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Forum LockedE60 (545i) DIY Suspension component replacement

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Andrew Rolland View Drop Down
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    Posted: 09-September-2012 at 11:53

E60 (545i) Front Tension Arm, Control Arm and Wheel Bearing Replacement.  Subject is too long for the forum subject title!

 

Tools you will need

 

Trolley jack

Two axle stands and blocks of wood to protect jack points

Large flat blade screwdriver

Small flat blade screwdriver

No.2 Pozidrive screwdriver for underbelly screws

5mm Allen key for ABS sensor retaining screw

6mm Allen key for disc retaining screw

7mm Allen key for calliper retaining bolts

T40 Torx bit for counter holding the ball joints 

8mm socket for underbelly bolts

10mm socket for brake disc splasher shield bolts

16mm socket

17mm socket for wheel bolts

18mm socket

21mm socket

18mm combination spanner

21mm combination spanner

A vice mounted on a workbench

½” Drive Breaker bar (flexible handle) as long as possible!

½” Drive Ratchet

¼” Drive Ratchet

Torque wrench capable of measuring up to 165Nm

Universal multi bolt/nut removal tool (more on this later)

 

…and my dad to help again.

 

This post covers the replacement of both the front lower suspension arms (the front arm is the tension arm and the rear arm is the control arm) and the wheel bearing assembly.

 
Photo 1 All the new parts laid out on my workbench.

 

At a recent BMW service, BMW picked up on a worn front nearside wheel bearing and that there was play in the nearside control arm ball joint.  I jacked the car up and took the wheel off to investigate.  Sure enough I could move the whole front hub assembly slightly on that ball joint.  On replacing the wheel and grasping it at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock the movement was exaggerated.   When grasping the wheel at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock no movement was felt which indicates that there is no slop in the wheel bearing, it was just rough.

 

On carrying out my front brake replacement, I noticed that the front nearside wheel bearing was rough to turn and it was slightly noisy compared to the nearside.  But I could not detect a noise on driving as it will have crept up on me gradually and I got used to it!  Although on cornering there was a change in noise as that bearing was unloaded and re-loaded.

 

The wheel bearings are a single component with the hub and cannot be replaced as a separate part.  To get to the hub you have to remove the hub carrier from the car which involves removing both the suspension arms from the hub carrier.  This is the reason why I decided to also replace the tension arm, it needs to come out anyway so I might as well replace it.  The track rod end fits upwards into the hub carrier.  The tension arm fits downwards into the hub carrier and requires the hub carrier to be slid down the strut to allow removal.  The control arm fits upwards into the hub carrier.  You will see this in Photo 6.

 

Jack up and support the car and remove the relevant front wheel, you need to be able to get under to virtually half way along the car to remove the rearmost underbelly bolts and screws.  Remove the rear underbelly (loads of bolts and two screws) and the front underbelly, its screws only need one turn to slacken and they are captive on the underbelly.  You will also need to remove the small piece of plastic wheel arch liner that covers the control arm to subframe bolt and the steering rack gaiter.

 

 

Photo 2 The underbellies removed and the steering rack gaiter wheel arch liner part.

 

This now exposed the various parts.

 
Photo 3 Control arm to subframe bolt

 
Photo 4 Tension arm to subframe bolt

 

 

Photo 5 Strut to hub carrier pinch bolt along with the calliper cradle retaining bolts, wheel bearing bolts and ABS sensor wiring.
 

 

Photo 6 The suspension arms from right to left, track rod end, tension arm and control arm and ABS sensor bolt.  You can also see the bottom of the strut in relation to the tension arm ball joint.

 

I pulled out the ABS sensor wire, the brake pad warning sensor wire and the brake fluid hose line out of all their bracket holding supports.  I left all electrical connections intact to avoid any issues.

 

Remove the ABS sensor, single 5mm Allen key bolt and tuck it up on the coil spring.

 
Photo 7 ABS sensor removed.

 

Follow my earlier post for removing the brake calliper, calliper cradle and the brake disc.  I supported the calliper complete with brake pads via a cable tie from the coil spring.

 
Photo 8 Brakes removed.

 

I took the decision to remove the brake splasher shield to allow easier access to the ball joint bolts.  4 No. 10 mm bolts and it was off.

 
Photo 9 all ancillary stripping down complete.

 

Video of old bearing, doesn’t sound smooth but couldn’t feel any play in the bearing.

 

Now for the actual work to replace the parts….  

 

Slacken the three ball joint bolts on the hub carrier.  21mm socket on the end of my 2 foot long breaker bar got them loose.  After a couple of turns of the nuts the ball joints then began to turn in their tapers, good stuff this means I won’t struggle to release the tapers as due to the design of the ball joint you cannot get a conventional ball joint removal tool in place.

Photo 10 Counter holding tension arm ball joint after initial loosening.

 

I now slackened off all other nuts and bolts while everything was still attached to the car apart from the hub bolts as you still can’t get to them.

 

Now this is where I deviated from Haynes.  I left the anti-roll bar link attached at both ends but just simply undid the bolt (socket on bolt head) that holds the anti-roll bar link bracket to the hub carrier.  This meant that I didn’t have to replace more nuts and undo something I could work round.  I also removed the strut to hub carrier pinch bolt at this time.  This releases the bracket that supports the brake fluid hose and the sensor wiring harnesses.

 
Photo 11 Anti roll bar link bracket to hub carrier bolt.

 

 

Photo 12 Counter holding track rod end ball joint after initial loosening.

 

After removing the track rod end ball joint nut, I replaced this upside down on the ball joint to allow me to safely tap out the ball joint with damaging the threads.

 
Photo 13 Track rod end ball joint nut on upside down.

 

…a few light taps with the hammer and it was out.

 
Photo 14  Track rod end ball joint out of the hub carrier.  You can see the domed head above the rubber gaiter which fits into a corresponding socket in the hub carrier.  This prevents the use of a ball joint separator.

 

I decided to leave the tension arm and control arm ball joints (albeit slackened now) on the hub and remove them on the workbench.

 

Undo and remove the suspension arm to subframe bolts.  The arms should now drop out with a little bit of wiggling.

 

…my dad now arrives.

 

You now need to remove the hub carrier from the strut.  The hub carrier clamps around the strut.  There is a pinch bolt which clamps the hub carrier around the strut.  There is a notch on the strut which fits in between the gap between the hub carrier at the location where the pinch bolt is located.  This ensures correct positioning.

 

I gently tapped in a wide flat blade screwdriver in between the flats where the hub carrier to strut pinch bolt was located.  This widens the clamp and allows you to gently tap the hub carrier off the bottom of the strut.

 
Photo 15 After a bit of persuasion the hub carrier was off the car.

 

Photo 16 Not much left on the car!

 

I now needed to remove the suspension arms from the hub carrier on the workbench.  Whilst counter holding the ball joints with the TX star T40 bit and a 21mm ring spanner the nuts jammed.  The nyloc insert of the bolts jammed on the rusted exposed threads of the ball joint.  On the second arm we actually sheared the TX star T40 bit in the end of the ball joint thread.  Fortunately there was enough exposed thread between the underside of the nut and the hub carrier to get in with the Universal multi bolt/nut removal tool!  They were hacksawed off!

 
Photo 17 broken TX star T40 bit and hacksawed ball joints.
 
Interestingly the replacement nuts from BMW do not have nyloc inserts probably for this reason.  The track rod end nut came off lovely due to the fact that the track rod ends are only 18 months old and they utilised the newer style of nut without the nyloc insert.

 

 

Photo 18 suspension arms removed and you can now see the hub retaining bolts.

 

Mount the hub carrier in a vice to allow removal of the hub retaining bolts.  I clamped it via the hub flange.

 

 

Photo 19 hub carrier mounted upside down in my vice.

 

Et voilà hub removed from carrier.

 
Photo 20 Old rather knackered looking and sounding hub bearing flange assembly.

 

Cleaned up the hub carrier and the brake disc splasher shield and left it to dry while eating some lunch.  Dismantling complete.  Phew.

 
Photo 21 New bearing and cleaned up hub carrier.  Note orientation of hub, spigot points downwards.

 

Attach new hub to hub carrier with the 4 new bolts provided.  Torque to 110Nm.

 

I loosely fitted the suspension arms to the hub carried whilst it was on the bench.  I counter held the ball joints with a TX Star T40 ‘Allen’ key this time whilst using a 21mm ring spanner to do up the new nuts.  Once the ball joints are tight by hand, the tapers now grip and you can apply full torque without having the counter hold the ball joint.

 

Wedge open the pinch bracket on the hub carrier with a screwdriver and inset back onto the strut ensuring the notch on the strut aligns with the gap in the hub carrier pinch bracket.  I used a trolley jack to support the hub assembly whilst I installed the new strut to hub carrier pinch bolt.

 
Photo 22 hub carrier installed spanner on pinch bolt on anti-roll bar link bracket.

 

Install the suspension arms into their brackets on the subframe and insert their bolts.  Tension arm bolt inserts from front, control arm bolt inserts from rear.  Do not torque up these bolts until the weight of the car is on its wheels.  Also reinsert the track rod end ball joint into the hub carrier.  Torque to 165Nm.

 

 

Photo 23 Track rod end ball joint refitted.

Photo 24 new suspension arm ball joints now torqued up to 165Nm.

 

 

Video of new bearing, silent!

 
Refit brake disc splasher shield.

 

Refit brake disc, calliper cradle and calliper.  Refer to earlier link for this.

 

Photo 25 Brakes now fitted except the brake pad retaining clip (just before someone points that out!)

 

Refit road wheel and lower car to ground.  I then drove it back up onto ramps to allow me to torque up the suspension arm to subframe bolts with the weight of the car on its wheels.  Torque each bolt to 100Nm then further tighten thru 90deg.  Refit underbellies.  I had to remove the road wheel again to get the steering rack gaiter wheel arch liner installed.

 

All nuts and bolts were replaced on refitting and were lubricated on reassembly with copperslip grease including the underbelly screws.

 

On test drive the car was noticeably quieter.  That wheel bearing must have been producing some rumble but as it would have gradually crept up on me and I drive it everyday I didn’t notice the noise until it stopped.  I knew it was on its way out from when I had replaced my brakes.  No clonks or other noises when driving.   No warning lights on the dash from ABS or brake system after disturbing components.

 

Result.

 

The tension arm and control arm were bought from Eurocar parts for £119.94 and £134.40 respectively.  They are made by Lemforder who is the OEM manufacturer.  BMW wanted £208.07 for the control arm.

 

The wheel bearing was bought from Dingbro for £88.02.  The wheel bearing I bought was made by FAG who is the OEM manufacturer (thanks to Paul (vpricey) for this source, cheers!)  BMW wanted £238.66 for the wheel bearing.

 

I spent another £25 or so on various nuts and bolts from BMW to replace the ones I removed.

 

It cost me £367.36. Parts only.

 

It took me about 5 hours to do this work. 

 

BMW quoted me 2.5 hours labour to do the control arm and wheel bearing not including the tension arm.  BMW labour is £99/hour + VAT.

 

So I saved £224.31 on parts and £297 on labour in other words £521.31. Less a few beers for my dad.  Now that’s not to be sneezed at! 

 

Result again.

 
12.09.12 Edit to correct typos.


Edited by Andrew Rolland - 12-September-2012 at 16:42
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote UweM3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-September-2012 at 14:06
nice one, like it! One for the Harddrive.
E61 520d, slow and buzzy but my wallet likes the mpg.....
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andrew Rolland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12-September-2012 at 16:24
Meant to add.  The mileage on the car when the above was carried out was 73,900 miles.  I had felt the wheel bearing being rough at ~70,000 miles.
 
But now that I have driven a few miles on the new bearing the car is seriously quieter.  Huge difference in noise.  I just never noticed the noise creeping up on me.
 
Car also feels more poised under right hand cornering as the new bushes are doing their job.
Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!

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'04 04 E60 545i SE Auto
'03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen)
'98 S E39 523i SE Auto
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote UweM3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-September-2012 at 18:19
I have 85k miles ish and hope I can drag it out to 100k before I need to replace bushings. But against my usual approach which is replace as it fails, I am going to replace all bushings at once if one component is ready to be replaced.
Sort of new car feeling.
E61 520d, slow and buzzy but my wallet likes the mpg.....
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andrew Rolland Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-September-2012 at 19:16
Ahhh well you see that corner of my car was damaged by a pothole. I reckon that impact (which you can see from the photos on that thread mangled the rim via the runflat!) took 20,000 to 30,000 miles from the life of the suspension components on that side. Could be coincidence but, hmmmm, I'm not so sure.
 
 
I was thinking about this on the way home. While it was jacked up it would have been really easy to whip off the roll bar to do its mounting bushes and roll bar links. I would love to do as you suggest and replace it all in one go. Costaplenty though but it would indeed give you that 'new car feel'. But where do you stop????
 
I would recommend doing the two arms and the bearing at the same time purely for ease, even if not all the components needed replacing.
 
Next time I would drop the strut out via the three bolts on the inner wing in the engine compartment and release the track rod end ball joint, but only release the arms on the subframe and take the whole strut, hub carrier, hub, traction arm, control arm assembly and split the strut from the hub carrier on the bench. You would only need to replace three more bolts (strut top mount) and it would be so much easier to strip the rest mounted in the vice.
 
Andrew


Edited by Andrew Rolland - 13-September-2012 at 19:17
Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series!

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'04 04 E60 545i SE Auto
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