a few question from a newbie.

[Mugs]

Hi all,

I have a couple of questions about my 1.9 Z3 if anyone can help me out?
firstly, with the hood up I get a bad squeaking from the rear. it sounds like it is behind my head so I assume it is the hood as I can't hear it with the hood down. it sound like the sort of squeak you get in a hatch back when the rear seats sometimes squeak when not locked in place properly. it seems to get worse when I turn left or right.
is it a common thing for the hood mechanism to squeak when the hood is up?
secondly, I am going to replace the rear shocks as I think they have seen better days and i'm going to use meyle HD top mounts. I have seen posts talking about strengthening plates that sit on the top of the shocks. would I need these with the meyle HD mounts?
the rear end seems very high and I have measured from the ground to the sill and it is approx. 45mm higher than the front. is there any other rear springs I can use (maybe from a 2.8 etc) that will take the rear down to match the front?

thanks in advance
Iain

[Brian H]

Hi Iain,

Had a look at you pictures in the other thread, the rear of the car does look high, I am wondering if you have E36 3 series springs fitted instead of Z3 springs, standard suspension setup should be lower than that. BMW M-tec suspension is 15 mm lower than standard suspension. With regard to the squeak, the shock top mounts have been known to rattle and squeak, as you are replacing them it might be worth waiting until this job is done to see if the noise stops?

Brian

[Mugs]

ok, thanks for the info Brian, i'll source some new springs at the same time and see if after the shocks and top mounts have been replaced the squeak stops.

[pedro20001]

with reference to the mtec suspension, personally i found it way too harsh so have fitted -35mm apex springs and it is mow much more usable, especially as the zed has been my daily drive for the last 2 1/2 years!

[Del]

I get a bad squeaking from the rear. it sounds like it is behind my head so I assume it is the hood as I can't hear it with the hood down. it sound like the sort of squeak you get in a hatch back when the rear seats sometimes squeak when not locked in place properly. it seems to get worse when I turn left or right.

Agree with Brian sounds typically like the rear shock absorber top mounts. With the hood down, you have extra wind noise and the hood bulk will insulate (sound) the area behind the seats. If you were to remove the piece of carpet behind the seats I would wager the noise would be much louder

[Del]

I have seen posts talking about strengthening plates that sit on the top of the shocks. would I need these with the meyle HD mounts?

Not absolutely essential to complete the job but some owners fit them for extra peace of mind - see attached thread.
http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... =5&t=38714

[Mike Fishwick]

Lowering the rear end for cosmetic purposes will mean that with a passenger and a full boot you will have clearance problems on anything but a flat smooth road - and if you ever want to fit a Butt Strut you will really be in trouble. Likewise, getting onto a ferry, or a ramp in a multi-story car park will also be a problem, not to mention speed bumps etc.

The rear end was made higher than the front end for a reason.

[TitanTim]

with reference to the mtec suspension, personally i found it way too harsh so have fitted -35mm apex springs and it is mow much more usable, especially as the zed has been my daily drive for the last 2 1/2 years!

Seriously? I've always found the suspension in Sport spec more than comfortable, you should try my E89 for a hard ride

Tim.

[Mugs]

Lowering the rear end for cosmetic purposes will mean that with a passenger and a full boot you will have clearance problems on anything but a flat smooth road - and if you ever want to fit a Butt Strut you will really be in trouble. Likewise, getting onto a ferry, or a ramp in a multi-story car park will also be a problem, not to mention speed bumps etc.

The rear end was made higher than the front end for a reason.

It isn't so much for cosmetic reasons, it just seems that when I look at other Z3s the rear seems to be a lot lower than that on mine so I would like to make it as it left the factory.
if it is supposed to be this way then I will leave it but if you look at my intro thread: http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... =3&t=38777 then you will see the rear in the photos seems too high.
if anyone can confirm the 1.9 was built like this then I will leave it as I don't want to modify the zed (apart from a couple of chrome trim pieces) if I can help it.
thanks

[Del]

According to the Bentley manual and based on standard suspension & 16 inch wheel, the measurement between the outside edge of the wheel arch/rear wing to the bottom of the wheel trim (not the tyre), should be 578mm. This measurement is under "normal" load which is taken as being 150 lbs in each front seat, 46 lbs in the boot and a full fuel tank. There is a maximum permitted difference between right/left sides of 10mm.

The front should be 660mm - measurement from outside, top of arch with bonnet up.

[Mugs]

thanks for the info. I had a look through the Bentley manual and found the page you are talking about. Judging by my measurements,I think my ride height is probably correct so i'll leave it for now. I will just change the top mounts and see if the rattle / squeak goes.

[Bonzo]

Do you have a Perspex wind blocker? If your seat or headrest rubs against this you will get a squeaking noise. Mine did, all you need to do is to move your seat forward a fraction until contact is no more. Simples.

Cheers,

Bonzo.

[Mugs]

Do you have a Perspex wind blocker? If your seat or headrest rubs against this you will get a squeaking noise. Mine did, all you need to do is to move your seat forward a fraction until contact is no more. Simples.

Cheers,

Bonzo.

thanks for the replies. no Perspex blocker and yes, done all that but it is coming from the rear shelf area so I think its the top mounts

[BladeRunner919]

thanks for the replies. no Perspex blocker and yes, done all that but it is coming from the rear shelf area so I think its the top mounts

If you have any silicone spray, you can try giving the top mounts a quick squirt - can help to quieten them down.

[Mugs]

got my new top mounts today and decided to fit them but when I took out the shock the top mounts almost fell to bits so I suspect that must be the cause of the noise
I did notice my shocks are shot so I've now ordered a new set for delivery tomorrow.
one thing I did notice which is a bit concerning is the ride difference from os to ns.
both the front and rear ns heights are 25mm higher than the ns. as I look at the car from the os the rear height issue I was talking about isn't so noticeable so I think this side is the correct height but the ns look way too high both front and rear.
I have had a search around the net but cannot find a reason for this.....anyone got any ideas?

[Alan W]

Are you sitting in it whilst measuring?

[Southernboy]

I would get under the car and check for broken springs...it may have something to do with the broken shocks though. Undoubtedly it's a suspension issue since that is what the weight of the body etc rests on....

[Del]

That's a big difference from nearside to offside - the Bentley manual quotes a tolerance of just +/- 10mm between sides.

I would recommend fitting the new rear shocks (then re-measuring) before considering spring replacement. The OE springs are good quality and if they still look good (ie unbroken/undamaged with most of their black coating) then they should be OK. Some cheap aftermarket springs can sag quite quickly though. It's possible that a previous owner may have been playing around with replacement springs on one side?

Conventional wisdom dictates that it's the springs that decide the car's ride height, however, when I replaced my old rear shocks that were very tired, the car definitely stood a bit higher after. I investigated this as I thought I must be imagining it and I discovered that this can happen a bit when the old shocks are so tired they have lost all of their rebound capabilities - which mine had ie when pressed in they just stayed in. Hence my suggestion to measure again with new shocks.

[Mugs]

well, I have replaced the rear shocks and top mounts and it definitely sits better visually. I will measure the ride height tomorrow and see how much better it really is. next I will replace the front shocks to see if this also helps.
the rear shocks were shot and one was worse that the other so it may have had something to do with it? it handles a lot better now and no rattles from the rear....result!

[Del]

It is surprising what a difference new shocks make. When I replaced mine, fitted a front strut brace and then finally refreshed the rear ARB (fault exposed by the new shocks) with new drop-links and bushes, it was like driving a different car. It now seems to cling to bends and the whole driving experience on twisty country A and B roads is much more enjoyable and feels safer

[Mugs]

Thanks del.
I have been out to measure the rear ride height and both os and ns are within 10mm of each other - result!
pushing on the front end has revealed the front shocks are also shot so a new set will be on order this week.
I have a theory about the os being lower than the ns - the lady who owned the zed before me drove the car every day for years and she was the only passenger in the vehicle so I believe that the os shocks wore out more than the ns causing the os to drop.
well, now it is sorted and I have learned something