drivers rear srping has snapped.

DR-Z said:
I too have this issue and considering the best options. If I did go for Eibachs all round, how easy are the fronts to change? Are the cheap (£15) spring compressors effective?
Click to expand...

Rears easy, fronts - Not so much :( There's a good guide on here how to do the fronts, but having done them recently I would pay an Indy to do the front. The cheap compressors are mostly complete crap and can be dangerous - even if you fancy removing the struts yourself I would recommend for £20-30 you do as I did and take the struts to a garage or shock absorber centre and get them to swap the springs over in 15 mins on a hydraulic compressor rather than mess about. Remember either way you will need to get 4 wheel alignment done afterwards.
 
Lillywhite said:
domsz4 said:
its a 3.0i. ordered from Suplex direct for £42 a corner (doing both) :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Jeez that's cheap. :? The other day someone on the Forum contacted Suplex and was told they won't supply direct and he had to go through another supplier who quoted £127 a pair for rear springs.

Does your price include VAT and postage? If so you have a result. :wink:
Click to expand...

yeah all in delivered to work tomorrow. :thumbsup: i was expecting about 140 all in as there are a few ebay places doing the surplex stuff for about that. when they said the price all in any other thoughts were chucked out of the window it was a no brainier really.


they did say to go though their network supplier which is a place near me. its a decent place I've had stuff from several times before. they didn't stock them and had no price so i went back to suplex. I've got the part number somewhere ill post it up so if anyone searches they might come across it.

i did wonder if i should get a geo done after these anyway but it can wait i need a new job before spending any cash and as ill be sitting on the sofa as one of the great unwashed from the end of the month i wont be driving much anyway :D :lol:
 
Interesting - it was I who had the quote for £127 from a supplier - Suplex said they wouldn't deal directly with me. Do you have a contact name at Suplex?
 
GP06Roadster - are you suggesting that removing the struts, complete with springs is easy, but advising to take to Kwikfit (LOL) to change the springs on the struts?

Do I need wheel alignment if I just change the rear springs?
 
GP06Roadster said:
DR-Z said:
I too have this issue and considering the best options. If I did go for Eibachs all round, how easy are the fronts to change? Are the cheap (£15) spring compressors effective?
Click to expand...

Rears easy, fronts - Not so much :( There's a good guide on here how to do the fronts, but having done them recently I would pay an Indy to do the front. The cheap compressors are mostly complete crap and can be dangerous - even if you fancy removing the struts yourself I would recommend for £20-30 you do as I did and take the struts to a garage or shock absorber centre and get them to swap the springs over in 15 mins on a hydraulic compressor rather than mess about. Remember either way you will need to get 4 wheel alignment done afterwards.
Click to expand...

We actually had no choice but to take the struts and springs to my dads mechanic friend who had a hydraulic compressor as we couldn't get the top mount back on.

Removing the strut and old spring was actually very simple, but no matter how hard we tried, we could not get the nut back on the top with the eibach springs.

Luckily he only charged us 20 quid to do both.

Getting my wheel alignment done Saturday at a place called 'Skidmarques' in Brentwood. Seems well priced and has great reviews.
 
Lillywhite said:
domsz4 said:
I've got the part number somewhere ill post it up so if anyone searches they might come across it.
Click to expand...

For the 3.0i I reckon it's 06231. :wink:
Click to expand...

yeah thats it :thumbsup:

i just phoned them direct and spoke to a couple of people, no one in particular
 
Getting my wheel alignment done Saturday at a place called 'Skidmarques' in Brentwood. Seems well priced and has great reviews.[/quote]

Let me know how you get on, I've just had a quote from them, Damian I think his name was. :thumbsup:
 
My n/s spring has 'fractured' resulting in an mot fail.

Am I right in thinking that all pre-facelift 3.0i's (e.g. 2003) had the M-Technic/Sport suspension?

I put a set of Eibach Pro's on my E36 328 & was very impressed with them however I'm not sure about a 30mm drop on the Z4 - it's pretty low already. If that 30mm drop is compared to non-M-technic/Sport springs then we're only looking at a 15mm drop which would be a lot friendlier to my spine.
 
Yep, eibachs are 30mm from se height, so 15mm lower than sport.

They don't make it hugely lower, just enough to cut that huge arch gap.
 
Just bought pair of Suplex 06231 springs on EBay, new, £39 each including postage!
 
DR-Z said:
GP06Roadster - are you suggesting that removing the struts, complete with springs is easy, but advising to take to Kwikfit (LOL) to change the springs on the struts?

Do I need wheel alignment if I just change the rear springs?
Click to expand...

Sorry DR Z, I missed this, yes as long as you are reasonably competent with a spanner and follow this excellent guide

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27124&p=374517&hilit=spring+fitting#p374501

I wouldn't bother messing around with cheap compressors though, any garage can swap them safely and cheaply
 
For what it's worth, I got a pair of rear Suplex 06231 springs from http://www.carfactorsuk.co.uk for £47.59 each (£95.18 total inc free delivery). Ebay advertisers could only supply 1.

Fitting seemed easier than on my E36.

Use the central jacking point below so you can get axle stands under the rear sill jack pads.

022_zps29d81551.jpg


I was advised to unbolt the ARB mount (just behind the spring in the photo) as they can fracture under too much force. You'll need a couple of 13mm ring spanners as a socket won't fit on. Put some diesel on the nut - it's the best penetrating oil you can get.

Take the weight of the hub with a trolley jack so it isn't trapping the 18mm bolt holding the bottom of the shock to the hub. Not essential but it makes life easier.

Put a scissor jack between the trailing arm & the top of the inner arch & wind it out until you can lift the spring out.

023_zps18b454b2.jpg


Give the spring pan a good brush out before you fit the new spring.
 
Having just done mine, I can see that the scissor jack (as shown in the photo) is a good idea if you're on your own. But if you have someone to help you for a few seconds (literally), you don't need this.

I jacked using the normal rear (side) jack point, removed wheel and placed axle stands under the central point (where the trolley jack is shown in the picture above). Removed jack so car now resting on axle stands (I used 2 together, to be extra-safe). Then jacked the other side and removed that wheel. Then removed jack, so rear end of car resting on axle stands.

Let off handbrake (chocked front wheels), removed bolt from both struts, control arm easily swings down with a little pressure on hub, allowing spring to be removed. I didn't need help with this - was able to press down on hub and pull spring out, with a little force, with one hand. Refitting is simple, but this is where you can't do it single-handed unless you use a pry bar or the scissor jack method. Just get someone to press down on the control arm (my 5'3" wife was enough) and slot the new spring in. Then jack under the hub to push arm upwards so that strut bolt can be refitted.

Both sides fitted and test-driven in just over an hour, which included removing and checking/cleaning the rear ABS sensors. Like everything else, would be quicker if I did it again. :D
 
My Right rear was identified as snapped when I happened to ask Kwikfit to do a puncture repair yesterday. (£25 for a puncture repair!!!) so I'm here getting the knowledge on swapping rear springs over.

In summary, Eibach if you want to lower it (but thats at all four corners) and Suplex if you want to stay OEM?
 
Eviltad said:
In summary, Eibach if you want to lower it (but thats at all four corners) and Suplex if you want to stay OEM?
Click to expand...
You got it. Make sure you know whether you need Sport or standard springs. The place I got mine from do both.
 
Reiver said:
Eviltad said:
In summary, Eibach if you want to lower it (but thats at all four corners) and Suplex if you want to stay OEM?
Click to expand...
You got it. Make sure you know whether you need Sport or standard springs. The place I got mine from do both.
Click to expand...

Balls. Did it from eBay and did make sure it was for 3.0si though so fingers crossed.
 
Eviltad said:
it was for 3.0si though so fingers crossed.
Click to expand...
Ah, post facelift? I believe they can be standard or Sport.

Perhaps RealOEM or BMWFans will say which. The dealer can give you a build sheet if you give them the chassis no.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom