My 750 has developed the "shimmy" so it's time for control arms. Has anyone had any experience with the "Street" urethane bushings form Bavarian Auto Works or is stock OEM the way to go?

my indy recommended OEM since urethane may be too stiff

my indy recommended OEM since urethane may be too stiff

+1

Only buy OEM.

Steer clear of urethane bushings.

Steer clear of urethane bushings.

Heehee, good one. :stickoutt

Heehee, good one. :stickoutt

Thank you, thank you.

I'll be here all week, and remember ... tip your waitresses.

unless your control arms are loose, its not the control arms that are causing your shimmy, you probably need Thrust rods and bushing for them.

I just installed a set of the FCP/groton bushings on my upper control arms and am rather pleased with the outcome. The set they replaced looks just like bavauto's......even urethane doesn't hold up with this design. The old set had about 40,000 miles and may have lasted a bit longer if I had taken care of them. I never cleaned or lubed 'em cause I didn't know they were on there as the PO had put them on. The old ones needed replacing because the steel sleeve had worn a bit and the urethane hole the sleeve rides in had ovalled out. There was around 1/16" or so of play fore and aft but still a pretty tight fit vertically. The transistion from solid to severe braking shimmy took about a month. I think a harder urethane would not have ovalled/distorted as much as quick, so I question the use of a softer material. A sleeve with a larger outer diameter and hence a larger bearing surface on the urethane would probably help these things live longer too.

The car is so soft I think the urethane is a nice improvement ride wise. I prefer them to the oem control armedcar I drove. Obviously others think different.

The FCP's are a breeze to install once the old bushing has been removed. Old bushing can be destroyed/pressed out with the 'el cheapo harbor freight ball joint press. Urethane bushing is also started with the press and finished with a wack from the hammer. The thing just pops in there with a light hit once it has been started. Replacement will be a snap - even if these only last 40,000 miles I'll be getting them again though I reckon the whole arm will need replacing next time cause of ball joint wear. At $65.00 a set the price isn't much more than stock.

unless your control arms are loose, its not the control arms that are causing your shimmy, you probably need Thrust rods and bushing for them.

It actually needed both control arms and thrust rods. All the bushings were shot as were the ball joints. It only took a couple of hours to do both sides. It's much better now but there is still a little (very little) "rumble" in the ride. I may have the tires rebalanced and see if that helps. I also may go ahead and change the tie rods, center link and pitman/idler arm "just because".

It actually needed both control arms and thrust rods. All the bushings were shot as were the ball joints. It only took a couple of hours to do both sides. It's much better now but there is still a little (very little) "rumble" in the ride. I may have the tires rebalanced and see if that helps. I also may go ahead and change the tie rods, center link and pitman/idler arm "just because".

You're exactly right. Get those other parts replaced and then get an alignment and have the tires inspected.

A lot of times tire problems contribute to the elusive shimmy-shimmy.

You should have just changed the whole front end at the same time to eliminate future problems....I did the whole front end in a little less than a half a day. Make sure you get an alignment when you're done.

can someone give me a ball park on how much it costs to change the whole front end parts and labor wise through an indy for a 2000 e38 740?

thanks,
Jack

Due to lack of flex in urethane it will actuallly wear away instead of flexing. Its for racecars that get new bushings every other race, so stick to rubber, the flex is actually there for a reason.

can someone give me a ball park on how much it costs to change the whole front end parts and labor wise through an indy for a 2000 e38 740?

thanks,
Jack


I was going to take mine to have it done but a few places told me the same thing...roughly $5-600.00 for the entire front suspension...I did it myself in a half a day and kept that money in the bank.

When I got my front struts done it was around 300.00 alone.

thanks for the answer. i just didn't want to deal with anything that has to do with handling of this car. at 103k miles, i feel the parts are too delicate for someone who gates aggravated easily to work on. the last thing i need is a wrench or hammer through my car door...

can someone give me a ball park on how much it costs to change the whole front end parts and labor wise through an indy for a 2000 e38 740?

thanks,
Jack

OEM Parts with CCA discount run about $700 - you can get the really cheap crap on E-bay for around $450 but I wouldn't. Most service guys are going to rape you on labor - around $500 to $800. If you have a dry place to do it you can do the whole front end in 3 or 4 hours. You'll need to buy or rent a couple of ball joint separators and joint/arm pullers.

The only tricky bit is remembering to load the control arms before tightening them up.

OEM Parts with CCA discount run about $700 - you can get the really cheap crap on E-bay for around $450 but I wouldn't. Most service guys are going to rape you on labor - around $500 to $800. If you have a dry place to do it you can do the whole front end in 3 or 4 hours. You'll need to buy or rent a couple of ball joint separators and joint/arm pullers.

The only tricky bit is remembering to load the control arms before tightening them up.

I didn't use a ball joint/arm puller...I didnt have a need for one, where did you use that?

I didn't use a ball joint/arm puller...I didnt have a need for one, where did you use that?

Pitman & idler arms.

http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/arbysnight/Fig%204.JPG

Pitman & idler arms.


I didnt use that...mine seperated fine....

http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/arbysnight/Fig%204.JPG


I didnt need that either. If you put pressure on the top of the traction strut ball joint it comes right out...

I didnt use any special tools when I did mine...just open end wrenches and socket wrenches.

I didnt use that...mine seperated fine....

They separate from the center link just fine with a pickle fork, but how did you get the pittman arm off the splined end of the steering gear without a puller?

They separate from the center link just fine with a pickle fork, but how did you get the pittman arm off the splined end of the steering gear without a puller?

The pitman arm moves up and down on the spline, you can slide it all the way down and it will come off.

I should have taken pics of that too when I was doing it.

The pitman arm moves up and down on the spline, you can slide it all the way down and it will come off.

:eyecrazy Really!!!?????

On my E32 the splined shaft in the Steering gear is tapered and the pitman arm is compressed on with the nut. I can't wait to see this when I do my E38!

my car is currently in the shop for a front and rear suspension job, but I only have to pay $100 for it all (deductible). Yup, warranty is a good thing!

Lucky you! I did my rear first and then the front about a month or so ago. That warranty is a good thing. Saves time and money.

Lucky you! I did my rear first and then the front about a month or so ago. That warranty is a good thing. Saves time and money.


Seen a "debate" about this a while back. AGAINST: could have invested money & earn interest. FOR: peace of mind, safety net for catastrophic repairs.

I researched before buying and knew about the common ailments of the 7. calculated costs (parts & labor) and knew in advance that I will have more work done under warranty vs. cost of warranty itself.

Still have 2 years of coverage left and already have around $2K + in work done. So my "gamble" has paid off so far.

That's good, you might as well squeeze all you can out of it before it expires, especially when it gets within the last 6 months of it expiring.