Spring assisters
Printed From: Bavarian-Board.co.uk - BMW Owners Discussion Forum
Category: Technical & Model Specific Forums
Forum Name: BMW 3 Series
Forum Discription: This forum will deal with any issues on the BMW 3 Series (E21, E30, E36, E46, E90, E91 & E92)
URL: http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=47500
Printed Date: 03-May-2024 at 20:43
Topic: Spring assisters
Posted By: jay1963
Subject: Spring assisters
Date Posted: 17-January-2011 at 23:02
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I'm wanting to fit a set of spring assisters to my car...
2001 BMW 3 series E46 325i Touring..... Does anyone know what size i need to get...... |
Replies:
Posted By: 523 iAN
Date Posted: 18-January-2011 at 20:24
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you'll need to jack up your car and measure the gap
between the coils ------------- 2003-530i SE 
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Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 19-January-2011 at 08:19
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I'm curious to know why you want to fit spring assiters. People who tow caravans are known to fit spring assisters in the rear coils to lift the rear of their car back up to a more normal height. The problem is caused in the first place by having a trailer/caravan which has too heavy a nose weight. A correctly matched caravan/trailer to car will not result in a car that has it @r$e dragging on the black stuff. ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: Pete330
Date Posted: 19-January-2011 at 10:19
Easier said than done i guess,unless you only want your car to tow your van and the are not fussed what it is
------------- Previous: E36 318is coupe, E36 323i coupe, E30 316 saloon, E30 318 saloon, E46 330ci Sport Conv E92 325d M Sport(3.0),With Loads of gadgets Current: 116i Sport F20 |
Andrew Rolland wrote:Posted By: jay1963
Date Posted: 19-January-2011 at 19:16
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My car has sat down since the day i bought it...
Had new springs and shockers fitted in November, Still sits down. Don't think it helped when they took the dampners off to fit the towbar..... So when you got a 26ft caravan on the back weighing quite a bit, Think spring assisters maybe my only solution.... |
Posted By: Pete330
Date Posted: 19-January-2011 at 21:38
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Sure if you contact towsure ------------- Previous: E36 318is coupe, E36 323i coupe, E30 316 saloon, E30 318 saloon, E46 330ci Sport Conv E92 325d M Sport(3.0),With Loads of gadgets Current: 116i Sport F20 |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 20-January-2011 at 08:41
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Is the weight of the caravan within the limits set by BMW for the towing weight? If not then I don't think you are legal on the road. I've towed caravans and a number of builders trailers with my E60 all within the weight limit 2000 kg and 90 kg nose limit and I had very little movement at the rear of my car. Is it the right towbar for the car? Some after market towbars have very low ball heights which then make the trailer sit lower which then puts more weight on the ball making the car sit lower. If the towbar ball is level with the tow hitch of the caravan then it is more balanced balanced and the load on the towball will be less. Equilibrium of Forces and all that, stuff that keeps buildings and railway bridges from falling down..something which us Engineers strive to do ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: 523 iAN
Date Posted: 20-January-2011 at 22:45
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i used spring assistors on the rear of my E39, it was
lowered -40mm running on 18" schnitzer alloy's which where a tad close to the rear arch when fully loaded. i had them fitted for about 2yrs then sold the car with them still in place, made no difference to the car's ride or handling but it did keep the springs from dropping to much under load. ------------- 2003-530i SE
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Posted By: jay1963
Date Posted: 23-January-2011 at 19:25
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Car and caravan are legally sound for the road.... It's
just the back end seems lower than the front even when car empty.... BMW Elvet recommended after market fit of the tow bar. We just within the 85% recommended towing rule.... |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 24-January-2011 at 08:25
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Something is very wrong with the car. If you are within your weight limits and the towbar is not low.... I would get the rear suspension checked out by a garage you trust. I'm not suprised BMW recommneded an after market towbar. They quoted me £1,200 to fit a BMW one. I sourced the OEM bar and made the electrics myself and fitted it myself for less than a quarter of the price BMW wanted. Very few folk would pay that kinda money for a towbar. I can't figure out why the person that fitted your towbar had to remove the rear shocks. The towbar would only require the bumper to come off and the mounts for the bumper to be removed and the towbar fits in the mounts for the bumper. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=AW32&mospid=47668&btnr=71_0180&hg=71&fg=10 - Picture of towbar on approved mounting points Hmmm. ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: jay1963
Date Posted: 24-January-2011 at 21:39
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They didn't remove the shockers.... It was the dampners...
Seeing if can get them back on... Just had the backend rebuilt.... New shockers springs etc... Been looking at some photos on Autotrader.... There are some Tourings on there that are low at the back... But some level..... |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 25-January-2011 at 08:28
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Sorry I was thinking http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=AW32&mospid=47668&btnr=33_0841&hg=33&fg=45 - part #1 was what you were meaning by dampners but I see that there is a http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=AW32&mospid=47668&btnr=33_0841&hg=33&fg=45 - part #4 which is called up as an additional dampner. That part, part 4, wouldn't help with ride height though. That looks more like a bump stop which fits at the top of the shockers shaft. Looking at the choice of springs it is always a nightmare to make sure you get the correct one as that is what gives the correct ride height. BMW fit many different springs depending on what option was specced from new. Standard, Sports Settings and then M Sports or M-Tec Suspension, all different, with different ride heights controlled by the springs. ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |