Replaced rear springs in the 328i today

[OVERKILL]

I'm sure many on here have done spring replacements before. I've done quite a few, and they can be a ROYAL PITA. The ones on the Focus required a compressor and had to be tensioned "eye squint" level (where you think things are going to come apart) to get them in.

Fox Mustang ones are a REAL treat (the front ones).

So onto the 328i:

Both rear springs had a broken coil at the bottom, the right side broke higher up than the left side, and it was making noise. That's how we found it.

Ordered the springs from Bavauto (made in Germany

) and they were only $69/each.

Replacing them is a breeze

-Jack up car
-Pull wheel
-remove lower shock bolt
-stand on the hub to lower the control arm
-pull out spring
-Have a helper stand on the hub while you place the new spring.
-A nudging with a crowbar or prybar of some sort is necessary to get the bottom coil up over the rubber "nub cap" on the LCA assembly.
-Jack up the control arm to re-align it with the shock
-Re-install the shock bolt
-Replace wheel
-Lower vehicle

Both sides took less than an hour and I fixed the headlight auto-levelling switch while I was in there.

And another interesting note, I have not broken a single fastener on this car. That is despite the fact that it has seen at least 12 Canadian winters...... The 10mm nut on the headlight adjuster was pretty crusty and I figured it would break, but it came right off. The threads underneath it were still that grey coating that I've found on all the bolts on these cars

As much as I love my Ford's, I've broken enough rusted and rotten bolts and nuts on them (and the GM's and Chrysler vehicles I've worked on) to find this surprising, especially given that it is a few inches from the tire, and not protected by anything.

 

[JHZR2]

Good report!

 

[brelandt]

We did this on an Audi yesterday (H&R). That cars was a real PITA! Good job and now go get that camber adjusted!

 

[01rangerxl]

What caused the coils to break? 12 years of salt? Probably a much more common issue up there than down here.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
What caused the coils to break? 12 years of salt? Probably a much more common issue up there than down here.


Pretty much. The spring perches on the LCA's are a prime location for salt to build up and corrosion to occur. The Focus had a broken rear spring as well and was the same age.

 

[Carmudgeon]

E36 and E46s use beehive-shaped rear springs.

At each end of the spring, the wire tapers down to a smaller diameter, as does the coil itself.

Add a fragile coating, and a corrosive environment, and they snap.

Not an uncommon replacement item for those cars.

The factory procedure calls for the rear half shafts to be disconnected to allow more droop travel, and to prevent damage to the CV joints. But most people just "step and yank" without consequence.

 

[SteveSRT8]

geez, I am so glad I left the frozen tundra!

But seriously, I can count broken springs on one hand after 40 years of car ownership. It's an extremely rare event, and I can't imagine it as 'normal'!

Glad it was easy, but you better be watching those CV boots for leakage after tweaking them during the install.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
geez, I am so glad I left the frozen tundra!

But seriously, I can count broken springs on one hand after 40 years of car ownership. It's an extremely rare event, and I can't imagine it as 'normal'!

Glad it was easy, but you better be watching those CV boots for leakage after tweaking them during the install.


It really only bent them down another inch or two, it wasn't very much. I probably make it sound more serious than it is.