Control/Thrust arm Q's

[Jjcarr]

Couple of questions. I have a 95 525it, about 111k miles. I have the front end shimmy, not really bad, more significant when I hit the brakes, so I'm thinking thrust arms. I get the car on ramps and take a look and there are two things I'm not sure about.

First, the lower control arm is alluminum, did the 95's come with this stock?

Also, in the picture below you can just make out the inner bushing of the thrust arm. I notice that the trapezoidal plastic part is blue. Is this possibly a stock bushing or an upgraded one?

http://www.geocities.com/jjcarr.geo/images/control_arm.jpg

[Bill R.]

That thrust arm bushing looks stock.



Couple of questions. I have a 95 525it, about 111k miles. I have the front end shimmy, not really bad, more significant when I hit the brakes, so I'm thinking thrust arms. I get the car on ramps and take a look and there are two things I'm not sure about.

First, the lower control arm is alluminum, did the 95's come with this stock?

Also, in the picture below you can just make out the inner bushing of the thrust arm. I notice that the trapezoidal plastic part is blue. Is this possibly a stock bushing or an upgraded one?

http://www.geocities.com/jjcarr.geo/images/control_arm.jpg

[Jjcarr]

That thrust arm bushing looks stock.

Good, I was afraid it was replaced already so that I'd have to start hunting around for another cause of the shimmy...

[SchnellE34]

Are you planning on replacing the entire thrust arm or just the bushing? I want to perform this repair on my 95 525i sedan but I don't want to bang out the bushings. Plus, I want to have confidence in the new arms as well as the bushings.

Let me know how it goes, if you do replace them. I am hoping I can do this myself. Bruno’s site and the Bentley manual call it a moderate repair, and it looks straightforward enough.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Buy a new arm with the bushing already pressed in. You'll be mad if you just replace the bushing, and a few months later the ball joint at the other end goes bad.

[Kalevera]

I think it's a waste of money to start throwing parts at the car without properly diagnosing it.

Recently, it seems like most of the shimmying I see is due to a bad tire (or tires), out of round wheel, or a warped rotor. Almost anything in the front end could be the cause. At 111k, anything's par for the course. So, unless you just want to start indiscriminately spending money on the car (hey -- can you send me some money while you're at it?! :) ), it'd be smart to get it up in the air and go over it, or have it gone over by someone who knows what they're looking at.

best, whit

[Bellicose Right Winger]

I think thrust arms are blamed for far more shimmy problems then they're responsible for. Do you get a bang when you abruptly stand on the brakes at 15-20 MPH? If so, then change thrust arms or replace bushings.

If not then I'd:
1) Check for bent wheels,
2) Balance front tires,
3) Check (10) ball joints for play
4) Check idler arm for play
5) Check steering for play including coupling nut above brake pedal
6) Inspect and cut/replace front rotors
7) Now consider changing thrust arms.

Paul Shovestul






Good, I was afraid it was replaced already so that I'd have to start hunting around for another cause of the shimmy...

[SchnellE34]

I recently had the tires replaced and wheels balanced which solved the ‘over 65 mph shimmy.’ But the hard braking shimmy is still present. It seems like the whole car shimmies when braking from 35 mph (brake pedal, steering wheel, and my a$$) One question, I hear its best to change the brake pads along with the rotors when solving a problem like this, would anyone recommend changing the pair if indeed that is the problem?

[Russell]

so did the 95 sedan

[Bill R.]

steel and aluminum for the sedan but only aluminum for the touring




so did the 95 sedan

[Jjcarr]

I plan to do the complete control arms, as mentioned, I'd hate to do the bushings only then have the ball joint go out.

The tires have been "ride match" balanced so that's ruled out. Given the age and that the thrust arms are a known weakpoint, it's a safe bet they need to be replaced. Usually I take an approach that anything in the engine bay or connected to the suspension that has 100k on it needs to be replaced. Often rubber items get harder or softer without a clear visible indicator.

A good example is that I just did the motor mounts, and front and rear tranny mounts. Examination would have led me to believe they were fine, but shure enough, replacing them firmed up the shifting and smoothed out the motor.

While there may be other causes, I'm confident that the thrust arms are contributing to it. Once I replace them I'll see if it still has the issue.

[Bill R.]

they need to be changed anyway




I plan to do the complete control arms, as mentioned, I'd hate to do the bushings only then have the ball joint go out.

The tires have been "ride match" balanced so that's ruled out. Given the age and that the thrust arms are a known weakpoint, it's a safe bet they need to be replaced. Usually I take an approach that anything in the engine bay or connected to the suspension that has 100k on it needs to be replaced. Often rubber items get harder or softer without a clear visible indicator.

A good example is that I just did the motor mounts, and front and rear tranny mounts. Examination would have led me to believe they were fine, but shure enough, replacing them firmed up the shifting and smoothed out the motor.

While there may be other causes, I'm confident that the thrust arms are contributing to it. Once I replace them I'll see if it still has the issue.

[athflying79]

I had quite a few shimmies, clunks, and vibrations. After looking underneath all my bushings were visibly shot, all my ball joint boots were cracked and the sway bar links were shot. I swapped out upper and lower control arms, sway bar links, and tie rods. It is amazing how much better the car handles, feels, and sounds. I still get a small clunk which I'm pretty sure is the infamous steering wheel nut (tried to get the panel off and it just started breaking...got pissed and haven't gotten back in there to see if it's loose). I also have a shimmy at almost exactly 55 and 110 which I thought I remember someone saying that it is most likely a tire balance issue. I hope to get new wheels and tires soon, so I'm going to hold off on the wheel balance.

[632 Regal]

Ha!

The tires have been "ride match" balanced so that's ruled out.

[Kalevera]

BALANCE and whether or not the wheel is BENT are two completely different things. I don't care how well the wheels were balanced, if there's a bend, any number of tire wear issues or the like, you can get a vibration.

As Bill said, it probably is the control arm. But why throw $300+ at parts based on an assumption?

Here's a little story. I did an inspection II on a later Z3 3.0 last Thursday (Scott actually got an earful of it being lifted into the air -- sorry brother :) ). Owner stated that he needed control arm(s). I took it for a spin and it had a sincere vibration. Get the car up in the air -- it's got a bent front DS wheel and an unmatched tire. Not bad, but still bent. All bushings are good and ball joints are tight. Swapped the wheel to the back and the vibration is significantly muted...but the wheels are staggered, the Z3 has a doughnut spare, so the only thing to do is replace the (worn and incongruous) tire. I replaced the tire, balanced the wheel, and the vibration is practically gone.

Like I said, nobody's stopping you from spending money on the car. But most people who own E34s these days, including me, don't have an unlimited supply of money. Even if that isn't the case, it's not necessarily economically responsible. So it behooves one to make a correct diagnosis the first time, not simply basing a decision on a fuzzy picture and what some people on an internet forum have to say about it.

best, whit

[Jjcarr]

BALANCE and whether or not the wheel is BENT are two completely different things. I don't care how well the wheels were balanced, if there's a bend, any number of tire wear issues or the like, you can get a vibration.

As Bill said, it probably is the control arm. But why throw $300+ at parts based on an assumption?

best, whit

I'm certain the wheels aren't bent, I have both a summer set and winter set, shimmies identiacally on both. Plus with the ride match balancing on both it's a safe bet it's not balance.

That leaves control arms, thrust arms, and a few other possiblities. Of which the thrust arms are the most likely, plus at 111k I'd probably replace them even if they weren't completely worn, just to get the most solid front end possible.

I could spend an hour jacking the car up and inspecting the front end, then order the part, wait for it to arrive, and then jack the car up again and replace the offending part. But, given the age, the hasstle in doing that, and that it's a safe bet that new thrust arms will either solve the problem or improve the front end, then it's money well spent. Plus, at the end of the day these 525's are so cheap to work on if you do the work yourself, that the cost of the control arms is a drop in the bucket compared to having anyone else do any work on the car.

[Rustam]

Are you planning on replacing the entire thrust arm or just the bushing? I want to perform this repair on my 95 525i sedan but I don't want to bang out the bushings. Plus, I want to have confidence in the new arms as well as the bushings.

Let me know how it goes, if you do replace them. I am hoping I can do this myself. Bruno’s site and the Bentley manual call it a moderate repair, and it looks straightforward enough.

Don't bother with that type of bushing - get solid polyurethane. They work great.

[Jjcarr]

Don't bother with that type of bushing - get solid polyurethane. They work great.

Racing parts on a wagon daily driver? Nah, don't think so. Plus, poly doesn't last nearly as long as rubber. If poly were good the factory would use it.

[Speeder 553]

BALANCE and whether or not the wheel is BENT are two completely different things. I don't care how well the wheels were balanced, if there's a bend, any number of tire wear issues or the like, you can get a vibration.

As Bill said, it probably is the control arm. But why throw $300+ at parts based on an assumption?

Here's a little story. I did an inspection II on a later Z3 3.0 last Thursday (Scott actually got an earful of it being lifted into the air -- sorry brother :) ). Owner stated that he needed control arm(s). I took it for a spin and it had a sincere vibration. Get the car up in the air -- it's got a bent front DS wheel and an unmatched tire. Not bad, but still bent. All bushings are good and ball joints are tight. Swapped the wheel to the back and the vibration is significantly muted...but the wheels are staggered, the Z3 has a doughnut spare, so the only thing to do is replace the (worn and incongruous) tire. I replaced the tire, balanced the wheel, and the vibration is practically gone.

Like I said, nobody's stopping you from spending money on the car. But most people who own E34s these days, including me, don't have an unlimited supply of money. Even if that isn't the case, it's not necessarily economically responsible. So it behooves one to make a correct diagnosis the first time, not simply basing a decision on a fuzzy picture and what some people on an internet forum have to say about it.

best, whit


This is very good advise. Have the tires and wheels checked first. I had the 45-55 mph shakes and replaced the thrust arms with little change. Then got a new quality tires, balanced and aligned and that fixed it.

[Rustam]

Racing parts on a wagon daily driver? Nah, don't think so. Plus, poly doesn't last nearly as long as rubber. If poly were good the factory would use it.

Have you ever tried polyurethane bushings?

There is nothing "racing" about the bushings I got - they are soft enough. I've had them on my car for a year now - it will take much longer for them to get worn out.

On the contrary - I had a setup for 750 prior to this one - shimmy came back within few months. At any rate - I did not find discomfort with these bushings and they are much more robust...

[genphreak]

I had quite a few shimmies, clunks, and vibrations. After looking underneath all my bushings were visibly shot, all my ball joint boots were cracked and the sway bar links were shot. I swapped out upper and lower control arms, sway bar links, and tie rods. It is amazing how much better the car handles, feels, and sounds. I still get a small clunk which I'm pretty sure is the infamous steering wheel nut (tried to get the panel off and it just started breaking...got pissed and haven't gotten back in there to see if it's loose). I also have a shimmy at almost exactly 55 and 110 which I thought I remember someone saying that it is most likely a tire balance issue. I hope to get new wheels and tires soon, so I'm going to hold off on the wheel balance.There is always a clunk if reversing when braking, especially noticable in car parks or reversing down hills. I have replaced everything- so can say with some certainty that (same in my e28 too) that this is (either something like a loose caliper- be sure to check now!) or the spring moving naturally under changed loadings.

:) Nick

[Jjcarr]

Have you ever tried polyurethane bushings?

There is nothing "racing" about the bushings I got - they are soft enough. I've had them on my car for a year now - it will take much longer for them to get worn out.

On the contrary - I had a setup for 750 prior to this one - shimmy came back within few months. At any rate - I did not find discomfort with these bushings and they are much more robust...

One example, with only a year of use does not a concensus make. Poly is bad news for the street. For every guy who likes it there are 50 who have it wear out prematurely or rattle their teeth out. I've never had a poly component that lasted worth anything. It's like kits with turbo'd Civics...yeah, they love them at first, talk to them a couple of years later after they have rebuilt the motor a few times. There's a reason that no car manufacturer uses poly, and it ain't cost...

One great story, I was looking at a car, and the guy selling it said he had poly bushings and loved it. I got there, jacked the car and showed him that he had over 1/4" of slop in a control arm bushing that was only 1 year old. He didn't even know till I showed him that his front end was trashed.

[Jjcarr]

I had quite a few shimmies, clunks, and vibrations. After looking underneath all my bushings were visibly shot, all my ball joint boots were cracked and the sway bar links were shot. I swapped out upper and lower control arms, sway bar links, and tie rods. It is amazing how much better the car handles, feels, and sounds. I still get a small clunk which I'm pretty sure is the infamous steering wheel nut (tried to get the panel off and it just started breaking...got pissed and haven't gotten back in there to see if it's loose). I also have a shimmy at almost exactly 55 and 110 which I thought I remember someone saying that it is most likely a tire balance issue. I hope to get new wheels and tires soon, so I'm going to hold off on the wheel balance.

Tires can also get out of round and wear unevenly so holding off till you get new tires might save you some $$$.

[onewhippedpuppy]

If by ride match balancing he means a Hunter Road Force, it would detect run-out in his wheel. I'm hoping "ride match" balancing isn't some sort of fancy way of saying spin balancing at a local shop.

To the experts on here, what is the most effective way to inspect suspension components? Is visually checking for cracked boots the best I can hope for, or is there a method I can use to check control arms, thrust arms, etc? I fall into the category of not enough money, I really don't want to replace every component in my front end in an attempt to fix my shimmy.

[Rustam]

One example, with only a year of use does not a concensus make. Poly is bad news for the street. For every guy who likes it there are 50 who have it wear out prematurely or rattle their teeth out. I've never had a poly component that lasted worth anything. It's like kits with turbo'd Civics...yeah, they love them at first, talk to them a couple of years later after they have rebuilt the motor a few times. There's a reason that no car manufacturer uses poly, and it ain't cost...

This is not "one example" - there are plenty of these examples... I don't know what you mean by "poly is bad news for the street" - is someone being terrorized by my car?

I don't know what polyurethane you are talking about now - the one that is hard as a rock or the one that is soft as rubber? If the polyurethane bushing with consistency of rubber fully filled to maxumum volume of 750 bushing wears out then 750 bushing by that time has been changed 3 times.

To expect so much material wear out before 4 times less material of comparable elasticity does is nonsensical.

The reasoning of your message is based on some stereotype !?

[Jjcarr]

If by ride match balancing he means a Hunter Road Force, it would detect run-out in his wheel. I'm hoping "ride match" balancing isn't some sort of fancy way of saying spin balancing at a local shop.

Yes, it's the Hunter machine, Discount tire calls it "ride match" for some reason, most people don't know what a Hunter machine is so I use the DT term. I wasn't a believer until I had them do my old Miata. That car is about impossible to get rid of the shimmies on, but that Hunter machine made quick work of it.

[Speeder 553]

I'm certain the wheels aren't bent, I have both a summer set and winter set, shimmies identiacally on both. Plus with the ride match balancing on both it's a safe bet it's not balance.

That leaves control arms, thrust arms, and a few other possiblities. Of which the thrust arms are the most likely, plus at 111k I'd probably replace them even if they weren't completely worn, just to get the most solid front end possible.

I could spend an hour jacking the car up and inspecting the front end, then order the part, wait for it to arrive, and then jack the car up again and replace the offending part. But, given the age, the hasstle in doing that, and that it's a safe bet that new thrust arms will either solve the problem or improve the front end, then it's money well spent. Plus, at the end of the day these 525's are so cheap to work on if you do the work yourself, that the cost of the control arms is a drop in the bucket compared to having anyone else do any work on the car.

Get the Lendforder Thrust Arms with the 750il Bushings.

[Jjcarr]

is someone being terrorized by my car?

Dude, you really need to lay off the drugs when on the board, seriously, terrorized???


I don't know what polyurethane you are talking about now - the one that is hard as a rock or the one that is soft as rubber? If the polyurethane bushing with consistency of rubber fully filled to maxumum volume of 750 bushing wears out then 750 bushing by that time has been changed 3 times.


If I had a dime for everytime someone had a rationale why a theory beat solid engineering...seriously, ask yourself, if your poly is so good why don't Ferrari and Lamborgini use it? I've had exerience with poly mounts, bushings, etc... most of the time they make a good first impression (some are just horrible from the get go) but after extended use they don't last as long. And it's safe to say that the factory engineers agree with me.



The reasoning of your message is based on some stereotype !?

...seriously dude...put the pipe down...:)

[Jjcarr]

Get the Lendforder Thrust Arms with the 750il Bushings.

Hey, quick semi-off-topic, what happended to the Lemforder/750 setup? I followed the link from bmwe34.net and it went to some Canadian place that is charging $150 each despite the advertised $95. Then I went to BMA and they don't sell the Lemforder arms with any bushing installed. Anybody know a good source for a good price? (ps: I'd rather have the 750 bushing pre-installed cuz I'm lazy)

[Rustam]

One great story, I was looking at a car, and the guy selling it said he had poly bushings and loved it. I got there, jacked the car and showed him that he had over 1/4" of slop in a control arm bushing that was only 1 year old. He didn't even know till I showed him that his front end was trashed.

It is indeed a great story, however it tells me very little since I don't know what polyurethane grade was used for his bushings.
Not all polyutrethane is "created equal" - there are more elastic grades like rubber and there are more brittle grades like hard plastic...
My bushings are just as soft as the rubber inserts in the original bushing but fully filled volume.

[Zeuk in Oz]

Hey, quick semi-off-topic, what happended to the Lemforder/750 setup? I followed the link from bmwe34.net and it went to some Canadian place that is charging $150 each despite the advertised $95. Then I went to BMA and they don't sell the Lemforder arms with any bushing installed. Anybody know a good source for a good price? (ps: I'd rather have the 750 bushing pre-installed cuz I'm lazy)
I bought Lemfoerder thrust arms from BMA with 750 bushings already installed. Speak with Patrick !

[Bill R.]

.
I bought Lemfoerder thrust arms from BMA with 750 bushings already installed. Speak with Patrick !

[Jjcarr]

It is indeed a great story, however it tells me very little since I don't know what polyurethane grade was used for his bushings.
Not all polyutrethane is "created equal" - there are more elastic grades like rubber and there are more brittle grades like hard plastic...
My bushings are just as soft as the rubber inserts in the original bushing but fully filled volume.

True, there are varying grades, and I think that one example were the Energy bushing kits (which are utter crap). However, even though there might be exceptions, I have generally found poly to be less reliable than rubber (like poly motor mounts...dear god they would rattle your fillings out). I don't think I've ever had a poly componenet last over 2 years without degrading. Plus, this is a wagon that I want to be comfy as a daily driver, and as reliable as possible, so as a general rule poly doesn't fit that bill. There might be exeptions, but at least 90% of the time the above would be true, and given the goal of this car, it's not worth the risk or potential hasstle.

[Jjcarr]

I bought Lemfoerder thrust arms from BMA with 750 bushings already installed. Speak with Patrick !

Did you call them or go online? I was just looking at their online listing and the only Lemforder I saw had no bushing. It did strike me as weird because I figured BMA would be the prime source and had carried them in the past, figured I was missing something.

[Rustam]

Dude, you really need to lay off the drugs when on the board, seriously, terrorized???

...seriously dude...put the pipe down...:)

Do me a favor - don't get familiar with me - you know nothing about me. And keep your distasteful garbage derision to yourself.

And as far as the question on terrorizing - you stimulated it yourself by your comment. And the implication of me "being on drugs" is not supported in any way - I did not say anything outrageous, certainly not by asking a question. You will not be able to prove the contrary in logical manner.

[Jjcarr]

Do me a favor - don't get familiar with me - you know nothing about me. And keep your distasteful garbage derision to yourself.

And as far as the question on terrorizing - you stimulated it yourself by your comment. And the implication of me "being on drugs" is not supported in any way - I did not say anything outrageous, certainly not by asking a question. You will not be able to prove the contrary in logical manner.

I was making the point that going from "poly is bad for street use" to a car terrorizing people made no sense, plus you added the section at the bottom about "based on a stereotype" that didn't make any sense to me either. Plus, it seems clear that I'm not really implying that you're on drugs, just that you're really comming out of left field with those ones. Have a sense of humor dude...:)

The point that I'm making here is that your experience with poly is limited, in comparison to what the factory engineers do. My experience has been that it just isn't reliable, and very often worse than stock for various reasons (vibration, causes "tramming", etc...) My overall view of poly is based on my personal experience, which granted, is also limited. But more so by the simple analysis that even the highest performance factory cars don't use poly. In fact the only people I know of who use poly successfully are track racers who replace the stuff every year anyway.

[joshua43214]

To the experts on here, what is the most effective way to inspect suspension components? Is visually checking for cracked boots the best I can hope for, or is there a method I can use to check control arms, thrust arms, etc? I fall into the category of not enough money, I really don't want to replace every component in my front end in an attempt to fix my shimmy.

There area number of fast and dirty methods of checking suspension components, most require an asistant.
On a flat surface, have an assistant idle the car backwards and lightly load the break until almost stoped, then shift into drive just before the car comes to a complete halt, be sure to stop breaking before you go into drive. This will "load" every thing forward. Now walk along side the car as it idles forward, have your assistant abrubtly jam the brake on and off. If the thrust arm bushings are bad, you will see the wheel move straight back several inches and hear a clunk sound.

Keep in mind that when thrust arm bushings fails, it is not linear motion that causes the clunk. The rubber connecting the outer portion of the bushing rips away from the inner portion and allows the arm to shift lateraly and it bangs against the chasis. This lateral motion effectively shortens the moment arm and allows the wheel to move back pivoting arround the lower control arm causing pull. spring pressure then forces the bushing to "re-align" eliminating the pull, so we feel a shimmy. visualy inspecting the bushing in car usualy won't yeild good results unless it is comepletely raged out. You can sometimes attempt to pry the arm side to side and see if it will move, about 1/8"-1/4" is normal stretch for a used bushing. also look for marking on the chassis showing where the thrust arm has made contact.

As for checking other suspension components, I prefer to do the initial test with the vehicle flat on the ground when feasable. Start by well jouncing the vehicle(driving it it best), with the engine running have an assistant move the steering wheel back and forth while you reach under the car and grip each joint one by one. It is important that the steering wheel be moved properly, both for safety and good diagnosis, You may have to do test with engine off, if your assistant has trouble feeling the slop area with the engine running. move steering wheel slowly to just a smidge past the slop area back and forth. Move the steering wheel abrubtly back and forth a smidge past the slop area. Move steering wheel slowly but firmly about 1-2" past the slop area. Move steering wheel abrublty and firmly about 1-2" past the slop area.
Some joints will be difficult to safely wrap your hand arround, do your best. Small play will not be visible, but can be felt with your fingers. If you like to play with tools, you can have fun hooking up that dial indicator and actualy measuring the slop. Try to do this with the wheels in the straight ahead position if possible, but it doesnt hurt to repeat the test with the wheels turned near to the stop point.

What is good about this method is that it tests your steering and some of your supension in the same position your car drives at, when you raise the car, some joints can stretch in their sockets and will pass a test that it would fail when properly loaded. It also is fast,easy and has the added benifit of involving your spouse/mate in something important to you.

A cracked boot does not mean a bad joint, but unless the boot was freshly ripped and no water or debris has entered the joint, it will go bad is its not already. The worst thing you can do, is look under your car, see a torn boot and decide that is the entire problem and not look any farther.

[Rustam]

I was making the point that going from "poly is bad for street use" to a car terrorizing people made no sense

Ok first of all your words were "poly is bad news for the street" - that is with "street" not "street use". Well if you say that poly is "bad for news for the street" the exploration of its sense by a question of whether someone gets terrorized by my car is quite fitting...


plus you added the section at the bottom about "based on a stereotype" that didn't make any sense to me either.

That is not an excuse for derision. The statement of "bad news for the street" did not make sense to me either - alas I had ventured into inquiry not into jeering.


Plus, it seems clear that I'm not really implying that you're on drugs

Of course, that is very clear. And I've never shown that I am willing to challenge this implication. That statement was a ridiculing statement implying that I was incapable of realization of what I was saying.

[Jjcarr]

I bought Lemfoerder thrust arms from BMA with 750 bushings already installed. Speak with Patrick !

Never mind, got them. Called BMA and sure enough, even though they aren't on their site they had them, $105 each, just what I needed.

[onewhippedpuppy]

joshua, thank you for possibly the most comprehensive and informative answer that I have ever received.

[SchnellE34]

very detailed and methodical, thanks a lot I will definitely try it

[Russell]

mine has aluminum and have not ever been changed per PO. Not sure what that means.

[bfd]

Never mind, got them. Called BMA and sure enough, even though they aren't on their site they had them, $105 each, just what I needed.

Actually, BMA website does have its "special" of lemforder control arms with 750i bushings for $105 each:

http://www.bmaparts.com/epcgetspecials.epc?cookieID=1SY0SIF5W1SY0SIKAK&drillid=5&level3=E34+5+SERIES&clientid=bmaparts

They also list show a *cheaper* control with 750i bushing for $80. BMA doesn't list the mfr, but its probably either Febi, Meyle or Flennor. For the extra $25, I would probably get the lemforder.

Note, I talked to Patrick and he stated that for an additional $30, you could get the lemforder arm with the E34 M5 bushing pressed in too!

[632 Regal]

dude post your reply at the bottom, took forever to see hwere this was revived from. might be time to check and then replace if faulty.
mine has aluminum and have not ever been changed per PO. Not sure what that means.

[Russell]

I was following the thread Bill and I had. Why would it be at the end and out of context?