'll bear this in mind for the future. Sure I'll be messing around with the rest again in due course 🤦
 
Thanks to all for the very helpful input with my clunking front suspension noise.

All is now resolved. Inspection showed that when I replaced the strut, the upper rubber somehow became dislodged during reassembly and was more or less flapping around in the breeze.

So having discovered this 'operator error' I removed the strut, reseated the upper rubber and refitted.

Drives soooo much better now that I have Bilstein shocks and springs all round along with new mounts etc. be interesting to see what further improvement there is when the wishbones etc are done later this week

Thanks everyone. Great forum!
 
Well good luck with the wishbone change hope the ball joints drop out better than the fight I had last week on a Z4. Z3 is easier access from the top with socket on extension bars for the inner joint.
 
colb said:
Well good luck with the wishbone change hope the ball joints drop out better than the fight I had last week on a Z4. Z3 is easier access from the top with socket on extension bars for the inner joint.
Click to expand...
I'm chickening out with the wishbones etc and my local garage is doing it. ...
 
Don’t blame you ..a million times easier with a ramp
 
colb said:
Also important to ensure front struts slip fully down into the front hubs, refreshed a 3.0l a few weeks back front and rear shocks then found out the ride height at the rear was higher on one side, not really noticeable visually but a tape measure confirmed the mismatch. Changed the rear shocks again but still the same. Turned out it was one of the front struts not fully down in the hub clamp causing it. Car drove fine so all our attention centred on the rear until we found the mismatch on the front. Since that I ensure that I use a spreader tool on the hub to ensure the strut drops cleanly into the hub and once the top mounts are in tighten the clamp bolt with a jack under the hub and double check it when the weight of the car is back on it.
The spreader tool is also good to use when getting the strut out of the hub, makes it very easy.
www.ebay.co.uk

Automobile Suspension Expansion Separator Tool for FORD Peugeot VW BMW Hot UK | eBay UK

Double Ended: The double ended design allows suspension strut split spreader to be used with the larger upper hub and the lower ball jointed hub to be split, not easy to break. Easy to Use: Used to remove and install suspension struts while leaving the hub on the vehicle, designed to keep the...
www.ebay.co.uk
Click to expand...


That's the Z4 and E46.

On Z3's the strut is bolted to the hub with three 18mm bolts.
 
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