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Used OEM Springs Different Heights??? Should I Be Worried?

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    #1

    Used OEM Springs Different Heights??? Should I Be Worried?

    Hey Everyone!

    Returning the 318is back to stock, and so I bought a set of OEM springs (from someone who got in contact with me through this forum).

    Upon returning home, I noticed that the front 2 springs are wildly different heights. Observe:



    Now, I have absolutely no reason to think that the guy gave me the wrong springs. When I called him back and asked him about it, he said that the taller spring had been removed from the car much earlier than the other spring (like, months). Weird, but whatever. This guy does a fair amount of parts business in NY and on r3v so, again, I trust that I have a matching set.

    But are these safe to install like this? I mean, I'm going to be using a spring compressor anyway, so it shouldn't make a difference, right?

    Any thoughts? Only one of the springs has a number stamped into it, unfortunately.

    Thanks in advance for the advice...
    Last edited by BHT2109; 09-24-2018, 11:04 PM.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Depending on which side gets the shorter spring I believe that side will be lower also that's the weakest one.
    The taller spring is stronger.
    Best way to check if it is a set, measure them end to end.
    I personally would not put a set of springs like that in my car.

    Comment

      #3
      Springs can sag over time, that’s probably what happened here. I wouldn’t use these
      Driving:1990 325iS, 2007 335i :devil:
      past BMWs: 1987 325iS turbo, 1989 325i, 1995 525i, 2000 328CI, 2001 540i, 2008 135i

      Comment

        #4
        Crap. I was afraid you guys were gonna say that. Anyone disagree?

        Thanks for the responses!

        Comment

          #5
          Doesn't inspire confidence. But reality is it will probably be perfectly fine.

          But 30yr old springs are 30yr old springs.

          Comment

            #6
            Put them in and see. Worst case one side will be lower than the other.

            It could be that the spring that was out of the car longer relaxed further. Kind of like the opposite of settling.

            Comment

              #7
              Originally posted by AndrewBird View Post
              Put them in and see. Worst case one side will be lower than the other.

              It could be that the spring that was out of the car longer relaxed further. Kind of like the opposite of settling.
              Yeah, that's what the guy who I bought them from said, and he seems a lot more knowledgeable than me, so I believe it.

              I think I'll just install them and see what happens.

              Thanks again for the input guys!

              Comment

                #8
                A spring is a spring for a reason. They were both under pressure for 30 years and cause 1 stayed that way a while longer should NOT cause that much difference once removed. Metal fatigue on the other hand, could. Either way they could very well have come off the same car and appear to no longer be "equal".

                You can roll the dice but it's a pita to swap the fronts, especially when matching OE springs are easy to find (I have a set sitting in my carport for example)
                Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                Alice the Time Capsule
                http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                Comment

                  #9
                  Originally posted by jeffnhiscars View Post

                  You can roll the dice but it's a pita to swap the fronts, especially when matching OE springs are easy to find
                  This^^^
                  I also like to add, could be irrelevant but a friend swapped in old used original springs in his daily e30.
                  It was rear springs one side broke!!!
                  He was stuck in a busy intersection couldn't move the car cause the shock also blew and the wheel was jammed up in the wheel well.
                  Lucky he was not far from me I used a trolley jack, jacked it firm on the trailing arm and pulled the car all the way 3/4km to my place. It was noisy and my jack was toast.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Originally posted by jeffnhiscars View Post
                    A spring is a spring for a reason. They were both under pressure for 30 years and cause 1 stayed that way a while longer should NOT cause that much difference once removed. Metal fatigue on the other hand, could. Either way they could very well have come off the same car and appear to no longer be "equal".

                    You can roll the dice but it's a pita to swap the fronts, especially when matching OE springs are easy to find (I have a set sitting in my carport for example)
                    It's not the time in the car that made the difference, it's the time out of the car might have. One spring was sitting out of the car for months while the other was just pulled. In those several months, the one spring sprung back the difference.

                    Think of it like a memory foam mattress that was squished in a vacuum bag. It doesn't fully "re-inflate" for several hours.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Has anyone actually ever taken multiple measurements over time after removing a spring to see if it takes days, weeks, months or just minutes to "fully relax" ?

                      Somehow I doubt it.
                      Seat Shocks....I have passed the baton to John Christy from Ninestitch. Email John or Garrett at ninestitch1@gmail.com

                      https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...86#post4944786
                      Alice the Time Capsule
                      http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=360504
                      87 Zinno Cabrio barn find 98k and still smells like a barn. Build thread http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/show...20#post3455220

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Anyone know where new stock height 318is springs can be purchased?

                        Comment

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