tension strut or lower control arm?

[MrFixIt]

Originally Posted by xc17pilot

Noticed black fluid coming out of front right tension strut bushing (drips on garage floor). Time to replace both left and right front bushings. Going with the recommended ECS Tuning Meyle HD bushings and appropriate ball joints.

My DIY question is: how difficult will it be to remove the ball joint assembly from the wheel hub after removing the two screws that hold the ball joint to the hub assembly? Any trick to getting it off (and then back on?)? Special tools? I looked for posts on this and could not find any.

Thanks for any insight. My X5 has 135,000 mi so I guess I'm luck to get this much mileage our of these bushings compared to other posts on this topic.

Short answer--the ball joints could be problematic if they are original like mine, 2003. I had to completely remove the steering knuckles in order pound out the balljoints from the top with a punch and a BFH. Tried every other easier methods; none worked. What a nightmare that job was.


I completely replaced, DIY with OEM parts, the front and parts of rear suspension. The front struts and rear shocks were gone, as well as the front control arm bushings (2nd set) suspension. Replaced with Meyle HD bushings (bushings only) and Sachs shocks and struts. I was surprise to see that my rear shocks (factory original) were Bilstein (with BMW logo) not Sachs.

Drives like new again.