magnetic sumps!

[Alyman]

Anyone else have this problem? My sump seems to find itself pulled down by an invisible force evry time I drive near a raised mettalic object on the ground. This is the third sump I've smashed open in 18 months! Those fold flat car park bollards are deadly! I don't think my car is scandalously low, is it? (see pics)...but I'm starting to think about raising it a bit now... is it just the M40 engine that has a really low sump or do people with the bigger engines have the same problem?

[tylerma]

I think its just the design of the m40 mate
it is the lowest point on the car I believe

cracked a sump on mine
with standard suspension

[JazzMan]

You can get a sump guard for the E30 - might be a good investment given the rate at which your going through sumps!

http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... sump+guard

[dobbie82]

yeah i find it very easy to knock the sump on my 318i, never happened in my 320 touring.

[tonyppe]

dont risk it going over stuff you have doubts about. you may get called a fanny for driving too cautiously but it will probably save you money, time, and the environment. think of all the wildlife you just killed lol

[Alyman]

Yeah, I normally am quite cautious while driving about, it just seems to be about once evry six months I have a momentary loss of sump awareness and run myself aground! I'm sure plenty of people have called me a fanny as I slowly limp my car over those dodgem-style speed bumps - I'm way too scared to fly over them with a wheel on either side like most other drivers do...

[tonyppe]

yer i know what you mean.
its getting really bad round my way now. i completely avoid some roads now, there is a legal limit on speed bumps and im sure they are always over now. its like going over curbs!!

[Sanchez]

i have problems with concrete so dont think is magnetic.



its lowered 40mm with 14" wheels so quite low, it bigger profile tyre on back, fronts need replaceing so thats next.



it doesnt look that bad but its a low sump, mines a M42 and thats with the front lip spoiler repoved.

[Gwynleym10]

I have a theory:

Have you replaced your front shocks recently? or when you lowered it did you just do the springs?

A previous m40 of mine I think had pretty worn front shocks, it had a sump guard but it used to bang on pretty much all speed bumps, even when it had standard springs in it. Wasn't much different when i lowered it 40mm.

I know have another m40 which seams to be tighter upfront doesn't have anyproblems over speed bumps. It isn't lowered and it doesn't have a sump guard, so there is extra room but it doesn't seam to rebound like the other one did.

Odd really has the first one had a far lower mileage...

Never ever had a problem at all with my old m10 though, used to be able to hit speed bumps really quickly....and it was lowered!

[Alyman]

you may well be right there - I'm pretty certain my front shocks are on their way out, they seem to bottom out quite easily if I hit a dent in the road at any speed - I was quite surprised how cheap you can find the bilstein streetline kit with ventura springs online, seen em advertised for under £200 - dunno if they'd be any good though, people have recommended the gmax kit to me before, but I think thats a wee bit more expensive..? -is it a case of you get what you pay for?

[Gwynleym10]

If I were you I would find someone who is breaking an IS...there are a few around.

Then change the whole of the front struts to the thicker 51mm ones and vented brakes.

You could just change the springs a shocks at the rear and or you could go tyhe whole hog and change to disc.

If you can find a low mileage one or one with a recent suspension job it will cost far less money and you will have a better result.

In my opion its a waste of money buying a new 48mm strut suspension kit.

[Cotty]

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