[Banksy]

So I went over a speed hump earlier, not travelling very fast - I am taking it quite easy at the moment. Big, solid sounding clunk/bang through the car as the rear half travelled over it.

I don't have an aero kit and the car sits reasonably high being x-drive. I do have the adaptive suspension though.

Had a quick look around underneath but could not see any obvious damage and i can't believe the hump was high enough to have hit the car at that speed but i can't rule this out.

Could this be something to do with the adaptive suspension? I am not referring to the faint clunking noise some have experienced over minor bumps. This seemed more significant and was a one off.

Has anyone else with the adaptive dampers experience similar over speed humps?

[DaveA]

Was the hump one of those that are built out of blocks that are pinned to the road..?

Because sometimes some of the blocks come loose and it's the block banging on the ground you can hear as a bang when you go over them… sounds like it's hitting the car, but it's not (well, it's not on the one like that near me that is like that, anyway)…

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Originally Posted by Banksy

So I went over a speed hump earlier, not travelling very fast - I am taking it quite easy at the moment. Big, solid sounding clunk/bang through the car as the rear half travelled over it.

I don't have an aero kit and the car sits reasonably high being x-drive. I do have the adaptive suspension though.

Had a quick look around underneath but could not see any obvious damage and i can't believe the hump was high enough to have hit the car at that speed but i can't rule this out.

Could this be something to do with the adaptive suspension? I am not referring to the faint clunking noise some have experienced over minor bumps. This seemed more significant and was a one off.

Has anyone else with the adaptive dampers experience similar over speed humps?

Yes!

I get it all the time and the first few times scare the living c**p out of me. I've had it when hitting even minor pot holes or when one wheel hits a metal drain cover. I 'tested' this was not a one off by taking one of my old routes with a hump-back bridge; the E92 used to fly over it, this one makes a hideous noise! You really have to time the power and coast just right.

I've put it down to the xDrive mechanics but I guess the suspension is more likely.

I'm not going to worry about it now as I'm half expecting it the whole time.

[Dunzzy]

Same thing happened to me but with the front LHS suspension. Didn't sound good at all (horrid clanking sound). I was going a little to fast at the time. I guess we just need to learn to slow down a bit more when going over speed bumps

[Banksy]

Agreed, i will be taking it very easy, grandma style from now on over the bumps. It scared the cr@p out of me, bearing in mind i only picked the car up on saturday.

The hump wasn't the bolted in block type, but wider than the ones you can often straddle and without much of a curved gradient - particularly nasty and will be avoiding that route from now on.

[Dunzzy]

The humps I had trouble with were made from tarmac and are on a long driveway to my local golf driving range (my second home) so route avoidance id not really an option for me -will just take it a bit easier. Don't want to hear that sound ever again!

[dazzapb]

Just wondering what the best suspension mode would be to tackle bumps? comfort might be quite wallowy..and potentially cause the car to bounce over?

Sport is firmer so perhaps that would be better?

Thanks

[MarkG_M5Comp]

I think it's more likely the rebound making the noise, on which basis comfort should be better as it's rebounding slower?!

I hit a bump during heavy breaking from speed the other day - I thought the wheels had come of, or at least would come out square!

All seems to be well so I guess we have to live with it!

[robbiep]

Originally Posted by Banksy

Agreed, i will be taking it very easy, grandma style from now on over the bumps. It scared the cr@p out of me, bearing in mind i only picked the car up on saturday.

The hump wasn't the bolted in block type, but wider than the ones you can often straddle and without much of a curved gradient - particularly nasty and will be avoiding that route from now on.

NEVER, EVER straddle speed bumps. You will wreck the inside edge/face of your tyres.
Drive over speed bumps with one side ENTIRELY on the bump, and the other staying on the 'normal' tarmac

[sahajesh]

Originally Posted by robbiep

NEVER, EVER straddle speed bumps. You will wreck the inside edge/face of your tyres.
Drive over speed bumps with one side ENTIRELY on the bump, and the other staying on the 'normal' tarmac

Never knew this, I generally straddle the bump as it avoids the worst of it, looks like I'll be changing my ways then!

[m88jey]

Originally Posted by sahajesh

Never knew this, I generally straddle the bump as it avoids the worst of it, looks like I'll be changing my ways then!

Notoriously bad for run flats, had a fairly new tyre on a previous car, lasted about 6k (me stupidly straddling humps) blew out on me after a fairly long motorway journey. Inner edge was ripped open. I don't think it's as bad for standard tyres though. I might be wrong but won't make that mistake again.

[sahajesh]

Originally Posted by GUZLERGEFF

Notoriously bad for run flats, had a fairly new tyre on a previous car, lasted about 6k (me stupidly straddling humps) blew out on me after a fairly long motorway journey. Inner edge was ripped open. I don't think it's as bad for standard tyres though. I might be wrong but won't make that mistake again.

Ah - when my car arrives, it will be the first I have had with runflats, never had a prob with normal tyres, but then my normal routes don't have many speed humps.

[Cuprat]

I was driving along a country road and went over a relatively slight hump at around 40mph......could have easily been going faster as the road was NSL and clear visibility ahead. I usually do 60 in my merc on this stretch.

The car made a massive bang, so much so that I pulled over to double check I hadn't hit anything or damaged something.

Pretty sure I hadn't done either but not a great sound really.

[Alkidrew]

Yes, this happened the first time I drove over one. I think the adaptive gets a bit confused and tries to compensate for the "bump" as it does for potholes etc.

I now switch to sport and it goes over much better as the electronics make the dampers have less give in them.

[MWA]

I have the adaptive suspension, and have never experienced any news.

Is it not something you have in the boot? Unsecured Luggage?

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Originally Posted by MWA

I have the adaptive suspension, and have never experienced any news.

Is it not something you have in the boot? Unsecured Luggage?

Not a chance - the noise is like you've hit a lump of iron in the road - I pulled over to check the first time I heard it!!

[Cuprat]

Originally Posted by MarkG335

Not a chance - the noise is like you've hit a lump of iron in the road - I pulled over to check the first time I heard it!!

Exactly how I would have described the noise I heard!

[jbtco]

Originally Posted by robbiep

NEVER, EVER straddle speed bumps. You will wreck the inside edge/face of your tyres.
Drive over speed bumps with one side ENTIRELY on the bump, and the other staying on the 'normal' tarmac

What evidence is there to sport this view?

[robbiep]

Originally Posted by jbtco

What evidence is there to sport this view?

Go have a chat with a 'proper' tyre fitter. Someone that owns their own business, though even a manager from ATS will be abe to show you the stacks of wrecked inners on tyres.
Or go look on something like honestjohn.co.uk - the number of people reporting issues, and what the professionals view (including tyre makers) is of the cause.

The professionals may be wrong, of course. But have a good look at what happens to a car's suspension and tyres when straddling

[Steve C]

I was also told (by a tyre fitter) that straddling those speed humps can knock out your tracking.

[auriga]

Funnily enough I was going to post something similar, had a couple of experiences with potholes where y the noise from the front was so bad I had to pull over and was expecting to see a buckled wheel or broken suspension.

Happened again yesterday at 30 mph small pot hole but the bang from the front scared the hell out of me, never come across a car that hits the top of its suspension so easily, surly cant be good for the car