WARNING: Be cautious the Bavarian Auto cabrio shock mounts for E30! BOTH of the ones I had installed are now TORN to shreds, and they were just installed last October. The first one went when I went over a huge pothole, and then the second one went after yet another series of potholes. If these mounts can't handle potholes, they should review the sale of this particular part. So once again, buyer beware! I found my left rear shock THROUGH the trunk lining this morning!
Bontond, thanks for the heads up. Did you get back to BavAuto and let them know the trouble you had with them? Give them the opportunity to replace them for you. Also, another avenue is to call the DOT. When I was in college my friend hit a hole from construction and got two flats and two bent rims. Virginia's DOT paid for the the repairs to his car. So if these holes are that bad it might be worth the phone call, it is the state's responsibility to provide drivable roads.
The first time it happened, I got the mount replaced for free. They threw out the old mount. I just don't want to deal with them. Besides, don't you find it strange that both mounts failed? Anyway, I have no idea where the damage was sustained this time. I was driving all weekend. I knew something was off but the car drove fine, so I didn't pay attention to it, till so realized that the sound didn't go away this morning, and then I found the horrific sight of the shock in the trunk...
I can't imagine that BavAuto has a "house brand", so they are probably from one of the major OEM manufactures (Mahle, Lemforder etc) like all the other parts stores. Worrying news (... considering I think I have the same Bav Auto shock mounts on my 318i) (so far no problems but only one track day, one autocross and 3,000 miles). Ask for your old shock mount back to figure out how it broke. Did the lower cup washer push through? Did the rubber delaminate? etc? BavAuto may already know of the defect but you should let them know about your problem.
Cabrio mounts are similar or E46 shock mounts for convertibles. They should work fine. If over-torque or the washers were installed incorrectly, premature failure can happen. I installed KYB mounts and they work great. Cheap to.
So how much off-road style abuse should they be required to withstand before they can be offered for sale? Sounds to me like you're beating the crap outta the car. Also sounds to me like you're disparaging the middleman. BavAuto is not a manufacturer of these parts. They are only a reseller, and you are impugning their reputation based on that. I would first do some research to find the real source of the parts you're complaining about and then consider editing your original post appropriately.
So what, you think I'm taking my lowered E30 onto a dirt, offroad course every day, despite there being no such roads around where I live? Are you saying hitting potholes is considered "off-road abuse"? Do you still think that I abuse the car even though I make every effort to swerve away from manhole covers and potholes? Gee, I wonder what roads you drive on, because by the sounds of it, every road near you for a hundred miles is as smooth as a baby's bottom. Let me in on this secret location, because I want to move there. The "middleman" isn't who I am blaming in this situation, so please excuse me if you misunderstood. I was merely putting out a warning that this particular product should be reviewed before ordering. And, since they do not list their suppliers / manufacturers of who makes certain products, the only way I can refer to the product is in the format "BavAuto cabrio shock mounts". Also, BavAuto has been slacking recently on a few of my orders, but that is beside the point and am not going into details because I feel strongly against slander. I personally don't care who makes the parts. I expect a part to be non-defective, or at least last its useful lifetime, and if it just happens to be defective, for the vendor to support it. Six months is not a lifetime of a shock mount, and if it cannot handle light to moderate potholes, then it should not be offered for sale. I know BavAuto doesn't make the parts, but they can choose whose parts they offer for sale. If only one mount went bad, then this wouldn't be a big deal, but both mounts warrants some question as to the quality of this particular part they sell. Not only that, but I know someone that has had a part or two fail that BavAuto supplied as well. In this case, I have to agree with the dealer's statement: "well, they're cheaper because they're not OEM parts", but as much as I would love to buy OEM all the time, it just isn't possible at dealership pricing. Regardless, I would still expect a product to last a reasonable amount of time before failing, and to have two at that is disappointing. You are correct, however, about how I should edit my original post, and I have, to be more appropriate. But, the general statement remains. P.S. - I am not at all questioning BavAuto's support of a product; I have not had a chance to send them the defective parts because the shop that replaced them for me threw them out before I got a chance to ask them for it, therefore I have no experience with their product support.
I use these with no problem for years now - http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=8/CA=8 Lowered E30's are going to eat up any rubber rear shock mounts more quickly, comparatively speaking. I understand your expectation was they would last longer and for whatever reason they didn't. The definition of crazy is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result each time; if rubber mounts aren't working, try something different when you're able to/can afford it/etc. etc. etc. In the meantime, make sure whatever's replacing them is installed correctly, rear shocks not overtorqued/overtightened, and so on.
Aww, Marshall, I'm touched - you think I have $98 a pop! I don't know what is in there now - whatever's in was installed at the shop's discretion, and I've gone through some seriously rough potholes since then and they're just fine. I think they're rubber though - they don't install "high performance" alternatives, only the cheapest (cost-wise).
Just an update, about the front two shock mounts that I also purchased in the same BavAuto order: The front right has deteriorated rapidly, and is the source of my really annoying clunking going over bumps and potholes (even minor ones). The front left isn't making noise yet, but is cracking and is also deteriorating.
Well, those aren't simply upper shock mounts, they're actually an upper strut bearing with little balls & races & everything. Is the bearing shot?
More failed BavAuto parts: Another coolant hose and the water pump. All of the parts mentioned in this thread are from the same order. Noticing a trend here...
Have you talked to Bav Auto about this? If so what did they say? Did these parts have BMW part numbers or Bav Auto part numbers? It could be an indication that they might be of lesser quality. Sorry for the problems with the parts. Knock on wood, but I have used Bav Auto for years and have never had a problem with their parts quality. Most are BMW OEM, you can tell by the packaging.
Wadaya know... I brought my 318i today for a mandatory HPDE technical inspection (for Laguna Seca: January 18. Woohoo!!). ... Low and behold: car failed inspection. The rear (BavAuto sourced) heavy-duty shock mounts (part no. 33 52 1 132 104) that I installed only a year ago had failed. The metal sleeve for the threaded shock shaft had pushed out of the rubber mount. There are no markings on the shock mounts (or on the BavAuto invoice), but Meyle is heavily incriminated. Grrr... decided to pay the shop to replace a part that I would normally do myself. All is well: car is now set for the track (... also had rear swaybar reinforcements welded in as mine were already pretty bent). They used JTD mounts which they say they have had good results with.
In addition to the Ground Control mounts I mention before, there are other additional solutions for streeted cars - Bimmerworld liftetime warranty rear-mounts: http://store.bimmerworld.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?RowID=397&CS=bimmerworl&All= The Rogue Engineering mounts I think are essentially the same concept as the Ground Control's, same for Ireland... http://store.bimmerworld.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?RowID=747&CS=bimmerworl&All= http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?RowID=470&CS=ireland&All= Another... Bimmerworld BW Sport.... http://store.bimmerworld.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?RowID=1253&CS=bimmerworl&All= Or Turner's - they also have some if you have shocks w/ a larger dia. shaft, like the G.C. Koni's or some others (other vendors listed do, also) http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=JTD909 There's probably more out there if any of those aren't good enough for ya.... as a total aside, I like the idea of these, I wonder if the additional heat that isn't bled off might cause a problem with some pad compounds.. still probably better than suffering fluid boiling... http://store.bimmerworld.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?RowID=713&CS=bimmerworl&All= I like this too! http://store.bimmerworld.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?RowID=47&CS=bimmerworl&All=
