'06 X5 E53 3.0D Control Arm Bush Problem

[Delta2nineR]

Hey all, why are the control arm / castor arm / tension strut bushes always wearing out on X5 E53??

I replaced mine 2 years ago by a BMW mech with genuine Bmw bushes and they're busted again! Certainly don't do any harsh driving as its the baby-mobile.
I know they're a common problem but someone must have found the cause by now? I've researched plenty and can't find any solid evidence for the defect.
Various sites sell overhaul kits for front (and rear) suspensions like the Meyle HD but I don't know if it's worth changing everything blindly "just in case". I'm about to purchase Meyle HD bushes and see how they go. (Not interested in poly)

Has anyone had any luck with this issue?


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[Joshdub]

How much driving did you do and in what conditions? It's likely he installed them wrong.

[crystalworks]

Not preloading them will twist them and lead to early failure. And of course if they were installed in the incorrect orientation the same thing would happen whether preloaded or not.

I just installed Meyle HD's and so far so good. Have 3000+ miles on them over about a month. We took a family vacation which is why we did so much mileage so fast. I also did the tension arm ball joints (Lemforder) and inner/outer tie rod assemblies at the same time. Those things were a complete PITA to get out of the knuckle. Between those components, the front end feels nice and tight.

[Delta2nineR]

I'd say about 20000km since install and driving around city streets as we live in Sydney. I know that if the bolts are torqued while the car is still jacked up then they'll load up and twist once the weight is back on ground but I would doubt an experienced BMW mech would be so dumb to do that.

Crystalworks; what made you replace the other components of your suspension?


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[Joshdub]

I'd wager he installed them incorrectly then. I would not doubt a BMW tech could mess that up. There are bad mechanics everywhere, including dealers.

[StephenVA]

Originally Posted by Delta2nineR

Crystalworks; what made you replace the other components of your suspension?

I am going to go out on a limb (American slang for taking a wild ass guess) that it was 10 years of wear and tear.

[Scott ZHP]

Failure to pre-load is most likely cause or premature wear. These ought to be good for at least 50k miles.

[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by Delta2nineR

Crystalworks; what made you replace the other components of your suspension?

Originally Posted by StephenVA

I am going to go out on a limb (American slang for taking a wild ass guess) that it was 10 years of wear and tear.

Actually, not in this case Stephen. Unbelievable I know. My bushes and ball joints were still in serviceable condition (very slight wobble/bump pulling into drives) and did not absolutely NEED to be replaced yet.

I had to do tie rod assemblies because one of the ones on the truck was frozen and so the shop could not do an alignment. I had the other parts sitting here in a box intended for my last X5 so I figured, "while I'm in there" I'd do the other components. Parts of it were extremely difficult (tension arm ball joints... I'm looking at you!) but am glad I did them all as it did tighten up the front end. @ 97,000 miles the X5 was going to need them in the next 10-15,000 miles anyway.