Need some suspension advice for my 1 series

[tramsay]

Hey people,

I have a 2005 e87 hatchback (04/12/2005 — 06/06/2008) that has leaky shocks. My shock OEM codes are 31316771553 and 31316771554respectively. However, these have been superseded by 31316786017 and 31316786018, and realoem.com shows that these are non-exchangeable respectively. To make matters worse, both 31316771553 and 31316771554 are no longer available for order from anywhere.

Here are my questions:

Where can I:

1. a) Order the original 31316771553 and 31316771554 shock absorbers, or b) will the 31316771553 and 31316771554 shock absorbers fit my car, and where can I order them?

2. Are there any other models of BMW that use the same shocks, or are there any other models of BMW that use different shocks that are compatible? (Specifically NA/USA)

3. Are there any North American sources for these shocks that will allow me to avoid Import tariffs and Duties from Asia/UK/EU countries

I live in Canada, and own what is probably the only 118i e87 in all of North America. Yes, I realize this is an absolutely idiotic decision, and yes, if me a year ago had known what a pain in the ass it was going to be, I would never have imported the damn thing.

[RBNetEngr]

Are you insisting that you need to buy new dampers from BMW? Most of the non-sport dampers were made by Sachs, so you could probably buy OEM dampers from Sachs, and save money.

https://aftermarket.zf.com

Search as your country being Great Britain, and you’ll find your 118i.

I don’t know enough about whether other BMW dampers will fit the car, since the 1-Series hatchback was only imported into Mexico, not Canada or USA. If the later 1-Series suspension fits (from a 128i, for example) that would make them easier to find. Otherwise, you’ll probably either need to find a company that can get parts from other markets, or buy parts from other markets and pay for international shipping.

One other choice, from USA:

https://bmwmobiletradition-online.com

They are in Baltimore, MD I believe, but because they are licensed by BMW, they should be able to get you parts for BMWs from any market.

According to the data for your car, the 31316771553 ($104.25) and 31316771554 ($103.93) are the available struts, and the others (31316786017 and 31316786018) are N/A.


-rb