Wheel bearings don't wear they can last literally a million miles. Almost exclusively damage from impact (pot holes etc). They are not a maintenance item keep the extra as a spare you are exactly as likely to need to replace the same one you just replaced as the other side.

Also I've done about ten of those on car replace, search for my threads on the subject. I don't get on xo often anymore but if you pm I think I get an email notice so I can check in.

Good to hear from you Andrew. Was just thinking about you yesterday and that I hadn't seen a post from you in some time. I don't post as much nowadays either, but it's nice to see you, OB, Prop, and others still posting.

As for the E53... haven't been doing much mechanically. But have been working on the audio system. Finished up my sub install, rear fill (Infinity Reference 2 way components), and sound deadening the rear doors. Came out very nicely and now I'm pretty satisfied with the resulting audio after some tuning of the AudioControl DSP. Still need to track down a small engine/alternator whine in the system, but it hasn't bothered me too much to pursue it in depth.

Attachment 83018

Still going to make a beauty board for the front at some point but it's always hard to find time to work on things that are currently working well. All the broken stuff around the cars and house take priority... :dunno:

Attachment 83019 Attachment 83020

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All the doors sound like bank vaults now. Probably added 5-10lbs of deadener to each one. Also wrapped all the harnesses is 2 different Tesa tapes to prevent any door rattles.

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Factory speaker harnesses and a protective capacitor were soldered on to these before installation.

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And the obligatory E53 door repair and preventative maintenance of all the plastics.

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Is Lemforder a good brand for replacement bushings? It looks like "Corteco" is the OEM but I have never heard of them. I thought Lemforder and Meyle HD were pretty OK and they are half the price.



Likewise... Lemforder or TRW for ball joints?



I am specifically speaking of the tension strut. I will do the bushings and the ball joint at the same time.

I've used Lemforder and Meyle. Both are good. I replaced the bushing on the tension strut with poly. Lifetime warranty and there isn't a chance no you can damage them by tightening them incorrectly.

Changed the transmission fluid and filter. Pan gasket was leaking, so had to take it off anyway. Good I did, the fluid was pretty dark. Lots of metal "paste" on the magnet. No metal chunks. 271,000 miles and still going strong.

I have just short of 100K miles on my Meyle HD tension bushings... and I live in Detroit, where the roads are worse than most of the 3rd world countries I have visited

But when I replace bushings on BMW I look for Meyle/Lemforder as they are OEM to BMW, maybe not that exact application, but they dont make junk

I dont believe TRW is OEM to BMW at all, so...

Yeah but they are outrageously priced! $87 plus shipping for two poly bushings? $72 for two solid poly sway bar bushings??? That is twice the price of an OEM from FCPEuro (with lifetime warranty). Why are poly bushings so expensive for BMWs? They cost almost nothing on other cars I have owned.

Only $87? Cheap! ;)

Poly' can get very spendy... Down here a set of four rear sub-frame bushes, in polyurethane, run about NZ$800 (AUD$730)!!

https://powerflexaustralia.com.au/ro...-chassis-bush/

You don't need to put poly on the sway bars. Really, the one place to use them is on the tension struts. They're under the highest loads. Yes, if you buy standard ones from FCP they have a lifetime warranty. I've made use of that warranty. Most likely though, you will never have to replace the poly bushings. Even if FCP sends you new bushings under warranty, you have to spend money to send them back. And you have to spend the time changing the bushings.

How much difference did they make when you added them (the tension strut bushings)? I agree they will probably last longer and be easier to install too.



I found this other brand which is a bit cheaper. Are their "radius arm" bushings the same as the tension strut? https://psbushings.com/product-category/bmw/x5/x5-e53/