Front top mounts

[daimlerman]

My cabbie failed it's MoT on the n/s front top mount...it was creaking and a bit rough in it's turning action.
The turd also failed on a wiper blade.... and a tyre 'not being round'

So now I live several miles from a GSF I ordered a new top mount online....on Tuesday last week...it arrived on Friday.On Friday I was employed by SHMBO tiling the utility room,so it was today(Saturday) when I was able to escape to the garage to play.
Pulled the strut out and pulled it apart,then tried the new top mount in the strut housing,to discover that it did'nt fit,by a country mile.One stud was almost a quarter of an inch(8mm?) out,no matter which way I turned the sodding thing it was never going to bolt up.
I phoned GSF,who,of course,denied sending the wrong bit...I located the local GSF in Norwich,who(bless!)tried very hard to convince me that;
A, the bit sent was the same as my knackered original
B,offered to swap the sent bit for their identical wrong bit.

So I located an ECP,who will have a top mount on Monday AM for me to compare...

In the meantime,I've followed the MoT mans advice and bunged some clean grease into the existing top mount,it no longer creaks and groans when swivelled,but will he pass it?

Rant over!

[capri_rob]

Unlucky malc. How far are the nearest ECP and GSF from your new place ?

[daimlerman]

Unlucky malc. How far are the nearest ECP and GSF from your new place ?

I'm now north of Norwich,about three miles from the airport.GSF and ECP are both close to/on the ring road on the same side of the city as the airport.GSF I had already marked down,but ECP took more effort!

When re-building the sodding strut,the damper kept vanishing into it,in the end I wrapped a bit of cardboard around the bottom of the piston and used a small jubilee clip to hold it out!

I've a pair of tyres on order via 'mytyres'...Falken Ziex...that appear to be rolling in from de fatherland.Most of my remaining stock of s/h tyres seems to be directional and r/h side,of course,I need a l/h one! And are too worn to be worth having turned on the rim.

One of the compromises with moving is that I have lost storage room for treasure,so I'm having to sell a few bits off..

[capri_rob]

Next time try tyreleader.co.uk I've just ordered 2 goodyears from them for the Jag - incredibly good prices and they have links to fitting centres too.
I was amazed at the number of unknown cack Chinese brands there are now at dirt cheap prices - the tyre I've just had to replace was a BCT - Beijing Capital Tyre - which brand new 225 45 17 are £35 each all in - they must be utter junk.
The goodyears are £67 each which I still thought was very good plus about £8 each for fitting

[polsta]

What front top mounts are a good buy ? Do people update them?

Just got genuine mtech springs and spring pads this week , I should get top mounts too I suppose

Falken 912s are a decent tyre I found ? Decent grip on the rear felt confident with them

[zd3bx]

What front top mounts are a good buy ? Do people update them?

Just got genuine mtech springs and spring pads this week , I should get top mounts too I suppose

Falken 912s are a decent tyre I found ? Decent grip on the rear felt confident with them

Haven't done them myself, but a quick search on ECP reveals Lemforder ones for the front and SKF for the rears (both OEM manufacturers)

Surely can't get better than that?

[capri_rob]

when I did mine I fitted Lemforder.

Be aware through that the little plastic cap which covers the big damper nut if yours is on its original top mounts will NOT fit the new Lemforder mounts. You need to order the E36 version of the caps from the dealer - they are only pennies - or were when I bought them.

[polsta]

Got a part number for those caps rob ?

For my car when putting reg in it only comes up with these, are they rear ones ?it doesn't say , Or some sk front with 3 studs £64 a pair

[capri_rob]

Those are rears. Search on here - there is an updated version which is a good idea used on the E46 M3 convertible but I think these are dealer only

This is what you want for the front

http://www.carparts4less.co.uk/cp4l/c/B ... 50e&000872

[jimmyspeed]

any e46 ones will do - you can get similar parts including febi, SKF - front and rears from mister auto

just price match and get the cheapest

[polsta]

Cheers rob them exact ones a defo fit ? No pre/post facelift difference or anything and good for a pre face 325 ? Il order them up if so , it's all getting done on wedsday and a new mot, car will be transformed by end of the week

[Kedge]

when I did mine I fitted Lemforder.

Be aware through that the little plastic cap which covers the big damper nut if yours is on its original top mounts will NOT fit the new Lemforder mounts. You need to order the E36 version of the caps from the dealer - they are only pennies - or were when I bought them.

Awesome Rob, that's been pissing me off for ages on mine.

[polsta]

What's the part number for these little caps then can someone post it up ? Ive got some parts on order from the dealers so il add them on

[Jookeone]

Part number for the ones that fit the Lemforder mounts is; 31 31 1 139 453 they have a 32mm diameter rather than 28.5mm for the older type.

Its only a small issue, but I noticed these larger ones don't have the BMW emblem. I ended up using the old ones and packed them out with electrical tape!

[daimlerman]

ECP's top mount also had it's studs in the wrong place!
Starting to think that it's my car that's odd...but the complete front legs were lifted from my old moredoor!

MoT man passed it this morning,although it looked most peculiar with one BBS wheel and three style 10's mounted.

[DanThe]

Probably an E36 mount you have been sent in that case

[daimlerman]

Fleet at rest!