Visible crack on front strut top mount

[NaweedMustafa]

Maybe I'm a bit paranoid because I've got a 1200Km road trip to France coming up. When looking around the engine bay, i noticed what appears to be a crack on the top bearing/mount for the front right strut. Is this something I need to sort out relatively quickly or should I just monitor it and replace it when I actually find the time to do this?

 

[ed80]

I would monitor and replace when you get a chance. It isn't going to be dangerous. Might fail an MOT if you are unlucky

 

[enuff_zed]

Mark the length and monitor it.
Eventually it IS going to be dangerous when it gets so bad that the bond between the bearing and the outer mount parts but that is a long way off.
You need to dismantle the strut to change it, so then budget for new shocks too

 

[NaweedMustafa]

Cheers for the feedback! I will mark a line with some permanent marker and use that as a reference. I was looking to do a front spring swap in the coming months, didn't consider changing the front struts since its done most of the 140,000Km's (since it was installed) on smooth Dutch roads but maybe you're right enuff_zed. If the shock absorber isn't, well... absorbing the shocks, I can imagine the distributed forces causing these cracks on the top mount.

 

[enuff_zed]

Shocks are usually dead after about 50-60k. It is the gas that escapes so no signs of any oil leaks but I’d have a quid on yours pushing in easily using just one finger and never extending again.

 

[NaweedMustafa]

I’d have a quid on yours pushing in easily using just one finger and never extending again.

I'll definitely report back once i get the job done. You may get a quid into your Paypal account :rofl:

 

[raymond.harper]

Get some bloody good coil spring compressors! Also budget for new bump rubbers.

 

[NaweedMustafa]

Also budget for new bump rubbers.

Getting these from BMW itself shouldn't be an issue right? Was thinking of going for Bilstein B4 with Eibach lowering springs (or sachs) along with lemforder top bearing mount. Rest of the bits and pieces from BMW itself should be sufficient right?

 

[enuff_zed]

Also budget for new bump rubbers.

Getting these from BMW itself shouldn't be an issue right? Was thinking of going for Bilstein B4 with Eibach lowering springs (or sachs) along with lemforder top bearing mount. Rest of the bits and pieces from BMW itself should be sufficient right?

Look at autodoc.
If you are lowering it then you want to get sport bump stops which are shorter than SE.
I think you would also need different shocks with Eibachs? B6? Can’t remember, but someone will know

 

[NaweedMustafa]

Good to know. I actually don't want to faff around with the height too much. I like the M sport level height so i think supplex M sport and B4 shocks will probably be the way to go. I feel like it will be a bit too low with Eibachs from what i'm reading within the forums. I have 12mm front spacers and 15mm rears so the last thing i want is to do all this work and then realise i've got some rubbing.