Rear strut tops

[express_wagon]

Hello,

What would people recommend as a strong rear strut top? When I originally bought the car a year ago, one of the tops blew so I replaced both of them with the same product (October 2006). Well, 6 months later, it blew again so I am looking for something a bit heavier duty.

Recommendations? Sites?

This is for a 1990 325is with Bilstein Sports.

Thanks,

Jason

[jms16v]

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html...DUCT_ID=JTD909

[eighteight325is]

Just buy the OE E46 mounts from Bav Auto and make sure they are installed correctly with all of the correct washers.

[erik325i]

Just buy the OE E46 mounts from Bav Auto and make sure they are installed correctly with all of the correct washers.

Yes, it is very important to install them correctly, or else you will blow them again.

If you don't have those cup shaped washers below the rear shock mount, they won't last very long.

-Erik

[Mike@PureMS]

These are a great inexpensive alternative to the failure prone OE style.

http://www.purems.com/products/product.php/II=1808

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

EDIT: Looks like the ones Mike@PureMS is selling are the same ones, just get them from PureMS.
They are like $30 - 40 for the pair.

JT-D Rear Shock Mounts
"Repair Design"

You should get the Z3 Reinforcement Plates while you're at it. Mike should know what I'm talking about. And yes, make sure you have all the washers.

They look like the ones advertised on Turner Motorsport. These are the best IMHO, because if they DO blow again, just buy new rubber pieces and rebuild it yourself, so there's no downtime waiting for a new RSM.

[ron1999]

Mielle also have shock mounts that are supposed to better than the original ones.
the are claimed as "Exceeds OE specification" and cost just the same (i think it was 10-15$ a pair)
my car is 40mm lowered and the last pair i've instaled lasted exactly one year.
now with the "reinforced" ones im hoping that quiet will last longer.


Ron

[MikesJo]

I'd go with the Ireland Engineering ones, that's what I did after the OEM E46 ones I had blew as well! No problems yet with these IE ones for over 6 months. The OE ones last me a week.

[Midnight Sun]

Why the hell do these things blow out so quickly after you lower your car?

My left side blew out the day I lowered the car, and the carquest OEM replacement style blew out today, just little over a month.

[92 mtechnic cabrio]

Why the hell do these things blow out so quickly after you lower your car?

My left side blew out the day I lowered the car, and the carquest OEM replacement style blew out today, just little over a month.

combination of stiffer shocks and them being improperly installed will do it for ya in a jiffy.

make DAMN sure all the washers are in the correct position and facing hte right way.

[Midnight Sun]

make DAMN sure all the washers are in the correct position and facing hte right way.

Little too late now.

Oh well

[eighteight325is]

combination of stiffer shocks and them being improperly installed will do it for ya in a jiffy.

make DAMN sure all the washers are in the correct position and facing hte right way.

Any time I hear that someone blew a RSM in a week/day/hour I'm going to have to assume they were installed improperly. That isn't a slight on anyone's wrenching skills, it is just such a common thing people mess up.

I pulled a set of KYB rear shocks off my car installed by one of the previous owners when I was making the swap to Bilsteins. The KYB's use a different shock mount so I didn't have the lower cupped washer. I scratched my head, looked at a couple of diagrams, failed to walk away and check out the forums and the copious number of posts on this exact thing, and a week later my shock piston was poking through the trunk lining.

I went looking for something heavy duty the next day, talked to a couple of knowledgable people and ended up with the right mounting hardware and a set of OE E46 replacements and over a year later and a lot of bumpy roads no issues at all.

[erik325i]

Why the hell do these things blow out so quickly after you lower your car?

My left side blew out the day I lowered the car, and the carquest OEM replacement style blew out today, just little over a month.

The factory rear shock mounts are not that bad. If you blew them in a week, then I am sure they were improperly installed.

The cup shaped washers need to be installed correctly or else the shocks will blow.

-Erik

[Midnight Sun]

Damn, I need to pay more attention.

I never really figured you could install them wrong.

Oh well, moving onto Ground Control's.

[brickwhite]

Washer position

Anyone have a picture of which way the washer is suppose to go. Just for those who don't know.