Have Braking vibration, Brake shop says lower bushings???
 

Ok I have a 2003 X5 119,000 mi I had the front brakes done about 3 months ago well all was fine, but in the last few weeks the steering wheel started to vibrate when I press on the brakes. So I took it back thinking it was the brake job warped rotor or jammed caliper etc....

They brake tech told me to come out and he was slowly back and forwarding the car with light braking and the wheels were shimming a little bit. He said it is the most likely the lower bushings (I think he means the lower control arm bushings) He also said this is common.

Is this true??? And what is the average cost of replacing this? And do you guys think this is a logical diagnosis?

Please help!!!

My rotors were replaced by the previous owner at the dealer 10K miles ago and I had the same problem. Dealer also said bushings. I replaced them and it fixed about 75% of the problem. I think the last 25% is still warped rotors. I plan to pull them off some weekend and have them turned. It shouldn't take much though.

Well I really dont think its the rotors.... Like I said I just got a complete front brake job 3 months ago.. Plus when he was moving the rig back and forth I could see the wheels shimming each time he pressed the brakes so it has to be something with the suspension I would say.

How much did the dealer rape you on the bushing job? Was it the lower control arm bushings?

Thanks

He's probably right, though looks can be deceiving. The E46 3-series has massive fore-aft wheel movement in the wheel well under braking. A friend pointed it out one day and I had him drive slowly and brake so I could see it. It blew my mind. And I had new bushings on it. But these are Germans, if there is one thing I trust them with it's suspension design.

I did the bushings myself. I have a press. I was able to protect the dust boots on the ball joints so I didn't replace those. Bushings were $140 for two fromk the dealer. Let me know how much you have to pay. I think the dealer quoted me $500 or something after the alignment, which I didn't do.

did your mechanic replace both upper and lower bushings? if not, then most likely it will need the upper bushings replaced to take care off the remaining 25%.

Good point. I'm surprised the dealer didn't recommend that, they just said the lowers needed replacement. If there's one thing I count on them for it's to find opportunities to take the customer's money. I'll look there next.

I've been reading up on this as I too have the steering wheel shimmy on my '02 4.4 and a buddy of mine watched me hit the brakes a couple of times and noticed the wheel assembly shudder and move back so I know it's the bushings, now just have to figure out whether to replace the whole bunch or just the control arms to start with.

Here's a great video ( YouTube - BMW Control Arm Bushing Failure ) on the E46 which has the same issue, that movement is NOT normal and not the design of the car. The STRENGTH of the suspension isn't necessarily a strong point for BMW. They've had issues throughout their history of under-engineered components as it relates to longevity. Just ask an E46 or Z3 owner about their rear-subframe!

Don't get me wrong, they know how to hard-wire a car to the driver's brain and that's why I've owned so many BMW's and will continue to do so!

Interesting, I don't have the car anymore, but I thought it did it even after I put bushings on it. I also have noticed that on the new Audi commercial where the kid says "I have been told to dream about red Italian sportscars", at the end of the commercial an R8 comes down a hill outside of the kid's window, and when it comes to a stop, there is a lot of fore/aft wheel movement on that car as well. I will have to watch this more closely.

As for the vibration, I finally took a closer look at mine only to find that the X doesn't have upper control arms! I had the rotors turned for $20, and the vibration is gone.

Had the same issue, replaced front Control arms on both sides. Pretty easy job, shop wanted $1000, bought parts for $150, took about 2.5 hrs. Worth doing it yourself.

My $70 Harbor Freight 12 Ton press was probably one of the biggest cost saving tools I have ever bought. I pressed in front wheel bearings and ball joints on my RSX this last weekend.

if youhave 119,000 miles on your x and u never replaced tension strut bushings or lower control arm bushings or the four balljoints then u def got your moneys worth. get some new parts and the shimmy will disappear

I think it varries, mine was vibrating but after replacing the rotors and brakes, it went away.

I also think one can contribute to the other. I don't think my rotors would have pulsated at 10K miles if my bushings were not worn. But (I believe) patterns develop in the rotor due to the suspension movement that stick around after the bushings are replaced. All I know is my pulse is gone after the rotor turn.

i'm about to undertake this project on my x5...did you need a balljoint remover? or did the tension strut arm just come out easily? Did you replace the ball joints too?

thanks
franklin

Need to take on this project as well on my 4.8is. Can someone point out the part numbers in the realoem drawing below.

I would like to replace all the bushings up front.





http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/f/b/193.png

Part # 7 and part # 11...

^^^^^^^^^ thank you.

What is the tension strut bushing? Is it 7 or 11?

tension strut is seven. needs replacing when front end shimmies under braking around 50-60mph

I have an 00 4.4 I replaced all 4 of the arms bushings and ball joints and I still have a shutter putting new brembo rotors on this weekend hopfully this cures it, but definitly worth doing this job yourself

Those were my exact symptoms, vibration only when slowing from above 60 mph. I didn't touch the tension arm, and my vibrations are gone. I will replace tension arm bushings when I feel I need to replace all four ball joints, but for now it feels fine. (86K miles)

This is a little late, but yes, you will need a balljoint remover. You can buy one cheap at checker or any autoparts store.

Do the new bushings need to be pressed in? What is the procedure to do so?

The repair center I went to today said I needed to replace the front bushings as well. Wanted $315 in labor and $104 in parts.

The owner said to use the OEM busings and not the polyurethane. He installed the poly on a customers car and the customer complained the car rode rough afterwards and had him change them out.

Anyone else use poly bushings?

I have the exact same problem. You'll find one or two posts out there from me as well.

Thanks to a ton of useful info from this board, talking with several mechanics, and e-mailing with Dave Zeckhausen (Ze brake guy!)... Here's what I've concluded:
- The 5 series, including the X5 uses the suspension design pictured in the post reply above, including that lower front tension strut with the rubber bushing (#7) up front. The 5 series, as it turns out, is famous for this front end shudder problem.
- My Z3's do not have this exact same design. The struts come from different directions and the McPherson shock strut comes down lower on the steering assembly and has three points of contact.
- All rubber bushings wear out, on all cars. BMWs are no exception. The Z3's vertically mounted rear subframe rubber bushings wear out and make the car corner loose at the rear. I noticed the X5 has a MUCH more massive rubber bushing system on the rear.
- It just depends on where BMW slightly under engineered the car's bushing design. So the X's most vulnerable spot are these front most bushings, with the upper bushings (#11) being second.
- The X will eventually shudder on its own just by wearing out the bushings.
- BUT.. after market low dust brake pads will bring it on much faster. This is because the low dust pads... are low dust for a reason. They're not biting into the rotors hardly at all, which means the rotor and the pads build up UNEVEN brake deposits (you want deposits... just evenly dist).
- The brakes cause a grab, slip, grab, slip, grab, slip which the front end.. even with slightly worn bushings.. just loooves.. and converts that into a massive steering wheel vibration.
- My Z3's use the same low dust pads. They are having few to no problems. This is because of the different susp design.
- Replace the bushings and were good, right? Maybe. Depends on the pads you are using and the degree of uneven deposits.
- Even if it does, the un-even deposits are going to shorten the life of the new bushings.
- If I sand my brake pads a bit. problem solved. But Dave say do NOT do this.
- SOlution; go to a slightly dustier pad. If you have a low mileage X with good bushings, this should probably do it. If you have a worn bushings, you'll probably have to do both.

I've decided to do the pads first, then wait and see. If I still have chudder, then I'll replace the bushings.

Dave mentioned his are shot too, but doesn't want to go to urethane bushings due to the harsher ride he's read about.

Turnaround, that was very well written, thanks!

I am having a similar issue when braking at 40+mph I jacked up the and it seems to be loose only at the hub/ wheel bearing. It's like the rotor is loose everything else is super tight and snug. I am also getting the rattle from the dust shield that is on the hub. Any ideals???

Probably the wheel bearing if the dust shield is making noise since the hub appears to be hitting the dust shield.