BMW Werkz banner

My 318 Feels Like A Cheap Geo Tracker

1K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  93 325i 
#1 ·
After replacing some suspension components, my baby still feels somewhat loose and shaky on bumps, minor potholes and rough roads, kinda like i'm on some type of wild safari ride. :banghead

this is what i've done so far on my car with stock parts
-Replaced front struts with mounts
-Replaced rear shocks with mounts
-Replaced ball joints
-Replaced rear trailing bushings
-Inspected bearings on all four wheels

Also my car has e46 17" w/ contis (i wanna replace my tyres and go from 205 to 225 all around if it makes a difference but will do later = not enough $ right now)

My dad has an e30 325ic and his car feels much smoother on bumps and rough roads than mine. What else do i need to improve ride comfort? Will aftermarket shock make a difference like bilstein? i need help please :dunno

P.S. I don't mean to offend anyone who has a Geo as a second car, but man the ride itself sucks.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
C'mon guys!!!
 
#3 ·
were those OEM replacement parts or aftermarket stuff?

Also check your tire pressure as well....most of the time it's really that simple.
We have the same car and we both drive in the same city...I agree with you that my ride was fcuked up when I used to have worn out tires and uneven tire pressure but as soon as I upgrade tires, rims, and I checked my tire pressure the difference in ride and handling imporved tremendously. Also don't just get any old tire brand...go to tire rack and check ratings for different tires....
 
#5 ·
After replacing some suspension components, my baby still feels somewhat loose and shaky on bumps, minor potholes and rough roads, kinda like i'm on some type of wild safari ride. :banghead

this is what i've done so far on my car with stock parts
-Replaced front struts with mounts
-Replaced rear shocks with mounts
-Replaced ball joints
-Replaced rear trailing bushings
-Inspected bearings on all four wheels

Also my car has e46 17" w/ contis (i wanna replace my tyres and go from 205 to 225 all around if it makes a difference but will do later = not enough $ right now)

My dad has an e30 325ic and his car feels much smoother on bumps and rough roads than mine. What else do i need to improve ride comfort? Will aftermarket shock make a difference like bilstein? i need help please :dunno

P.S. I don't mean to offend anyone who has a Geo as a second car, but man the ride itself sucks.
[snapback]315952[/snapback]​
[/quote

I feel your pain. I bought my ride recently (a '98 328 conv.), and the ride quality is truly terrible (don't ever buy a convertible on a sunny day and only drive it with the top down for a short distance!!). I replaced the rims, tires, front and rear struts/shocks, lower control arms and bushings..... and the ride still sucks. It feels too loose, especially over bumps and non-smooth surfaces. I've got the car back in the shop, getting new shock mounts ('cause for some unknown reason the shop didn't replace these when the did the struts/shocks) and rear trailing arm bushings. I'm frustrated beyond belief (along with my wallet). Just keeping my fingers crossed that the new mounts and rtab's cure the problem....
 
#6 ·
That's odd. Toledo's pretty widely recognized as having the worst roads in Ohio (w00t, I guess), and my 318 just takes the bumps fine. Better than my Taurus ever did, and it's still totally stock.
 
#7 ·
Well i replaced the parts with OEM and my tires are in good condition (i always check tire pressure).
and im running contis 205/50 R17 (stock tires w/ wheels from a 2002 330i)

If i go with a wider tire like 225/50 would that help?
 
#8 ·
Hey RC-Atlanta what wheel size do you have on your 328?
 
#9 ·
Originally posted by fushuman@Mar 22 2005, 07:05 PM
Hey RC-Atlanta what wheel size do you have on your 328?
[snapback]316584[/snapback]​
I have 225/50 16" on my car. I don't think tire size is going to solve the problem. I got my car back from the shop today after getting new shock/strut mounts all around and new rtabs -- even though the problem is better, it's still not solid. Very frustrating, because I also have a 325, and that car feels solid as a bank vault, and has higher miles. My mechanic highly recommended getting the strut brace from the M3, and said it would make the front much tighter, and feel much more pinned down. He said the ballpark price for this is $1200, installed. Anyone know if this is a reasonable price?
 
#12 ·
if i were you, i'd check and replace my control arm bushings, and other little bushings like the sway bar links and stuff. if you have to change your control arm bushings, you should look into some M3 bushings. check the tie-rod ends while you're at it. but yeah if you can't find anything else, i'd look into buying different tires next time around when yours run low on tread.
 
#13 ·
Well i'm gonna inspect (probably replace) the control arm bushings and other bushings like sway bushes, and maybe tranny bushes.
Is it hard to change control arm bushings? (hope is not as hard as replacing trailing arm bushings).

and another question (migth be dumb but need to know) what are the strut braces? are they like strut mounts or are they something else?
 
#14 ·
sorry if i'm being a pain in the ass,
Is there a big difference (performance) between stock shocks/struts, and aftermarket like Bilstein or Topiko brands?

BTW thanks guys for your help :)
 
#15 ·
Originally posted by RC-Atlanta+Mar 22 2005, 08:42 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RC-Atlanta @ Mar 22 2005, 08:42 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>
Originally posted by fushuman@Mar 22 2005, 07:05 PM
Hey RC-Atlanta what wheel size do you have on your 328?
[snapback]316584[/snapback]​
..My mechanic highly recommended getting the strut brace from the M3, and said it would make the front much tighter, and feel much more pinned down. He said the ballpark price for this is $1200, installed. Anyone know if this is a reasonable price?
[snapback]316689[/snapback]​
[/b]


You can get a strut brace from $100-$300 and that are not hard to install. It locks the strut towers together and elimnates chassis flex in hard cornering. Not sure it would smooth out the ride tho..

<!--QuoteBegin-fushuman
@Mar 23 2005, 11:29 AM
sorry if i'm being a pain in the ass,
Is there a big difference (performance) between stock shocks/struts, and aftermarket like Bilstein or Topiko brands?

BTW thanks guys for your help  :)
[snapback]317060[/snapback]​
[/quote]

Yes, In my opinion bilstein is absolutely the best hands down. They eliminate that wallow that you get from stock strut/shocks.
I read that worn tie rods feel like excessive play in the steering wheel (loose feeling). Have you changed these?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top