Noob here need help with serious alignment/ suspension problem

[TruEdrty]

So ive had my 90 325I for almost 6 moths now and I have some serious front end issues.

My right front strut was bad when I got the car but slowly got worse after I kept driving it. I had a blowout about 3 months ago on my right front tire. I have 16" borbets and I had to put the stock 14 bottlecap on the right front (where the bad strut is) because I had no money to get new tires. So ive noticed my alignment was off well now its gotten alot worse. It pulls to the right hard as hell and it clanks all the time now instead of just going over a bump. I can hear something in the right front now just when im rolling.

Anyone have any ideas of what else could be damaged now. Tie rod? Steering rods?

I dont know much about suspension and steering honestly so all the help wouldbe appreciated.

Also I heard Bilstein makes a great full setup as far as lowering springs and struts and what not for around $1200 anyone have any experience with this setup?

In the next month im going to have around $2500 to spend on it so advice on parts would be helpful.

Thanks for advice and tips

[Jaxx_]

inspect all boots in the area for cuts/damage. what you say with the pulling could be as simple as tire pressure. I think tie rod is gonna be the first place to look if it's pulling.

if everything checks out, inspect your swaybar endlinks for extra play, the ball joints can get worn and create a metal on metal clanking. beyond that, spring seats, check A arm for binding.

damaged/worn sway bar endlinks shouldn't cause your car to pull though.


edit: yeah, what are your needs for suspension? Driving it daily? need to protect your oil pan? how are your roads? track/autox?

[Sagaris]

I am not sure that this is the case with yours but in the past I have seen cars with shocks that are so blown that they allow the wheel to flop around and make some bad noises.

[TruEdrty]

Thank you for your help. I am looking to start autox every once in awhile not regularly and its my DD but I hit windy roads every weekend.

[Burnera]

well stop flogging it till you get it fixed for one.
You can get struts + springs for about $750.

You can probably just get struts though and be fine. A set of four will be around $450 at the right places. Or just one for about $120 for a front strut.


How do YOU know you have a blown strut?
The clanking and pulling could come from other things, but if you know the strut is bad you might as well start with replacing that. The front struts aren't just to absorb shock, they also act as structural peices to keep the wheel on.

[McGyver]

by struts are we meaning shocks? it was my understanding that struts were the black tubes that the shock slides into and has place for the control arm and tie rods to bolt onto.

OP: look through the suspension threads. billy sports are good shocks, just find some springs that will lower it and still let you DD (H&R Sport, BavAuto....) also think about replacing your control arms and bushings, tie rods, and shock mounts.

[HarryPotter]

by struts are we meaning shocks? it was my understanding that struts were the black tubes that the shock slides into and has place for the control arm and tie rods to bolt onto.

OP: look through the suspension threads. billy sports are good shocks, just find some springs that will lower it and still let you DD (H&R Sport, BavAuto....) also think about replacing your control arms and bushings, tie rods, and shock mounts.

I believe you are mixing up strut with strut housing. The front strut housings are the part you mentioned, the front struts are the shocks that go into the housing. There is a difference between the shock and strut.

The shock just absorbs shock, and the strut housing is a part of the structural design of the car. As in the car could be used without the rear shocks, but not without the front struts.

[McGyver]

i've never heard of it called a "strut housing", just a strut. and i've never heard of shocks being struts. the whole assembly, however, can be called a McPherson strut and is a necessary part of the front of the car. i'm going by the names on this diagram:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...09&hg=31&fg=10

point is the "strut housing" should be fine. you would need new shocks.

[TruEdrty]

I am not 100% that it is the strut but several trusted sources that rode with me said it was.

Maybe this will help a little. It used to only make the noise when i hit bumps and it sounded like a clanking almost like 2 rings sliding up and down something hitting each other. Thats how I would describe it.

[McGyver]

loose shock mount?

[HarryPotter]

Strut mount bearings maybe?