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Thread: strut question re 1988 BMW 528e - Monroe, KYB, Bilstein or? compatibility issues?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
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    Salt Spring Island, BC CA
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    1988 BMW 528e

    strut question re 1988 BMW 528e - Monroe, KYB, Bilstein or? compatibility issues?

    Hi! Thank you in advance for any help/response. I am very ignorant when it comes to cars - and where I live, a not easily-accessible island off Canada's Pacific coast, there's not a lot of options for parts etc. so I am wondering what to do here.

    I just purchased a 1988 BMW 528e that someone drove up to BC from California. The body is in really good shape etc. - but the first day I drove it, the right front strut seized up, or whatever is the right term, in the compressed position.

    I took these pics of the original struts - and couldn't see a brand name – but, on the metal on the left it looks like 73998 (the 73 being smaller numbers than the 998) and on the right B1091. Researching online, I may be wrong, but I’m thinking this may be the MONROE73998 OESpectrum Cartridge made in Belgium:

    http://allisoncrowe.com/BMW1988528estrut1.JPG


    http://allisoncrowe.com/BMW1988528estrut2.JPG

    http://allisoncrowe.com/BMW1988528estrut3.JPG

    http://allisoncrowe.com/BMW1988528estrut4.JPG

    Whether IĀ’m right or wrong about the Monroe 73998 being what's in need of replacing, my mechanic here found Bilstein inserts (I don't know the model number) that fit the housing, and now those are in the car - the steering alignment is way off. I'll be getting the vehicle towed back to the mechanic, but, before then, I'm trying to understand what's needed.

    Again, I may misunderstand, but looking up parts on one website (Rock Auto), I get the impression that the 1988 528e is compatible with the Monroe 73998, the KYB 365043 - and some other struts/cartridges. But there's a note on the site - "Except Bilstein Equipped." What does this mean? Is it an either/or thing - eg. you either have the Monroe or KYB parts or you have Bilstein - but the car isn't compatible with both? And is there anything that happens with strut replacement that would throw the steering out of whack?

    Should what I'm asking make any sense - and anyone here has ideas or answers, thank you kindly for any input! Cheers!
    Last edited by Adrian88; 11-02-2018 at 01:20 AM. Reason: fixed links so they go to different images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Location
    Salt Spring Island, BC CA
    Posts
    5
    My Cars
    1988 BMW 528e

    Re: strut question re 1988 BMW 528e - Monroe, KYB, Bilstein or? compatibility issues?

    p.s. I'm having a heck of a time with the jpegs in my original posting - but they appear to be correct now, so, thanks to the mods+! and, again, thanks in advance for any help re understanding the right struts and all for my BMW
    Last edited by Adrian88; 11-02-2018 at 01:22 AM. Reason: learning the ropes re URLs and all

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    11/88 E32 750iL+98 E36M3
    I will move the thread to the E28 forum
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Location
    Salt Spring Island, BC CA
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    My Cars
    1988 BMW 528e

    Re: strut question re 1988 BMW 528e - Monroe, KYB, Bilstein or? compatibility issues?

    Quote Originally Posted by shogun View Post
    I will move the thread to the E28 forum
    Thanks, shogun!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Location
    Salt Spring Island, BC CA
    Posts
    5
    My Cars
    1988 BMW 528e
    p.s. should this help anyone solve their own mysteries - my mechanic inspected everything again tonight - and made adjustments to the centerlink. I don't know enough to say just what he did - tightened or changed the length in some way - bottom line the driving-on-eggshells strange steering alignment problem is solved.

    fwiw, the centerlink was among a number of parts that were replaced on the car - just before the right front strut seized up - causing the two front struts to be replaced (with the Bilsteins in place of the Monroes) - and this led to the thinking it was a strut problem! (now maybe it was the centerlink problem that caused the strut to collapse - is that possible?)

    Anyway, it's all thumbs up, now. Thanks, again, shogun. And cheers all round

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