Grinding / rubbing noise from rear of car PART TWO

This noise has been driving me insane. I have spent sleepless nights trying to work out what it could be, spent hours listening to it in the car, spent hours trying to find the cause in my driveway, and sadly spent A LOT of money replacing bushes in an effort to irradicate it.

At first I thought it was dry linkages - so had these drenched in oil.
Then I thought it might be sticking rear Brake Shoes, so had these adjusted
Hmmm, maybe its the suspension, so replaced these all round.
Took it to Stealers, they checked it out and diagonsed 1300 squids to fix the noise, so took it to leading BMW Indy in my area and paid 650 big ones instead for same work. Guess what the squeak was still there, albeit slightly reduced because of the new shockers providing less overall movement.

So thoroughly demoralised I admitted defeat, and turned my radio up.

Then I drove to London yesterday with a fully loaded boot/trunk, crammed full of boxes for a customer of mine. The noise had completely disappeared....

It simply had to be something loose in the boot/trunk, so I checked every possible nook and cranny and found nothing. I oiled the hinges of the boot and still nothing. Then with the boot still open, I sit on the tailgate, head in hands, and ....... squeak

Turns out that large plastic moulding that runs across the rear of the interior of the boot, and touches the metal base of the boot was the source of the noise. I greased the contact point, went for a spin, and..... blissful silence.

I am now torn between happiness and despair (at what I could have bought for the money I'd chucked at this problem.)

There is a lesson for us all in here, though my guess it that most of you have a similar tale.

It would make me feel better if you shared them with me / the board

I think a lot of the 'troubles' associated with 'noises' etc in 8s is that we as owners expect more from these cars, or less (noise) as it were.

I drive my 2000 VW T4 van all round the UK but because it's a van I put up with an orchestra of noises and shakes. I mostly know where they are coming from but simply do not care. Then when I get home and go for a spin in the 8 I expect, and need, silence

That said, I now have great shocks, and a host of new stuff hanging off the underside of my ride which was going to fail sooner or later - I did see the perished rubber bushes and the play these caused with my own eyes when it was on the mechanic's lift.

But the thing that set me off on this expensive quest was solved with no more than a can of spray lube, costing less than a pint of beer

Classic

Zitat von ukzero

So far (touch wood) apart from my post purchase warranty visit to BMW, mine hasn't put a foot wrong (throw salt over my shoulder, cross all available appendages) and has been an absolute pleasure to own and drive.

oh dear oh dear, you have gone and said it now......

Just thought I'd mention I've changed my rear tyres now from 285/35/19 to 265/30/19s. Since I put 235/35/19s on front (to get the wheels to fit) I have had a few ASC freak outs recently, plus the speedo and OBC readings had gone hay-wire. Everything back to normal though now, and the car doesnt look like a pumped up dragster either - which is nice.

The lesson here is that M6 wheels do fit, but the associated tyres are wrong for our cars. So even thought I originally thought I'd got a bargain for the full set at £850, I've now had to spend a further £500 replacing all the tyres. The copies I'd looked at before taking the plunge on these originals cost £1270, with tyres.

I can see a pattern developing here.......