How to diagnose bad BMW front control arms and front anti-sway bar linkages
Вставка
- Опубліковано 29 жов 2019
- we have a look at the 2 weakest parts of your BMW's front suspension. How do you know when they have failed? Is there anything we can do about them? Watch and find out! The featured items are the front control arm also called the front tension strut, as well as the front anti-roll bar / anti-sway bar / stabilizer bar links
Subscribe! / @stevenbtuner
#BMW #BMWDIY #BMWSuspension
- APEX 8 Wheels: www.apexraceparts.com/wheels/...
****** Amazon.co.uk Links for United Kingdom Viewers******
Products seen, used or mentioned in this video are available on Amazon.co.uk via the following paid links: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Panasonic GH5 Video Camera: amzn.to/39YYTfv
- Deity Video Camera Microphone: amzn.to/3maltnY
- Zoom F1 Lapel Microphone: amzn.to/3oFNYvA
- Roland Audio Recorder: amzn.to/2K9RpM7
- LED Studio Lights: amzn.to/3n5wKHC
- Video Editing Computer: amzn.to/2JRtuBa
****** Amazon.com Links for United States / Worldwide Viewers******
Products seen, used or mentioned in this video are available on Amazon via the following paid links: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Autel MaxiAp AP200 OBD2 Bluetooth Scanner: amzn.to/2qKCYUI
Products used to make this video:
- Panasonic GH5 Video Camera: amzn.to/36UZWZU
- Rode Video Camera Microphone: amzn.to/2NDkXB4
- Zoom F1 Lapel Microphone: amzn.to/2KbBHwX
- Roland Audio Recorder: amzn.to/2X1rqIY
- Sony Vegas Pro Video Editing Software: amzn.to/2CvQVbR
- LED Studio Lights: amzn.to/2Nz0UUf
- Video Editing Computer: amzn.to/32GVxqw
- Video Editing 4K Monitor: amzn.to/32H8G2Q
Music used in this video:
---
Replicant World by Mike Chino
/ mike-chino
Creative Commons - Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported - CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Music promoted by Audio Library • Replicant World - Mike...
---
Nostalgia by Tobu / 7obu
Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported- CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/Nostalgia-Tobu
Music promoted by Audio Library • Nostalgia - Tobu (No C...
---
Lensko - Circles [NCS Release]
• Lensko - Circles | Hou... / lensko / lenskoofficial / lenskoof. .
Music promoted by Audio Library • Circles [NCS Release] ...
---
Easier to Fade (feat. Madi Larson) by A Himitsu
/ a-himitsu Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0
Unported- CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Music promoted by Audio Library • Easier to Fade (feat. ...
--- - Авто та транспорт
Thanks for the vid. Will be interesting watching you change these parts.
Thanks for watching! That video isn't far off.
Thanks learned a lot in 10min ;-) Belgiums watching you
Great to hear!
It would be nice if you do a video on changing those rubber parts.
A good idea for a video series!
I love your videos..I am from Barbados 🇧🇧
Hi from Denmark - it's great to hear that you like the videos!
Hi Steve it would really great you do that one
I wish I came across you long ago
From theUK
Grumble for 2000miles lmao. Sounds like me analyzing all my work and any noise in my Galant Vr4 TT.
Just found your channel through the advert on LLF . I like it. Down to earth subjects that many over look. And it dont have a BMW,,lol
Hi, thanks for watching and commenting! There will be a proportion of the videos that apply to all cars, so if you get something out of them that would be great!
I really like your videos, not only educational i find your voice really relaxing.
As for the bushings, are you sure you're installing them correctly? they should not be torqued down until the car sits under its own weight.
Hi, thanks for watching and commenting! Yes, they are indeed torqued down when the car is flat on the ground, which is quite a challenge with a lowered car. I mostly blame the bad road and my driving style for their short life, but the poly bushes seem to overcome both of those issues and last for many years, so I'm happy :-) If they are lasting well on your car then leave them there, and enjoy a smoother and quieter ride.
thanks a lot
Hi, thanks for watching!
I bought all new arms from TRW for my E39. Also replaced the front struts with Bilstein B6's I got from the junkyard for $20 each. Realllly tightened up the car, zero clunks now. The thrust arms were $40 each and I got them from FCP so I'll have lifetime replacement on them.
Definitely interested in a video where you remove the stock bushings and replace them with poly. It would be pretty universal to a lot of BMW's.
Thanks for watching and commenting! The front of your car should be good for many years after all of that work, and an excellent junk yard find too! I should be doing the video on the poly bush replacement in the next few weeks.
Cool video, seems like you think deeply about cars so herez a question please, i can feel every little bumps on road through my steering, i changed both wishbones, both tie rod end, both drop links, bith ball joints are very good, steering joints looks good too, not sure where im going wrong diagnosing, will appreciate some help/tips, Thanks
Hi, thanks for watching and commenting! Diagnosing the various bumps and vibrations in your BMW probably needs a whole video series... Because the lower ball joints have so much weight and spring pressure on them they can be a bit tricky to tell when they are half/fully worn out - you can try and check them with the car half raised, and then with the car fully off the ground. If the lower ball joints have done over 100,000 miles then I would replace them anyway. Check the springs and rubber spring seats for condition. Get a friend to help you move the car up and down to check that the dampers/shock absorbers are working well. All of the BMW suspension components are made to be light weight which is great for steering feel, but it means that you feel the problems more too! Any problems with the wheels and tires will be felt more in a BMW than just about any other car I've driven - so lift up the front, spin the wheels and check that the wheels and tires are perfectly round, undamaged, and that the pressure is good. If it has been a couple of years since they were balanced then get that done too. At one time I had some out of sight pothole damage to the inside edge of one of the front alloys, and it felt the same as you would expect a worn tie-rod end to feel. Best of luck getting your car back to full health!
Hi Steven. When you installed a new original control arm/bush, did you tighten the bolt on the bush side when the suspension was in a normal position? ie not when jacked up, as this can tear the bush prematurely as the bush will be twisted when the car is back on the floor. Good videos btw.
Hi, thanks for watching and commenting! Depends on the car and the bush. On the E90 in the video, the TRW front control arm (same as OEM) was installed loosely, and then torqued down fully once the weight is back on the wheels. The replacement poly bush that I will install in a future video doesn't care.
I have recently bought an E91 320d m47 2007 model and i have a clunking noise when i go over gravel and some holes in the road. I tried the "kicking" and the check in your video, but there was not any movement in the wheel. What do you recommend that i check? I have a suspicion that it is the drop link bar, but how can i check it? I dont have a lot of money, so the cheapest option is the best for me right now. Love your videos, they are really helpful!
Hi, thanks for watching! The drop link bar makes quite a lot of noise over small ripples in the road. If the noise only happens on larger bumps then it is more likely to be a strut top mount or a ball joint. Chasing suspension noises can be very frustrating on these cars because of the good cabin sound insulation, and also because lot of time there is no movement in the offending joint once you lift the car up on a jack to have a look!
Hi, can you make DIY video on replacing those suspension parts / doing suspension maintenance on BMWs. Are the suspension components you mentioned in the videos same for BMW F10 ?
Hi, thanks for watching! Yes, I will definitely be doing more suspension videos in future. The F10 has a wishbone connected to the top of the hub carrier, but all of the lower parts are similar and serve basically the same function but with slightly less in the way of contortions.
Hi Steve, got an e38. Currently been replacing tie rod ends yearly and the control arms 4-5, any suggestions?
Hi, thanks for watching and commenting! Control arm life is pretty normal, but your tie rod ends should last longer I would think unless you are running very wide tires and lots of camber, and drive hard too. Having toe-in set too close to '0' can shorten their life too.
@@StevenBTuner yeah, I have wide tyres on. I'll definitely consider going from 265 to 225. Thank you again, I've subbed and I can't wait to see more of your videos.
Nah, wide tyres are much nicer! What can be causing you trouble is if the wheels have an offset that is a lot different to the factory wheels - which can then cause your scrub radius to be way off. This will cause a lot more stress on your tie-rod ends under hard braking. You can do a quick and dirty check of this by parking on a concrete driveway and then turning the steering wheel all the way to the left and then to the right and then back to centre, and then driving back a bit so you can see the circular scratch marks you left on the ground. If the centre of rotation is very near the inside or outside edge of the tyre (or even outside of the contact patch) then the scrub radius is not ideal. I'll have to do a video on this, because it is a lot easier to show than explain... Thanks for the sub!
@@StevenBTuner checked and yep, weird marks on the tarmac. It's difficult to get parts in my country so I'll have to order through Europe. I can't wait to see the video.
When you say these are the weakest parts of a BMW front suspension what series/models are you referring to and what is the MBF?
Since the 1980s there are literally dozens of series/models and not all of them have the same problems or have the same procedures for repair.
A few of the problems might be inherent design defects, others are normal maintenance and others are because of poor maintenance.
Front suspension issues are usually normal maintenance, albeit over extended periods of time.
Hi, if you do a lot of miles on bumpy roads on a car that has lowered firm suspension, like I do, then that little link won't last more than a couple of years. Stock suspension and better roads will be a very different case.
Something doesn't add up, it's either fake/crappy parts or incorrect mounting. You should never be able to go through a BMW joint/bushing in 6 MONTHS unless you drive unpaved roads.
Hi, thanks for watching and commenting! I do a lot of miles on pretty bumpy old roads...with a car that has firm, lowered suspension and big brakes (that I use), and low profile tires. It is pretty much a worst-case scenario. Only BMW / OEM quality parts are used on anything I drive.
Lemförder is usually the best one for BMW on this case. The crown jewel of the good parts.
BMW drop links should last for years.. Maybe you're using cheap chinese ones
Hi, thanks for watching and commenting. I can believe that they could last for years on an X5 for example, but on my car with lowered and up-rated springs, firmer dampers, low profile tires, and bouncy roads that I can't avoid in my daily driving - and, well, they haven't got the best chance for a long life... I've only ever used OEM BMW links (TRW), and then Lemförder, and then TRW - all have the same sized balljoints, and all last about the same amount of time.
I can confirm that the Lemforder ones are really weak... I replaced two sets in one year (bought from different stores) but then I switched to the Meyle HD ones and these seem to last a lot longer. I have them for about two years and they are still in a better condition compared to the Lemforder ones after 6 months. By the way, my car is a E90 LCI 320d Efficient Dynamics (which has a sport suspension).