KW V2 struts making clicking sound

[arok]

I'm having an issue where my struts are making a clicking sound when driving. At first it was only when i made turns, but now it's when I drive normally.

Anyone have a clue what's going on? It sounds like it clicks with every rotation of the wheel (so it gets faster as I drive faster) and the clicking gets louder if I'm turning.

Thanks,

andrew

[1speedbike]

It's not the suspension, it's something else. I've been through this. It started off as only when I make turns. The loudness of the click depends on how far you're turning the wheel, and the rate of the clicking depends on your speed.

I first noticed the clicking sound when I changed my tires to hankooks (on stock suspension). I went in to BMW to get it looked at, and they took apart the suspension they took apart the brakes, and they swapped the rims with OEM rims and tires. They found nothing wrong, but there was no clicking with OEM rims and tires, so they put back my rims and chalked it up to aftermarket components, so it's not their business.

But... when I got the car back, despite the dealership not doing ANYTHING to fix or change the suspension or brakes, the sound was gone!

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and I get my ST coilovers installed. The clicking has been gone for a while, and now I'm off the stock suspension that it originated on. The clicking starts becoming audible again. First very softly, only when I make turns. It's starting to escalate yet again to the point that I don't even have to be turning for the sound to be made.

It happened on both the stock and upgraded suspensions. It's something to do with the tires I THINK. I've had people tell me it's the brakes, but the brakes weren't touched when the suspension was installed, so there would be no reason for the clicking to come back all of a sudden. Every time the wheels are taken off and then put back on, the clicking seems to go away, and then it gradually comes back and increases in intensity. The more you turn the wheel, the louder it gets.

I have NO idea what it is. But I'm 99% sure it's not the suspension, and not the brakes... So i'm hoping that it's not something dangerous or threatening.

I'm subscribing to this thread.. so if you find out.. let me know!

Hope this at least kind of helps...

[1speedbike]

Also, my first thought was the CV joint. My clicking was on both sides so I thought what are the chances that both sides can be a bad joint? When they looked at the suspension, it turned out that it was fine. There was also no vibration in the steering or any other disturbances to the drive. Most of the suggestions I get are either brakes or CV joint problems. Some have suggested something small is knocking around on each wheel (kind of like rubbing, but not the whole tire doing it, just a piece of SOMETHING, god knows what, that keeps hitting something else when the wheel is turned), but I can't find anything upon inspection.

I'm just curious what rims and tires you're running, and which side(s) is the clicking on.. mine is always on the outer wheel when turning and my right side is always worse/louder than the driver side. It's annoying as hell but I don't think it's dangerous.. hope not.

Hopefully someone else can offer more information..

[arok]

LOL you describe exactly what I went through. I just got the car back from the dealership yesterday and the clicking is gone for now... The first time I got it checked out, Dinan said that the wheel hub needed grease and that's what was causing the clicking.. I didn't buy it. Then the dealership yesterday said it was definitely my suspension... which I didn't buy either.

The one thing that makes me think it was the brakes was that they gave me new pads and rotors (saying that the rotors were glazed) and now the clicking is gone.

I'm running the breyton gts-r with ZR1 225/40-18. I was gonna say it's the tires, but the clicking went away after the dealership... but I will be getting a new set of fronts this weekend as they're basically slicks on the outside (damn you camber!)

[fourtailpipes]

i had a similar clicking which was solved with new wheel bearings. it was caused most likely by stress from track/auto-x use, and was exacerbated by any wheels i'd use with non-oem offsets.

[arok]

did you get the dealership to cover that? or expensed by you?

I've had a few track days...

[escobar929]

i had something similar but the dealer said something about the steering column needing to be greased up. I thought he was BSing me but all ticking stopped. this was w/ OEM suspension. Now im running KW v2s, still no clicking

[fourtailpipes]

Originally Posted by arok

did you get the dealership to cover that? or expensed by you?

I've had a few track days...

it was covered under warranty/maintenance. this is an unusually understanding dealer, though... routinely replacing brakes that have clearly been obliterated on the track. i travel 90 mins each way into the next state to have my services done there, passing 2 other bmw dealers along the way. the SA is always looking for a good racetrack story.

[bogart]

i get a click with the kw v2's in the front when i am sitting stationary and turn the wheel all the way to the left or right. sounds like spring noise. i also have a "rattle/squeak" sound in the right rear shock at the top... haven't figured it out even after taking everything apart and re-assembling. after putting the rubber piece back over the hole and the carpet back in, the noise is muffled enough where it isn't annoying.

[aberdeen]

+1 on the lubrication, and then go from there

[MilehighM3]

What about a wheel weight rubbing on the caliper or the strut? Tahr would increase with speed and slightly vary with turning at different angles. I've seen that plenty, just a thought...

[arok]

thanks guys. I'm starting w/the lube first.

I'm fairly certain that it's not the brake shield rubbing or the wheel rubbing the caliper. The sound is gone for now... and will probably come back later but I'll keep an eye on things.

[fryguy]

I get this clicking too, stock everything except tires (PSS 225/255). It happened a little bit before I swapped tires. It's gotten noticably worse over the past couple of weeks.

Only happens on the driver's side. I've been meaning to take the car in to get it looked at (need free yearly oil change too).

Good to know that other people are having this problem.

[SlickShift]

1speedbike - you explain my situation to the T. My dealership said it was my swaybar bushings not being tightened to spec. I believed them because the sound was gone when I got the car back. Now it's back again, though not as bad. I'm running Hankooks too.

[1speedbike]

Originally Posted by SlickShift

1speedbike - you explain my situation to the T. My dealership said it was my swaybar bushings not being tightened to spec. I believed them because the sound was gone when I got the car back. Now it's back again, though not as bad. I'm running Hankooks too.

I'm honestly starting to think it's just something about the hankooks! Nobody I take the car to can ever figure out what's going on.. everything that gets checked out turns out to be okay. I'm starting to just give up! It starts off not as bad.. but gradually gets worse.... blahhh

[SlickShift]

Yeah. I've gotten the "broken tire bead" excuse from the dealership before. Maybe they were right?