What is that clunking noise???

[DYPWICK]

I installed H&R sport/Bilsteins in the front of my '03 4.6us the other day. Minus some height adjustment tweaks everything was dandy...tight as a drum. Couple days later I pull out, small bump (CLUNK!)...what the??? This continues on my drive. First available chance I jack up/remove wheel from offending side to re-inspect my work, everything tight.

Repeat above mentioned cycle only to remember I neglected to replace top strut control assembly on each side with fresh ones. So apparently after disassembling/reassembling a fragile unit it imploded after 2 days. Pretty much explains it.

[upallnight]

What is that clunking noise???

Is that a rhetorical question?

[TiAgX5]

This is a common failure when the strut shaft is not counter-held when the strut shaft nut is removed/tightened. Was an open side socket (BMW special tool # 31 2 210 or equivalent) used to remove/install strut shaft nut?

Allowing the strut shaft to take the torque will twist the molded in metal sleeve and fracture the plastic in that area most EVERY time (these upper strut seats are designed to take linear load ONLY, torsional load breaks them).

Some shops will even use an inpact or air wrench (with a standard socket ) to remove/reinstall the nut with no regard to torque spec (25 ft/lbs is not much at all), and allow all the torque to transfer to the strut shaft. Over-torquing deforms the metal sleeve molded into the plactic upper strut mount causing the plastic to crack/fail.