BMW E90 320D shocks

E90

I think the shock at the front passenger side is gone - noticed a rubbing sound the other day, drove a short enough distance and back and there was a slights burning rubber smell.
Took off the wheel today and this is the result:

Seems like the coil has come down over the shock.

Looks like an easy enough diy job but it is an MSport model which supposedly has stiffer suspension.
Is this down to the coil? I.E can I buy a regular shock(pair?) and get stiffer coils?
Can't seem to find any MSport shocks online.
I presume it is best practice to change both of the same axle at once?
Should I replace the coils along with the shocks or could I use the existing coils?

Thanks.

Wheelnut

My first impression from that photo is that the shock is OK and your problem is a broken spring. The bottom coil of the spring seems to be gone or it may be inside its seat on the shock. The burning rubber smell probably comes from the broken coil rubbing on the inside of the tyre as evidenced by the shine on the coil. You should check the inside wall of your tyre urgently.

E90

Wheelnut wrote: »

My first impression from that photo is that the shock is OK and your problem is a broken spring. The bottom coil of the spring seems to be gone or it may be inside its seat on the shock. The burning rubber smell probably comes from the broken coil rubbing on the inside of the tyre as evidenced by the shine on the coil. You should check the inside wall of your tyre urgently.

Yeah the inside of the tyre is severely damaged and needs replacing.

I don't know if the following pic is any help -it was dark when I took them.


Looks to me like the seating is slightly damaged and thats how the coil came down over it, again, I was limited to what I could see/photo in the dark.

Probably best to remove it and decide then?
Any ideas on the type of shocks/coils to buy for an msport?

Thanks for any input.

Wheelnut

I had a look at my own car today (E90, 320d) and I think I am right, it's a broken coil spring.

The main part of the front coil spring is about 140mm diameter but the bottom coil is much smaller, about 100mm diameter. This is the part that sits in the cup on the strut. The bottom coil has broken and allowed the wider part of the spring to come down over the cup. You can see what I mean by jacking up the other side of the car without taking off the wheel and you will be able to see in over the tyre.

If you need to drive the car (to get it to a garage) jack up the broken side and try to turn the spring. You may be able to turn the broken end away from the tyre so as not to do any more damage.

PS: I doubt if the strut (shock absorber) is damaged.

burke027

Very very common for the e90 front springs to go. We do a lot or them from time to time. It may look like a easy DIY job but have you ever changed a spring before do you no all that is required.

Irish Diamond

can anyone give me an estimate of how much it should cost to replace all 4 shock absorbers on my BMW 320D e90 ?

biko

2012 thread lock.
Start a new thread in Motors forum, don't post in old threads you find via google.