Rear Suspension [Archive] - Bimmerforums

GimmieSumMo72

06-13-2008, 11:39 AM

I ordered a Bilstien HD set for my 740iL and had it shipped to my mechanic.

http://www.bilstein.com/mistore/ART/products/100484/th99BIL-f4-b46-2138-h0.jpg (http://www.bilstein.com/mistore/productdisplayf.php?sku=109037&hdwt=31101&loc=101&dealer=&company_id=100484) .BMW 7 SERIES E38 (http://www.bilstein.com/mistore/productdisplayf.php?sku=109037&hdwt=31101&loc=101&dealer=&company_id=100484)
Manufacturer: BILSTEIN
New part#: F4-B46-2138-H0
List Price: $ 198.00

Setting: Sport (SP)
Position: Rear http://www.bilstein.com/mistore/ART/products/100484/th99BIL-f4-ve3-4169-h0.jpg (http://www.bilstein.com/mistore/productdisplayf.php?sku=109656&hdwt=31101&loc=101&dealer=&company_id=100484) .BMW 740I E38 F L (http://www.bilstein.com/mistore/productdisplayf.php?sku=109656&hdwt=31101&loc=101&dealer=&company_id=100484)
Manufacturer: BILSTEIN
New part#: F4-VE3-4169-H0
List Price: $ 364.00

Setting: Sport (SP)
Position: Front http://www.bilstein.com/mistore/ART/products/100484/th99BIL-f4-ve3-4170-h0.jpg (http://www.bilstein.com/mistore/productdisplayf.php?sku=109657&hdwt=31101&loc=101&dealer=&company_id=100484) .BMW 740I E38 F R (http://www.bilstein.com/mistore/productdisplayf.php?sku=109657&hdwt=31101&loc=101&dealer=&company_id=100484)
Manufacturer: BILSTEIN
New part#: F4-VE3-4170-H0
List Price: $ 364.00

Setting: Sport (SP)
Position: Front My mechanic is telling me that my rear has STRUTS instead of SHOCKS.

Is this possible?

Does anyone else have struts in the rear of their 740iL?

GimmieSumMo72

06-13-2008, 12:56 PM

:help
does anyone have an e-copy of an E38 service manual?

i'm at work stressing about this and have my Bentley Manual at home... :(

04SSHD

06-13-2008, 01:35 PM

all 740iL's have struts, i have bilstien's on my 99 e38

GimmieSumMo72

06-13-2008, 01:42 PM

04SSHD

06-13-2008, 01:49 PM

struts on all 4?

or struts in the front?

I bought 2 shocks for the rear and 2 struts for the front.

how many hours do you think it should take to complete all 4? he's trying to charge me 8 hours labor!

the e38's have struts front and rear, no shocks. Just struts.

I have never installed back ones, but I can do the front in about an hour and a half for both sides. I hear the rears are not much harder to do.

04SSHD

06-13-2008, 01:51 PM

The front's are very DIY...This is from when I lowered my car with H&R stage 2 and installed new Monroe struts. Did it in my driveway.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/bgdsub72/E38/740lowered005.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/bgdsub72/E38/740lowered007.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/bgdsub72/E38/740lowered009.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/bgdsub72/E38/740lowered012.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/bgdsub72/E38/740lowered013.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/bgdsub72/E38/740lowered015.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/bgdsub72/E38/740lowered016.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/bgdsub72/E38/740lowered016.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/bgdsub72/E38/740lowered017.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y125/bgdsub72/E38/740lowered018.jpg

GimmieSumMo72

06-13-2008, 01:53 PM

http://www.bilstein.com/mistore/ymm_productf.php?company_id=100484&year=1996&model_id2=269&makes=BMW&storedimg.x=1&storedimg.y=1&storedimg=1&storeYMM=storeYMM

It looks like Bilstein doesn't make struts for the rear though...

GimmieSumMo72

06-13-2008, 01:57 PM

04SSHD

06-13-2008, 01:58 PM

GimmieSumMo72

06-13-2008, 02:09 PM

they sure as hell do, because I have them on my 99

can you link me to the page so I know what to tell the guys I ordered the shocks from?

i've been looking but I haven't found Bilstein rear struts yet...

GimmieSumMo72

06-13-2008, 03:47 PM

my mechanic is such a numb nut!

i DID order the right parts! he just couldn't find the adapter in the package and had to go through the garbage to get them!

thanks for all your efforts!

04SSHD

06-13-2008, 04:14 PM

my mechanic is such a numb nut!

i DID order the right parts! he just couldn't find the adapter in the package and had to go through the garbage to get them!

thanks for all your efforts!

glad to hear you got it squared away.

Am3n

06-13-2008, 05:26 PM

Congrats on getting everything worked out.

But Colin do tell me... Whats the difference between the Blue, Red, and Black H&R's?

04SSHD

06-13-2008, 05:28 PM

Congrats on getting everything worked out.

But Colin do tell me... Whats the difference between the Blue, Red, and Black H&R's?

Blue = Stage II (Max drop for e38)
Red = Stage I (mild drop)
never seen black before...the ones in my pics are the OEM springs

Am3n

06-13-2008, 05:37 PM

04SSHD

06-13-2008, 05:46 PM

Well here you go. And if I am correct the 1.9" R / 1.3" F are the ones that lower it as low as a 7 goes.

http://www.kurumamotoring.com/image/hr/sport1.jpg

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/H-R-SPORT-SPRINGS-95-01-BMW-E38-740I-740IL-29991-1_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247QQ categoryZ33582QQihZ022QQitemZ350052374315QQrdZ1QQs spagenameZWD1V (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&campid=5335818596&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2FH-R-SPORT-SPRINGS-95-01-BMW-E38-740I-740IL-29991-1_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247QQ categoryZ33582QQihZ022QQitemZ350052374315QQrdZ1QQs spagenameZWD1V)

Hmmmm...never seen those before.

Am3n

06-13-2008, 06:05 PM

I think thats what the newer ones look like... Eh, would prefer red.

GimmieSumMo72

06-14-2008, 10:25 PM

Ok, another question...

For those who have had the rear shocks installed. How many hours labor did it take? I looked it up on TIS, it has several processes but never gave a total number of labor hours.

My mechanic is charging me like a whole day's labor for all 4.

Am3n

06-14-2008, 10:59 PM

the e38's have struts front and rear, no shocks. Just struts.

I have never installed back ones, but I can do the front in about an hour and a half for both sides. I hear the rears are not much harder to do.

Dunno if you saw this part or not, but Colin posted this. And if he can do them in a short period of time a "trained" mechanic should be able to get it over with easily and fast.

GimmieSumMo72

06-14-2008, 11:15 PM

yeah i saw it.

but i wanted more opinions.

When I looked into it on the TIS it looked more involved than a 2 hour job.

Am3n

06-15-2008, 12:09 AM

yeah i saw it.

but i wanted more opinions.

When I looked into it on the TIS it looked more involved than a 2 hour job.

Cool wasnt sure if you had missed it or not... Not sure so a quick bump.:)

cazal740i

06-15-2008, 12:25 AM

cazal740i

06-15-2008, 12:27 AM

yeah i saw it.

but i wanted more opinions.

When I looked into it on the TIS it looked more involved than a 2 hour job.
Colin is a pro...why he can do it so fast. Ur Mech is a Pro at charging more because HE CAN.......................Learn to DIY so U dont get hosed by a WHOLE DAYS pay......

GimmieSumMo72

06-15-2008, 11:24 AM

I finally got a chance to finish reading a write-up on e38.org that I printed out at work on Friday.

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/37740/

he said he did a DIY in 12 and can do it in 8 hours if he wanted to again.

but i still want to know people's experiences having it done for them. how many hours they were charged and etc...

cazal740i

06-15-2008, 12:36 PM

who the fuck are you?

I don't know Colin from a hole in a wall (meaning I did't know he was a mechanic)... maybe everyone should post their resume in their signature before posting?

I'm not trying to say Colin isn't good at what he does. But like I said, I was looking for other opinions.

As Colin stated, he's never done the rears on his car, and I was looking for answers from those who have.

i am looking for constructive comments not "Learn to DIY". I'm sure if I had the time & the tools I probably would, and thats why I joined the site.

so as for you... get a life (learn to read) and offer something CONSTRUCTIVE to this board.
:lolDude u ok? wtf was that response for? I was just giving Colin props because He does alot of mods, upgrades himself.
Get some control Management. My response wasnt to put you down it was for the Mech who wanted to charge you a whole days pay..

AwesomeIsLuke

06-15-2008, 12:55 PM

:lolDude u ok? wtf was that response for? I was just giving Colin props because He does alot of mods, upgrades himself.
Get some control Management. My response wasnt to put you down it was for the Mech who wanted to charge you a whole days pay..If Colin can do it in 1-2 hours then Mech should nt charge more than that for 1 axle...Fkn retard learn to read and grasp the content I responded to...Learn to DIY or Learn to search e38.org 1st b4 you post a stupid fkn question. that you can understand reading by yourself. Oh I forgot U fkn cant...You obviously need someone to hold ur fkn hand....go fuck off loser!!!

Some people don't have time or the required knowledge and/or tools to DIY. You shouldn't put people down just because they took their car to a shop. I'm sure there are things even you can't DIY.

cazal740i

06-15-2008, 01:24 PM

Some people don't have time or the required knowledge and/or tools to DIY. You shouldn't put people down just because they took their car to a shop. I'm sure there are things even you can't DIY.
I honestly didnt mean to put him down. I was only responding to the greed of a mechanic who wanted to charge hima days pay. My bad on" learn to DIY", I typed that to mean to run from mech. I should of said look for 2nd Shop or opinions. But really flame me because of that? Does it require to F-this F-that and call me a F- loser ? Pretty thin skin if you ask me. Im not an E Tuff guy. I hate it when others try to be. I did send him a PRiv msg so we can both edit our responses. No need for this childish crap in these forums. This is nt MY SPACE.
as far as DIY..I couldnt do 80% of the stuff this e38 requires. I did do my brakes, tuneup and A/Es myself...wow not exactly a certified Mech...but suspension I wouldnt dare attack it unless I had tools and Knowledge.
Suspension is kinda of tricky . Seems ppl run into problems like freezed bolts and control arms that wont pry off. So time can be an issue.

AwesomeIsLuke

06-15-2008, 02:45 PM

I honestly didnt mean to put him down. I was only responding to the greed of a mechanic who wanted to charge hima days pay. My bad on" learn to DIY", I typed that to mean to run from mech. I should of said look for 2nd Shop or opinions. But really flame me because of that? Does it require to F-this F-that and call me a F- loser ? Pretty thin skin if you ask me. Im not an E Tuff guy. I hate it when others try to be. I did send him a PRiv msg so we can both edit our responses. No need for this childish crap in these forums. This is nt MY SPACE.
as far as DIY..I couldnt do 80% of the stuff this e38 requires. I did do my brakes, tuneup and A/Es myself...wow not exactly a certified Mech...but suspension I wouldnt dare attack it unless I had tools and Knowledge.
Suspension is kinda of tricky . Seems ppl run into problems like freezed bolts and control arms that wont pry off. So time can be an issue.

I'm glad you saw your mistake and are trying to fix it. It takes a big man to do that. He was wrong by jumping to the conclusion that you were trying to put him down, but you're taking this very well.

Props.:buttrock

manithemoneyman

06-15-2008, 03:13 PM

GimmieSumMo72

06-16-2008, 11:15 AM

hmm the rear suspension is hard to get to which is why most shops charge so much.

When having my springs changed, most shops quoted me about 6hrs labor or $600 *just* for the rear.

I eventually found a mechanic that did all 4 springs for $250. (referred by a member here). He's local though so it wont help you but just keep looking around for the small fry mechanics and you'll be able to find someone good who can do it for you.

aaaahhh...

Thanks!

My mechanic is family so i know he's not going to try to rape me (he'll outright do it). If i'm strapped for cash he usually will cut the labor in half, or if its something simple, he won't charge me at all.