I'm posting in this thread since I have less than 10 posts and I'm restricted to creating threads only in this forum.

I recently purchased a 2011 R3 with 15,000 miles. I purchased a set of Ohlins Road and Track coilovers and had them installed this weekend, along with a new set of wheels.

I've attached a photo of the original Bilstein suspension - this is what they looked like AFTER I spent 2 hours scrubbing on them. I was planning on putting them up for sale, but I don't understand why the suspension looks the way it does. Some of the black marks are just where the paint has faded away, but there appears to be tape marks underneath a hard black material. This hard black material is also coating part of the springs.

Is this heat tape? Carbon buildup?

I don't want to sell the suspension if it's not in working order - the car drove fine before I replaced it with the Ohlins.

Can someone chime in why these look this way? Is this normal?

Thanks in advance!

 

Did you ask the seller of the car about it? Maybe ask other R3 owners to take a look at their stock suspension.

 

I purchased the car from a dealer and I've talked with them but didn't get any additional information.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

Looks like undercoat.

 

Yeah my vote is under coat added of some sort. I have an R3 in my driveway and it has not black on the suspension and I have worked on two other R3's and they were clean as well. But in South Texas cars don't get undercoat treatment typically.

 

moliver - I crawled underneath the car this morning and I agree that it's probably just an undercoating that was applied to the vehicle.

Thanks.

 

Yeah, my 8 had that, undercoat.

 

9krpmrx8 - The car was purchased in the Rochester, New York area - I'm pretty sure it is an undercoating that was applied (even though the owner stored the car each winter).

I appreciate your help.

Thanks.

 

RIWWP - That's good to know - Thanks for commenting.