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      05-31-2017, 05:24 AM   #1
KurtP
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Eibach springs and bilstein dampers on x3 immediately breaks away bar links

As topic states. Gone through 2 sets now. Have the eibach pro kit with bilstein dampers I just installed, and now have gone through 2 sets of front sway bar links. Once everything is bolted up, the sway bar links ball/bolt at the shock breaks and sheers off within 5-10 miles.

What gives?

Last edited by KurtP; 05-31-2017 at 05:34 AM..
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      06-01-2017, 08:14 PM   #2
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Call MFG !
bet ya others have done it too.
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      06-02-2017, 12:40 PM   #3
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This is bad news
I worried of this so i kept it mild and just did H&R springs but the ride is so harsh now (you feel every pothole or road imperfection 10x More)
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      06-04-2017, 06:31 PM   #4
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This was a problem on a couple of cars that I helped add lowering springs. The only fix is to switch to shorter sway bar links. I wonder if the links on the sport suspension are shorter? On some cars the enthusiasts have experimented with different parts to find something that works, but there aren't enough modders playing around with X3s!
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      06-04-2017, 06:33 PM   #5
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The only answer Ive been able to get from anyone is "we've never seen that before, are you sure you bought the right parts/installed them correctly"

The eibach pro kit is the mildest sport spring in the market afaik. I cannot understand what is causing a mild drop mildly stiffer spring to physically sheer off the connection points of the sway bar links.

Unless I looked at the wrong thing, the sway bar links are the same part number across the x3 range...so if they work for a 6cyl with the msport suspension, why not with this?
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      06-04-2017, 07:59 PM   #6
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Very strange...

Tomorrow I'm getting my H&R springs installed...
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      06-05-2017, 08:07 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dreamingX3 View Post
This was a problem on a couple of cars that I helped add lowering springs. The only fix is to switch to shorter sway bar links. I wonder if the links on the sport suspension are shorter? On some cars the enthusiasts have experimented with different parts to find something that works, but there aren't enough modders playing around with X3s!
To clarify, the "couple of cars" were not X3s, and they were on racing springs and raced on road courses. Can't understand how X3's would have this problem. Did somebody weld the sway bar to the frame?
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      06-05-2017, 08:38 AM   #8
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OP, sorry to hear of your troubles. I have Eibach Pro Kit on mine and no issues. I didn't change my shocks though.
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      06-05-2017, 04:17 PM   #9
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Just drove home with mine - i honestly feel almost no difference with my H&R springs on, very happy with it!
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      06-11-2017, 03:16 PM   #10
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The saga continues.

Absolutely no one can figure out why the sway bar links are sheering off, and can't even tell me what direction causes the sheer (compression or rebound) and I've been too busy at work to get up under the car and figure this out myself.

I us a friend drop it at BMW to align it, and they said "the sway bar link is integral to the alignment and we can't align it without the link" which is total fucking bullshit. If its this stiff, it doesn't need the swaybar any more and I cannot begin to think of a reason of why that would impact doing the alignment.

Sellers from the shocks and springs won't take them back because they've been installed, and insist "they've never ever ever heard of this before" so I'm out the money of shocks and springs.

In more searching, I'm reading more and more about these specifically being for the 6cyl, but I'm not sure how that would matter this much because as best I can tell, all the sway bar parts share the same part numbers. There's nothing afoul with the sway bar or the mount, shock mounts all look good as do axels etc, and I quadruple checked the part number stamps on the springs and shocks. Its all the right shit.

At this point I'm utterly stumped and reminded why I stopped modifying cars 10 years ago. All I wanted was for this thing to stop yawing like a land barge.
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      06-11-2017, 03:53 PM   #11
KurtP
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dreamingX3 View Post
This was a problem on a couple of cars that I helped add lowering springs. The only fix is to switch to shorter sway bar links. I wonder if the links on the sport suspension are shorter? On some cars the enthusiasts have experimented with different parts to find something that works, but there aren't enough modders playing around with X3s!


Interesting theory. If I'm hearing you right, the sway bar links could be too long, so when the lowered suspension compresses, it rips the bolt head off? I guess I would think that if it was too long, compressing the spring and thereby raising the swaybar mount up would alleviate pressure, not cause it, since the effective distance from sway bar to mount would increase? On the flip side, I can't see droop travel generating enough force to cause this kind of damage.

Im utterly perplexed. I have never ever seen this problem on any car before. Especially with something as mild as an eibach pro kit and bilstein dampers. The height change was negligible. The ride is stiffer, but not noticeably stiffer than factory sport suspension. And as best Ive been able to find, the sway bar and sway bar links part numbers are the same across the range.

Last edited by KurtP; 06-11-2017 at 04:23 PM..
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      06-11-2017, 04:22 PM   #12
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With people doing spring kits on these without issue, I'm wondering if it's a problem with the shocks.

Is everyone posting on a 28i xdrive?

Thanks.
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      06-11-2017, 04:54 PM   #13
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Trying to upload a pic, but the file sizes this forum accepts are pretty small, so I have to go create an account with some photo hosting service looks like 🙄
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      06-11-2017, 06:05 PM   #14
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Hey Kurt.

Use this - https://postimage.io/
then grab the image that says hotlink for forums - this will display the photo for you on the forum nicely


- My drop is on a 35i!
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      06-11-2017, 07:27 PM   #15
KurtP
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alpwhite46 View Post
Hey Kurt.

Use this - https://postimage.io/
then grab the image that says hotlink for forums - this will display the photo for you on the forum nicely


- My drop is on a 35i!
Perfect! Thanks!

As Ive looked more closely at this one, it doesn't appear to have sheered, but popped from the grommet. Looks like the c-ring is still sitting there. From this pic the angle looks weird, almost like it's on the wrong side.

Thoughts?


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      06-12-2017, 09:31 AM   #16
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Could you compare the stock shock vs the Bilstein side by side? Are they really that much different?
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      06-12-2017, 09:40 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pokerface View Post
Could you compare the stock shock vs the Bilstein side by side? Are they really that much different?
Im going to see if they will let me see it in the lift. Measure the shock size and mounting point distance.
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      06-12-2017, 10:18 AM   #18
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I have a theory.

Can someone jack up the front of their car and get a picture of how far the shock is seated into the knuckle?

Im wondering if the guy who dropped them in didn't get them fully seated. That's the only thing I can think of that would alter the geometry of the sway bar - link - shock system sufficiently to cause this.

If the shocks aren't fully seated, then the swaybar link has to reach up too far, and when the shock compresses, the sway bar and link run out of articulation/travel and it breaks the knuckle off.

If someone can cut their wheel all the way, lift the front of the car and get some pics straight on and underneath that would help. A measurement from the top of the knuckle to the spring perch would also be really helpful.

Thanks all. We'll get this figured out.
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      06-19-2017, 08:36 AM   #19
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anyone?
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      06-19-2017, 10:28 AM   #20
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Sorry, I did the El Cheapo - only installed H&R springs- which lowered vehicle 35 mm.

Ride is - of course - a bit harsh and I can feel front bumpstops being slightly engaged, but no other issues.

Steering and handling vastly improved. 20" and adaptive dampers.
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      06-21-2017, 01:40 AM   #21
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update:

I think I've figured out the problem. I was able to get under the car on the lift at the shop the other day and it's one of two things or both:

1- he put the sway bar links on the wrong side
2- he put the shocks on the wrong side

it looks like what is breaking the links isnt compression/rebound but rather steering. as the shocks articulate with steering input, the swaybar link mounting tabs on the shock are breaking them off as the tabs contact the link itself.

If someone can do me a solid, this is what i need:

walk out to your x3, and just cut the wheel all the way driver side. Take a picture of the swaybar link connecting to the shock, that will give me everything I need to know.

Guy said once the sway bar links come in (again) he will let me use a bay and tools and I can do it myself......

thanks all.
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      06-23-2017, 03:12 AM   #22
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moron put the shocks on the wrong side.

I'll be fixing once the new links arrive......
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