Harsh ride

5

Asked by nhbob Sep 11, 2010 at 05:00 PM about the 2006 BMW 3 Series 330xi Sedan AWD

Question type: Car Customization

What can be done to improve the ride? Feels like the shocks are bottoming out when I hit small imperfections in the road.  The car is equiped with Conti run-flats.
Is it the tires or the shocks that cause this "bottoming out" sound? Heard a lot of bad things about run-flats.
What are my non-runflat tire options? Can I use current wheels with other tire options? -

4 Answers

Have you tried the shock strut tower bushings...especially the rear. I used to replace mine every 30K miles or so. The strut tower is a weak link in the design as it absorbs much of the stress on this otherwise excellent suspension. Reinforcements in the shock attachment points help, and I replaced with competition (neoprene??) bushings and competition steel reinforcements but I have heard using the bushings from the convertible also helps. My experience is with an E36 however. The sound resembles a shock w/o fluid however...a combination of a thunk/rattle noise especially over small intense bumps i.e. poor Ohio road surfaces. Try Parts Geeks, Pelican Parts, or Google "rear suspension replacements BMW 3 series" and see what shows up. Good luck...that noise drove me nuts for years. It was a simple inexpensive fix. I also installed reinforcements at the top of the rear shock mounts as they can stress out over time, requiring a welded reinforcement ($$$$).

1 people found this helpful.
295

tyres would be my first guess, run flats seem like a good idea but are always a hard ride, have it put on a ramp and see if anything is up but if not its the tyres, p6000s are a good choice, but lower arm bushes go alot on BMs but looking on a ramp it will show you if thats the problem

1 people found this helpful.

Andy has a very good point. Run-flats are harsh by nature and magnify ANY ride-related problems...and probably decrease usable shock/strut life. I recently put 50 series Conti Extreme Contac DWS on mine and am impressed the ride/handling combination. Treadwear rating of 540 is also a plus. I live in NE Ohio so light snow traction is appreciated until the big snows come, the I would recommend Nokians as they are aggressive and speed rated.

35

stay farrrr away from run flats, go with a toyo proxy 205/55 r** it will improve ride comfort dramatically, another thing you could do is replace the shocks and have someone look at the springs on the car and make sure there not cracked/broken

1 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

3 Series

Looking for a Used 3 Series in your area?

CarGurus has 1,164 nationwide 3 Series listings starting at $2,500.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Robert Charlson
    Reputation
    3,900
  • #2
    apbimmer98
    Reputation
    3,080
  • #3
    Abu Luca
    Reputation
    2,980
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used BMW M3
9 Great Deals out of 79 listings starting at $14,995
Used BMW 5 Series
29 Great Deals out of 288 listings starting at $5,299
Used Mercedes-Benz C-Class
75 Great Deals out of 1,322 listings starting at $3,500
Used Lexus IS
18 Great Deals out of 399 listings starting at $599
Used Ford Mustang
42 Great Deals out of 1,614 listings starting at $8,995
Used BMW M5
35 listings starting at $25,990
Used Dodge Charger
36 Great Deals out of 865 listings starting at $5,995
Used BMW X3
58 Great Deals out of 1,203 listings starting at $4,400
Used Mercedes-Benz E-Class
34 Great Deals out of 511 listings starting at $5,450
Used BMW X5
60 Great Deals out of 981 listings starting at $7,988
Used Honda Accord
52 Great Deals out of 978 listings starting at $2,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.