swartzy.baby
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- May 11, 2010
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Hi all. I've had a '97 I30 now for about 2 years. I don't remember what it was like when we first got it (had 52k miles), but for as long as I can remember it has had what I would describe as a ridiculously rough ride. First thought, of course, was struts. Mechanic agreed that these needed replacement, so we had all 4 replaced (Monroe Sensa-Trac. Only option they offered. I myself had noticed extreme bounce on speed bumps and road dips). This did in fact take care of the bouncy issue. However, the harsh ride is still present. The tires are identical to those on my '95 3-series, and it has a much better ride. On the I30...it feels as if there is absolutely NO reduction of bumps whatsoever. It's such a strange thing, because the engine, tranny...everything else feels like it's a new car, and then you have the ride of a truck out of the 80's. Something else is that bumps make me feel as though I've temporarily lost control of the vehicle. Going around turns, hitting a bump, feels as if the car slides around a bit.
Now - is it possible that it's not the actual impact that I'm "feeling", so much as sounds of impact? In addition to what I would call a 'rough' ride, I'm also hearing much, much more noise on bumps than I would ever expect out of a car of this caliber. I know the exhaust system needs to be replaced almost completely (from converter back)...is it possible things are just loose enough that the noise from bumps is translating into something of a harsher ride?
My only other thought is about control arms. Is it possible they are worn enough (the bushings, I'm assuming) that they could degrade perceived ride quality?
Any insight would be appreciated. The car feels like new, except for this issue. We're trying to decide between keeping the I30 (80k miles) or 3-series (115k miles), and even though the 3 is louder, smaller, and rougher around the edges, this whole suspension thing is making me lean towards selling the I30 and keeping the 3. Help!
Now - is it possible that it's not the actual impact that I'm "feeling", so much as sounds of impact? In addition to what I would call a 'rough' ride, I'm also hearing much, much more noise on bumps than I would ever expect out of a car of this caliber. I know the exhaust system needs to be replaced almost completely (from converter back)...is it possible things are just loose enough that the noise from bumps is translating into something of a harsher ride?
My only other thought is about control arms. Is it possible they are worn enough (the bushings, I'm assuming) that they could degrade perceived ride quality?
Any insight would be appreciated. The car feels like new, except for this issue. We're trying to decide between keeping the I30 (80k miles) or 3-series (115k miles), and even though the 3 is louder, smaller, and rougher around the edges, this whole suspension thing is making me lean towards selling the I30 and keeping the 3. Help!
