Front suspension install help!

[shiftbmw]

I posted this on s14 but figured I would here too to get some more opinions.

Installed IE3's and bilstein sports in front yesterday and the rears today

I went for a test drive to make sure everything was good and occasionally around a turn I get a distinctive thud/clunk or two...although now that I've put a few miles on it, I have stopped hearing it completely.

Of greater concern, the steering will not return to center like it used to as well. It will come back fine all the way until roughly 60 degrees when making a left turn and then stop(so it keeps turning left...and the wheel stops returning roughly 60 degrees before straight up). I buttoned everything up tight when I reinstalled so I can't figure out what is going on.

I used stock sway bar links(the car doesn't seem to sit too much lower though), and removed the upper spring pads.

In any case, something doesn't seem right. Any ideas?

[AndrewBird]

Did you replace any other suspension components? The less caster you have, the less the wheel will return to center. Did you maybe install offset control arm bushing and not press them in the correct way?

[.cj.]

Chances are you left out the washer that is placed between the upper spring perch and the bottom of the strut bearing or installed it in the wrong sequence.

Cris

[clavinZERO]

One hint...

I ended up spinning my springs 90 or 180 degrees and it killed the clunking I had in the rear. My sports were binding for some reason.

[TerribleONE]

this exact same thing happened after i did a big install, i touched a lot of components such as
-coilovers
-steeringrack
-swaybar endlinks
-subframe bushings
-trailing arm bushings

it did the same thing as you are describing for about a day or so but then went back to normal..

[gearheadE30]

Did you get the front strut retaining nuts tight enough? Sometimes it seems they can back out during driving. That doesn't explain the steering, though.

[kway]

Chances are you left out the washer that is placed between the upper spring perch and the bottom of the strut bearing or installed it in the wrong sequence.

Cris

My first thoughts were along these lines.

[shiftbmw]

Thanks guys. It seems that a lot of people suggest leaving out the washer or getting them in the wrong order. I will go in and recheck.

Can someone tell me exactly how it should go?

Spring -> Top spring perch -> Washer -> Upper Strut Mount ->strut tower?

[Jand3rson]

OMG!

There's a whole subforum for this.

[shiftbmw]

OMG!

There's a whole subforum for this.

So there is...

[FredK]

Spring -> top spring perch -> FLAT WASHER -> THRUST WASHER (looks like a cup, cup should face upwards into strut mount -> upper strut mount -> UPPER FLAT WASHER -> strut top nut

[shiftbmw]

Cool, thanks! Out of curiosity, what are pieces 11 and 14? My old shocks that came off didn't have them.

[FredK]

Part 11 is a foam bump stop. The E30 M3 bump stop is way shorter in height than the generic bump stop pictured. Sometimes, due to heat, age, or some other environmental condition, the foam crumbles away.

Part 14 I think is a collar that secures the accordion boot (part 13), but I think both 13 and 14 are paired only with Bilstein inserts.

[shiftbmw]

Just to clarify one more thing so I don't have to do this a third time:

The washer bilstein sends with their shocks is # 8 right? And then # 7 is a slightly conical washer and then above # 7 there's a really thin conical bearing cap that is un-pictured that goes on the bottom of the strut bearing, right?

Just wanted to double check.