Uneven rear ride height again....

[leez4c]

Hi,

I know this has been posted before, but has anyone got any recent info on why my 2007 sport coupe rides lower at the offside rear?
It has just had 2 new bmw springs fitted and the difference between the two side is nearly 20mm. I believe the BMW springs do not need to settle, so I wondered what could cause this?
I have heard stories about biasing the car so its lower at the right to compensate for left hand drivers, is this true? Or is it just the weight of the battery on this side of the car?

Any help would be appreciated

 

[Daffy]

I think all of my BMWs have had a slight list to starboard (when looking from the back) especially with a full tank of fuel.

It makes sense for the car to be rightside heavy for the general marketplace therefore allowing an 80kg driver not to adversly affect the handling.

The battery, for example, has been on the drivers side on all of my previous BMWs.

Saying all that, i'm not sure it's 20mm difference. I'd have to check.

 

[leez4c]

Yeah, I suspected that some variation might be the case. It's just I havent had the car very long and the supplying dealer replaced the springs because one had broken just after I picked it up, so I'm not sure how it sat before.

I think the allowed variation is 10mm all round, so mine still seems too much. Is there anything to check that could be an issue when they replaced the springs, they were a VW main dealer so is there anything tricky they could have missed?
If the concensus is that its ok I will forget about it, I just want to make sure the car is OK?

 

[srhutch]

They may have fitted one non sport spring, there is 15mm difference so this could be the easy answer.

 

[leez4c]

Well strangely enough that's already happened! It went in a few weeks ago and they fitted the wrong springs, which they later admitted were pattern parts... At the time the height difference was really obvious, so I complained and they ordered the BMW part for the M sport si coupe. They actually showed new the new springs to prove the point and they were both the same part number.The ride has dropped, but there's still a difference right to left.

 

[Daffy]

Could the associated Dampener have been affected by the initially broken spring? if it was stuck in a constant state of compression it my have subsequently compressed the Coil Spring.

Could the spring have been incorrectly installed?

 

[leez4c]

Follow up to this thread... I now have new springs and the ride has dropped, the difference left to right is still the same, but the offside is now clunking horribly. Maybe the shock is goosed? It is back in on Friday . Also the radiator fan is v noisy, they are checking this too. To be honest I am a little disillusioned with the car at the mo. Looking underneath it is very rusty and the brake pipes are corroding. For a "quality product" it seems to be a let down. It was a car I really wanted after my s2000, but now I am regretting the change. Should I push to reject the car?

 

[leez4c]

Just a follow up... New springs and it Is still listing to the drivers side... But now the same side is groaning badly over bumps . This and the radiator fan is noisy and there are corroding brake pipes at the back and copious amounts of surface rust underneath. I'm a bit disillusioned with the car? Has been a car I wanted since my s2000, but niggling faults are spoiling the whole experience. Do you think a can still reject the car after 2 months?

 

[Tenkujin]

You will not be able to reject the car after 2 months, my advice is to speak to the dealer principle regarding the problems you are experiencing.

 

[leez4c]

Car went back in last week with the groaning from the offside rear...
It was slowly getting worse and became a clunk around roundabouts.
When it came back , it appears the drop link for the antiroll bar had snapped on the garages test drive. The link was on the nearside and was badly worn.
On getting the car back the clunk was still there on the offside and so it is back in.
I have asked to speak to the dealer principle, but he is away for two weeks...
This is really taking the edge off a £15k motor?

 

[rjsalpha]

Car went back in last week with the groaning from the offside rear...
It was slowly getting worse and became a clunk around roundabouts.
When it came back , it appears the drop link for the antiroll bar had snapped on the garages test drive. The link was on the nearside and was badly worn.
On getting the car back the clunk was still there on the offside and so it is back in.
I have asked to speak to the dealer principle, but he is away for two weeks...
This is really taking the edge off a £15k motor?

Hi Leez
I too have come from a S2000 and on reading your post I too have a slight list to starboard.Not that pronounced at the moment but I read with interest your comments.

I myself wonder if I may have gone from frying pan to fryer but I did feel the S was about to start costing me some serious dosh with a requirement for a new hood, calipers, dinks and dents built up over 6 years of ownership.

I purchased an extended warranty with the ZMC so I'm hoping if the list turns into a clonk it's covered by warranty anyway. I have no plans to take her in at the moment but probably waituntil the service comes up in 6-8 months time.

I'll keep you informed if anything develops and best of luck with yours.........I'm sure it will be worth it once you get the roll bar done !

Regards


Richard