Steering Pop

[E30_fiend]

Alright well here's a little background on the suspension.

The kit is. The J-Stock setup offered for the E30 M3. Its coupled with the offset upper strut mounts. Basically everything under the car is stock. No urethane components yet up front.

Now as most of you know, the J-Stock spring is actually the Eibach competition spring with one coil removed to increase the spring rate.

Anyway, after installing the kit about 3 months ago, everything had been running fine, very responsive suspension setup. But my only problem with the setup was the fender to wheel gap up front. It was a bit large. So yesterday I decided I was going to take out my front thick spring pads. So I continued to do so and I set the car back down and rolled it to let the suspension settle and cleaned up my work area.

While I pulled out of my shop to start heading home, I turned the steering wheel and heard a hellacious pop followed by another pop. I figured, oh ok the suspension us just settling in place. So I proceeded to leave only to hear more pops as I straightened the wheel. While I wa still in the parking lot to my shop I did a few wide turns and then a few sharper turns and everytime, I got the popping noise from both sides.

Now what I'm thinking is the spring is popping around on the upper spring hat/strut mount. Or maybe even the bearing locking in certain places like it may need some bearing grease shoved in the top of the mount.

I've never had this kind of noise before so I tried to locate it on my own but its nearly impossible to turn the steering wheel and look up at the spring in the wheel well.

What do you guys think could be making the said noises?


TIA







Taylor

[E30_fiend]

Bump

[daniel]

im having somewhat of a similar experience. i just installed a new suspension and when i am going slow and parking, or backing out of a parking space, i hear a little pop (i wouldn't call it hellacious) from i think both front corners. At first i thought it was because i forgot this small plastic ring that went between the spring and the upper spring perch, but putting that in didnt change anything. I have also been getting wheel bearing noise, so I am hoping all the noises will go away upon changing the bearings. the only thing i dont know is why installing the new suspension would influence the bearings and the noises they make.

[BM5W]

Take a look at the sway bar links.

[E30_fiend]

Take a look at the sway bar links.

Word. That didn't even cross my mind.

[gearheadE30]

I had popping in the front suspension for an extremely long time, and I could not figure out what it was. ended up being the upper front strut bearings. They had collapsed to the point that the rubber was rubbing on the top of the spring hat. There was also a lot of play in the bearing.

The J-stock setup front eh e30 is extremely stiff, and my guess is that your upper mounts were taking enough shock that they collapsed like mine did. The offset mounts may be stronger, though. Easy check is to remove the upper shock nut, jack the car up, unbolt the upper mount, and take a look. Mine had a buch of rubber guts on top of the spring hat.