little help? suspension problem

[mushhsum]

alright i have my car for about 4 months now and its just started doing this.
my front driver side tire and rim wobble and occasionally make a hard clank when i hit a bump im not sure if its my strut mount wheel bearing or tie rod and im short on cash so id like to diagnose the problem before it gets any worse and i waste my time and money fixing the wrong thing i can post a video if needed i can grabbed the tire with both hands and shake it back and forth it feels like the struts moving and there isnt any grinding in the bearing any ideas?

[Jaxx_]

what suspension do you have? need a little more information... How do the end links look? is the strut tube secured? what about strut mounts? bearings? Can you shake it with the car on the ground, or is it only in the air?

[mushhsum]

all stock 325i suspension and on the ground i dont know much about suspension what are the end links? and how can i diagnose a bad strut mount thats what i suspect is wrong strut tube should be secured it just started doing this recently

[jlevie]

My guess, without seeing the car, is that it needs struts, strut mounts, tie rods, wheel bearings, control arms, control arm bushings, sway bushings, and sway links. In other words a full rebuild of the front suspension. You might get away, for a time, with a bit less, but to determine what needs immediate attention you need to have BMW tech diagnose the car.

[mushhsum]

well i just jacked it up and there isnt any movement up top it looks as if the strut is giving in the middle whats on the inside of the strut that would break and make it like jackknife that sounds a little harsh but its the only way i can explain it
it would bend in between where the bottom of the coil meets the shock
heres a horrible video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_d1wLr_200&feature=youtu.be

[jlevie]

I can't, from the video, tell you what is wrong. But I can tell you that the car isn't safe to drive until that is fixed. I think it will be pretty obvious once the strut is out and disassembled.

[mushhsum]

alright thanks for the help man

[Jaxx_]

check your collar nut that secures the strut in the strut housing.

does the bad side take a few more jack strokes to lift it off the ground compared to the other?

[Jaxx_]

and I didn't see any jack stands in that video, but I hope your leg isn't under the car with just a jack holding it up... :-\

[mushhsum]

yes my jack has to extend all the way up to only get my tire off the ground 1/2 inch
if im looking at the strut where is the collar nut?

[dothadance]

it's inside the spring, under that little rubber boot you're playing with in the video.

[mushhsum]

alright ill check it tomorrow

[bastianshaw]

check your collar nut that secures the strut in the strut housing.

does the bad side take a few more jack strokes to lift it off the ground compared to the other?

wow, winning

[Jaxx_]

wow, winning

was that it?

[E30_fiend]

OP, what you need to realize is that the youngest e30 is 18 years old. its going to need a little more love than "im short on cash". You will likely cause more damage driving it how it is. Save a little money, borrow, steal, do what you gotta do. Just toss some money at the front end.

Your problem will likely be solved for about $300.

Tie rods
Wheel bearings
Upper strut mounts

Start there and go up. Blown shocks could be a problem but its a high ticket item so buy the cheaper components first. And if you're worried about not fixing the problem after the stuff mentioned was replaced, at least you'll be THAT much closer to a new front end. Our front suspension is PAINFULLY simple. Not a ton of parts to replace.

So, get going and let us know how it goes.


Taylor