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Thread: OEM spring not sitting properly in Bilstein strut

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
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    1999 323i

    OEM spring not sitting properly in Bilstein strut

    Hello,

    I am in the middle of swapping the front struts out on my '99 323i, and after taking the struts to be assembled at Pep Boys, I've noticed the spring does not sit in its perch as its supposed to. I had seen this condition in a couple repair videos, and figured they did it wrong, but now I'm wondering... Is this is the only way it can work? I was hoping for a second opinion before I install them.

    EDIT: Forgot to add- there's not a L and R spring is there?? I didn't think so, but that could definitely explain it.

    I would really appreciate any help.

    Thanks
    Last edited by aclosethungaria; 03-17-2018 at 12:30 PM.

  2. #2
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    You really need to take a picture, post it at a host website, and put a link here. If you had ten posts here, you can just attach pictures here.

    Which perch does the spring not fit correctly, top or bottom? The spring needs to be rotated correctly so that the end of its coil sits in the nook. And of course, the rubber spring isolaters need to be present.

    Have a look at this picture:
    http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=31_0408

    Do you have part numbers 11 and 8 in place?

    See how the springs END, at top and bottom? Those ends must be correctly rotated into the notches of the rubber isolaters, which need to be correctly rotated into the notches of the top and bottom perches.

    Pep Boys is the wrong place to have someone assembling your struts, by the way.

    And if your new struts are YELLOW Bilsteins, you need to have matching yellow Bilsteins at the rear, too. Black Bilsteins are identical to factory parts.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  3. #3
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    Thanks for the reply. Pretty sure all the parts from the picture, though I'm not totally sure what #12 is. It's the bottom that it's not sitting in. It seems like they should be able to fit in by rotating them.... They are black Bilsteins

  4. #4
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    Nevermind 12 and 13; they're not actually present in that picture....the numbers are greyed out.

    It seems most likely that your issue is due to the fact that you went to Pep Boys, and they had someone who'd never worked on a BMW put your suspension together, and he did it incorrectly.

    For future reference, NEVER take a BMW to PepBoys; they have no damned business working on ANY car.

    I know, you didn't have a device to compress the springs safely.....so you needed someone with a strut compressor. Unfortunately, you still need someone with a strut compressor, to fix what's been done incorrectly. I recommend a BMW/Euro specialist shop.

    Sorry for your troubles.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  5. #5
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    Ok roger that. I'll look for a speciality place. One more issue: do you expect non-matching front control arms to be an issue?

    Thanks

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by aclosethungaria View Post
    Ok roger that. I'll look for a speciality place. One more issue: do you expect non-matching front control arms to be an issue?

    Thanks
    No need for a specialist, just someone with a three digit IQ and some rudimentary understanding of auto mechanics.

    I will guess the end of the spring is not seated in the correct position. Easy enough to correct but you'll need to compress the spring again.
    PepBoys = Earl Sheib with a wrench.
    Define "non matching control arms" please.
    Last edited by ross1; 03-17-2018 at 07:05 PM.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  7. #7
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    That's a lot to ask for, at PepBoys, Ross.

    And, yeah, OP, exactly what do you mean by "non matching control arms"? That sounds scary.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  8. #8
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    Pep boys,what is up with that?

  9. #9
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    Curly, Larry, and Moe, as I recall.....

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    That's a lot to ask for, at PepBoys, Ross.

    And, yeah, OP, exactly what do you mean by "non matching control arms"? That sounds scary.
    I just mean different brands. It doesn't matter though, I already bought a same brand replacement (the boots on the joints were torn).

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