[dreaming.haze]

As the title says, I've been chasing down a clunk in my suspension / steering components and wanted to see if there was any wisdom in next steps or troubleshooting that this forum could provide. Car having issue: 2014 F31 328d

From a description perspective, it happens when turning left into a corner at various speeds. It will have a clunk / pop type noise, then at times, it will make the same noise after turning back the other direction (imagine an S corner). If I am going around a round-about, there will only the the initial clunk and nothing more.

Parts replaced so far in this adventure:
Sway bar end links (OE)
Lower control arms (Lemforder)
Strut top mount (Meyle)
Tie rod assemblies (Lemforder)
Steering rack bushing (32106891974) (OE)

I thought I'd gotten it with the steering rack bushing, but this only corrected the knock I heard when turning my steering left to right with the car off / stationary.

For next step guesses, I've thought about replacing the Steering shaft going from the rack to the column. Looks like there is some level of build up on the u-joints. Another guess would be the rack itself has some level of internal failure that would need to have a once over on. Could be a replacement rack is needed or having a shop look into the internals and rebuild it.

Any thoughts from the group?

I saw this post from Watsey , https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...6&postcount=26, but I am unsure what his final fix was (or if there was one).

[pearlpower]

Do you have adaptive suspension, if so it could be a strut.

[dreaming.haze]

pearlpower - Negative on the adaptive suspension. I've got Koni SA (Red) struts installed ~43k miles ago.

[Jimmert]

Did you replace the inner or outer tie rods? For me, the clunk, was coming from the inner ones(the ones connected to the rack).

[dreaming.haze]

Jimmert - I went with the whole assemblies on drivers and passengers side. Thought that it was the inner tied rod on the drivers side based off proximity / location of noise - but alas it was not.

[ToddEdge]

I have a very similar noise coming from my '15 435I. I recently had the car in the shop to check the suspension but, they said everything looked great. I hear the noise if I go over a speed bump or if I turn left to right or right to left. Kind of a metal on metal clank. I can hear it best if I'm sitting in the car while not moving and turn the steering wheel left to right/right to left about 2" and the noise occurs every time. I'm now thinking it is coming from the steering column as the sound really sounds like it is coming from around the area of my knees when I'm sitting in the car. You mentioned some joints in the shaft. I'm wondering if one of these joints is my issue. Curious what you find, if you begin to dig under your dash...

[dreaming.haze]

ToddEdge - For your noise, it is likely the steering rack bushing that needs to be replaced. 32106891974 / Part number for the bushing if you want to fully replace things. You can also get the tool to just tighten up the bushing nut as a test: https://www.ebay.com/itm/333930774406

[ToddEdge]

Originally Posted by dreaming.haze

ToddEdge - For your noise, it is likely the steering rack bushing that needs to be replaced. 32106891974 / Part number for the bushing if you want to fully replace things. You can also get the tool to just tighten up the bushing nut as a test: https://www.ebay.com/itm/333930774406

Thanks! I'll likely buy the tool and the bushings to see if this is my problem. How accessible and complex is swapping the bushing? I've done it on other cars that had plenty of room but, not super familiar with the 4-series just yet. Thanks again - Todd

[ToddEdge]

Originally Posted by dreaming.haze

ToddEdge - For your noise, it is likely the steering rack bushing that needs to be replaced. 32106891974 / Part number for the bushing if you want to fully replace things. You can also get the tool to just tighten up the bushing nut as a test: https://www.ebay.com/itm/333930774406

Thanks! I'll likely buy the tool and the bushings to see if this is my problem. How accessible and complex is swapping the bushing? I've done it on other cars that had plenty of room but, not super familiar with the 4-series just yet. Thanks again - Todd

[dreaming.haze]

ToddEdge - With a 435i, you'll likely need to come at the bushing from below. With the 328d, n47, I was able to access things easily from above.

Accessible wise, you will need to drop down your belly pan - so ~12 8mm bolts to undo. If you have xDrive, you might have more in the way with an additional plate to remove. With the tool I sent over, I would first try a small 3-5 degree tightening, then try the same steering wheel movement back and forth to hear if the sound is no longer there. If so, then decide if you want to replace the bushing or just leave things as is.

If you replace the bushing, ensure you have the proper grease for the installation. BMW FB-1 / 83232208093 / Looks like most places are out of stock currently in the US, so will need to figure out a way to source things (likely eBay and waiting for it to arrive).

Job itself is easy enough, just make sure you catch the threads + have the spring in the correct space on install and you should be smooth sailing. Also a solid 24mm ratcheting wrench my job, but that was from above, unsure on room when approach from below.

[ToddEdge]

dreaming.haze - Thank you! I ordered the tool as well as the bushing kit (with the BMW grease). The OEM parts kit is coming from Latvia so I'll try to tighten it first to see if that works. 1 last question, the kit comes with 2 metal clamps. In all the videos and pictures I've watched this morning, I don't see where these go. Thanks - Todd

[dreaming.haze]

ToddEdge - Those clamps would be for the inner tie rod assembly and the boots. From BMW, the job it is a bit more complex and would need you to measure the play of the steering rack when doing the job. To do this, you'd need to take off the inner tie rod and then use a specific BMW measuring tool to complete the job. Frankly, felt like over kill. Glad you were able to pick up the full kit, makes things easier (if only just more time before you get things)

Takes a bit of work, but initial torque should be ~60-70nm on the new cap -> get into the car and feel how stiff the steering feels. From here, slowly back the cap off 3-5 degrees at a time to get to a point where your steering feels less stiff + you still don't have the previous clunk noted by providing left to right input into the steering with the car off. The key will also be when you drive the car and if it self centers correctly.

[123Britt]

I replaced:

Steering Rack Bushing using BMW Specific FB-1 Grease
Top Mounts
End Links
LCA / Wishbone
Thrust Arm / Upper Control Arm

It was not until I changed the Adaptive Strut & Top mounts -- did my noise go away. Which was more noticeable in cold weather at low speed over bad pavement.
.
So I really don't know which specific item did the job although the dealer did replace my original Top mounts which did not fix the problem. So- I think early model year vehicles have bad struts causing the crazy noise.

[exE36M3]

OK so one idea... have you considered removing the new strut and replacing with the old/quiet one?

[dreaming.haze]

exE36M3 - The front struts were replaced ~45k miles ago with Koni Red struts. I've been tempted by the idea of replacing them, but after taking them out of the car for the strut top mount change over - they didn't feel like failed struts.

From a general note, the sound does seem to be increasing in intensity with time. Also now hearing it here and there on braking harder. Almost sounds like the noise occurs when a transition of the subframe is occurring. Going to move through a torque check of all lower bolts suspension / subframe related to see if any of those were/are loose.

[exE36M3]

dreaming.haze - good luck man! I know it can be maddening!

[Jvac]

Originally Posted by dreaming.haze

exE36M3 - The front struts were replaced ~45k miles ago with Koni Red struts. I've been tempted by the idea of replacing them, but after taking them out of the car for the strut top mount change over - they didn't feel like failed struts.

From a general note, the sound does seem to be increasing in intensity with time. Also now hearing it here and there on braking harder. Almost sounds like the noise occurs when a transition of the subframe is occurring. Going to move through a torque check of all lower bolts suspension / subframe related to see if any of those were/are loose.

Also check the main top strut nut on the threaded rod. This is often not fully torqued due to the silly counter hold and pass through socket required to do the job

[dreaming.haze]

Jvac - Good note there. I've got a set of the pass through sockets to properly torque down the strut + top mount.

[dreaming.haze]

Found the clunk. Previous to performing all the above troubleshooting the last job I had done was motor mounts. In one of the first "I wonder what this could be" theories, I did think that the motor mount job resulted in maybe the top nut of the motor mount to be loose. I had checked torque on that center nut but I didn't check the 3 e-torx bolts that secure the motor mount -> subframe. These were all loose, so I am unsure if I hadn't torqued these down properly on the motor mount install or they had loosened up over time.

I had a new motor mount on hand, but didn't install it due to finding the bolts loose. When applying correct torque to those bolts, I did note that they didn't want to snug up to the ~30 ft/lbs noted in TIS. Curious if the subframe mounting threads have been impacted due to the lack of torque on the bolts. Will be checking the torque once more in the coming 500 miles to see if they've loosened back up again or not.

Saga closed out, for now.