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Thread: broken spring

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    MN
    Posts
    75
    My Cars
    97 328is

    broken spring

    I was recently swapping out my winter tires with summer. when the car was on jacks I found that my back right spring broke. the lower two coils snapped will this have any affect on driving, bad for my strut, screw up the alignment?

    Thanks for the replies

    attached pic
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Kentucky
    Posts
    18,000
    My Cars
    '03 Z4, '06 Forester
    Yes.

    Can you not already notice the car sitting lower on that corner? With as much spring as broke off in that pic, I can guarantee the height difference is out of spec BMW prescribes. And with a lower height, you get more camber, so yes, the alignment is all out of whack too (as well as weight distribution more than likely). Not a huge thing in this regard, but I wouldn't exactly plan on any hard driving with it like that.

    Not to mention you might get clunking as the spring isn't going to seat right ... and hopefully that will be it and it wont decide to pop out of place as the wheel unloads over a large bump ...

    In short, I would replace it before driving the car much (if any at all) ... not worth it ... a pair of stock rear springs can be found at a local junkyard, craiglists or ebay for as little as 40-50 dollars for the pair.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central IL
    Posts
    9,873
    My Cars
    E36
    Lots of verts have this issue (mine include). Crazy that the springs fatigue so much on these cars :/

    +1 with slocar....it is adding camber to that side and wearing that tire a bit more.

    However, I have yet to have an issue, and I drive the vert like its stolen through chicago (lots of big bumps...hit bump stops often). I put 10k on the car before realizing both rear springs were broken (thought it was just a vert sag).
    BMW CCA Illini Chapter Vice President
    1995 M3
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    wilmington De
    Posts
    2,358
    My Cars
    vinyl wrapped 97 328is
    brokken spring = moar low?

    sweet mod!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Beaumont, TX
    Posts
    77
    My Cars
    1993 BMW 325is
    I noticed the same thing a month ago when I switched to my winter tires. My springs were both broken (but not as much as yours) and clanking around driving me crazy trying to figure out what the sound was. Its crazy that i never noticed how low my rear was but Its been this way since I bought the car last summer. I'm going to replace all of my shocks and struts and springs this summer, might as well because I dont think its ever been done on my car.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Murrieta, CA
    Posts
    9,528
    My Cars
    '94 325iC, '08 328i, E93
    Yes, of course it will have an effect. A negative effect to be sure.

    Is it a fatal condition? Probably not. Lots of people drive on broken springs and have no clue.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Kansas City
    Posts
    1,156
    My Cars
    '01 Lexus RX & '03 M5
    I just found out that my 328i has a broken spring on the right side. I had a 325i that also had broken springs when I first bought it. Very common problem for these cars.
    Current-
    03 E39 M5 Carbon Black
    01 Lexus RX300

    Past BMWs-
    98.5 M3 (sold)
    97 328i
    94 325i (RIP)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    high up in the hills, CO
    Posts
    903
    My Cars
    94 325is
    +1 to everyone, this is very common... Just replaced both of mine (both broken) last week. Like it was already said, your alignment is off and you will get very uneven wear on your affected tires. You are also stressing out your shock. The good news is that it's really easy to replace and won't cost you much in the end.

    I would urge you to buy new upper/lower spring pads at the same time.. I didn't realize how worn they would be but they were shot. Had to go in a second time to swap those. I bought those from pelican parts. Here is the DIY I used, it's spot on.

    http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/...prings-t30406/

    Another thing I learned was it's easier to get both wheels off the ground at the same time. When I went in the second time do replace the pads, I did one side at a time. Turns out it loads the sway bar, making one side really hard and one side really easy. I didn't realize this ahead of time.

    Good luck!
    Last edited by jason325is; 04-23-2011 at 05:32 PM.

    Yeehaw, Nascar! We gonna go straight, then we gonna turn to the left!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    11,751
    My Cars
    98 328IS 03 325xi
    Must be a popular condition this year, I had one too. Put a set of used M3 rear springs on thinking they would compliment my H&R oe sports on the front. Didn't happen, actually raised the rear enough to affect the handling. Did the unspeakable, cut the other spring to match and reinstalled them. Looks good and rides nice. Looking for proper lowering springs, but will run this way until then.

    Gave away my BMWs, driving a VW and an Audi now.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    high up in the hills, CO
    Posts
    903
    My Cars
    94 325is
    Quote Originally Posted by jmo69 View Post
    Did the unspeakable, cut the other spring to match and reinstalled them. Looks good and rides nice. Looking for proper lowering springs, but will run this way until then.
    I would tend to think that you'd end up spending more than the cost of lowering springs when you have to replace your tires because the insides will wear down so fast

    Yeehaw, Nascar! We gonna go straight, then we gonna turn to the left!

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