Help with janky suspension at low speeds

[wrk.eat.drive.rpt]

Hi folks, could really use some help with my 08 e92 with only 41k miles. The car runs great over any pavement at low speeds but feel like a couple mess at lower speeds. Cluncks/rattle/vibration/harshness , but it all good away at higher speeds (over 50mph)

Some say it's just me, but I have a z4M that drives way better at similar lower speeds And I drove a is300 with 175k miles that put this e92 to shame.

To try and resolve this I've tried
1. Replacing all four edc shocks. Oem front And bilstein b6 in rear
2. Front and rear end links
3. Front top strut mount
5. 18 inch oem wheel/PS4 tires
6. Aligned

The fixes make it better but the ride quality just makes it feel cheap at lower speeds around town

I took it to two bmw guys to take a look at everything else and they are telling me it looks good underneath /bushings/arms etc. but I driven enough older cars to know it's not right. Please help. Absolutely love this car but just can't stand the way it rides. Front and rear seem equally janky, but rear seems to have more obvious clunks.

Prior owner did have dinan stage 2 springs and sway bar installed for maybe 15k miles (estimate)

[Redd]

What is your complaint exactly? Cabin rattles? Suspension rattles? What does it sound like? Pls be more descriptive.

[Ajolives]

Replace your motor mounts if you haven't already. It will definitely help if they haven't been changed. Night and day difference at lower speeds when I did mine.

Sounds like drivetrain slop to me. Look into changing the flex disc and possibly diff fluid flush. But these components will clunk and rattle when worn, especially when cold.

[wrk.eat.drive.rpt]

Originally Posted by Ajolives

Replace your motor mounts if you haven't already. It will definitely help if they haven't been changed. Night and day difference at lower speeds when I did mine.

Sounds like drivetrain slop to me. Look into changing the flex disc and possibly diff fluid flush. But these components will clunk and rattle when worn, especially when cold.

Appreciate the feedback.
Specifically I think these are the symptoms (nearly all at low speeds)
1. A general sense of crashy suspension feel, where low to medium imperfections shake up the entire car.
2. Brittle suspension feel- a sense that only during slow speeds the car feels like its components are dry and crackly
3. Rear suspension clunking only on low speed loaded weight transfer. Considering new too Shock mounts even though the ones they inspected looked totally fine.

Thank you for the motor mount suggestion, just to confirm, if I was in neutral and the car was driving over rougher pavement and having these issues could the motor mount still be the culprit?

[Ajolives]

Originally Posted by ethan9273

Appreciate the feedback.
Specifically I think these are the symptoms (nearly all at low speeds)
1. A general sense of crashy suspension feel, where low to medium imperfections shake up the entire car.
2. Brittle suspension feel- a sense that only during slow speeds the car feels like its components are dry and crackly
3. Rear suspension clunking only on low speed loaded weight transfer. Considering new too Shock mounts even though the ones they inspected looked totally fine.

Thank you for the motor mount suggestion, just to confirm, if I was in neutral and the car was driving over rougher pavement and having these issues could the motor mount still be the culprit?

Probably not on the motor mounts then...

I posted a video of a rear clunking noise in mine not too long ago. If it sounds like mine, then the mounts probably need to be replaced. My rear strut mounts were absolutely shot though, so keep that in mind

[wrk.eat.drive.rpt]

thank you! similar clunk, but ONLY at low speed (below 40) weight transfer in turns, not over straight bumps as much (or negligible to the ear)

[Redd]

Harshness is quite subjective. I have Ohlins R/T and recently when I drove my friend's E90M3 with stock EDC I found it harsher than my Ohlins. So yes, EDC is harsh/crashy to me.

As for the car feeling 'shaken up' you may be referring to secondary suspension motions - feels like the car takes very long to settle after a suspension event, and unexpected of a performance car of this type. This is usually down to the rubber bushings in the rear subframe. Get those changed out for solid bushings. Best mod I ever did.

Also check your front and rear roll bar bushings.

Good luck!

[wrk.eat.drive.rpt]

Originally Posted by Redd

Harshness is quite subjective. I have Ohlins R/T and recently when I drove my friend's E90M3 with stock EDC I found it harsher than my Ohlins. So yes, EDC is harsh/crashy to me.

As for the car feeling 'shaken up' you may be referring to secondary suspension motions - feels like the car takes very long to settle after a suspension event, and unexpected of a performance car of this type. This is usually down to the rubber bushings in the rear subframe. Get those changed out for solid bushings. Best mod I ever did.

Also check your front and rear roll bar bushings.

Good luck!

Thanks. How possible is it that this is a bushings issue where they appear to all look good but may just be worn/dry from being 12 year old car???

[Redd]

That's a possibility but for our M3s, aside from the front tension arm bush, the rest all last a really long time. There aren't really any common suspension bush failures.

[Richbot]

Something's not right here if it's that bad - Are you back on stock springs or still on the Dinan setup? Lowering these cars without really, really good damping doesn't do the ride any favors

But also +1 EDC is harsh/crashy IMO - especially when cranked up. Yes there's decent body control, but it doesn't feel any better controlled than the non-EDC dampers to me, and is much harsher over small movements.

[wrk.eat.drive.rpt]

That's what I'm saying edc in comfort new shocks, oem springs all put back . I just don't get it......

[Richbot]

do you notice a change between EDC comfort ant sport/sport+? Because you should and if you don't maybe the EDC module is fubar