KW Knock

[Sean_Himself]

Alright guys, I've got an E90 M3 on Clubsports and I've had a knocking noise that happens at low speeds over rough roads. The noise is very apparent and annoying. It sounds like sway bar end links/ball joint but I eliminated sway bar end links and just recently noticed the knocking is dependent on the dampening settings. Currently it is only on the driver front. On soft the noise is gone, on stiff the knocking is there. I know I can just set the dampening to soft and call it a day but I know the knocking shouldn't be there either way. So, has anybody else come across this or self fixed this? I've been emailing KW with no help or insight. I can bounce on the driver front sill plate and clear as day hear it knock... I appreciate any input, thanks in advance

[MFL]

That's just how two way adjustables sound at low speed. Welcome to the OCDAF club

[Sean_Himself]

Originally Posted by MFL

That's just how two way adjustables sound at low speed. Welcome to the OCDAF club

It cant be lol it just recently started, why would they be designed to knock? haha I'm not okay with that

[Z K]

If you have pillowball upper mounts, it could be those making noise. Pillowball spherical bushings wear out and need to be replaced. It definitely sounds like it because the sound changes with the dampening setting - the shock is moving more/less against the upper mount. Also, check the upper center nut to make sure its tight.

I've had a lot of pillowball clunking from coilovers in the past. I refuse to run them on the M3 for that reason.

[Sean_Himself]

UPDATE: Still chasing the issue Ended up removing the strut and disassembling it and inspecting piece by piece. I ended up finding some play in the unibal, you're thinking "well then theres your issue..." right? Except idk if its suppose to have play or not.. I am thinking not.. the video I attached (hoping it works) I also Emailed to KW with no response... I am hoping some suspension guru on here may be able to give me more insight?

Volume required, please excuse the dog paws on the hardwood lol


https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By...m5FVHMtdHdMaDg Top view, where camber plate sits

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By...nJtLVRvT0J0dWc Side profile

[Z K]

Originally Posted by Sean_Dizz

UPDATE: Still chasing the issue Ended up removing the strut and disassembling it and inspecting piece by piece. I ended up finding some play in the unibal, you're thinking "well then theres your issue..." right? Except idk if its suppose to have play or not.. I am thinking not.. the video I attached (hoping it works) I also Emailed to KW with no response... I am hoping some suspension guru on here may be able to give me more insight?

Volume required, please excuse the dog paws on the hardwood lol


https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By...m5FVHMtdHdMaDg Top view, where camber plate sits

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0By...nJtLVRvT0J0dWc Side profile

As I mentioned earlier... the pillowball upper mounts. The pillowball wears out over time. KW should sell replacements, just replace the part. Or you can go back to stock rubber upper mounts. They won't clunk.

[Sean_Himself]

Originally Posted by Z K

As I mentioned earlier... the pillowball upper mounts. The pillowball wears out over time. KW should sell replacements, just replace the part. Or you can go back to stock rubber upper mounts. They won't clunk.

If the pillow ball was bad then shouldn't I be able to feel play in it? because I had removed it from the strut to inspect it and it was solid, I couldn't even rotate the ball by hand. It's pretty snug in there

[Z K]

Originally Posted by Sean_Dizz

If the pillow ball was bad then shouldn't I be able to feel play in it? because I had removed it from the strut to inspect it and it was solid, I couldn't even rotate the ball by hand. It's pretty snug in there

You should yank on it with while mounted to the car to see if there's any play. No way can you move that thing with your hand. It's designed to hold up the weight of the car, it takes a lot more weight/force to be able to move it.

[slicer]

A common problem with KW clubsports is over-torquing of the spring perch set screw in the front. This causes the screw to strip (or more accurately the spring perch's plastic set-screw threads strip). The threads are plastic and the screw is metal. It's easy to over torque them. I found that if/when that screw was stripped then the spring perch was no longer in a fixed position and moved when the suspension articulated. I would hear a noise when it did so. Check it out.

[Bx Tpr]

Originally Posted by MFL

That's just how two way adjustables sound at low speed. Welcome to the OCDAF club

This

How many miles on the clubsports OP?

[Sean_Himself]

Originally Posted by slicer

A common problem with KW clubsports is over-torquing of the spring perch set screw in the front. This causes the screw to strip (or more accurately the spring perch's plastic set-screw threads strip). The threads are plastic and the screw is metal. It's easy to over torque them. I found that if/when that screw was stripped then the spring perch was no longer in a fixed position and moved when the suspension articulated. I would hear a noise when it did so. Check it out.

I know the design of the screw is kind of poopy but I've been very careful not to over torque it

[Sean_Himself]

Originally Posted by Bx Tpr

This

How many miles on the clubsports OP?

Not real sure unfortunately, I bought the car with them on and I personally have only put about 2k miles on them in 7 months of ownership. 1100 miles was done on the drive home from buying the car haha

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by slicer

A common problem with KW clubsports is over-torquing of the spring perch set screw in the front. This causes the screw to strip (or more accurately the spring perch's plastic set-screw threads strip). The threads are plastic and the screw is metal. It's easy to over torque them. I found that if/when that screw was stripped then the spring perch was no longer in a fixed position and moved when the suspension articulated. I would hear a noise when it did so. Check it out.

hmm now i need to look at this even though I know it's probably not this in my list of noises.

ill draw with a red sharpie and see how it changes over time.

[slicer]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

hmm now i need to look at this even though I know it's probably not this in my list of noises.

ill draw with a red sharpie and see how it changes over time.

Drawing with a sharpie won't do much for you. The perch doesn't move to the point of changing ride height. It just turns back and forth a little - causing the noise.