different kind of bushing questions...

[GoldenOne]

i searched and stopped around the 150th result without finding an answer to my question, so I leave it to you guys....

I get a hard clunking sound from the front end under medium to hard braking, I look under and see the control (thrust) arm bushings are pretty much shot...my question is, even though they are shot will they do any damage to any suspension components? I can live with the clunking sound but it scares the people that ride with me ;)

College and having to do summer school is breakin my wallet at the moment, so I wanted to know if I can wait a little longer before I should replace the bushings and all that good stuff.

Also, do polyurethane bushings really justify their costs? I've seen mixed reviews on several different boards...just wanted to get some two cents from you E34 gurus..

[joshua43214]

Get it fixed as soon as you can afford it. Bad thrust arm bushings can cause accelerated wear of the other suspension components.

Its also a safety issue, it will affect handling when braking. It would suck to have an avoidable accident because a worn out part.

Poly bushings are a hot topic. IMO they are a waste for street driving.

[632 Regal]

ditto

[632 Regal]

it could also be bad ball joints so it might be worth changing out ASAP

[diamond777]

get it done even before you can afford it-safety issue and ultimately will cost you more down the road!!

[GoldenOne]

yay, time to spend more money!, so now basically from what I read, lemforder bushings are the way to go, correct? if so, which vendor can i start searching at?

[GoldenOne]

also, next time I get the car lifted, what signs should I notice if the ball joints are gone? same as bushings? anything unique?

[632 Regal]

typical signs of bad ball joints are clunking noises when creeping slow and jabing the brake...forward and reverse. I dont know how to check these in the air.