[BimmerBoy95]

I got a quote from the local dealer for a few suspension repairs. There are also a few regular maintenance items listed. It's obvious to me that these are ludicrous prices to charge for the majority of this work. I have a few things that I have on my mind at the moment and was hoping some of you could offer me guidance or advice on what I should do from here.

1. I'm unsure that I even need new front struts. When I had the 'standard scope' check done last month they didn't bring up anything about the front tires being scalloped or voice a concern for ride height. I've had the car on H&R springs for about a year and a half. I wonder if that's why they mention the ride height concern.
   Note: the standard scope check was done at a different BMW dealer out of state.
2. The second attached image shows the camber out of line for the front left tire. This was after an alignment was done at the same out of state dealer mentioned earlier. This leads me to believe the Camber correction knuckle for the left front is a valid solution to this issue. The price seems a bit ridiculous for this as well.
3. The rear passenger side has been sitting noticeably lower than the rear driver side for quite some time (6 months - 1 year). Id imagine the Shock absorber replacement will fix that.

For this kind of money I'm thinking my best bet would be to upgrade the suspension and do as much of the work as I can myself. The only issue is I'm unsure what the best options would be. I don't track the car but I do a lot of spirited driving.

Thanks in advance for your feedback / suggestions

[leftoverture]

Well, maybe the first thing I'd do is find a quality local independent mechanic and have your car evaluated. I found dealer prices to be just as ridiculous so I started servicing at Orr Autosport, a Twin Cities local shop that specializes in BMWs and Audis. I'm glad I made the switch.

[morphomeman]

We can't offer guidance unless we know what is really seriously wrong with the car.
I would strongly second the suggestion that you find a local indy shop to have a second look at the car, and especially to verify that the problems that the deal identified are real. If so, then unfortunately all of them are serious and need to be attended to.
Hopefully someone on this forum can advise you on a reliable shop.
Good luck!

[MarcoZandrini]

Try www.bimrs.org to find a reputable independent shop that services bimmers in your area.

[cooolone2]

Brakes, brake fluid, strut and shocks, driveline fluid... All doable yourself! No big deal and saves a bundle! Then get an alignment and see what's up from there.

If unable to DIY, then as noted, finding a reliable shop nearby to take a look will undoubtedly benefit you from the stealership!

Good Luck!

[XutvJet]

The H&R drop is likely the source for most of the issues here. They drop the car too low thus operate the suspension in a range it was designed. That is why your tires are cupping. Shocks have no bearing on ride height as it's the springs that hold the car. Shocks/struts only dampen. With that said, though, the H&R drop operates the shocks/struts well outside their intended operating range and it would not be surprising that they blown as a result. Camber doesn't cause cupping and your front toe is fine, however, when the suspension is in motion and not static, that's where things go wrong. I had the same front cupping issue on my dropped Infiniti G35. Common issue.

The difference in ride height in the rear is the result of poor quality control by H&R. Plus, it's not uncommon for ride heights to be slightly different from side to side. Even the stock springs can do this.

I have a very hard time believing the rear pads and rotors are needing replacement as 70+% braking power comes from the front. My 2016 M235 needed new front rotors and pads at 65K miles. The rears still have tons of life left and will probably go to 90K+ miles.

Rotors and pads are freaking easy. I bought brand new OE BMW rotors, pads, and wear sensors from FCP Euro for $550. I did the driver's side while my 13 y/or daughter watched. I then had her do the passenger side. We were done in 1.5 hours.

Rear shocks and springs are easy. I can have a strut out in 5 minutes and the spring out in 10 minutes. Front struts are a bit more difficult as you'll need a number of hand tools, knuckle spreader tool ($15), and a high quality spring compressor. I can do both front struts (out and in) in about 1.5-2 hours working at a moderate pace. I've done it 5 times now.

I'd say spend $500 in tools and do all the work yourself. Then are tons of DIYs on this forum and YT. It's not difficult work, just a bit time consuming. Nothing beats telling people you do the work on your German car. Heads spin.

I'd also dump those H&R springs and get Dinan springs and the rear lift spacer. They have a drop that won't tax the shocks/struts. I run Dinans in the front with OEM struts and stock springs with Bilstein Damptronics in the rear. By far the best setup I've even run. The car has an ever so slight forward rack when no one is in the car. With a passenger(s), it levels out. I wasn't in love with the Dinan ride height in the rear because it looked too low, even with the spacer. The low ride height also made for bad ride quality and chassis control over moderate to big bumps.

The front struts are likely due for replacement soon. I'll just buy a slightly used set from someone with an M235/M240.

[BimmerBoy95]

XutvJet Thank you for your thorough reply. Your input has motivated me to do the majority of this work myself. I am looking into after market suspension components as well.

I have opted to have the driveline fluid (rear differential Non-LSD) swapped at a local indy shop as I have no way to get the car perfectly level while attempting that job.
I have already received a quote for this and will be bringing my car back in a few days to have them perform the service. I would like your input on something before I do this. I noticed when talking to the shop that he mentioned they use "BG" products. After doing some research I realized that BG does not sell a 75w-85 gear lubricant. The closest thing they have is a 75w-80 or a 75w-90. Im suspecting the indy shop will attempt to use the 75w-90 fluid for my non Limited Slip Differential and that has me a bit concerned. Do you think this would be okay or should I insist that they order and use OEM fluid (75w-85)?

[fiveightandten]

Originally Posted by BimmerBoy95

XutvJet Thank you for your thorough reply. Your input has motivated me to do the majority of this work myself. I am looking into after market suspension components as well.

I have opted to have the driveline fluid (rear differential Non-LSD) swapped at a local indy shop as I have no way to get the car perfectly level while attempting that job.
I have already received a quote for this and will be bringing my car back in a few days to have them perform the service. I would like your input on something before I do this. I noticed when talking to the shop that he mentioned they use "BG" products. After doing some research I realized that BG does not sell a 75w-85 gear lubricant. The closest thing they have is a 75w-80 or a 75w-90. Im suspecting the indy shop will attempt to use the 75w-90 fluid for my non Limited Slip Differential and that has me a bit concerned. Do you think this would be okay or should I insist that they order and use OEM fluid (75w-85)?

75W-90 will be fine. It will theoretically have a slight bit more drag than the 85, but hardly anything consequential. Though if you want the 85, source the fluid and provide it for the shop to use.

I have an E36 M3 that I’ve owned for many years. BMW originally spec’d 75W-90 for it. When the E46 was released, they changed the spec to 75W-140 (the E46 spec’d this). There was nothing wrong with using 90 in the E36, but this negated the need for dealers to stock both weights in LSD gear oil. We all switched from 90 to 140 and never noticed any changes. Just a story for some perspective.