wishbone bushing 02BMW

RCH

Hi!
Just had my NCT on a 02 320Ci and guy told me two wishbone bushings are broken.
Excuse my ignorance but what do these do and how much do you reckon it will cost to sort out?

mick.fr

RCH wrote: »

Hi!
Just had my NCT on a 02 320Ci and guy told me two wishbone bushings are broken.
Excuse my ignorance but what do these do and how much do you reckon it will cost to sort out?

Just had mines changed the last week.
Wishbone bush cost 108.61, but BMW also changed the wishbones, 238.18
Total with labour costed me 748.29 euro.

Thank you Mister the Collector General for ripping off our wallets and making Irish roads so good.

mick.fr

And sorry they do support your front or rear suspension.

RCH

Thanks Mick

bushy...

Basically they are rubber blocks that go between the end of the wishbone and the car body to reduce noise/vibration and allow a bit of movement


Try http://www.micksgarage.ie/ maybe

DublinDilbert

RCH wrote: »

Hi!
Just had my NCT on a 02 320Ci and guy told me two wishbone bushings are broken.
Excuse my ignorance but what do these do and how much do you reckon it will cost to sort out?

The WishBone bushsings sit at the back of the wish bone (lower control arm) and holds it in place. The rubber inside the bush gets warn over time.

If you want to replace them youself there's a good tutorial on:-
http://www.understeer.com/lcab.shtml

On the E36 you could just buy the bushings and push them into the bracket that blots them the sub frame, but for the E46 they want to sell you the bracket with the bush already installed. From GSF they are about €30 each, not sure of the exact BMW price i'd say you'd be looking at close to €100 each.

I've replaced them on both E36's and E46, never had to take the wishbone off to do either...

If you do take the wishbone off you usually damaged the inner ball joint which bolts to the sub frame. I would guess that's why the dealer replaced mick.fr's wish bones at the same time. I doubt they would mess with it and try get it on the car without removing it and sicking a complete new bush & wish bone on.

Its a bit of a waste replacing the wishbone at the same time, as typically you'd be looking at getting 100K miles from the wish bone, where as the bushings only last around 50K miles.

JohnCleary

Check on eBay I managed to get wishbones COMPLETE with bushes for 60 sterling each - bargain

That means it's just a bolt off/bolt on job. If you're just replacing the bushes you have to get a puller jobbie thing and you have to get the new bush measured up exact - a lot of hassle imho

mick.fr

Thanks for your comments guys but you forgot to mention wishbone can bent because of bad roads. Mines were well bent because I ran over some ****ty deep holes on our lovely Irish roads.

Now maybe yours are not bent, a full visual inspection will detect that.

And no BMW didn't damaged by Wishbones, they were diagnosed "damaged" before I booked my car in for replacement.
I have seen them after, they were bent.

Now I would not mess with after market Ebay reseller myself to get vital part for my bimmer.
Especially when my car has 21k miles. But that is my opinion.

RCH

Thanks guys
Wouldn't dream of putting in myself............ talked to garage afterwards and they said they'd fit them for around 300euro which seems reasonable from what ye are saying

Mr.Diagnostic

mick.fr wrote: »

Thanks for your comments guys but you forgot to mention wishbone can bent because of bad roads. Mines were well bent because I ran over some ****ty deep holes on our lovely Irish roads.

Mick, whoever told you that was way off the mark. Wishbones can bend but only in extreme circumstances and due to a big impact. The usual reason to change wishbones on E46's is ball joint wear rather than damage.
The bushes wear very quickly but are easy to change. both sides take about an hour. Aftermarket ones are in general poor quality and often wear out in as little as 10k.

rebel.ranter

Did mine on my e36 2 months ago. I replaced the wishbones complete with the inner & outer balljoints, wishbone bushes, tie rod ends & anti roll bar bushes. Used all genuine BMW parts €400. I did the labour myself. The car now feels a lot more solid at the front.
Might do the rears next.

JohnCleary

mick.fr wrote: »

Now I would not mess with after market Ebay reseller myself to get vital part for my bimmer.
Especially when my car has 21k miles. But that is my opinion.

The eBay gear is Febi - They're same as OE spec. The difference? A whopping BMW sticker!

You stick to your BMW main deailer prices though

Seth Brundle

@RCH - see # 6 on the link below - its a rubber bit inside this which holds the wishbone (#5)

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BN12&mospid=47615&btnr=31_0553&hg=31&fg=05

Once they are replaced, you will need to get the alignment checked.

maidhc

mick.fr wrote: »

Especially when my car has 21k miles. But that is my opinion.

How on earth?

I drive lots of country roads. My car has 85k up... the suspension has never been looked at, ever, nothing, not a bushing, and no reason to.

Our mondeo got new wishbones last year at 180k... again it drove rural roads most of its life.

mick.fr

JohnCleary wrote: »

The eBay gear is Febi - They're same as OE spec. The difference? A whopping BMW sticker!

You stick to your BMW main deailer prices though

If this is OEM parts there is no problem.
But as I am sure you know many aftermarket parts are crap.

But some are actually even better than BMW. Like water pumps etc, you can actually find far better parts than OEM. But you got to know your stuff, and buying BMW parts is not advisable to noobs, although I am not a professional myself, I know more or less to do the difference.

EDIT: An plus adding poor aftermarket parts to a car which is still under warranty or has little mileage...

E92

Maybe the differences between Irish spec and US spec BMWs are more than most of us think(mick.fr's Beemer is a USDM E46)?

mick.fr

mick.fr wrote: »

Just had mines changed the last week.
Wishbone bush cost 108.61, but BMW also changed the wishbones, 238.18
Total with labour costed me 748.29 euro.

Thank you Mister the Collector General for ripping off our wallets and making Irish roads so good.

The wishbone joints are a weak point on the e46 apparently. I had to get one of mine replaced recently along with both bushings.

mick.fr

maidhc wrote: »

How on earth?

I drive lots of country roads. My car has 85k up... the suspension has never been looked at, ever, nothing, not a bushing, and no reason to.

Our mondeo got new wishbones last year at 180k... again it drove rural roads most of its life.

Don't know man, I know my front left side wheel got knocked in deep holes around City West. The shock was very bad, got my teeth knocked as well.
Append 3-4 times in the last months in different areas. You know the road conditions here, no need to draw a picture.

Maybe I have been screwed by Franck Keane BMW as well, I am sure they are keen to change more parts that the car actually need, just for the sake of billing me.

mick.fr

E92 wrote: »

Maybe the differences between Irish spec and US spec BMWs are more than most of us think(mick.fr's Beemer is a USDM E46)?

It is a US specs alright but I do not know if it has been built in the US or Germany.
I know US built bimmers are using local suppliers, like from Mexico and so.
I do not think they have lower quality components if this is what you meant.

E92

The E46 was built at the Dingolfing plant in Germany. The Z4 and X5 are built in Spartanburg, CA.

mick.fr

E92 wrote: »

Spartanburg, CA.

Oh I see a German town lol. Well sounds like :-)
thanks for the info E92

DublinDilbert

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

Mick, whoever told you that was way off the mark. Wishbones can bend but only in extreme circumstances and due to a big impact. The usual reason to change wishbones on E46's is ball joint wear rather than damage.
The bushes wear very quickly but are easy to change. both sides take about an hour. Aftermarket ones are in general poor quality and often wear out in as little as 10k.

I'd agree with Mr.D.... The only way you would bend a lower control arm would be hitting a massive pot hole / curb at > 60mph or hitting another car. Your alloy wheel would be highly unlikely to survive either as well...

The usual reason to change a lower control arm is cause the outer ball joint is failing, which it may of been, they just didn't explain it properly at the dealer.

Obviously road conditions play a part in the demise of an outer ball joint, but also heavy braking... 75% of the car's braking will be done by the front wheels, so when the car is stopping 75% of the stopping forces are passed through the 2 front ball joints into the wish bones, as the E46 is a heavyish car it puts alot stress on the front ball joints during braking.

RCH

Just another quick question but am i doing any potential damage to other parts of the car driving it around todaywith broken bushings? should i drive slowly, brake slowly?

Due to be fixed tomorrow hopefully.

Elessar

Are there different types of bushings on the E46? AC car sales told me after a pre-NCT a few months back that mine were worn and would need replacing soon. I've noticed less than sharp handling in the last few months and more vibrations through the steering wheel - so I'm thinking the bushings are going?

So are there different types or just one for each wheel?

RCH

Got the bushings replaced over the weekend, happened to be in Birr for saturday night and i was told about Murphys garage, he replaced them for 238 euro, John the owner was a really nice guy and seemed to know his stuff, could tell he just loves cars and wasn't there to rip people off. he sorted out my rear seat belts which were in under the seats without me asking cos he saw the NCT report.

I live in galway city and local garage here quoted 500 to replace them. worth my while going to Birr in future, its cost effective to go on the beer for the night and stay over:)

mick.fr

RCH wrote: »

Got the bushings replaced over the weekend, happened to be in Birr for saturday night and i was told about Murphys garage, he replaced them for 238 euro, John the owner was a really nice guy and seemed to know his stuff, could tell he just loves cars and wasn't there to rip people off. he sorted out my rear seat belts which were in under the seats without me asking cos he saw the NCT report.

I live in galway city and local garage here quoted 500 to replace them. worth my while going to Birr in future, its cost effective to go on the beer for the night and stay over:)

Good stuff

JohnCleary

RCH wrote: »

Got the bushings replaced over the weekend, happened to be in Birr for saturday night and i was told about Murphys garage, he replaced them for 238 euro, John the owner was a really nice guy and seemed to know his stuff, could tell he just loves cars and wasn't there to rip people off. he sorted out my rear seat belts which were in under the seats without me asking cos he saw the NCT report.

I live in galway city and local garage here quoted 500 to replace them. worth my while going to Birr in future, its cost effective to go on the beer for the night and stay over:)

Wow what garage in Galway quoted you 500euro to replace wishbone bushings?

BavarianCare

JohnCleary wrote: »

The eBay gear is Febi - They're same as OE spec. The difference? A whopping BMW sticker!

OE E46 wishbones are not made by Febi. However, they are much, much cheaper. I've used them in the past and they do not last with big wheels. Some Febi stuff is "ok" but I wouldn't fit to my own cars unless I was stuck.
Having said that, the OE ones do not last as long as you'd like either - but they do last longer. Whatever about the wishbones only ever use OE BMW bushes.

The Febi & other aftermarket bushes are very poor in my experience.

BMW have "modified" the bushes many times and also only supply the bush in the bracket for years. Originally they were available separately (like the E36).

With 17"/18" wheels the wishbones are shot nearly as soon as the bushes. The outer balljoint is usually obvious to see, but unsteady handling on a "well driven" (=hard) car may be caused by very slight wear on the inner balljoint.

The bushes are hydro-bushes and may not be removed and refitted without internal damage (even using the genuine BMW removal tool). With the price of the OE bushes it may be prudent to renew the wishbones at the same time depending on the mileage/roads covered.

You can fit M Wishbones (not the M3 type) which are slightly lighter and allegedly stronger.

Some people go the full monty and change over to M3 wishbones which have much stronger bushes but that type wishbone costs a fortune (€400 ea IIRC) and you have to buy the M3 brackets etc. etc.

HTH,
Eddie.

Andrewf20

My old E36 is giving clicking or ticking noises (like metal ball bearings hitting off each other) from the front suspension area. I had a quick look the other day but couldnt see anything obvious. I was pulling as suspension arms everywhere and couldnt detect any slack. Bushings seem fine. Anybody else get these symptoms? The clicking noise only is noticeable over rough roads or mounting a low kerb. Car drives fine, and feels tight.

Im planning to climb Mt Errigal next week in Donegal and am dreading being stranded up north when the suspension collapses!