ind BMW M3 1993 E36 Workshop Manual

Symptom



1



Probable
cause

4
.
Vibration,
audible



a
.
Front
centering
guide
worn,
or



a
.
Check
front
centering
guide
and
replace
if
necessary
.
Check
rumble
over35
mph



driveshaft
mounting
flanges
out
of



runout
of
driveshaft
mounting
flanges
.
(60
km/h)
.



round
or
damaged
.

b
.
Mounting
flange
bolts
loose
or
holes



b
.
Remove
driveshaft
and
check
transmissionoutput
flange
and
worn
.



final
drive
input
flange
.
Replace
if
necessary
.
c
.
Driveshaft
unbalanced
.



c
.
Check
driveshaft
for
loose
or
missing
balance
weights
.
Have
driveshaft
rebalanced
or
replace
if
necessary
.

DRIVESHAFT
SERVICE

Driveshaft,
aligning

d
.
Universal
joints
worn
or
seized
.



d
.
Check
universal
joint
play
and
movement
.
Replace
driveshaft
if
necessary
.

e
.
Sliding
coupling
seized
.



e
.
Remove
driveshaft
and
check
movement
of
sliding
coupling
.
1



Clean
coupling
splines
or
replace
parts
asnecessary
.

f
.



Incorrect
preload
of
center
bearing
.



f
.



Check
preload
of
center
bearing
.
Readjust
if
necessary
.
g
.
Center
bearing
faulty
.



g
.



Replace
center
bearing
.

h
.
Final
drive
rubber
mount
faulty



h
.
Inspect
final
drive
rubber
mount
and
replace
if
necessary
.i.



Driveshaft
misaligned
.



i.



Check
driveshaft
alignment
.

Repair
kits
for
the
universal
joints
are
not
available,
and
it
is
not
common
practice
to
repair
the
universal
joints
on
BMW
driveshafts
.
Worn
or
damaged
universal
joints
usually
require
replacement
of
that
section
of
the
driveshaft
.

The
driveshaft
is
balanced
to
cose
tolerances
.
Whenever
it
is
to
be
removed
or
disassembied,
the
mounting
flanges
and
driveshaft
sections
should
bemarked
with
paint
or
a
punch

before
proceeding
with
work
.
This
will
ensure
that
the
drive-
shaft
can
be
reassembled
or
installed
in
exactlythe
same
ori-
entation
.

Universal
joint
play

"
Maximum
allowable
...........
0.15
mm
(0.006
in
.)

The
alignment
of
the
driveshaft
does
not
normally
need
to
be
checked
unless
the
engine/transmission
orthe
final
drive
havebeen
removed
and
installed
.
If,
however,
all
other
parts
of
the
driveshaft
havebeen
inspected
and
found
to
be
okay,
butthere
is
still
noise
or
vibration,
driveshaft
alignment
should

be
checked
.

There
aretwo
important
driveshaft
alignment
checks
.
The
first
is
to
make
sure
that
the
driveshaft
runs
straight
from
the
transmission
to
the
final
drive
;
without
any
variation
from
side-

to-side
caused
by
misalignment
ofthe
engine/transmission
in
its
mounts
.
Make
a
basic
check
by
sighting
along
the
drive-

shaft
from
back
lo
front
.
Any
misalignmentshould
be
apparent
from
the
center
bearingforward
.
To
adjustthe
side-to-side
alignment,
loosen
the
transmission
or
engine
mounts
to
repo-

sition
them,
then
retighten
the
mounts
:
The
driveshaft
should

be
exactly
centered
in
the
driveshaft
tunnel
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

Table
a
.
Driveshaft
Troubleshooting
(continued)

DRIVESHAFT
260-3

Corrective
action

b
:izó
Fig
.
2
.



Driveshaft
side-to-side
alignment
.
Driveshaft
should
be
cen-
tered
in
driveshaft
tunnel
.

The
second
important
driveshaft
alignment
check
is
more
complicated
.
It
checks
the
amount
the
driveshaft
is
angled
vertically
at
the
joints
.
This
angle
is
known
as
driveshaft
de-
flection
.

In
general,
there
should
be
little
deflection
in
the
driveshaft
between
the
engine,
thecenter
bearing,
and
the
final
drive
.
Precise
checks
require
theuse
of
a
large
protractor
or
some
other
means
of
measuring
the
angle
of
the
engine
and
the
fi-

nal
drive
and
comparing
these
angles
to
the
angle
of
the
drive-

shaft
sections
.

To
change
the
deflection
angle,
shims
can
be
placed
between
the
center
bearing
and
the
body
or
between
the
transmission

and
íts
rear
support
.
When
using
shims
to
change
a
deflection

angle,
keep
in
mind
that
the
angle
of
adjacent
joints
will
also
change
.
Deflection
anglesshould
beas
small
as
possible
.

DRIVESHAFTSERVICE

6
.
Before
installation,
make
sure
dust
guard
is
on
drive-



2
.
Pack
cavity
behind
centering
guide
with
heavy
grease
shaft,
and
then
press
center
mount
onto
driveshaft



until
grease
is
flush
with
bottom
edge
of
guide
.
flush
with
dust
guard
.

3
.
Insert
14
mm
(approximately
%z
in
.)
diameter
mandrel
7
.
Place
clamping
sleeve,
washer,
and
rubber
bushing
on



or
metal
rod
finto
guide
.
Strike
guide
with
hammer
to
front
driveshaft
section
.
Lubricate
splines
with
molyb-



force
centering
guide
out
.
denum
disulfide
grease
(Molykote
0
Longterm
2
or
equivalent)
and
then
reassemble
driveshaft
.



NOTE-

The
mandrel
should
fit
snugly
in
thecentering
guideso
NOTE-



that
the
greasecannot
escapearound
the
sides
of
the

Do
not
retighten
clamping
sleeve
until
driveshaft
is
in-



mandrel
.

stalled
.

4
.
Remove
old
greasefrom
driveshaft,
lubricate
new
cen

8
.
Insta¡¡
dríveshaft
.
See
Driveshaft,
installing
.



tering



guide



with



molybdenum



disulfide



grease
(Molykote
®
Longterm2
or
equivalent)
and
drive
it
finto

9
.
Tighten
clamping
sleeve
.



driveshaft
.

NOTE-
Tightening
Torque



The
sealing
lip
of
the
guide
should
face
outward
and
it
"
Clamping
sleeve
.....
...
.
..
......
10
Nm
(7
.5
ft-Ib)



shouldbe
driven
into
the
driveshaft
to
a
specified
depth
.
See
Fig
.
11
.

Front
centering
guide,
replacing

The
front
centering
guide
centers
the
driveshaft
in
relation
to
the
transmission
.
The
guide
is
press-fit
finto
a
cavity
in
the

frontof
the
driveshaft
and
slides
onto
the
transmission
output

shaft
.

No
specifications
are
given
for
wear
of
the
guide,
but
gener-

ally
theguide
should
fit
snugly
on
thetransmissionoutput

shaft
.

NOTE-

Some
driveshafts
have
a
dust
cap
installed
on
the
end

of
the
driveshaft,
over
thecentering
guide
.
The
dust

cap
may
become
bent
or
distorted
when
the
driveshaft
is
removed
or
installed
.
Damage
to
the
dust
capshould
not
affect
the
centering
guide
and
should
not
be
mistak-
en
for
guide
wear
.

1
.
Remove
driveshaft
.
See
Driveshaft,
removing
.

®RIVESHAFT
260-
7

~)I~
4
.5
mm

(
.177")
B313

Fig
.
11
.
When
installing
new
driveshaft
centering
guide,
drive
guide
in
until
its
protrusion
depth
is
as
shown
.

5
.
Install
driveshaft
.
See
Driveshaft,
installing
.

DRIVESHAFT
SERVICE

SUSPENSION,
STEERING
ANDBRAKES-GENERAL



300-1

300
Suspension,
Steering

and
Brakes-General

GENERAL
.....
.
....
.
.....
.
.
.
........
.300-1



M3
SUSPENSION
AND
BRAKES
.......
.
...
300-7

Front
Suspension
..........
.
.
.
...
.
.....
300-1

Steering
...
.
.
.
.
.
....
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
...
.
...
.
.
300-2



SUSPENSION
AND
STEERING

Rear
Suspension
....
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
...
.
.....
300-2



TROUBLESHOOTING
..
.
.
.
.............
300-7

Brakes
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
....
.
...........
.
.
.
.
.
.
300-2

Tires
and
wheeis
.
................
.
.
.
.
.
.
300-2



TABLE

a
.
AST
Indicator
Lamp
Function
..
..
.
..
.
.........
300-5

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS
.........
.
.
.
.
.
.
300-2



b
.
Suspension
and
Steering
Troubleshooting
......
.300-8

Antilock
Brake
System
(ABS)
.......
.
.
.
.
.
.
300-2

Al¡
Season
Traction
(AST)
.........
.
.
.
.
.
.
300-4

GENERAL



Front
Suspension

This
section
covers
general
information
for
front
and
rear



The
lower
control
arms
connect
the
front
suspension
struts

suspension,
the
steering
system,
and
the
brakíng
and
traction



to
mounting
points
on
the
subframe
crossmember
and
the

control
systems
.



body
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

The
BMW
E36
suspension
and
steering
systems
are
engi-

neered
to
provide
a
compromise
between
taut,
responsive
handling
and
ride
comfort
.
Although
the
front
and
rear
suspen-
sion
assemblies
are
independent
subsystems,
they
work
to-

gether
to
achieve
BMW's
overall
combination
of
precise

handling
and
comfort
.
See
Fig
.
1
.

Fig
.
1
.



BMW
E36
front
and
rear
suspension
systems
.

Each
front
strut
assembly
includes
a
shock
absorber
car-

tridgeinside
the
tubular
strut
housing
and
a
large
coil
spring
.

The
upper
strut
mount
bearing
allows
the
strutto
turnwith
the

wheels
.
The
lower
end
of
the
strut,
which
includes
the
stub
axle
for
the
front
wheel,
connects
to
a
ball-joint
on
the
control
arm
.

0013098

GENERAL

300-2



SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL

Steering

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

The
steering
linkage
connects
the
rack-and-pinion
unit
through
tie
rodsto
the
steering
arms
.
The
tie
rod
ends
allow
the
wheels
to
pivot
and
react
to
suspension
travel
.

Rear
Suspension

The
rear
axle
carrier
is
the
main
mounting
point
for
the
final

drive
housing
and
the
rear
suspension
components
.

Trailing
arms
locatethe
rear
wheels
and
anchorthe
springs,

shocks
and
stabilizer
bar
.
Driveaxies
with
constant-velocity

(CV)
joints
at
both
ends
transfer
power
from
the
differential
to

the
road
wheels
.
The
differential
is
mounted
to
the
rearaxle

carrier
through
rubber
mountsand
bushings
to
hele
isolate

drivetrain
noise
and
vibration
.

Brakes

E36
cars
areequipped
with
power
disc
brakes
with
an
inte-
gral
antilock
brakes
(ABS)
.
The
parking
brake
is
a
dual-drum

system
integrated
with
the
rear
brake
rotors
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

Power
assist
is
provided
by
a
vacuum
booster
when
the
en-

gine
is
running
.
The
brakepedal
pushrod
is
connected
directly

to
the
master
cylinder,
so
failure
of
the
vacuum
booster
does

not
normally
result
in
total
brake
failure
.

0012124



Each
disc
brakeuses
a
caliper
with
a
single
hydraulic
cylin-
Fig
.
2
.



Front
suspension
control
arm
(arrow)
.



der
.
Brake
pads
in
the
left
front
and
right
rear
contain
wear

sensors
.
When
the
padsneed
replacement,the
sensors
illu-
The
front
suspension
is
designed
with
minimum
positive



minate
a
light
on
the
dashboard
.
steering
offset
.
This
geometry
contributes
to
stability
when

traction
is
unequalfrom
side
to
side
.
Suspension
travel
is
lim-



Tires
and
Wheels
ited
by
rubber
bump
stops
.

The
three
point
mounting
of
each
L-shaped
control
arm
ere-



Tiresize
is
critica¡
to
the
proper
operatíon
of
the
E36
ABS
or

cisely
controls
the
front-to-rear
and
side-to-side
position
of
the



ABS/AST
system
.
Severa¡
different
styles
of
wheels,
in
15,16

strut,
while
the
flexibility
of
the
joints
and
mounts
alsoallows



and
17
inch
diameters,
are
available
from
an
authorized
BMW

the
movement
necessary
for
suspension
travel
.
The
control



dealer
.

arm
mounting
points
are
designed
with
anti-dive
geometry
.

The
suspension
reduces
the
normaltendency
for
the
front
of



NOTE-
the
vehicle
to
dive
under
hard
braking
.



Aftermarket
wheelsshould
be
selected
wlth
care
.
Im-
properly
fitted
wheels
can
contact
anddamage
sus

Control
arm
position
is
fixed,
with
no
adjustment
provisions



pension,
brakeorbodycomponentsandmayadversely

on
the
control
arms
for
alter¡ng
front
wheel
al
ignment
.
A
stabi-



affect
vehicle
stability
.

lizer
bar
mounted
to
both
control
arms
heles
to
reduce
body
rol¡
whencomering
.



INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

Antilock
Brake
System
(ABS)
is
standard
on
all
E36
cars
.

The
variable-assist
power
steering
system
consists
of
an



Standard
on
some
models
and
installed
as
optional
equipment
on

engine-driven
hydraulic
pump,
a
rack-and-pinion
type
steer-



others,
is
All
Season
Traction
(AST)
.

ing
gear,
and
connecting
linkage
to
the
road
wheels
.
TheE36
utilizes
an
engine-speed
dependent
variable
effort
steering



Antilock
Brake
System
(ABS)

system
.
At
low
speeds,
maximum
power
assist
is
provided
to
ease
parking
and
city
driving
.
Athigh
speeds,
assist
is
re-



The
electronically-controlled
ABS
maintains
vehícle
stabili
duced
to
ensure
stability
.



ty
and
control
during
emergency
braking
by
preventing
wheel
lock-up
.
ABS
provides
optimum
deceleration
and
stability
dur-

Wheel
brake
caliper

Electronic
control
module
Fig
.
4
.



Schematic
representation
of
ABS
.

SUSPENSION,
STEERING
ANDBRAKES-GENERAL



300-3

Fig
.
3
.



Schematic
view
ofdual
circuit
brakes
with
4-channel
ABS
.

ing
adverse
conditions
.
It
automatically
adjusts
brake
system
hydraulic
pressure
at
each
wheel
to
prevent
wheel
lock-up
.

The
system's
main
components
arethe
wheel
speed
(pulse)
sensors,
the
ABS
control
module,
and
the
hydraulic

control
unit
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

Warning
lamp

u
Master

Whee

_

l
speed



I-lydraulic



cylinder

sensor



control
unit



0012135

UNI

The
wheel
speed
sensors
continuously
send
wheel
speed
signals
to
the
control
module
.
See
Fig
.
5
.
The
control
module
compares
these
signals
to
determine,
in
fractions
of
a
second,
whether
any
of
the
wheels
areabout
to
lock
.
If
any
wheel
is
nearing
a
lock-up
condition,
the
module
signals
the
hydraulic
unit
to
maintain
or
reduce
pressure
at
the
appropriatewheel(s)
.
Pressure
is
modulated
by
electrically-operated
sole-

noid
valves
in
the
hydraulic
unit
.

Fig
.
5
.



ABS
wheelspeed
sensor
.

0006563

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

300-4



SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL

Three-channel
ABS
ís
used
on
al[
E36
cars
equipped
with



Al¡
Season
Traction
(AST)
standard
ABS
.
Each
front
wheelhas
a
separate
solenoid

valve
to
modulate
hydraulic
pressure
to
that
brake
caliper
.



The
traction
control
system
works
in
conjunction
with
ABS
The
rear
wheels
are
modulated
asa
pair,
controlled
by
a
sin-



and
the
engine
management
system
to
enhance
vehicle
con
gle
solenoid
valve
.



trol
.
The
main
function
of
the
AST
system
is
to
maintain
the
rolling

contact
between
the
tires
and
the
road
surface
under
al¡
driving
E36
cars
equipped
with
ABS/AST
utilize
a
four
channel
sys-



conditions
.
This
is
achieved
through
exact
application
and
tem,
which
functionsexactly
as
the
three
channelsystem



management
of
braking
and
drivetrain
forces
.
above,except
that
the
rear
wheels
are
modulated
individually
.

IDLE
SPEED
CONTROL
VALVE

HROTTLE
PLATE

6
.

Í
III

i



ADS
ACTU
AT
OR

THROTTLE
PLATE
POSITION
SENSOR

DME

Fig
.
6
.
All
Season
Traction
(AS)
works
withother
drivetrain
systems
to
enhance
vehicle
control
.

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

The
throttle
control
system
used
in
AST
is
illustrated
in
Fig
.

MASS
AIR
FLOW
SENSOR

JADS
THROTTLE
PLATE
POSITION
SENSOR

0013006

NOTE-

The
traction
control
system
referred
to
as
AST
(all
sea-
son
traction)
may
also
be
referred
to
as
ASC
(Automat-
ic
Stability
Control)
and
ASC+T
(Automatic
Stability
Control+Traction)
.

The
AST
system
improves
traction
by
electronically
apply-

ing
the
rear
brakes
when
therear
drive
wheels
are
spinning
at

a
faster
rate
than
the
front
wheels
.
The
combined
ABS/AST

control
module,
operating
through
the
ABS
hydraulic
control

unit,
modulates
braking
force
at
therear
wheels
.

In
addition,
AST
uses
retarded
ignition
timing
and
an
auxil-iary
engine
throttle
plate
to
reduceengine
torque
and
maintain

vehicle
stability
.

The
auxiliary
throttle
plate
is
held
open
by
spring
pressure
.

The
AST
system
actívates
the
auxiliary
throttie
position
motor

(ADS)
to
cose
the
AST
throttle
as
needed
.
This
reduces
the

volume
of
engine
intake
air
.
Due
to
the
throttle
closing
very
rapidly
during
AST
operationthe
driver
cannot
increase
theengine
power
output
regardless
of
how
far
theaccelerator
pedal
is
pushed
to
the
floor
.

The
auxiliary
throttle
plate
is
placed
ahead
of
the
conven-

tional
throttle
plate
in
the
throttle
body
.

Traction
control
also
comes
into
operationduringdecelera-
tion
.
Decelerating
on
snowy
or
icy
road
surfaces
can
lead
to
rear
wheel
slip
.
If
a
rear
wheel
startsto
drag
or
lock
up
when

the
throttle
is
closed
rapidly
orduringdownshifting,the
AST
system
can
limit
the
problem
by
advancing
the
ignition
timing
.

A
switch
on
the
center
console
is
used
to
togglethe
AST
on

or
off
.

The
AST
system
is
designed
to
be
maintenance
free
.
There

are
no
adjustments
that
can
be
made
.
Repair
and
trouble-
shooting
of
the
AST
system
requires
special
test
equipment

andknowledgeand
should
be
performed
only
by
an
autho-

rized
BMW
dealer
.
Table
a
lists
theconditions
indicated
by

the
AST
indicator
light
in
the
instrument
cluster

SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL



300-5

Tablea
.
AST
Indicator
Lamp
Function

Indicator
lamp



1
Condition



1
Comment

Light
on



Normal
AST
start-



Automatic
AST
up



self-test

Light
off



AST
monitoring



Automatic
AST
op-
mode



eration

Press
AST
button,



AST
off
(disabled)



Rocking
the
car
tolight
comes
on



getout
of
snow
or
other
loose
surface
Driving
with
snow
chains

Press
AST
button
:



AST
monitoring



Automatic
AST
op-
light
goes
out



I
mode



eration

Light
flashes



AST
active
mode



I
Normal
AST
oper-
ation
as
it
controls
wheel
speed

Light
stays
on
af-



Defect
in
AST



Consult
BMW
ter
start
up
or



dealer
for
diagno-
comes
on
while



sis/repair
driving



(Vehicle
operation
remains
normal)

WARNING
-

Even
a
car
with
AST
is
subject
to
the
normal
physi-
cal
laws
.
Avoid
excessive
speeds
for
the
road
con-
ditions
encountered
.

CAUTION-
"
If
the
tires
on
the
carare
of
different
makes,
the
AST
system
may
over-react
.
Only
fit
tires
of
the
same
make
and
tread
pattem,

"In
adverse
conditions,
such
as
trying
to
rock
the
car
outof
deep
snow
or
another
soft
surface,
or
when
snow
chainsare
fitted,
it
is
advisable
to
switch
off
AST
and
allow
the
cars
driveline
to
op-
erate
conventionally
.

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

300-6



SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL

BATTE
RY

KL
30

ECM
MAIN
C~
RELAY



KL
15

DSC
SWITCH

LF1
;1~lZZ~



nSLn

l'
z
sJ



WHEEL

RF

c_
.

LR

r_
.
>
RR

ELECTRONIC
BRAKE
LIGHT
SWITCH

SPEED

SENSORS

Fig
.
7
.



Schematic
of
AII
Season
Traction
(AST)
system
.

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

EDC

POWER
SUPPLY



SOLENOID
RELAY
GROUND
CONTROL

POWER
SUPPLY
I'
1
ABS
PUMP

GROUND
CONTROLÍ
F



f
iJ
RELAY

INLET
(4X)
wxxuw
OUTLET
(4X)



-=-=--



AST
AST
INTAKE
IHYDRAULIC
-
=-

SWITCHING
=---

!
99001
!J

WHEEL
SPEED
X
4

DME
II

000001
-
f



1
UNIT

AGS

IKE
&
DMEI
PARK
BREVE

771
SWITCH

M
ALTERNATOR



AUXILIARY
THROTTLE

r
`



INDICATOR



POSITION
MOTOR
(ADS)

ABSPUMP



DIAGNOSIS

RELAY



lu~~~b

0013027

increased
power
output
and
road-handling
demands
.

The
steering
geometry
is
modified
by
changing
the
cast-

er/camber
angles
slightly
.
This
is
accomplishedby
reposition-

ing
the
upper
strut
mounting
holes
in
the
frontstrut
towers
and

through
different
front
and
rear
control
arms
.

M3
Brake
System
Improvements

"
Vented
directionalfront
rotors
:
315
mm
dia
.
x
28
mm
thick
.

"
Vented
directional
rear

rotors
:
312
mm
dia
.
x20
mm
thick
.

"
Larger
brake
pads
and
calipers
.

"
Modified
Teves
ABS
system
.

SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL



300-
7

M3
SUSPENSION
AND
BRAKES



NOTE-

M3
brake
rotors
are
directional,
having
a
different
part

TheE36
M3
was
introduced
in
late
1994
as
a
1995
model
.



number
for
each
side
.
Rotors
with
an
odd
part
number

The
design
of
the
M3
suspension,
steering
and
brakes
is
a



go
on
the
left
while
rotors
with
en
even
part
numbergo

modification
of
existing
E36
systems
which
accommodates



on
the
right
.

M3
Front
SuspensionImprovements

"
Reinforced
spring
plates,control
arms,
control
arm
bush-

ings,
steering
arms
.

"
Recalibrated
struts,
firmer
springs
.

"
Stiffer
stabilizerbar,
larger
stabilizer
bar
bushings
.

"
Front
stabilizer
linked
to
struts
.

M3
Wheels/Tires

"
Front
wheels
1992-1998
:.....
7
.5J
x
17
in
.
light
alloy

"
Rear
wheel
1992-1997
.......
7
.5J
x17
in
.
light
alloy

"
Rear
wheel
(option)
........
.8
.5
Jx17
in
.
light
alloy

"
Front
and
rear
tire

1992-1997
.............
.
.
.
...
...
235/40
x
17
in
.

"
Front
tire
1998
only
......
...
.
.
.
...
225/45
x
17
in
.

"
Rear
tire
1998
only
.......
.
.
.
...
...
245/40
x
17
in
.

CAUTION-

In
en
emergency,
an
M3
front
wheel/tire
assembly
may
be
mounted
on
the
rearaxle
.
However
a
rear
wheel/tire
assemblymust
not
be
mounted
on
the
front
axle
.

M3
RearSuspensionImprovements

"
Reinforced
trailing
arms
.

"
Recalibrated
shock
absorbers,
firmer
springs
.



SUSPENSION
AND
STEERING

TROUBLESHOOTING

Stable
handling
and
ride
comfort
both
depend
on
the
integ-

rity
of
the
suspension
and
steering
components
.
Any
symp-

tom
of
instability
or
imprecise
road
feel
may
be
caused
by

worn
or
damaged
suspension
components
.

When
troubleshooting
suspension
and
steering
problems,

also
consider
the
condition
of
tires,
wheels,
and
their
align-

ment
.
Tire
wear
and
incorrect
inflation
pressures
can
dramati-

cally
affect
handling
.
Subtie
irregularities
in
wheel
alignment

angles
also
affect
stabílity
.
Mixing
different
types
or
sizes
of

tires,
particularly
on
the
same
axle,
can
affect
alignment
and

may
unbalancea
car's
handling
.

Table
b
lists
the
symptoms
of
common
suspension
and

steering
problems
and
their
probable
causes,
and
suggests

corrective
actions
.
Bold
type
indicates
the
repair
groups

where
applicable
test
and
repair
procedures
can
befound
.

SUSPENSION
AND
STEERING
TROUBLESHOOTING

6
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

"
Make
sure
control
arm
ball
joint
taper
bore
is
clean
and
free
of
any
corrosion
.
"
Press
new
balljoint
into
position,
making
sure
to
align
balljoint
guide
with
mark
made
earlier
.
"
Verify
that
locking
clip
on
new
ball
joint
faces
towards
center
of
vehicle
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Control
arm
ball
jointto
steering
arm
.
65
Nm
(48
ft-Ib)
"
Stabilizer
bar
link
to
control
arm
(M8)
42
Nm
(31
ft-Ib)
"
Road
wheel
to
hub
.
...
...
.
.
100±10
Nm
(74t7
ft-lb)

Control
arm
bushing,
replacing

Control
arm
bushings
should
aiways
be
replaced
in
pairs
and
the
two
bushings
and
bushing
carriers
should
have
the
same
markings,
indicating
same
manufacturer
.

1
.
Raisecar
.

WARNING-
Make
sure
that
the
car
is
firmly
supportedonjackstandsdesigned
for
the
purpose
.
Place
the
jackstands
beneath
a
structural
chassis
point
.
Do
not
place
jack
stands
undersuspension
parts
.

2
.
Unbolt
control
arm
bushing
carrier
from
body
.

3
.
Mark
installed
position
of
bushing
to
control
arm
.
See
Fig
.
11
.

assembly
off
control
arm
.

lnl~

0012145

FRONT
SUSPENSION



310-
7

NOTE-

The
kerosene-like
special
lubricant
is
used
only
asan
aid
in
installing
the
bushing
to
the
control
arm
stub
.
Workmustbe
carried
out
in
as
short
a
time
as
possible
.
Within
30
minutes
the
control
arm
bushing
will
be
`glued"
in
position
on
the
control
arm
.

CAUTION-

BMW
part
numbers
areprovided
for
reference
only
and
are
subject
to
change
.
Always
rely
on
an
authorized
BMW
dealerparts
department
for
the
most
up-to-date
information
.

6
.
Press
new
rubber
control
arm
bushing
assembly
onto
the
end
of
control
arm
to
proper
depth
(as
marked)
.

NOTE-

Be
sure
toreinstall
the
bushing
carrier
to
the
control
arm
correctly
.
The
carrier
has
centering
bores
on
side
.
This
side
must
face
up
towards
body
.
See
Fig
.
12
.

Fig
.
12
.
Control
arm
bushing
carrier
centering
bores
must
face
up
.

7
.
Immediately
bolt
control
arm
bushing
carrier
to
body,
torque
boits
and
lower
car
to
ground
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Control
arm
bushing
carrier
to
body
.
.
47
Nm
(34
ft-ib)
Fig
.
11
.
Before
removingbushing
from
control
arm,
mark
installed
po-
sition
of
old
bushing
to
control
arm
.
Insta¡¡
new
bushing
in
same
position
.



8
.
With
car
lowered
to
ground
and
loaded
as
described
earlier,
bounce
suspensiona
few
times,
then
leave
car

4
.
Using
appropriate
press
tools,
pull
control
arm
bushing



undisturbed
for
a
minimum
of
30
minutes
.

CAUTION-

5
.
Coat
end
of
control
arm
with
BMW
special
lubricant



I
Failure
to
follow
the
above
procedure
may
impair

part
no
.
8122
9
407284
.



the
car's
handling
and
stability
.

CONTROLARMS