Home Forums Articles How To's FAQ Register
Go Back   Xoutpost.com > BMW SAV Forums > X5 (E53) Forum
Fluid Motor Union
User Name
Password
Member List Premier Membership Today's Posts New Posts

Xoutpost server transfer and maintenance is occurring....
Xoutpost is currently undergoing a planned server migration.... stay tuned for new developments.... sincerely, the management


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-05-2011, 03:04 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Royal Berkshire, England
Posts: 210
Sundayjumper is on a distinguished road
Subframe bushes - done

Did my subframe bushes today It's got rid of the awful clunking and I think it might have made the ride a touch smoother generally. This would make sense, if the subframe is now held in place properly the suspension can do what it's supposed to do more effectively.

I rented the puller from Phoenix Motorsport and it worked a treat. The guy wanted to sell me the Powerflex bushes but I'd already decided to go with the pattern parts by Febi Bilstein. They look, feel and fit just the same as the OEM ones. Maybe they'll only last 30k miles instead of 60k miles but that's still waaaay longer than I plan to keep the car.

I followed a couple of write-ups I found and the job wasn't too hard. The only thing I'd add is that if you're using a torch to heat the exhaust bracket and bend it out of the way make sure you've got a decent torch and a fresh can of gas. I used a propane/butane torch that I normally only use for soldering copper plumbing and a can of gas that was about a quarter full and wasted a lot of time failing to get the bracket hot enough. A new can of gas made a big difference but it still could have done with being hotter. An oxy-acetylene torch would be a lot better. It took me about three hours to do the first side and an hour to do the second ! The guy at Phoenix reckoned he can do the whole job in an hour. I'll take that with a pinch of salt but <2 hours is quite feasible.

The old bushes were completely shot, all four had come apart, and they looked like they'd been like this a long time:



I'm quite surprised how bad they were. The previous owner spent over £2k on a major service and some bits & pieces last October, the garage really should have spotted this.

Anyway, I'm feeling quite pleased with myself today. Doing something yourself, that makes a noticeable difference to how the car drives is always good
Reply With Quote

Sponsored Links

  #2  
Old 02-05-2011, 04:02 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 327
o. l. t. is on a distinguished road
That's great! I'd like to redo all the rubber bits under my X, but I haven't won the lotto yet.
__________________
~2003 X5 4.4i~
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-05-2011, 04:23 PM
Nik's Avatar
Nik Nik is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Georgia
Posts: 736
Nik is on a distinguished road
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-05-2011, 04:36 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 221
Patrick-Irish is on a distinguished road
Well done mate.
__________________
2001 X5 4.4i
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-05-2011, 05:05 PM
dpgx5's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Ohh Canada
Posts: 578
dpgx5 is on a distinguished road
Good Job! Question.... do you have air in the rear or springs?
__________________
2006 BMW X5 (4.4i) N62

MY BMW X5... No matter how I disguise it... it's heritage keeps showing through!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-05-2011, 05:14 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: middle ga usa
Posts: 37
chuckster is on a distinguished road
About the propane torch.... you can buy a bottle of MAPP gas that will work on the same torch you use on the propane bottle. It gets considerably hotter than propane and is something any DIY'er can get easily as opposed to an acytelene/ O2 set-up.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-05-2011, 05:31 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Royal Berkshire, England
Posts: 210
Sundayjumper is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by dpgx5 View Post
Good Job! Question.... do you have air in the rear or springs?
Air. Not sure it makes any difference ??
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-05-2011, 05:55 PM
dpgx5's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Ohh Canada
Posts: 578
dpgx5 is on a distinguished road
Did you do the same steps provided by X5girl's thread? Did all the threads go back smoothly? I rememmber a member had a problem installing the bolt back in...
__________________
2006 BMW X5 (4.4i) N62

MY BMW X5... No matter how I disguise it... it's heritage keeps showing through!
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-05-2011, 08:05 PM
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Royal Berkshire, England
Posts: 210
Sundayjumper is on a distinguished road
I did follow the X5girl thread, and all the threads were absolutely fine. I'm not sure why there would be a problem, the subframe is still in the same place and the same size, it should all line up no problem.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 02-05-2011, 11:42 PM
wallyx5's Avatar
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 931
wallyx5 is on a distinguished road
I still have not replaced mine but I am sure they are due. I will put it my list of things to due.
__________________
_________________________________________________
2010 X5M /// R63 AMG...Wifey's 540HP Family Hualer

2001 X5 3.0i Sport 335,448 miles & counting...

SMG M3 Steering wheel
E46 Stainless Racing Headers
4.6is Exhaust
Turner Pulleys
Afe Intake
Brembo drilled rotors
PowerFlex Bushings

Hualingan
30mm H&R Spacers rear
20mm H&R Spacers front

Bavarian Autosport High-Performance Coils
Active Autowerke's Performance Software
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:15 AM.
vBulletin, Copyright 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. SEO by vBSEO 3.6.0
© 2017 Xoutpost.com. All rights reserved. Xoutpost.com is a private enthusiast site not associated with BMW AG.
The BMW name, marks, M stripe logo, and Roundel logo as well as X3, X5 and X6 designations used in the pages of this Web Site are the property of BMW AG.
This web site is not sponsored or affiliated in any way with BMW AG or any of its subsidiaries.