If anyone has been following the C/V boot Saga you will know I was planning to do my support arm bushings because they were both cracked. That bushing is rarely replaced due to needing a press.

For those that care, the support arm bushing is probably the most critical link in providing solid road feel. That bushings absorbs all the force when the wheel hits a bump and wants to deviate from the position the steering wheel is in. It literally supports the entire suspension and keeps it strait and true on the road. Just look at the support arm it’s 4 times the size of the control arm.

This bushing is well know in the E39 circle and rarely mentioned when talking about front end concerns in the X5. At About 70k I started to notice the X feeling “light” in the steering wheel and not responding as crisp as when it was new. When I took a look around I noticed the sway bar links were shot, and both support arm bushing had a crack running around the entire mount.

I pulled the support arms and pressed in new bushings, really big improvement in the feel. The deterioration of the mount is so slow that you really don’t notice what has been lost till you replace it. I know most DIY guys don’t have a press, but if your mileage is around mine have a look at that mount, it’s vastly more important that many owners think, and if your in the SF bay area I’ll press your arms for nothing, just let me know.
First picts show the cracks.

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