Old guy replaces thrust arms!

[Al Gray]

I am so proud of myself. I have done a bunch of car repairs but this was my first foray into front end work. My 1992 BMW 525i that my son, Sean, drives was doing the shimmy shake at 40 - 50 miles an hour. It got a little violent at times. The BMW website maintenance procedure for front end specified it was the thrust arms causing this problem. We ordered the parts (Lemforder of course) from Ives at BMA at $110 each. I also purchased a Lisle pickle fork kit ($45) from Sears that had 3 sizes of forks. Actually, the smallest one did the trick. In addition I purchase a 3 pound BFH for beating on the pickle fork.

After putting the car on jack stands and removing the wheels (I have a compressor and air tools which really help) I removed the big bolt from the thrust arm bushing with a 22 mm socket on a 1/2 drive ratchet. To initially break the bolt loose I used the 1/2 drive breaker bar and socket and for added leverage I slipped an 18 inch long by 2 inch piece of pipe that I call my Persuader. At the other end of the bolt I used a 22 mm combo box and open end wrench.

The biggest problem that I had was the correct positioning of the pickle fork. The best way was from the back of the ball joint and hitting it towards the front that popped it off. That was the driver's side. The passenger's side ball joint had popped out and was loose ala the shimmy. Both ball joints on the thrust arms were shot and loose. The only trick that I had to use on putting on the passenger's side ball joint was that it would not seat initially and lock nut kept turning the ball joint around and it did not tighten. I solved this problem by using a large C clamp, the one I use when I do brake jobs to push the caliper piston back. I positioned the C clamp between the top of the ball joint and the bracket where the ball joint is attached. I tightened the C clamp and it popped the ball joint in place allowing me to tighten the nut sufficiently.

My next job will be the steering linkage as there is a lot of play in the wheel and I noticed some of the ball joints had the rubber boots ripped. My last phase of the front end work will be replacing the control arms and the sway bar links. The car then should be just like new.... well the front end anyway.

Hey, if this 61 year old guy can do it anyone can.

Best regards,

Al Gray

[BigKriss]

exactly, cheers.




Hey, if this 61 year old guy can do it anyone can.

[KBarcellos]

Don't forget to do the final torque on the bushing bolt with the car on the ground or you'll be back in there very soon. Congrats on the job though, it sure feels good to knock something like that out instead of paying a garage monkey to do it...

[Paul in NZ]

well dne AL,I hope Sean helped!

[Ross]

Your first BFH at 61? Makes you feel young again doesn't it?

[BennyM]

Congrats! That's not an easy job, especially if one does it in a 17 degree garage and everything is already rusted to everything else like it was for me. It took two pickle forks, a sledge, a torch, and a patient friend. I think next time I'll pay someone else.

[e34.535i.sport]

Congrats! That's not an easy job, especially if one does it in a 17 degree garage and everything is already rusted to everything else like it was for me. It took two pickle forks, a sledge, a torch, and a patient friend. I think next time I'll pay someone else.

Just buy one of these- you won't even get a sweat on...

http://www.chrometrader.co.uk/~ct-products/small/0282.jpg

[Al Gray]

Don't forget to do the final torque on the bushing bolt with the car on the ground or you'll be back in there very soon. Congrats on the job though, it sure feels good to knock something like that out instead of paying a garage monkey to do it...

For the final torque I had the car on ramps as suggested by the maintenance publication on the website.

Al

[Al Gray]

well dne AL,I hope Sean helped!

He helped to some degree. His brother, Kyle, is more of the mechanic kinda like the Old Man.

Al

[Al Gray]

Hey Al, when you do the front steering stuff assemble the ends and center all together before removing the old. Use air tools as necessary to seat the parts. get the car on the ramps and turn the steering slightly back n forth to relieve any stresses on the joints and tires.

When you remove the steering as an assembly put the new "unit" up in there and adjust the tie rods to fit perfectly in the hole before snugging it down. This should keep the tires straight before alignment. Start with the steering arm then just stick the idler in and snug, then adjust the ends to fit into the holes without disrupting the wheel stance.

Another trick for them son bitch lock nuts is to torque them down with a non lock nut before using the lock nuts.

Did this and didn't need an alignment but paid anyways, .05 degree off damn, I'm good.

if your close i'll drive on over and drink vodka and watch... ;)

[shogun]

You are not alone with that age here, next year I will be 60 and still enjoy wrenching :D
But I admit, I like it more comfortable now, bought a creeper, use a friends pit, hydraulic engine lift, hydraulic jacks and the nice tools which came up over the past years at affordable prices like flexible ratchets etc.

But tommorow I will work under a shade tree in our garden at 33 degree Celsius, to remove / replace the wire from B= post <>alternator, very brittle now and almost allbare wires, oxidized. Got a new cable from a special shop for welding equipment, a welding machine wire for rough environment, very flexible, max. 140A, works in tepmeratures from -50 to +140 degree C., resitant against oil, acid and unflammable, I tested it with a cigarette lighter.
And the diameter fits into the steel pipe in the engine room.
Estimated repair time in the tight V12 engine room 10 hours (from my experience 2 weeks ago on another 750).
That car almost caught fire because of the blank wire.

[Bill R.]

60 is the new 40? One of my friends with a 67 malibu convertible is now 65 and he helped me to change out his 283 a couple of years ago and now just a month or so ago he helped to change his original powerglide transmission out and swap in a 200 4r 4sp auto with lockup instead. He did as much work as i did, cutting ,welding ,fabricating etc... Of course he had a powerfull motive. Got tired of that 12mpg on the highway with the powerglide, likes the 18.5 much better with the 200 4R..

[Ross]

You are not alone with that age here, next year I will be 60 and still enjoy wrenching :D
But I admit, I like it more comfortable now, bought a creeper, use a friends pit, hydraulic engine lift, hydraulic jacks and the nice tools which came up over the past years at affordable prices like flexible ratchets etc.

But tommorow I will work under a shade tree in our garden at 33 degree Celsius, to remove / replace the wire from B= post <>alternator, very brittle now and almost allbare wires, oxidized. Got a new cable from a special shop for welding equipment, a welding machine wire for rough environment, very flexible, max. 140A, works in tepmeratures from -50 to +140 degree C., resitant against oil, acid and unflammable, I tested it with a cigarette lighter.
And the diameter fits into the steel pipe in the engine room.
Estimated repair time in the tight V12 engine room 10 hours (from my experience 2 weeks ago on another 750).
That car almost caught fire because of the blank wire.
What are the chances of cutting an end from the old wire, soldering it to the new and pulling the new wire in place then terminate it?
Just thinking out loud

[shogun]

Too tight in the 750 engine room, it takes time to get to the bolts on the alternator, remove a lot of stuff on the left side of the engine such as the ignition wires and one ignition distributor, losen the oil container, losen X20, X21, diagnosis box, remove the airfilter box left side complete with MAF and other things.
Have done the same on another car last weekend, took us a full day. Maybe weu can do it in 4 hours next time with more experience. On the 750 nothing is easy, no space, very tight.
It is basically the same work as changing a voltage regulator, and that looks like this
http://bmwe32.masscom.net/sean750/VoltageRegulator/VoltageRegulator.htm

[MBXB]

+1 on this, Bill.
My buddy who helps me with my E34 is 65, has had 2 strokes, and still can do everything he did when we were back in college.



60 is the new 40? One of my friends with a 67 malibu convertible is now 65 and he helped me to change out his 283 a couple of years ago and now just a month or so ago he helped to change his original powerglide transmission out and swap in a 200 4r 4sp auto with lockup instead. He did as much work as i did, cutting ,welding ,fabricating etc... Of course he had a powerfull motive. Got tired of that 12mpg on the highway with the powerglide, likes the 18.5 much better with the 200 4R..

[632 Regal]

I wrote a bunch of stuff that disappeared when I went to post... Ah well

[MBXB]

You already getting those senior moments, Jeff? LOL


I wrote a bunch of stuff that disappeared when I went to post... Ah well

[632 Regal]

I am a senior... lol

You already getting those senior moments, Jeff? LOL

[philbyil]

I'm 61, do all my own maintenance on the GQ, Deb's Subie and both my BMW motorcycles. I find it keeps my brain sharp and my hand's nimble....although my back does complain at times :D:D

I ride with a group of guys, most in their late 60's/70's and with 2 in their 80's every Monday. Don't let the ages fool you tho! We recently had an article written about us in our local paper under "Senior Living". We ride the TX Hill Country at "barely" legal speeds and you won't see any "Chicken strips" on our tyres either !
Well, at least we are living, rather than sitting in front of the idiot box waiting for the grim reaper :D:D





60 is the new 40? One of my friends with a 67 malibu convertible is now 65 and he helped me to change out his 283 a couple of years ago and now just a month or so ago he helped to change his original powerglide transmission out and swap in a 200 4r 4sp auto with lockup instead. He did as much work as i did, cutting ,welding ,fabricating etc... Of course he had a powerfull motive. Got tired of that 12mpg on the highway with the powerglide, likes the 18.5 much better with the 200 4R..

[Russell]

+1 on this, Bill.
My buddy who helps me with my E34 is 65, has had 2 strokes, and still can do everything he did when we were back in college.
I will be 65 in October and still wrench were I can. Actually doing more than i used to!