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  #1  
Old 01-12-2010, 07:03 PM
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Front suspension clunking over small bumps when very cold

Hey, anybody else live in a hellishly cold climate like me?
My 07 4.8 has 18k and a front end suspension knocking over small bumps when it is -15 deg. C or colder. Anybody else and is this common?
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  #2  
Old 01-12-2010, 07:36 PM
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Yes,

This happens to mine, but not to the extent you're describing. In the A.M. my suspension is certainly rougher. It makes sense given that the shocks are filled with oil, which takes time to warm up just like any other component of the vehicle.

What warms the oil in a shock absorber is the friction of the stiction tube plunging in and out as the shocks absorb bumps in the road, etc.

Pretty normal, within reason, especially in the weather you're describing. You can get shocks with lower viscosity oil, if it's really a major issue. But it's give and take in the handling department.

Mine 35d takes about 10 to 15 mins. worth of driving in 40-degree weather in order for the suspension to settle in. I have adaptive drive, which makes it a bit stiffer, and sometimes I turn it off in the early mornings until the car and suspension warm.

It's certainly noticeable, to be sure, and something that I picked up on right away.
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  #3  
Old 01-12-2010, 09:43 PM
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25F here and it is doing it most mornings while going up and down the lip of my driveway at an angle. Both axles will creak as they each take the hump.
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Old 01-13-2010, 12:49 AM
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What does it sound like? Like worn out, sagging dampers on an old car making groaning noise? 'Cause my car does that when going over steep speed bumps. I can feel the creaking sensation coming from the front suspension through the floor. I'm not sure if it's cold related though. The noise is still there even when the car's warmed up.
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Old 01-13-2010, 11:22 AM
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No creaking. It's more like someone bumping the underside of driver front with a hammer while going over washboard or road with small bumps. It's fine over big bumps or down the driveway curb. It's fine for my morning drive because it sat in a warm garage all night. During the day, after it reaches ambient temperature(5 degrees F or colder), it starts knocking. It does it in normal or sport mode. I've heard stuff like this in domestic crap i've had but didn't expect it from my BMW.
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  #6  
Old 01-13-2010, 02:03 PM
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It feels like a taunt sports-activity-vehicle. Mine has no looseness whatsoever.

It's built to be stiff, and if you look in the advertisements for such things as Adaptive Drive it reads something to the tune of "Adaptive Drive [sic] compliments the X5's already stiff handling providing increased control, etc."

To me the ride is VERY similar to that of a 335i.

You feel small bumps in the road, you hear small bumps in the road, but you also have a tremendous amount of stability at speeds well in excess of those legal in all 50-states.

Yes this is an SUV, make no doubt about that, and it's a heavy vehicle at that, but for what it is, it handles rather well.

If you think this thing creaks, try a M3 for a weekend on a cold morning, on a rough road. You'll think it was made by Ford, if you closed your eyes and based your opinion on feel and sound alone.

Stiff suspension + automobiles = creaking cars on cold mornings. Materials expand and contract, as much as automobile engineers hate to admit it, metals contract and expand depending on temperature differentials. This "can" cause creaking, and rattling. There's only so much precision that can be built into a vehicle that has thousands of interlocking pieces, and also has stiff suspension. IMHO, it comes with the territory to a degree.

If your X5 sounds like it's about to loose a wheel, that's another story all together, and you may have a bad shock absorber (if you have adaptive drive, you should get a warning).

Nothing to see here folks...carry on...
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Old 01-13-2010, 02:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lenw View Post
No creaking. It's more like someone bumping the underside of driver front with a hammer while going over washboard or road with small bumps. It's fine over big bumps or down the driveway curb. It's fine for my morning drive because it sat in a warm garage all night. During the day, after it reaches ambient temperature(5 degrees F or colder), it starts knocking. It does it in normal or sport mode. I've heard stuff like this in domestic crap i've had but didn't expect it from my BMW.
You're comparing what's called high frequency vs. low frequency bumps.

I don't know how BMW tuned the X5's suspension, but they may have tuned it in a way to stiffen quickly in response to small bumps, and to respond less quickly to low frequency big bumps. Driving down your driveway curb, even though it may technically be a high-frequency bump, may be taken at a low enough speed in which the suspension reacts to it as if it's a low frequency bump and hence it does not become taunt.

The hammer description you're describing doesn't sound correct. It should be a "relatively" solid thud, or solid bang. You shouldn't feel any sense of looseness.

You might want to have them check it out, make sure everything is properly lubricated, no wheel bearings are out of whack, and your shocks are in good shape. Also, check your air pressure in your tires, etc. Make sure they're not overinflated (who knows, it's possible).

Also, what size rims do you have? Naturally if you have 20 or 21" rims with low profile tires, there's little you can do to escape "some" of what you're describing.
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Old 01-13-2010, 08:13 PM
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My 08 3.0s X5 with 12,000 miles would make a klunking sound if I drove the vehicle at 10-15 MPH on a dirt road or grass field, like at a parking area for a sporting event.

At 14,000 miles I took the vehicle to the BMW dealer in Plam Springs, CA with a complaint about the klunk. It seemed to me, as a trained mechanic, the vehicle had play in the tie rod or lower ball joints.

The dealer willingly serviced the vehicle, tightened all front end fasteners and the problem was worse. I now noticed a klunk when driving on poorly maintained city streets. If I drove the vehicle at 20-25 MPH and rythmically, but lightly rocked the steering wheel L-R-L-R, 5-10 degrees, I could easily reproduce the klunking sound in the steering components.

I returned the vehicle to the dealer, drove their cheif mechanic around in the dealer's parking lot, repoduced the sound and they imeadiately took the vehicle in, replaced 31 35 6 773 023 and 33 32 6 760 374 following service instructions 3135005.

Problem was solved, front is now silent on pavement or dirt.

Palm Springs did a nice job for this lad, and I'm simply a traveler who is spending a few weeks in Palm Springs. I can not say e'nuff good about Palm Springs BMW

Best wishes,
Dick
New Mexico
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Old 01-13-2010, 08:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rcasey View Post
replaced 31 35 6 773 023 and 33 32 6 760 374 following service instructions 3135005.
What's this instruction 3135005? SIB?
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  #10  
Old 01-13-2010, 08:30 PM
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BMW task # for Removing and Installing or replacing left or right thrust rod for front.

DC
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