Front & rear suspension kit recommendations?

[dwade277]

Just picked up a 2002 X5 3.0 manual. Replaced brake booster, master cylinder and some brake lines. Wow! Bleeding that system was not easy!! Now onto the suspension. Front end clunks over bumps and when I hit the brakes. Rear end most likely needs suspension work also. Can anyone recommend a kit for the front and rear? The X5 has 130k. I don’t think it’s had any suspension work done.
Thank you

[andrewwynn]

Go to fcp euro and look for a decent kit that includes most of the parts your budget can take. OEM like lemforder best bang for buck.

The clunk is usually the tension struts. Morse code tapping is the anti sway bar links.

I bought mine at 128,000 miles. Didn’t need any front suspension work until after 160,000.

[EODguy]

I can't say if this holds true for everyone but...

If you get a thunk noise as you come off a speed bump it's the short control arms and if you get the thunk noise as you go up a speed bump it's the long control arms.

Now this is assuming at least front air suspension and speed just enough to be a "hair" fast but not Dukes of Hamas speed over the speed bumps.

I only say this as a way to check about replacement items without having to do the whole front end just to clear the noises with a parts cannon and empty wallet.

Good luck with your repairs... e53's always fun but sometimes frustrating

Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk

[StephenVA]

Buy the Lemforder kit from one of these vendors (FCP EURO or ECSTuning), replace everything at one time front and rear. Easy process, now that your SAV is over the 20 year mark and over 100K is is time for a refresh. One time for the next years of fun driving.
When you buy what was an expensive vehicle at low prices you can be sure that every maintenance item was ignored until you. So plan now for:
Suspension
Axle Boots
Brakes
Cooling Systems (Rad, big hoses, and little hoses)
Window Regulators
Oil leak repairs (Oil Filter housing, valve cover, Oil Separator hoses
Change all the fluids in the transfer case, diff and trans
Save the upgrade stereo until the vehicle starts, drives, and stops every time.

Daily driver? Power wash that suspension and hose down with WD-40 as you are in the rust belt so as you work, the bolts and nuts will come off....

Good luck and welcome to the family!

[srmmmm]

Lemforder kits from FCP are the way to go. Decent price and lifetime warranty. I did my front at 192,000 miles and probably should have done the rear at the same time. I waited on the rear and it cost me a pair of tires from the excessive wear. It's time to do the tension struts again.



2002 x5 3.0 376,600 miles
2014 428i 66,700 miles


2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles


1970 Firebird Under restoration -waiting on serpentine belt conversion kit

[bcredliner]

ECS tuning may still have their kits on sale. They were very recently

[andrewwynn]

Considering the relatively young age I would definitely just work in pairs replacing the parts actually worn. I got 40-50,000 miles out of control arms after 128,000 when I could have preemptively replaced.

Wife's car needed control arms within a year of purchase before 125,000 miles and needed thrust bushings a couple years later as well as sway bar links.

If there is even a tiny sense of any of the control arms or bushing starting to fail they have been gone for months replace them.

Short control arm failure will almost always cause steering wobble with gentle braking and thrust arm/ tension strut/ long arm failure will always cause a thud with stiff braking low speed (if you hold your phone out the window and video the wheel it will shock you how much the wheel moves)

The thump over "sleeping policeman" (what Indonesians call a speed bump), is a neat test.

I get a district double thump in the rear going over a speed bump on the way down I have to figure out which part is worn out to cause it but will share once I do.

I thought it was the sub frame bushings but after noticing other symptoms think It could be several other possibilities now.

[zonefive]

Having my tension strut bushings replaced today. They only lasted 45,000 miles. Last replacement was with Lemforder OEM. These things are very soft. I don't drive in harsh environments at all.

[StephenVA]

Normal life time but on the short side. Mostly that short life is HARD braking or a V8 application. Congrats!