Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Sir Tigger KC on 06 May 2017, 08:24:43

Title: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 06 May 2017, 08:24:43
So I'm getting the familiar judder when braking on my 99 BMW 530d and think its the front suspension arm bushes have worn.  :-\

I can get a set of front arms for about £90 or a set of front poly bushes for £55. 

Anyone here know whether these react well to polybushing like the Omega or should I fit new complate arms?  ???

TIA!  :y
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: JasonH on 06 May 2017, 16:55:43
The E60 is a lot better with polybushes, so I suspect the E39 will be too.

The polybushes were a real pig to get in though.
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: Fraggles Rock on 06 May 2017, 17:04:31
Fitted new arms to mine. Straightforward enough, but be mindful of not pressing the support bushes from the hub carrier...

Personally I would fit polys to new arms if you're that way inclined... They're aluminium and soft as soap compared to Omega arms. ;)
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: aaronjb on 08 May 2017, 10:02:37
I bought cheap arms from eBay - a complete set for a similar price to that (all four arms, plus TREs) for the E64..

The bushes delaminated after about ~1500 miles.

It now has a set of Lemforder arms - £90 each.

Poly the originals or buy decent, I'd say..
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 08 May 2017, 10:50:41
Polybushing the originals was what I first had in mind, but then given the arms are aluminium rather than steel, I wondered if that was a good idea?  :-\

I don't want the arm to snap!  :o  ;D

I've seen those cheap arm kits on ebay from Dr G's favourite German factor?  I assumed they're made of cheese to be honest!  ::)
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 08 May 2017, 11:00:07
You can get Meyle HD arms for these which have the 4 year warranty
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 08 May 2017, 11:50:03
Polybushing the originals was what I first had in mind, but then given the arms are aluminium rather than steel, I wondered if that was a good idea?  :-\

I don't want the arm to snap!  :o  ;D

I've seen those cheap arm kits on ebay from Dr G's favourite German factor?  I assumed they're made of cheese to be honest!  ::)
No prizes for guessing where mine came from... Seem to be solid enough, done about a thousand miles on them so far and no grumbles. Got the track rods and droplinks included set. That said I only replaced them due to the wheel arch liner cutting a notch in one arm. Handling is obviously a little tighter due to fresh bushes though.
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 08 May 2017, 14:26:15
The other thing with poly bushing it, front end kit is around £170 :-\
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 08 May 2017, 16:28:27
I had a CBA moment earlier and booked it in.....  :o  :-X  :-[  ;D
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 08 May 2017, 16:32:43
I had a CBA moment earlier and booked it in.....  :o  :-X  :-[  ;D
Squeak said the mouse ;D
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: TheBoy on 08 May 2017, 18:59:16
The other thing with poly bushing it, front end kit is around £170 :-\
Priced up complete front and rear poly set for the black cat. £680. OUCH!!
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: Fraggles Rock on 08 May 2017, 20:11:34
The other thing with poly bushing it, front end kit is around £170 :-\
Priced up complete front and rear poly set for the black cat. £680. OUCH!!
E39 is nearer £800 if you do all of them... suffice to say, I didn't bother ::)
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: dbug on 09 May 2017, 00:09:07
The other thing with poly bushing it, front end kit is around £170 :-\
Priced up complete front and rear poly set for the black cat. £680. OUCH!!

No warranty Jaime?  Just had my fronts replaced on my cat due to slight splitting FOC  ;)
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: TheBoy on 09 May 2017, 16:46:53
The other thing with poly bushing it, front end kit is around £170 :-\
Priced up complete front and rear poly set for the black cat. £680. OUCH!!

No warranty Jaime?  Just had my fronts replaced on my cat due to slight splitting FOC  ;)
Its a silly warranty, won't cover wear and tear, and bushes are a service item really.

Personally, I refused to pay for the warranty, so I didn't pay for it. But they included it anyway.


Also, I don't want any mongrels touching the thing, only people I trust.  So dealer/specialist will only change oil annually for the stamp...  ...*IF* I decide to keep up "official" history, which I might not, as its a keeper. Next owner might well be scrapyard ;)
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: tunnie on 09 May 2017, 16:53:42
The other thing with poly bushing it, front end kit is around £170 :-\
Priced up complete front and rear poly set for the black cat. £680. OUCH!!

No warranty Jaime?  Just had my fronts replaced on my cat due to slight splitting FOC  ;)
Its a silly warranty, won't cover wear and tear, and bushes are a service item really.

Personally, I refused to pay for the warranty, so I didn't pay for it. But they included it anyway.


Also, I don't want any mongrels touching the thing, only people I trust.  So dealer/specialist will only change oil annually for the stamp...  ...*IF* I decide to keep up "official" history, which I might not, as its a keeper. Next owner might well be scrapyard ;)

I'm surprised you did not use the forum resident car dealer?
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: TheBoy on 09 May 2017, 16:58:02
The other thing with poly bushing it, front end kit is around £170 :-\
Priced up complete front and rear poly set for the black cat. £680. OUCH!!

No warranty Jaime?  Just had my fronts replaced on my cat due to slight splitting FOC  ;)
Its a silly warranty, won't cover wear and tear, and bushes are a service item really.

Personally, I refused to pay for the warranty, so I didn't pay for it. But they included it anyway.


Also, I don't want any mongrels touching the thing, only people I trust.  So dealer/specialist will only change oil annually for the stamp...  ...*IF* I decide to keep up "official" history, which I might not, as its a keeper. Next owner might well be scrapyard ;)

I'm surprised you did not use the forum resident car dealer?
Why? He didn't have what I wanted.

I've been looking out for what I wanted since last summer, so imagine my frustration when I saw it, only to find it was sold by the private owner. Fortunately, it came up for sale again a few days later by a pikey trader.
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: tunnie on 09 May 2017, 17:10:01
Thought he would have sourced the auctions, that said when I was looking, the auction prices were higher than the dealer I was at.
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: TheBoy on 09 May 2017, 17:11:42
Thought he would have sourced the auctions, that said when I was looking, the auction prices were higher than the dealer I was at.
Who said he or I didn't ;)
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: tunnie on 09 May 2017, 17:13:50
Thought he would have sourced the auctions, that said when I was looking, the auction prices were higher than the dealer I was at.
Who said he or I didn't ;)

Odd the auctions not proving fruitful these days, had a few calls with Josh and went over spec-age miles etc. The one that I ended up buying was considerably cheaper than ones that week which had gone through auction. Which had more miles, older and less spec  :-\
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: TheBoy on 09 May 2017, 17:15:49
I was looking for the impossible. Had to be Portfolio for the seats and the dual view screen. I wanted black with dark interior (rare as rocking horse...), with the rarely ticked rear blind option.

The auction prices weren't cheaper enough to warrant the risk either.
Title: Re: BMW E39 Front Arms
Post by: dbug on 09 May 2017, 23:36:17
The other thing with poly bushing it, front end kit is around £170 :-\
Priced up complete front and rear poly set for the black cat. £680. OUCH!!

No warranty Jaime?  Just had my fronts replaced on my cat due to slight splitting FOC  ;)
Its a silly warranty, won't cover wear and tear, and bushes are a service item really.

Personally, I refused to pay for the warranty, so I didn't pay for it. But they included it anyway.


Also, I don't want any mongrels touching the thing, only people I trust.  So dealer/specialist will only change oil annually for the stamp...  ...*IF* I decide to keep up "official" history, which I might not, as its a keeper. Next owner might well be scrapyard ;)

Agreed, but as mine's low milage I argued with the dealer that it was premature failure, and Jag warranty authorised the repair and paid up.  The warranty is like all extended warranties, but if you are prepared to argue with Jaguar warranty, they will quite often back down.