[outofphase]

My car is at an indy right now and I was just informed that one of the struts in the front is leaking. I have an aftermarket warranty BUT I’m on Dinan springs and bumpstops (installed by an indy) and I’m afraid to void the warranty, so I told him to just leave it for now while I figure out what to do.

Car is a 2015 335i xdrive with 50k miles

I’m a total suspension noob so I’ve got a couple questions:

1. How can I verify if it’s leaking badly? Where do I look? From searching I’ve read that minimal leaking/dampness is normal but a trickle means time to replace.

2. If it does need replacing, should I risk the warranty being voided and file a claim?

3. If not, what’s a good aftermarket brand to go for? I might as well upgrade everything at that point front and rear. Something that will play nice with the Dinan setup.

Any help would be awesome!

[FaRKle!]

Struts are wear items. I'm not sure it'd be covered under warranty, you should check the terms. Also check the terms on modified parts.

To see the leaking you'd look at where the shiny piston rod comes out of the top of the strut. You'll need to move the rod (compress and let return to normal) to see if it leaks.

[328iX]

Leaking usually doesn't appear as "leaks" you'll see a residual build up around the strut body,

worst case scenario slap some bilstein struts on the car, it's fairly inexpensive and def can be done DIY if you installed those springs.

[sspade]

Also worth note...

My OEM shocks were absolutely shot at around the same mileage and they never showed signs of leaking.

If you're waiting for a trickle of fluid then your shocks "may never wear out."

Translation: you're most likely due for a full set of shocks or at the very least, a pair.

[outofphase]

Thanks for the info guys! Think I'm just gonna bite the bullet and upgrade. Any recommendations that would go well with the dinan springs?

[cfm56d7b]

Originally Posted by outofphase

Thanks for the info guys! Think I'm just gonna bite the bullet and upgrade. Any recommendations that would go well with the dinan springs?

With lowering springs, Bilstein B8 shocks are better matched.

If you are open to improving the suspension behavior even further, KW Street Comfort coilovers would be worth exploring.

[BrandEZ]

Reviving an old thread with a question:

I have a leaking front left strut -- can i replace just the leaky strut with a Bilstein B8 or do i have to do both?

[FaRKle!]

Do both. Aftermarket dampers like the B6/8 have VERY different performance from OE.

[BrandEZ]

Different how?

[FaRKle!]

Completely different damping curves. That means for the same road feature your tire hits, the forces produced by the dampers will be different. That will feel really strange having such different performance from one side of the car to the other.

B6/B8 are very overdamped contrasted to the OE dampers, which are underdamped.