Front Suspension Maintainence

[///Sniper535]

Is replacing the drag link, steering pitman arm and idler arm necessary when doing control, thrust arms, tie rods and stabilizer links?

[632 Regal]

No they are not but inspecting them is. If bad replace them, control/thrust and swaybar links are more common wear items to replace than the others. Use the M5 bushings if you dont want to replace them soon IMO.

Is replacing the drag link, steering pitman arm and idler arm necessary when doing control, thrust arms, tie rods and stabilizer links?

[///Sniper535]

How come BMA doesn't have Lemfoerfer front Sway Bar links on their site? Are those other manufacturers any good?

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

How come BMA doesn't have Lemfoerfer front Sway Bar links on their site? Are those other manufacturers any good?

Meyle, TRW or sachs/boge are fine.

I have actually gone for the cheapo links, since they are fairly easy to replace.

[///Sniper535]

Does the same apply for the M5 bushings? All they have listed are the TRW brand.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Does the same apply for the M5 bushings? All they have listed are the TRW brand.

TRW is good, they make the replacement for the center link and a few other parts that can't be found in Lemforder.

Sach/Boge is the OE manufacturer for most of the bushings.

[///Sniper535]

BMA Parts, The TRW M5 bushings they offer... Is it sold as a pair or 33.89 each?

Anyone know? I just want to be sure.

[632 Regal]

A la carte (each)
BMA Parts, The TRW M5 bushings they offer... Is it sold as a pair or 33.89 each?

Anyone know? I just want to be sure.

[bsell]

Since we are talking about center links and what not, is a symptom of these things being bad a knocking noise in the steering column/under the floor board while driving on a gravel road or over other high frequency, largish bumpities?

The centerlink stuff and tierod ends are the only things I haven't replaced yet. I haven't tightened the steering gearbox either...

Brian

[///Sniper535]

Do M5 thrust arm bushings require tightening under load?

[e34.535i.sport]

Do M5 thrust arm bushings require tightening under load?

I should imagine so, I think it's only the likes of the powerflex bushings that don't as they rotate freely in the arm anyway.

[632 Regal]

definetly, and they will last a whole lot longer. I have not busted one out yet which is great considering I can bust a stock or 750 bushing in the first trial run, same with a bilstien shock.


Do M5 thrust arm bushings require tightening under load?

[///Sniper535]

So how exactly do you tighten the bolt under load if you're working on a lift at a shop?

[e34.535i.sport]

So how exactly do you tighten the bolt under load if you're working on a lift at a shop?

The shope lifts we have here lift the car up on all four wheels but I'm assuming the one's you're using are different otherwise you wouldn't have asked... I do the nut's up by hand (finger tight) and drive the car up on floor ramps and do it that way.

[632 Regal]

Absolutely
I do the nut's up by hand (finger tight) and drive the car up on floor ramps and do it that way.

[///Sniper535]

So I now have M5 Bushings, new thrust and control arms, new sway bar links with M5 sway bar with corresponding mounts for the sway bar. Definitely feel a much much firmer ride, feels great! but i still have a slight clunk while braking... strut mounts? or should I recheck the sway bar/links? or could it be something else?

Also, the front control arm bushings weren't tightened under load. Could this cause that noise?

[///Sniper535]

any ideas?

[e34.535i.sport]

any ideas?

Hey, musta missed this last time! I would seriously think about undo-ing the pivot bolts on the control arms and retightening under load, otherwise you could end up runing the bushes... Hope they haven't gone already for you.

Clunk under braking has returned for me also unfortunately, so gonna get under the front end this weekend. Normally due to the thrust bush but depends on the clunk I suppose... I can 'feel' mine now which I'm pretty sure is because the pivot bolts throught the powerflex bushes have become too loose somehow(?) - but I did reuse the old bolt/nut which I probably should've replaced for new self-locking kind. Think if I tighten these up mine will disappear because it was fine when I changed them over and for some time after...

Yours could be something loose on the braking side perhaps? If it was me (noises annoy me a LOT!) I'd remove the calipers and check everything was good then reassemble...

Let us know how you get on!

[///Sniper535]

I'll ge tmy car back on a lift next week, but I'm in love the way the car feels with new arms and M5 bushings and 25mm sway bar.