OK guys, here it is - the final version with high-res pictures. Enjoy.

HOW TO REPLACE THE THRUST ARMS ON YOUR E39 540I BMW

(1997-2003 5-SERIES V-8 CARS)


Most drivers of higher-mileage E39 BMW's have probably experienced the infamous shimmy that occurs in the front suspension at speeds between 50 and 60 MPH. The shimmy is often very pronounced when braking through the same speed range as well, giving the false impression of an out-of-round brake rotor. Assuming that your tires are properly balanced and aligned, and your lug nuts are properly tightened, the likeliest cause of this problem is worn out thrust arm bushings. Removing the thrust arms and installing new ones, or simply replacing the bushings once the thrust arms have been removed from the vehicle is a job that is well within the capabilities of a reasonably experienced shade-tree mechanic.

Whether you want to replace the entire arms or just the bushings is up to you, and the decision pretty much comes down to cost. The amount of work is about the same. The entire thrust arm assembly costs about $100 per side for OEM quality Lemforder units, whereas the bushings alone can be replaced for about $40. If you replace the whole arm, you're also getting a new ball joint on the front end, which probably isn't a bad idea on a higher mileage car. My feeling is, if you can't afford to drop $200 for a pair of new thrust arms, you really can't afford to be driving this car, especially in an era of $3.50 per gallon gasoline.

This is an illustrated do-it-yourself (DIY) write-up showing how to change the thrust arms on an E39 540i (model years 1997-2003). The subject car is a 1998 540iA. The job is conceptually the same on the 6-cylinder cars, but the front suspension and steering are somewhat different, so the pictures may not be an exact match. The procedure I followed is the one outlined in the Bentley manual. The driver's side of the car is shown in my pictures, but the passenger's side is identical.

This write-up is provided as a courtesy to other E39 enthusiasts, but your use of the information herein is entirely at your own risk. I assume no responsibility in the event of injury or adverse outcome resulting from the use of this information. Above all, BE SAFE and don't get in over your head. The labor for this task is only a few hundred dollars at a good, independent BMW mechanic's shop. It isn't worth life, limb or damage to your vehicle if you don't have the experience necessary to competently perform this procedure.

Suggested Tools and Supplies

 Floor jack
 2 jack stands
 4 blocks or car ramps
 Breaker bar with 4-inch extension, or tire wrench
 17mm socket for removing lug bolts
 13mm deep socket for removing sway bar bracket nuts
 16mm and 18mm socket and combination wrenches for loosening pinch nut and bolt on strut collar
 22mm combination wrench for removing ball joint nut
 21mm socket and combination wrenches for removing thrust arm bolt and nut
 Torque wrench
 Large screwdriver, chisel, or other strong, flat-bladed tool for prying open pinch collar on strut
 Various lengths of extensions, universal joints, etc. for your socket wrench are helpful
 Ball joint removal tool (highly recommended)
 Permanent marker pen or paint to scribe reference line on strut tube
 Rags
 Denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner

Procedure

1) Make sure the car has a full tank of gas before you start (this is important later – you will need the weight of the fuel in the vehicle). Have the key in the ignition and unlock the steering wheel so you can turn the steering array as needed when you are working.

After loosening your lug bolts with the 17mm socket and breaker bar, get the car up on jacks. The front jack point for the E39 540i is shown in image #1 – you want the jack on those four big dented-out triangle sections which all point to that hole in the middle. I strongly suggest padding your floor jack and jack stands with a folded rag to avoid tearing up your car. You do not need to remove the splash shield from the bottom of the vehicle.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image1.jpg

Images 2 and 3 show the car up on jacks from the front and side. I keep the floor jack under the front jack point as an added measure of safety. Chock the rear wheels for safety.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image2.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image3.jpg

2) Lower the front sway bar – you need to do this to get room to reach the bolt that holds the bushing side of the thrust arm to the frame. The sway bar is held to the frame by two, large gold-colored brackets – one on each side of the car. You can see it in image #4 on the left side of the picture.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image4.jpg

Remove the two nuts from the studs using a 13mm socket wrench, and pull off the brackets. The sway bar will only drop an inch or two, but that's all you need. You don't even need to remove the rubber bushings that are under the brackets – you can see one of these bushings in image #5.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image5.jpg

The large bolt you will eventually remove to drop the bushing side of the thrust arm from the frame can be seen above and to the left of the rubber bushing on the sway bar in image #5.

3) Image #6 shows the bottom of the strut tube and the steering knuckle. At the bottom of the strut tube you can see two large nuts. The rear nut is the one that fastens the ball joint side of the thrust arm to the steering knuckle. The bottom of the strut tube is so close to those nuts that you can't get a wrench or ball joint puller on them. This necessitates lowering the steering knuckle.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image6.jpg

In order to lower the steering knuckle (slide it down the strut tube), it will be necessary to loosen the pinch bolt in image #7 (also seen from the bolt end near the top of image #6). I used a 16mm wrench on the bolt and an 18mm wrench on the nut to do this. PRIOR TO LOOSENING IT, clean the area where the strut tube comes out the bottom of the pinch collar, and using paint or permanent marker, draw a line exactly where the strut comes out of the collar so you can properly reposition it later.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image7.jpg

After you have loosened the pinch bolt (there is no need to remove it entirely), stick a large, heavyweight screwdriver, a large chisel or some other prying tool right in that slot where you see the middle of the pinch bolt in image #7, and pry the collar open a small amount. You can also stick a small chisel in the slot and then use a wrench to turn the chisel and pry the collar apart – this very closely simulates the special tool BMW dealer mechanics uses for this task. Either way, it will take a bit of force.

When the collar is open sufficiently far, grab the brake caliper or rotor and slide the steering knuckle down on the strut tube by pulling downward – it only needs to come down an inch to an inch and a half. Look at image #8 – you can see the clean, shiny part of the strut tube that was exposed after I slid the steering knuckle down. You may need to jiggle the steering knuckle assembly a bit, but it is heavy and should slide down without too much trouble.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image8.jpg

4) As you can see in image #8, there is now enough room to get a wrench on the ball joint nut. Remove the nut using a 22mm combination wrench.

Now, the hard part – pressing the ball joint stud out of the steering knuckle. It is in there TIGHT. I would not do this job without a ball joint press of the type you see in image #9 and #10. I bought mine at ZDMAK Tools (www.zdmak.com) part #mk-1916 for $40, and it's a pretty decent unit. There are many sources, and you can pay less, or a whole lot more - up to $263 for the gods-honest BMW tool. There are a number of different styles of tools, and depending on the one you get, you'll be doing a little bit of trial and error to figure out how best to position it for maximum effect. With some of them, the fit is better if you pry the ball joint boot up and out of the way. I simply used a hammer to lightly tap the bottom of the tool into position over the boot.

It takes a lot of force from the tool to break the ball joint loose. Towards the end, I had a rag wrapped around the wrench to pad it, I was torquing so hard on the tool. Just about the time you're thinking "this is not going to work", it breaks loose. Now here's a "heads-up" - when it finally does, it's with an explosive report like a pistol shot, so be ready for it. I thought I'd broken something when I heard it the first time.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image9.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image10.jpg

HOWEVER YOU DO IT, DON'T DON'T DON'T DAMAGE THE BALL JOINT AND BALL JOINT STUD IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO CHANGE OUT THE BUSHINGS AND WILL BE RE-USING THE OLD THRUST ARM AND BALL JOINT. If you're replacing the whole thrust arm, then this isn't an issue. The steering knuckle will look like image #11 when you finally get the ball joint stud out.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image11.jpg

5) Now we're ready to remove the bushing side of the thrust arm from the frame. This is easy by comparison to the last step. Image #12 shows you what it looks like in place.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image12.jpg

Image #13 shows the 21mm socket wrench on the bolt that goes through the center of the bushing and holds the thrust arm to the frame. You can also see the end of the bolt in Image #5. You may need to jiggle the steering back and forth a little bit to get the socket wrench on the bolt – I did this just by grabbing the brake rotor and turning the steering a tad. There's not a lot of extra room to maneuver. You'll also need to have a 21mm combination wrench on the nut to keep it from slipping.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image13.jpg

Once you have the nut off, pull the bolt out and you can drop the thrust arm. Again, you may need to jiggle the steering a bit this way or that to give yourself room to pull the bolt. The ones on my car slid out very easily, but I've had other guys tell me that theirs took a little more work to remove, and that they had to use pliers. This may be due to water or some other fluid having seeped in and seizing the bolt. Image #14 shows how the frame side looks with the thrust arm removed. Image #15 shows the old thrust arm with bushing, ball joint and retaining bolt and nut. At this point, you're halfway there on the driver's side, and the hardest part of the job is behind you.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image14.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image15.jpg

If you're only replacing the thrust arm bushing and are re-using the old thrust arm and ball joint, this is where you will press the bad bushing out of the thrust arm and re-install the new one. I went with all new thrust arms, so I regret that I can't provide you with any counsel on this step. I understand it is possible to do this yourself, though it's a lot less trouble to simply take your old thrust arms to a mechanic's shop that has a hydraulic press and remove/replace your bushings that way.

6) Image #16 is a picture of the new Lemforder thrust arm. Leave the protective cap in place over the ball joint stud until the last minute when you are ready to push it into its hole on the steering knuckle. Wiggle the bushing side of the thrust arm into its place in the bracket on the frame of the car. Push the 21mm bolt back in and thread the nut back on. DO NOT TORQUE THE BOLT DOWN AT THIS TIME! Just put the nut on the bolt and hand-tighten it. Image #17 shows the new thrust arm in place on the bushing/frame side.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image16.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image17.jpg

7) Remove the protective safety cap and insert the ball joint stud in its hole on the steering knuckle. Thread the 22mm nut onto the stud and tighten it. As you tighten the nut, it pulls the ball joint into its proper position – there's nothing special you have to do here. See Image #18. Using your torque wrench, tighten the 22mm nut to 80Nm (59 ft-lb).

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k23/Hotswimmr/image18.jpg

8) Reposition (raise) the steering knuckle on the strut and tighten the pinch bolt. Using your torque wrench, tighten the pinch bolt to 81Nm (60 ft-lb). Again, this took a 16mm wrench on the bolt and an 18mm wrench on the nut on my car.

9) REPEAT STEPS 3 THROUGH 8 ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF YOUR CAR.

10) Use denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner to clean your brake rotors if you grabbed them with your hands at some point during the procedure. Put the wheels back on the car and torque down the lug bolts. The lug bolts are 17mm, and should be torqued to 120NM (89 ft-lb) plus or minus 10Nm (7 ft-lb).

10) NOW we're going to tighten the bushing bolts on the thrust arms. The car needs to be LEVEL and SITTING ON ITS TIRES up on blocks or ramps, about 8 inches off the ground in front AND back. The car needs to be at spec ride height before you torque down the bolts. In addition to a full tank of gas (remember this?), you need about 150 pounds in each front seat, 150 pounds in the middle of the back seat, and 45 pounds in the trunk. If you're really anal you can measure and adjust the ride height further following the procedure in the Bentley manual, but this gets you plenty close enough. NOW you can get under the car and torque down the bolts that hold the bushing side of the thrust arm to the frame. Torque these 21mm bolts to 110Nm (81 ft-lb).

11) Re-install the sway bar brackets, making sure that the little nub on the rubber bushing fits in the corresponding hole in each bracket (See Image #5). Torque the 13mm nuts to 24Nm (18 ft-lb).

12) Lower the car to the ground and enjoy your shimmy-free ride! Incidentally, it is not necessary to have an alignment done following this procedure.

Added pics, torque specs, tool requirements, etc.

very sexy... can you copy and paste it in the FAQ in the E39 section? let's get some good collective DIY's together.

this is actually just in time for me to mine! thanks!

how long does it take to do this?

Dan,

I'd budget an hour per side max with your level of experience. If you don't use a ball joint removal tool, all bets are off on completion time.


Also, I've posted it to the E39 FAQ per your request.

Dan,

I'd budget an hour per side max with your level of experience. If you don't use a ball joint removal tool, all bets are off on completion time.


Also, I've posted it to the E39 FAQ per your request.
stupid question since i'm a bit on the lazy side right now (reading 400 pages about South East Asia isn't exactly riviting), where did you get the ball joint removal tool? is it a special tool from BMW or is it one of the generic ones found at autozone or pepboys?

thanks!!

Dan,

I used an aftermarket tool. BMW wants like $263 for theirs, which is absurd.

Here are a couple of sources:

http://www.napaautoparts.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=BK&PartNumber=7759096&Description=Ball+Joint+Separator

The one I bought was from ZDMAK Tools at: www.zdmak.com

They typically run $20 to $40 bucks. I'd invest in a good one. They have to take a massive amount of force. You'll more than get your use out of it with all the balljoints and tierods on the E39.

great write up. I wanted to add that the procedure you outlined was pretty much identical to the job on a 528i sport, the difference being the shape of the thrust arms. I was able to remove mine without the tool- one good whack with big hammer was all it needed. I guess thats not the best approach but I was changing the bars anyway.

Thank you for the comments and clarification. I'm starting to see a pattern from owners of 6-cylinder models who tell me that the ball joint dropped out of the steering knuckle with very little effort, and the V-8 guys who, like me, have theirs stuck in tight and have a hell of a time getting it out. When mine finally let go after using the ball joint removal tool, it was with an explosive report like a gunshot. I thought I'd broken something.

Thank you for the comments and clarification. I'm starting to see a pattern from owners of 6-cylinder models who tell me that the ball joint dropped out of the steering knuckle with very little effort, and the V-8 guys who, like me, have theirs stuck in tight and have a hell of a time getting out. When mine finally let go after using the ball joint removal tool, it was with an explosive report like a gunshot. I thought I'd broken something.
if you don't need the ball joint removal tool, i'll buy it from you. kinda lazy about going to pepboys since they don't stack any shit right here and autozone carry second grade garbage by me.

if you don't need the ball joint removal tool, i'll buy it from you. kinda lazy about going to pepboys since they don't stack any shit right here and autozone carry second grade garbage by me.

PM sent.

Ever get that shake when you are going about 50ish? right at the speed limit, the car transforms and becomes a rolling vibrator? well, you're not alone. it could most likey be your thrust arm bushings.

now conventional wisdom would suggest to replace it with OEM E39 540/M5 bushings however, there are some that went with an E38's bushing since it's said to be stronger (car's heavier after all). But I personally like the idea of using X5's bushings. It's not as clear cut as it seems though. There are controversy behind which bushings to use and even how it should be installed. The X5's suspension geometry is reversed and thus the bushing is installed reversed but what if you reversed a reversed bushing in ours? it's complicated so i'll get these guys do the explaining with pictures:

Bushing controversy..... and you thought "who killed JFK" was complicated... HA!!! they never owned an E39 (http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=69238)

Great posting! I really appreciate the time you spent detailing the replacement... saved me a few mistakes.

Bad news though... I bought the removal tool from NAPA and it broke before any luck of getting even one joint removed (it also didn't fit very well). I think I'll buy the one you used from zdmak.com.

Also, my '97 540i symptoms are identical to everyone else posted here... 45-55mph steering wheel shaking.

Jeff

Great posting! I really appreciate the time you spent detailing the replacement... saved me a few mistakes.

Bad news though... I bought the removal tool from NAPA and it broke before any luck of getting even one joint removed (it also didn't fit very well). I think I'll buy the one you used from zdmak.com.

Also, my '97 540i symptoms are identical to everyone else posted here... 45-55mph steering wheel shaking.

Jeff
just to give you a heads up on the tool. i got a different one then hotswimmer (randy).

This is the one i got:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j145/americandan540/hybridbushing/IMG_0333.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j145/americandan540/hybridbushing/IMG_0334.jpg

if you notice the one in the writeup, the bolt is in the middle of the two pieces. mine is on the bottom. for me to get mine to work, i had to turn the steering wheel a bit to get the right angle in there. it also helped i have a 4 lbs shorty studge hammer to "tap" (i use that word liberally) it in there AFTER i pealed the rubber boot on the bottom of the ball joint DOWN so the FORK would wedge itself in there.

worked like a charm and scared the piss out of my friend... actually, we were doing this on this car. i'm just going to do the bushing part.

Nice write up.

Anyone going to park this thread? I do plan on getting an E39 real soon. :)

just to give you a heads up on the tool. i got a different one then hotswimmer (randy).

This is the one i got:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j145/americandan540/hybridbushing/IMG_0333.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j145/americandan540/hybridbushing/IMG_0334.jpg

if you notice the one in the writeup, the bolt is in the middle of the two pieces. mine is on the bottom. for me to get mine to work, i had to turn the steering wheel a bit to get the right angle in there. it also helped i have a 4 lbs shorty studge hammer to "tap" (i use that word liberally) it in there AFTER i pealed the rubber boot on the bottom of the ball joint DOWN so the FORK would wedge itself in there.

worked like a charm and scared the piss out of my friend... actually, we were doing this on this car. i'm just going to do the bushing part.

Where did you find that puller? I just ordered new arms about five minutes ago and was going to stop by napa tomorrow and pick up their puller. Good thing that I read this blog tonight.

Where did you find that puller? I just ordered new arms about five minutes ago and was going to stop by napa tomorrow and pick up their puller. Good thing that I read this blog tonight.
Crick here... Crick here!!!! (http://www.zdmak.com/wbstore/main.asp?action=PROD&PROD=MK-1727&CTMP=1)

i'm also going to get their bushing puller.

Crick here... Crick here!!!! (http://www.zdmak.com/wbstore/main.asp?action=PROD&PROD=MK-1727&CTMP=1)

i'm also going to get their bushing puller.

Thanks for the help. I checked their site when this thread first came up but all I could find was the $2000 BMW puller:(

That puller worked OK once you got it positioned corectly?

I performed this procedure this weekend, and had grand results! i did not weight the car properly though, and i think it needed an alignment anyways. i was low on time, and decided to have only the front end raised on 9" of blocks when i tightened the chassis side bolts. nonetheless, i can tell a nice difference, besides the shimmy free ride, in the handling of the car. much more responsive! thanks for all the help and advice, the nice write up, and the tool sourcing. i got the same tool from ZDMAK and it was fine. i had a lot of trouble fitting the tool on in the right position, and ended up doing more than "lightly tapping" with my hammer. also, the bolt on the passenger side was difficult to work out, and i had to keep moving the steering assembly.

by the way, a note to others: the steeing knuckle/ball joint side must be removed first, not the bushing/chassis side, because the ball joint tool uses the thrust arm for leverage. otherwise, the tool just slips off when you tighten it.

also, i had to build some small ramps to lift the front end enough to get my floor jack under the front of the car (i have factory sport suspension). these ramps were only about 2" high.

finally, the coolest thing about doing this job was that my girlfriend decided to help out! she basically did one side, while i did the other (except i had to break some of the bolts loose, and i had to torque them as well).

again, THANKS!!!
-chris


ball joint removal tool note: it was necessary for me to reposition the steering, as well as "tap" repeatedly to get the ZDMAK tool in place. after it was in place, it worked fine (just make sure to get it right, otherwise it will slip off). i got mine in the same position as Hotswimmer. it really was like a gunshot. my girlfriend was doing the other side, and stopped for a second.. then as she was saying something to me, it let go and scared her pretty good! when i did my side previous to that, it scared both of us..
also: make sure that the tool is fully threaded into the lower tool piece. if it is not, it may strip the threads. we are talking about a lot of force here, and i am giving this advice based on expierience, 2 hours of wasted time, and some practice with grinding threads off and rethreading steel..

Thanks for the help. I checked their site when this thread first came up but all I could find was the $2000 BMW puller:(

That puller worked OK once you got it positioned corectly?

Yep. it's all about the angle. it did take me a few tries as cdb said, it did slip off the first few attempts. don't be fustrated, just keep working at it and you'll get it but you really should get something to tap it in.



I performed this procedure this weekend, and had grand results! i did not weight the car properly though, and i think it needed an alignment anyways. i was low on time, and decided to have only the front end raised on 9" of blocks when i tightened the chassis side bolts. nonetheless, i can tell a nice difference, besides the shimmy free ride, in the handling of the car. much more responsive!

Dude, if you DON'T weight it down properly, the bushing will tear in matter of a couple of thousand miles. I'm just going to do my bushings and not the arm and my friend who's a master mechanic (he got asked to be the master mechanic at a BMW dealer by me) said it's IMPERATIVE that you weight the car down because the angle of the bushing will be incorrect and the stress built up on the bushing will just destroy it in a short time. trust me, you really want to do this.

Thrust arm bushings can be replaced without removing the arms from the car. A field expedient bushing press can be made up out of stuff that you can find at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. and some bits of aluminum plate or similar. The tool that I made looks like:
http://trackjunkie.entrophy-free.net/small-pics/bushing-press.jpg
The gray cylinder is a piece of PVC conduit. I used some scraps of aluminum plate that I had and having a lathe handy I turned them round, but you could achieve the same result by cutting circles with a bandsaw or jigsaw. 3/8" plate is strong enough and it usualy can be had from the scap pile at a machine shop. The threaded rod is 7/16-NC. It would have been better to use 7/16-NF, but you have to get that from a fastener suppy house or an industrial supply house. Best to have some extra threaded rod & nuts on hand. The garden variety all-thread isn't very hard and you can strip the threads.

In use the tool looks like:
http://trackjunkie.entrophy-free.net/small-pics/bushing-pressing.jpg
When pressing the busing out it helps to use a flat file to get to bright shiny metal of the side of the bushing that you'll pull through the arm. Even a small amount of corrosion or oxidation makes it much more difficult to press the bushing out. If really stuck, a bit of heat and PBlaster on the bushing helps. It doesn't take much heat, just enough to be uncomfortable to the touch will do it and that won't harm the tension strut.

Dude, if you DON'T weight it down properly, the bushing will tear in matter of a couple of thousand miles. I'm just going to do my bushings and not the arm and my friend who's a master mechanic (he got asked to be the master mechanic at a BMW dealer by me) said it's IMPERATIVE that you weight the car down because the angle of the bushing will be incorrect and the stress built up on the bushing will just destroy it in a short time. trust me, you really want to do this.

i had to get it together so i could drive home and go to work in the morning... my plan is to get it to the dealer this week and have a pro alingment done, as well as have them retorque the bushing bolt. total with improper weight = ~200 miles. i heard it would be alright for a little bit, so i planned on this.

while im here though, i should ask the questions i had about how you set up the car to torque the bushing bolts.

where is the rear jack point? is it central like in the front?
should the bolt be loose, or can it be somewhat tight before really torquing it?

when i torqued it, i had the front resting on the wheels on 9" blocks, with a 150lb person in each front seat, a 100lb person in the middle back seat, the rear wheels on the ground, and maybe 15lbs in the trunk, with a full tank of gas. (forgot the trunk weight!) it was basically the best i could get, except for forgetting to put the bag of sand in the trunk :(

when bmw dealer does an alingment, do they retorque the bolts with weight in the car and such anyways?

Thrust arm bushings can be replaced without removing the arms from the car. A field expedient bushing press can be made up out of stuff that you can find at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. and some bits of aluminum plate or similar.

This is awesome, JLevie - thank you! It does away with the biggest headache of the whole exercise - getting that ball joint out.

This is awesome, JLevie - thank you! It does away with the biggest headache of the whole exercise - getting that ball joint out.
that's what i'm actually going to do myself. i'm not going to drop the ball joint, i'm just going to do the bushing but the tool to do the bushing is $200!!!! but i guess i have to pay to play since i'm doing the hybrid X5 rubber/pu bushing. trust me, if i wasn't going this route, i would have just gotten the arms myself since it would only be a few bucks more for Lemforder (or however you spell it) arms.


arms + ball joint removal tool: $280
bushing + bushing removal tool: $250

only $30 difference but i get to have 2 more tools now which would come in handy for future use.

Powerflex solid Urethane bushings might be something to consider. They really stiffen up the tension strut and control arm at the expense of a bit more road feel and the necessity to periodically re-lubricate the bushings. Fortunately, once the old bushings are out you don't need a press to R/R the urethane bushings, so re-lubing is easy.

Powerflex solid Urethane bushings might be something to consider. They really stiffen up the tension strut and control arm at the expense of a bit more road feel and the necessity to periodically re-lubricate the bushings. Fortunately, once the old bushings are out you don't need a press to R/R the urethane bushings, so re-lubing is easy.
i was thinking about it but i couldn't justify the cost for something i'm not going to track. if i'm going to track it, i might go ahead and press them out and do that. my options are open still right now and even if i do press them in, it's still open.

My recollection is that OE tension strut bushings are about $50 per set and Powerflex bushings are about $74 per set. That's not a big difference. It gets even better on the control arms since the OE is only sold complete (over $100/arm) and the pair of bushings is about $74.

That of course assumes that the ball joints are in good shape and that all you need is new bushings.

Powerflex solid Urethane bushings might be something to consider. They really stiffen up the tension strut and control arm at the expense of a bit more road feel and the necessity to periodically re-lubricate the bushings. Fortunately, once the old bushings are out you don't need a press to R/R the urethane bushings, so re-lubing is easy.

Great post on the home-made bushing press. Can you share the dimensions of the PVC pipe and the "ram plate" diameter?

http://trackjunkie.entrophy-free.net/small-pics/bushing-press.jpg


In use the tool looks like:
http://trackjunkie.entrophy-free.net/small-pics/bushing-pressing.jpg


I'm going to have to try this on my old thrust arms. Very cool... What size is the conduit? Also, did you have any problems with the conduit warping or anything like that?

I have a 2000 540I that always seems like the wheels are out of ballance at 52 MPH.

I thought is was the after market Byern wheels and tires that was the cause. The car only has 61K miles.

Are others haveing to replace the Thrust arms at such low milage as well?

I sure love this car, but the shimmy is driving me nuts!

Thanks,

TJ

I have a 2000 540I that always seems like the wheels are out of ballance at 52 MPH.

I thought is was the after market Byern wheels and tires that was the cause. The car only has 61K miles.

Are others haveing to replace the Thrust arms at such low milage as well?

I sure love this car, but the shimmy is driving me nuts!

Thanks,

TJ
the one i just did only had 50K miles... 50K NYC queens and brooklyn and bronx abuse.

Thrust arm bushings can be replaced without removing the arms from the car. A field expedient bushing press can be made up out of stuff that you can find at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. and some bits of aluminum plate or similar. The tool that I made looks like:
http://trackjunkie.entrophy-free.net/small-pics/bushing-press.jpg
The gray cylinder is a piece of PVC conduit. I used some scraps of aluminum plate that I had and having a lathe handy I turned them round, but you could achieve the same result by cutting circles with a bandsaw or jigsaw. 3/8" plate is strong enough and it usualy can be had from the scap pile at a machine shop. The threaded rod is 7/16-NC. It would have been better to use 7/16-NF, but you have to get that from a fastener suppy house or an industrial supply house. Best to have some extra threaded rod & nuts on hand. The garden variety all-thread isn't very hard and you can strip the threads.

In use the tool looks like:
http://trackjunkie.entrophy-free.net/small-pics/bushing-pressing.jpg
When pressing the busing out it helps to use a flat file to get to bright shiny metal of the side of the bushing that you'll pull through the arm. Even a small amount of corrosion or oxidation makes it much more difficult to press the bushing out. If really stuck, a bit of heat and PBlaster on the bushing helps. It doesn't take much heat, just enough to be uncomfortable to the touch will do it and that won't harm the tension strut.
make one for me and i'll pay ya! sure it's cheap but i don't have access to some of the things you've mentioned.

Using Steps 1, 2 and 5 from HotSwimmer's write up along with a Bushing Press made similar to the one in TheJLevie's post also in this thread, I was able to replace my thrust arm bushings this weekend with the Powerflex Polyeurethane bushings.

Of special note is that I was NOT able to press out the bushing and sleeve at one time with TheJLevie's press even after applying heat and PB Blaster, but instead, had to press out the rubber part of the bushing and then cut a relief in the metal sleeve with a hacksaw (per the instructions on the Powerflex website). After the relief was cut, I was then able to make a second pass with the bushing press to press out the sleeve.

From that point, the Powerflex bushings are hand assembled, no press required. Reassembly was the reverse of steps 1, 2 and 5 from Hotswimmers post.

For those that want a materials list for the press... As TheJLevie said, the press can be (and was) made up all from bits from my local Lowes.

I used:
1 - 1 foot piece of 1/2" - 13 all thread,

1 - 2.5" Black Iron theaded coupling (in lieu of the pvc conduit). It is the absolute perfect inside diameter to push the bushing and sleeve through and I was more confident it would not warp under pressure.

1 - 2.5" sill plate bushing (found in the Joist Hanger section) at the back of the coupling as the backing plate

1 - 3/4" washer (that's the size of the hole, not the Outside Diameter) as the ram for pressing out the rubber bushing.

1 - 1" washer (again, size of the hole, not the O.D) These are almost exactly the size of the metal sleeve, just take the time to line it up precisely before cranking away.

2 - 1/2" washers to turn the nuts against

4 - 1/2"-13 nuts.

Total cost = $14.79. Money well spent - it made the job a breeze.

As for the Powerflex bushings...great improvement. Highly recommend this swap if you have the +/-50 mph shakes. As for harshness and vibration, I can't say that I feel it. Yes, it feels firm, but in a good way, like a new car.

The job only took me about 4.5 hours from the time I first jacked up the car to the time I test drove it after the install, and that included about 30 minutes of going to the Powerflex website for "plan B" after I determined that I could not press out the bushings and the sleeves as a unit (their alternate removal instructions were spot on).

Some of the reasons I chose the poly bushings over stock replacements - hand assembly, no need to press them in like stockers, there is no need to weight down the car, have a full tank of gas, etc...etc... prior to torquing down the bushing bolts, and most importantly, they will not fail in another 40k or 50k miles.

Hope this post is helpful to someone out there! Cheers!

^how about the squeaks? did you grease the bushings?

DRHam540i,

Wher did you get the PowerFlex bushings?

Steve

^how about the squeaks? did you grease the bushings?

Yes, I applied a liberal coating of the copper grease supplied with the bushings. Not a squeek to be heard.

DRHam540i,

Wher did you get the PowerFlex bushings?

Steve

BeastPower Motorsports (www.beastpower.com (http://www.beastpower.com)) Nice people to deal with, it took longer than I liked 'cause they were on backorder from the Mfgr in England, but they kept me well informed along the way and upgraded my shipping to 2nd day air when they did finally come in. I will buy from them again.

I did poly thrust arm bushings in my 528 sport, and without balljoint removal tool I torched the knuckle as slowly and carefully as possible (there are boots around there to watch out for). It really helped in getting the balljoint out and the new one back in. 2cents

Dan, real name Charles, I like your homemade bushing press - I tried to MacGyver my own too but was unsuccessful. I just ended up having to remove the whole arms to take them to a machine shop to used a hydraulic press. Oh well.

BeastPower Motorsports (www.beastpower.com (http://www.beastpower.com)) Nice people to deal with, it took longer than I liked 'cause they were on backorder from the Mfgr in England, but they kept me well informed along the way and upgraded my shipping to 2nd day air when they did finally come in. I will buy from them again.

Thanks. Apparently they don't have the bushings for the 530i. I found a dealer, Bimmerworld, that has the bushings and they're on this side of the country. :)

Dan, real name Charles, I like your homemade bushing press - I tried to MacGyver my own too but was unsuccessful. I just ended up having to remove the whole arms to take them to a machine shop to used a hydraulic press. Oh well.

Charles,
I can't take credit for the homemade bushing press, all credit goes to thejlevie for the design of the press. I was just able to successfully copy it from the photos he provided.
Which reminds me. I neglected in my original post to thank both Hotswimmer and thejlevie for their earlier posts on this topic. I couldn't have done it without their sharing their knowledge on this forum. Thanks guys!
Cheers,

DRH

When I marked the strut tube I marked the tube with both horizontal and vertical lines. I slit the right strut tube back into place and torqued the two bolts. The problem occurred when I went to put the left tube back and found that the vertical lines were off by about 3/16", is it possible for them to have moved somehow? Also do you know a way that I can get the two lines to line back up vertically? I tried to turn the steering wheel but that didn't help to line up the vertical lines. I did find that I had to turn the wheels to line up the arms to help get the tool in to pop the arms/ball joints loose.

I hope to get some help as I'd like to get it off the jackstands and back on the road since the weather is nice for a change.

When I marked the strut tube I marked the tube with both horizontal and vertical lines. I slit the right strut tube back into place and torqued the two bolts. The problem occurred when I went to put the left tube back and found that the vertical lines were off by about 3/16", is it possible for them to have moved somehow? Also do you know a way that I can get the two lines to line back up vertically? I tried to turn the steering wheel but that didn't help to line up the vertical lines. I did find that I had to turn the wheels to line up the arms to help get the tool in to pop the arms/ball joints loose.

I hope to get some help as I'd like to get it off the jackstands and back on the road since the weather is nice for a change.
if you have the pinch bolt out still, you should be able to grab the strut tube and wiggle/twist the tube to get it back in place. it can rotate fairly freely when you do not have the steering knuckle attached.

The pinch bolts aren't out but there is alot of play in them, meaning that I backed them out almost all the way but left them in a hair so they wouldn't get lost or something.

Are you saying to grab the tube itself (right above where the ball joint is) and turn that? The steering knuckle was never unattached from the strut tube. I did however have to turn the rotor a little to get the ball joint to pop in. Should I take the ball joint loose and see if I can't pop it loose and then realign the tube or whats the best method?

Also if I got the height right but I dont have the vertical lines lined up what would be the consequences of that? Is that something that an alignment would fix?

The pinch bolts aren't out but there is alot of play in them, meaning that I backed them out almost all the way but left them in a hair so they wouldn't get lost or something.

Are you saying to grab the tube itself (right above where the ball joint is) and turn that? The steering knuckle was never unattached from the strut tube. I did however have to turn the rotor a little to get the ball joint to pop in. Should I take the ball joint loose and see if I can't pop it loose and then realign the tube or whats the best method?

Also if I got the height right but I dont have the vertical lines lined up what would be the consequences of that? Is that something that an alignment would fix?
the height is set by the strut tube. it has a ledge built into it that the knuckle rests up against. so, height should be straightforward.

there should be no need to loosen the ball joint again. if you wiggle the tube (grabbing it above the knuckle probably) it should be able to move enough for you to align it. i had the same issue when i did mine. you may even have to pull down and push up slightly on the knuckle the way you did when making clearance to loosen the nut on the ball joint. the strut tube should be able to rotate if the pinch bolt is loosened, it just may take some effort to over come static friction.

Is it true that the X5 bushings and thrust arms/control arms are an upgrade for the 540i?

Using Steps 1, 2 and 5 from HotSwimmer's write up along with a Bushing Press made similar to the one in TheJLevie's post also in this thread, I was able to replace my thrust arm bushings this weekend with the Powerflex Polyeurethane bushings.

Of special note is that I was NOT able to press out the bushing and sleeve at one time with TheJLevie's press even after applying heat and PB Blaster, but instead, had to press out the rubber part of the bushing and then cut a relief in the metal sleeve with a hacksaw (per the instructions on the Powerflex website). After the relief was cut, I was then able to make a second pass with the bushing press to press out the sleeve.

From that point, the Powerflex bushings are hand assembled, no press required. Reassembly was the reverse of steps 1, 2 and 5 from Hotswimmers post.

For those that want a materials list for the press... As TheJLevie said, the press can be (and was) made up all from bits from my local Lowes.

I used:
1 - 1 foot piece of 1/2" - 13 all thread,

1 - 2.5" Black Iron theaded coupling (in lieu of the pvc conduit). It is the absolute perfect inside diameter to push the bushing and sleeve through and I was more confident it would not warp under pressure.

1 - 2.5" sill plate bushing (found in the Joist Hanger section) at the back of the coupling as the backing plate

1 - 3/4" washer (that's the size of the hole, not the Outside Diameter) as the ram for pressing out the rubber bushing.

1 - 1" washer (again, size of the hole, not the O.D) These are almost exactly the size of the metal sleeve, just take the time to line it up precisely before cranking away.

2 - 1/2" washers to turn the nuts against

4 - 1/2"-13 nuts.

Total cost = $14.79. Money well spent - it made the job a breeze.

As for the Powerflex bushings...great improvement. Highly recommend this swap if you have the +/-50 mph shakes. As for harshness and vibration, I can't say that I feel it. Yes, it feels firm, but in a good way, like a new car.

The job only took me about 4.5 hours from the time I first jacked up the car to the time I test drove it after the install, and that included about 30 minutes of going to the Powerflex website for "plan B" after I determined that I could not press out the bushings and the sleeves as a unit (their alternate removal instructions were spot on).

Some of the reasons I chose the poly bushings over stock replacements - hand assembly, no need to press them in like stockers, there is no need to weight down the car, have a full tank of gas, etc...etc... prior to torquing down the bushing bolts, and most importantly, they will not fail in another 40k or 50k miles.

Hope this post is helpful to someone out there! Cheers!

This is good stuff!!:buttrock

This is good stuff!!:buttrock

Have you done it, George? Pretty soon you'd be running out of things to do with your Panzer!

Yep. it's all about the angle. it did take me a few tries as cdb said, it did slip off the first few attempts. don't be fustrated, just keep working at it and you'll get it but you really should get something to tap it in.





Dude, if you DON'T weight it down properly, the bushing will tear in matter of a couple of thousand miles. I'm just going to do my bushings and not the arm and my friend who's a master mechanic (he got asked to be the master mechanic at a BMW dealer by me) said it's IMPERATIVE that you weight the car down because the angle of the bushing will be incorrect and the stress built up on the bushing will just destroy it in a short time. trust me, you really want to do this.
Dan, Im really looking forward to you assisting me with the car.... Besides the Sway Bars, should I also get a set of these Thrust Arms so we can do those together?
BTW... Will i need a wheel allignment afterwards>??

how often do the balljoints fail? im thinking about just replacing the whole arm but am still eyeballing these powerflex bushings.

Dan, Im really looking forward to you assisting me with the car.... Besides the Sway Bars, should I also get a set of these Thrust Arms so we can do those together?
BTW... Will i need a wheel allignment afterwards>??
an alignment isn't really necessary.

give you a call when i get back from houston... maybe next weekend.

how often do the balljoints fail? im thinking about just replacing the whole arm but am still eyeballing these powerflex bushings.
not sure but it's not fun when it does fail. like to drive ON your tires?

Using Steps 1, 2 and 5 from HotSwimmer's write up along with a Bushing Press made similar to the one in TheJLevie's post also in this thread, I was able to replace my thrust arm bushings this weekend with the Powerflex Polyeurethane bushings.

DRHAM - so did you take the thrust arms off the car? If not how did you get the assy back in place? Seems the only way to do it by removing the thrust arms? I'm in the process of doing this upgrade - I've remove the old bushings and have the PowerFlex in place but can't get things back together.

Wow this is so helpfull. As most said the problem with my shake is the thrust arms, i think i might tackle this with my grandfather who is a great mechanic but before i do i'm sure i'll be asking many questions.

So if the front thrust arms are replaced the infamous shimmy is a thing of the past? I'm really beginning to hate the shimmy and if the parts are $200 and time to complete is about 2 hours, this sounds well with it to me.

DRHAM - so did you take the thrust arms off the car? If not how did you get the assy back in place? Seems the only way to do it by removing the thrust arms? I'm in the process of doing this upgrade - I've remove the old bushings and have the PowerFlex in place but can't get things back together.

i got the passenger side powerflex bushing installed today. going to to the other one tomorrow. had some issues getting the old bushings out, but problems were solved with a hacksaw.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/cdb3113/My%20BMW%20E39%201998%20540i/IMG_08871.jpg
the hardest thing was getting the new powerflex bushings, already in the arms, back up into the car. i am not sure how i am going to get it out in 6 months to grease it up, cause i had to use a rubber hammer to tap it in. its not in place, but the sway bar mount is right up against the bushing. have others had the same issue? seems like a strange design to me.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/cdb3113/My%20BMW%20E39%201998%20540i/IMG_08931.jpg

Is that an optical illusion or did you put the sawzall blade 1/2" into the thrust arm? :confused

From the above pictures, it looks like "cdc3113" hack sawed through the control arm to get the old bushing out...???
I am not sure if he is re-using the control arm though...
I thought you have to use a special tool to get the bushings out?
Or hammer them out with a rubber mallet or something...

I think "Jlevie" is the man to talk to and ask questions...
I consider him mister wizard when anything bimmer related.
I would try sending him a private message and asking questions.
Since I plan I doing this procedure when my front suspension kit comes in from FCP Groton and powerflex bushings come in too...
Jason

Is that an optical illusion or did you put the sawzall blade 1/2" into the thrust arm? :confused
pressed out the rubber center part of the bushing, then carefully sliced the bushing sleeve. i did not touch the control arm. cutting a careful notch relieved all the pressure holding the sleeve in, so i actually used my hands to press together the shell and twist it till it just slipped out. worked well actually.
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/cdb3113/My%20BMW%20E39%201998%20540i/IMG_0886.jpg

So do the powerflex ones sqeek? I really dont want to redo the whole thing every 6 months.

So do the powerflex ones sqeek? I really dont want to redo the whole thing every 6 months.
reports indicate that they may start squeaking after ~6 months because the grease gets washed out.

my concern is that the bushing is contacting the sway bar mount. the bushing is supposed to stay in position relative to the arm, while pivoting on the center metal rod. if the bushing is up against something, the system isnt working as designed.

this happen to other people? do i have the wrong parts or something?

How hard is it to fit a X5 bushing in there? I was set on powerflex ones but now not so shure, i want to do it once and not worry about it.

How hard is it to fit a X5 bushing in there? I was set on powerflex ones but now not so shure, i want to do it once and not worry about it.
make your own bushign press and you're money.

make your own bushign press and you're money.
i was trying to make a bushing press, but it turns out that the specified 2.5" materials are "rare". i went to Lowes and could not find the "sill plate bushing" and nobody knew what it was and a couple different stores i visited. the 2.5" black iron piece was not available, only 2" and 3". therefore, i used my method.


am i supposed to cut around the edge of the powerflex bushing to ensure a gap between the bushing and the subframe? this seems like the only solution to me. just looking for others notes of experience here...

thanks!

i was trying to make a bushing press, but it turns out that the specified 2.5" materials are "rare". i went to Lowes and could not find the "sill plate bushing" and nobody knew what it was and a couple different stores i visited. the 2.5" black iron piece was not available, only 2" and 3". therefore, i used my method.


am i supposed to cut around the edge of the powerflex bushing to ensure a gap between the bushing and the subframe? this seems like the only solution to me. just looking for others notes of experience here...

thanks!

TheJLevie, paging JLevie....

He knows about these bushings.

This is why I went OEM, but I will say that the urathane bushings did offer better feel in the steering wheel.

i was trying to make a bushing press, but it turns out that the specified 2.5" materials are "rare". i went to Lowes and could not find the "sill plate bushing" and nobody knew what it was and a couple different stores i visited. the 2.5" black iron piece was not available, only 2" and 3". therefore, i used my method.


am i supposed to cut around the edge of the powerflex bushing to ensure a gap between the bushing and the subframe? this seems like the only solution to me. just looking for others notes of experience here...

thanks!
i'll go shopping for these parts then.

For anyone looking for a set of PowerFlex Bushings I have a set for sale: BMW E39 5 Series (1997 - 2003) Urethane Bushings - Front Upper Control Arm Bushing (Thrust Rod) P/N PFF5-501 x 2. New in the box, shipped to your door, $70.00 - that's $15.00 off the PowerFlexUSA price.

so whats the verdict on these powerflex ones for a street car? dealer wants $44/a peace for x5 ones

How do you know if it's not the lower thrust arm as apposed to the upper thrust arms that are causing the shake? Mine getting worse i'm starting to worry i might not drive my car untill i get them LOL

How do you know if it's not the lower thrust arm as apposed to the upper thrust arms that are causing the shake? Mine getting worse i'm starting to worry i might not drive my car untill i get them LOL
when in doubt... do both. why? because one's about to follow the other and you might as well pay for the labor all in one shot.

when in doubt... do both. why? because one's about to follow the other and you might as well pay for the labor all in one shot.

:lol And thats why you don't "post too much" :buttrock


I think i will do that, just change the hole front end both sides

Thanks! I'll try your instructions tomorrow!

I am to install Powerflex bushes to my thrust arms tomorrow. DRHam540i on 04-16-2007, 08:08 PM above syas that using thgese emans that there is no need to weight down the car at the end to final torque up the centre bolts.

Does anyone know if this is confirmed by makers of the poly bushes? I have no guidance supplied with my bushes.

PS
Am I the only forum member from the UK?

I am to install Powerflex bushes to my thrust arms tomorrow. DRHam540i on 04-16-2007, 08:08 PM above syas that using thgese emans that there is no need to weight down the car at the end to final torque up the centre bolts.

Does anyone know if this is confirmed by makers of the poly bushes? I have no guidance supplied with my bushes.

PS
Am I the only forum member from the UK?

Most urethane bushing manufacturers do not require you to pre-load the car when the bushings go in. However, I do not agree and still pre-load the car. I did not do this with a set of urethane bushings when I had my 635 and wondered why I still had the shimmy. Well, I ended up re-installing the bushings and pre-loaded the car - shimmy went away.

I have a set of OEM control arms and bushings ready to go in my car and contemplated going with the X5 or Powerflex bushings. I am interested to hear about the performance aspect of the Powerflex in the E39. I am trying to keep my car as close to stock as possible just for comfort reasons as it is a DD for me as well as the kids - the car performs really nice in its stock configuration. I had Powerflex FCAB's and RTAB's in my E36 M3 and they were awesome. I did not mind the extra feedback in the steering wheel and the tightness of the suspension because that is what I was looking for in that car. It was tracked and driven through its paces on a daily basis. I did not have any squeaking from any of my bushings and I had them on for about 8-9 months. Other E36 M3 owners had them on their cars for much longer and did not have any problems with squeaking. Powerflex should have included some copper paste with your bushings. I would suggest going to an automotive store and purchasing some extra copper paste - it does not easily wash away as some previous posts have mentioned. The extra paste will be for your piece of mind. I only used what was provided with my bushings and it was quiet.

Also, Powerflex are manufactured in the UK. You should easily be able to contact them if you need some info on installation. They are located in your hood.

Have now done the job - and report almost total success in eliminating wheel wobble ('shimmy' to the Yanks), but think I will go ahead and replace the lower control arm bushes too as these showed a fair bit of movement / sloppiness once the thrust was dropped. Once they are replaced, I will have steering alignment checked out. The ride quality with Powerflex thrust bushes is not as forgiving as with OE bushes and I feel more road noise is transmitted to the interior - hardly surprising as the bushes are solid. Ride is fine on motorways or good surface roads, but a little tiresome when driving over poor surfaces (e.g. UK 'A' and 'B' roads); to my mind a compromise worth reaching given the vast difference in price of Powerflex bushes fitted (see below) against OE. Couple of points I found:-

1) The advice I received from Powerflex UK was that there was no need to weight the car before final torquing of bush centre bolts; this stands to reason if you imagine the movement of the located bush after installation.

2) The Powerflex bushes are in two halves, so installation into your old arm (assuming the ball joint at the other end is OK) doesn't need any of the fancy pullers etc discussed above - a little hammer wielding to get the side washers in place did the trick for me.

3) In view of 2) above, getting the old bushes out allows for a different approach, without use of a puller. I dropped the thrust arm as described in this thread above and then clamped it against the other arm onto which it naturally falls. I heated a 6 inch nail with a blowtorch to red hot and repeatedly drove it through a thinner section of the old OE bush to open a gap large enough to allow a hacksaw blade to pass through freely. Then cut through firstly the old rubber (which then dops out) followed by CAREFULLY cutting through the old bush housing, making sure that the blade didn't cut into the arm housing. Once 99% cut through, the bush housing collapses and falls out. Clean up and insert the Powerflex bushes according to their instructions.


The huge advantage of doing the job this way is that you don't have to disturb the Thrust arm ball joint or any other suspension joint nor invest in pullers etc. This makes it an on-car job - took me 3 hours start to finish. The downside is that sawing through the old bush is tough on the arm muscles and needs great care.

3) In view of 2) above, getting the old bushes out allows for a different approach, without use of a puller. I dropped the thrust arm as described in this thread above and then clamped it against the other arm onto which it naturally falls. I heated a 6 inch nail with a blowtorch to red hot and repeatedly drove it through a thinner section of the old OE bush to open a gap large enough to allow a hacksaw blade to pass through freely. Then cut through firstly the old rubber (which then dops out) followed by CAREFULLY cutting through the old bush housing, making sure that the blade didn't cut into the arm housing. Once 99% cut through, the bush housing collapses and falls out. Clean up and insert the Powerflex bushes according to their instructions.


The huge advantage of doing the job this way is that you don't have to disturb the Thrust arm ball joint or any other suspension joint nor invest in pullers etc. This makes it an on-car job - took me 3 hours start to finish. The downside is that sawing through the old bush is tough on the arm muscles and needs great care.

Cool! This is the way I did it too, except I used a homemade press to push out the rubber center first (it was pretty easy). Then I threaded the hacksaw through and cut carefully. See pics!
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/cdb3113/My%20BMW%20E39%201998%20540i/IMG_0886.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/cdb3113/My%20BMW%20E39%201998%20540i/IMG_0969.jpg

I was looking at this thread again because I'm going to do this real soon now.

Anyway I followed a link to another BBS. I poked around there and found this link to another Tension (Thrust) Arm DIY (http://www.beisansystems.com/procedures/thrust_arm_bushings_procedure.htm). The webpage describes using a gear puller to remove the bushings on both I6 and V8 e39s.

There's other good information, like the part numbers for the BMW press sleeves and the measurements for the arms, bushings, and sleeves.

BTW, I measured the diameter of the part of the Powerflex bushing 510 that goes into the arm as 2.295 in (~57.3 mm).

Great write up on the original post,if one follow those steps you will not go wrong,i did mine on Sunday Febuary 24th 2008,i did not have a balljoint puller but i used one of those ball joint forks by hammering between the space until it was released.I actually repalced the bushing as they were the ones that were bad.Problem i had i did this job on a Sunday therefore i could not locate anyone with a press.Other comment i had a problem removing the nut on the ball joint end of the control arm bushing so i had to remove the entire suspension.It was not very difficult one must have a jack to balance it on,or second pair of hands.My shimmy is gone so i will be taking my car on a 5000k drive this spring break.If i shoud do this job in future it is worth it to replace the entire arm instead of the bushings.

Great post on replacing thrust arms - the ball joint tool looks like an essential piece for my toolbox. Looking for some suspension related info if anyone can help. I need to replace the control arms on my '02 540 (bad clunk coming from the ball sockets) and I'll use the same instructions as for the thrust arms. (Couldn't find a thread specific to control arms). I'm wondering if there is a parts list available with real part numbers. I want to buy the Lemforder control arms on line and want to be sure that I have the right parts. It looks like I need L-2000-115526 and 115527's. Can anyone confirm? Bentley manual arriving by mail this week so that may help. Local BMW dealers in Toronto should be wearing masks when they sell parts - pure robbery!
BTW, my '02 is stock but a sweet ride. 6 spd man, 935 M Sport Pkg, 337 BMW AG Sport pkg. Black on black. Don't ever want to part with her!

I was reading your diy and its very good and detailed. Got one question for you. I have a bmw 528i 1998. I went to the mechanic and he said these are the arms that need replacement


Left Front Control arm ($301 part and labor)

Rear ball joints ($360 w labor)


Right Rear Control arm ($329 w labor)


Aligntment after all this is done



With your opinion do you think I should just replace all the control arms. So that means I need to replace four control arm. If I do that do I also need to replace the ball joint or replacing the control arm already replaces the ball joints. thank you. Im also going to reply in your thread so I can get other people opinion.

Hi, and thank you very much for your kind words. Unless you are really on a budget, I would replace all the control arms. It's not good practice to replace only one side of a suspension component. Also, the control arms come with fresh bushings and balljoints, and they aren't that expensive - a top-quality, OEM Lemforder thrust arm runs less than $160 from an online source.

Depending on the equipment and technique your mechanic uses, if you replace a balljoint, and then in a few months he has to go back in and replace the bushing on the other side of the arm, you're going to be paying the same labor all over again. Bite the bullet and just do the whole thing - maybe he'll even cut you a bit of a deal on the labor if you do them all.

Did the front thrust and control arms replacement last weekend.

My friend showed me a simple way to take out the ball joints without a press.

Get a short heavy hammer (the one I had was 12lbs with about a foot of wood from the end :eek:). Pound on the end of the control/thrust arm (the bushing end). The ball joint end will pop out. Its sitting in a conical opening, and is essentially a self locking taper (similar to machine tool tapers).

Keep in mind it takes a good bit of force, swing away.

I bought the press tool and found it to be worthless and a hammer of the right size is about the same money and much more useful. :alright