Rear Top Mount \ Shock Dust cover + Tie Rods

[max_crox]

I'm currently working on doing bits and bobs to my iS and need a decent wiring diagram. I have the haynes but its a bit generic. Does the Bentley book had wiring diagrams and if so are they better than Haynes?

Also are these rear top mounts ok?



Cheers,
Mark

[Brianmoooore]

Wiring diagrams: http://www.autolib.diakom.ru/CAR/BMW/
No knowledge of Russian required.
Those top mounts look typical of ones on a car where aftermarket dampers have been fitted, and the large washer under the mount left out.
The orange bits look a bit worrying as well!

[max_crox]

Cheers..
Ok.. I'll go on the hunt for those washers then. Is that item 6 on RealOEM? It felt a bit wallowly and there is a pull to the left after acceleration so I'm guessing this and perhaps worn out rear bushes some where are to blame.

Yeah I wasn't to impressed when I pulled the carpet back but it all seems to be ok as it just brushes off.

[Brianmoooore]

The lower washers are part of the dust covers on the OE Boge dampers fitted to most E30's.
The problem arises (as in a thread on here last week), when aftermarket dampers are fitted, and the wahers thrown away along with the old dampers. When fitting Bilstein B4's for instance, you slide the dust covers off of the old Boge items, and fit them to the Bilsteins.

[max_crox]

Cheers..
I'll get my head underneath and have a check. Aparently it did have new Boge shocks last December so it probabbly was missed off.
Is it item 5, the part that BMW call a 'Protection Tube' (335 2112 9263)?

Apologies if I'm missing the mark on this. Last time I had to do any work on a E30 was 4 years ago. Now if we were talking mk2 polos I would be more on the ball!

[max_crox]

I got under the car a couple of days ago and it does appear to have the dust covers on.



So could it be that the dust cover (5) has not got the washer (6) on/in?

Also my steering tie rods ends have gone, the boot has split. Is there any advantage to using E36 ones or are the E30 ones the same?

Also... The car feels very loose and I have a big problem with the car darting to the left after releasing the throttle after hard acceleration. Could this be the tie rods? Or could other things be the cause like the top mounts or some other bushes on the rear end?

And finally any garage recommendations in the Warwick / Leamington area that knows what they are doing with E30's?

[max_crox]

Anyone?

[Brianmoooore]

I can't say from those pics whether there's a washer in place. The only way to tell is to undo the two 13mm nuts inside the boot, the 19mm bottom bolt, and take the damper/top mount assembly out for inspection. There should be a gasket between the body and the mounts, which going by what appears to be orange rust stains around them on the boot interior pics, may be missing.
Is the rear of the car excessively lowered? I might be wrong about the washers missing, and it could be just the dampers are bottoming out, like An E36 I had in a few months ago, where what was left of the top mounts were being used as axillary springs.
AFAIK, there's no advantage in using E36 rod ends. It's possible to replace the rubber boots, as long as the joint isn't damaged.
It looks like this car could do with its whole suspension checking over.
Any advisories from its last MOT?

[max_crox]

Cheers for the reply Brian. It does seem like the top mounts are being used a axillary springs as I can feel and hear it. Also I bounce the rear end and I can see them moving. I took the wheel off and it does seem that the dust cover does have the washer top in. But I do need to take it off to be sure.

What I did notice when jacking it up that there was a good deal of sideways movement on the rear axle when the tyre was leaving the ground. Basically the whole car (apart from the other side rear wheel which was on the ground) shifted sideways to the side that was still on the ground.

Also when I went to put axle stands on the rear beam (as shown in this pic http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ing_Points) on lowering the beam was rising a good cm or 2. So much that that I thought it would pop off! Worn bushes?

As you said I think the whole suspension and bushes need checking over as something isn't right and I don't really have the knowledge yet to make informed choices. So I've heard that Crackley Motors in Kenilworth know E30's quite well so I'll drop it off there.

[Longman325Touring]

Sounds like the beam bushes have had it, this would expalin the sideways movement and the beam rising, a PITA job that I'm going to need to do soon!

Best advise is to invest in the best bushes you can otherwise you'll have the same problem in a few months.

Try dropping Town325i a PM, he is located near you and seems to be happy to lend his spannering hand to others - for a fee of course!

[town325i]

If you jacked the car up under the diff the beam should move a little but not alot if the bushes are any good so it could be a case of knackered main beam bushes and the top mounts look a bit fruity to say the least