Speed bumps - what damage?

When I bought my 320 coupé I didn't think it was much lower than the 318 saloon it replaced but a couple of speed ramps have made me guess again. I do slow right down for them but in a few cases not enough. I hear a horrible thud as the suspension is compressed when the wheels reach the bottom. I haven't had a chance to crawl under the car to see what part is meeting the ramps, maybe I don't want to know!

So, two questions I guess:

1. Is this normal for an unmodified E46 320Ci? The only way to avoid it is to stop when the front wheels are atop the ramp and eeeease down the far side on the brakes.

2. What is it that's hitting the ramps? It's very solid, so it's not bodywork. Is it a ball joint or wishbone, or am I hammering my sump and working toward a monster bill for sump, oil pump etc. at my next service?

Posted here because of the wealth of knowledge and the fact the 3 series technical board seems to move slower than an asthmatic tortoise.

Edited by milltown

I hit a few of the really narrow sharp ramps yesterday (on the way into
Hilltop Quad) and something under the car was banging off the ramp also. I
went over really slow and it seems that when the front suspension
compresses the car hits the top of the ramp. Went over a little faster on the
way out (like 5mph) and the car didn't bang off the ramp but if felt a lot
harder on the suspension. Poxy ramps.

Try diving a E39 Mtech. The plastics on the front bumper get smashed all the time. If a ramp is in a 30mph zone then in theroy you should be able to drive over the ramp at 30mph?? not me 5mph. I like my car mister county council.

Mick

 

There are speed bumps on the way to my car park at work... and they are very poorly designed so they make a sharp bump when driven over slowly. My car grounds out after my front axle has navigated the bump and there's a thump as the car gets back to normal height. This doesnt happen if I drive over them at about 15-20mph.

Any ideas what I'm hitting? (seems like something behind the front wheels)

(sorry to jump in btw!)

Looks like we all have cars that run too low. Shall we all chip in for a group buy on X5s? 

You guys think you have problems... I have to slow down for the smallest of dips in the road. Not potholes, just dips.

My car bottoms out in Mondello coming up to dunlop.

http://www.e39m5.com/stuff/M5BottomOut.wmv

Can't believe the roads I have to drive on considering the ammount of tax I pay a year.

Edited by Kin Mak

Thats wierd Kin. Your car seems to low for the roads, yet it's great off road.

Kin, have you noticed that the lettering on your reg plate isn't centred?

flyingalexf68 wrote: Kin, have you noticed that the lettering on your reg plate isn't centred?

What do you mean?

eh... the white spaces on either side is equal, the D is not in the middle because the 1 takes up less space than the 9s and 0s. I rather have the spaces on either side be equal, look more symetrical I think.