Finally solved the front end clunk on my $500 BMW E46. Quick and Easy fix for a very common problem that all of these BMWs have, hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to subscribe for more content
This one I got from a coworkers brother, I actually got another one for $500 off Craigslist too. Have a bunch of content covering both on my channel :)
I just bought an F36 435i Gran Coupe and I’m getting exactly the same thing! I’ve been trying to figure out where to look and this gave me an idea as to where to look. Thanks for posting this!
Trick I figured out when I did mine, use a ratcheting tie down strap and wrap it around the control arm the CAB and a piece of wood to protect the bushing. This will hold the CAB in place for hammering and will prevent the CAB from backing off. Hit it a bit then tighten the strap, repeat until seated.
Now you just need to swap every single gasket, tubing, bushing, pipe, sensor and line then its good to go. Fr though no ones buying a car for 500 unless its for the love of the game. Hope its being a fun project for you and you havent had to oursource too much of it. Youre doing gods work keeping one more of these beauties in circulation.
Lolol you’re not wrong! I do it for the love of wrenching and keeping these old BMWs on the road but this car surprisingly didn’t need much! Sounds like you’d like my longer form content, I have loads of videos on this E46 and another one too. Both cost $500 each.
lol I had mines for 2 months found out the subframe was cracked and immediately got rid of it. I wish I would’ve fixed it and zf8 or manual swapped it then turbo’d it but I was boring at the time :(
I recommend poly bushing for control arm even if the car is not going to be used to drive hard…there easier to install and last forever … also a performance mod they feel so much more solid
Wow I think you just made a 1 min DIY on replacing that bush. Good editing with before and after 👍 Keep up the good work and can’t wait for the next video!
That was the goal! Every part of me wanted to go long form for the regular audience, but hoping CZcams shorts will get me out to more people :) fire season is coming soon
@@DayOffDIY Im sure I watched a video a few months back that did a test on using shorts for a month and he came to the conclusion that they expanded his reach by about 20%. So it’s not a bad idea to make a few from time to time and if you make them like this where its a different video and not just taking 1min from a video your audience has seen, I think it will do well. 👍 Do you have a CZcams plan in place for fire season? Maybe films 5 videos and upload 1 or 2 a week to give yourself some room to breathe
Meyle HD is the only brand of suspension parts that should go on these. They are better than factory and will last almost 2x the lenght. I changed the bushings + the A arms + steering rods and front shocks. It drives better than new right now
I used Meyle once and honestly ? Never again please.... lasted barely a year even though I avoid potholes like mine fields. Rear shock absorber lasted 2 years
I used to be the one charging those prices too! Book time on these bushings is like 2-3 hours if im not mistaken, parts and labor can be over $500!!! for a 30 minute job
Yeah, man same, great car, lots of problems, and don't have ridiculous amounts of money on a student salary. I just started learning it all myself because shops were gonna charge me almost 2 grand ($1700) to replace control arms 🤦♂️
@@johnnychimpo7539they really aren't that expensive to repair. I picked up my e46 for 600 about 6 months ago and all it needed to drive was a valve cover gasket and a battery and it still needs work but I have only put like 400$ into it. Older BMWs really aren't that expensive to work on however I will say I'm not always using OEM but everything I have used has worked great
Lower control arms are always very fun to fight with. My mazda 5 had bad ones and the issue is the bolts holding them on get stuck and cannot be removed by the time is showing signs of damage.
Use a puller to remove the control arm bushings. As far as install goes, dawn soap works great, you should be able to push the cab with your bare hands without having to hammer it on
Wish it was so...I spent hours trying to get my bushings on...used everything.... Everything...and even asked for help..and the help couldn't get it done...best thing was using a quick grip hand grip to get it to seed. One of the worst... longest experiences working on this car I've had in ten years of ownership...granted...if my car was on a lift instead of on ramps..it wouldn't have been so hard...a lift is everything in saving backaches and headaches
I paid $500 for 2004 325Ci auto coupe it had disa- flap, fix 5 min, car did great. Going back to my 2000 323Ci manual coupe i did this to it. I did alot equal length headers, ram air, knN filter. Bad ass clutch, i was going going to put a LSd with taller gears and a 6 speed. But I got a e90 and e92 335i, still have the 2008 e92 335i i used the e90 for parts.
they do leak sometimes, ill have to try the meyle next time. i recommend these because they come with the bracket replacement so i dont have to press them out
Btw, the control arm bushings aren’t “hydraulic” it’s a solid rubber. The motor mounts may be but last time mine broke they were not filled or dirty around the area so not sure
@@DayOffDIY I found it’s a silicone lube. No wonder they break so often and never showed oil, of course rubber degrades from oil exposure. I’ve also done many in the 10 years probably thousands and haven’t seen one leak only engine mounts. Very very strange.
Great job! The brand is named Lemförder with the vowel 'ö'. It is not an 'o'. The two dots on top matter and signal that it is not an 'o'. If it would be an 'o' - why would they misspell their own brand name?
I like glass cleaner because it lubricates the bushing for install, but it evaporates so the bushing will be dry after install. If I used lubricant it would potentially allow the control arm to slip or move inside the bushing
Bro please reply back … I have an e60 … I’m here going to spend 600 for control arm kit . I’m having that same exact issue but i also think I should actually buy whole new set since I do plan on keeping this car on the long run .
I loved my e46 but god damn after 100k miles it’s just replacing one thing after another. You end up replacing more than what you paid for it. Sure miss the handling though
Bro around me (and I’m constantly on marketplace) you cant get an e46 with a stripped interior, rusted out body, and blown engine for less than a grand.
Bro where did you find an e46 that drives for 500 bucks
This one I got from a coworkers brother, I actually got another one for $500 off Craigslist too.
Have a bunch of content covering both on my channel :)
@@DayOffDIY that is awesome. I've been looking for that kind of bargain for a project lol. Your stuff is sweet!
@@efoff652 thanks Ashton, appreciate it!
Theyre all over in the bay.
@@rick503z what bay?
Good to see someone actually using Lemforder parts
Thanks! :)
Don’t judge me 😂
I just bought an F36 435i Gran Coupe and I’m getting exactly the same thing! I’ve been trying to figure out where to look and this gave me an idea as to where to look. Thanks for posting this!
they go bad just as fast if not faster on the F body chassis too! id definitely check the control arm bushings. Thanks for the comment!
The dog is like, should’ve bought me a house
LOL shop dog in training
Trick I figured out when I did mine, use a ratcheting tie down strap and wrap it around the control arm the CAB and a piece of wood to protect the bushing. This will hold the CAB in place for hammering and will prevent the CAB from backing off. Hit it a bit then tighten the strap, repeat until seated.
Thats a great idea!
Worked for me as well.
Now you just need to swap every single gasket, tubing, bushing, pipe, sensor and line then its good to go.
Fr though no ones buying a car for 500 unless its for the love of the game. Hope its being a fun project for you and you havent had to oursource too much of it.
Youre doing gods work keeping one more of these beauties in circulation.
Lolol you’re not wrong! I do it for the love of wrenching and keeping these old BMWs on the road but this car surprisingly didn’t need much! Sounds like you’d like my longer form content, I have loads of videos on this E46 and another one too. Both cost $500 each.
The e46 was an amazing platform
one of my all time favorites!
Ahh my beloved E46. My first car was an M52 328ci and I had it up to 250k miles. Great car
Awesome! such great cars
lol I had mines for 2 months found out the subframe was cracked and immediately got rid of it. I wish I would’ve fixed it and zf8 or manual swapped it then turbo’d it but I was boring at the time :(
still learning how to diagnose from feel when driving and this video helped me spot my own control arm going back. thanks man
Happy to hear that Nathan!
THANK YOU! That's the clunk I keep hearing on mine
I hope this helps! :)
Always love ur content. Love your pup too
Thanks Freg! Really appreciate it, I just gave Sage some pets for ya
More pets for sage
Pry bar makes it so simple. Someone showed me that trick years ago. I used spray nine, but I see that glass cleaner works well also
Love the pry bar trick!
That design is very smart! Love it
luckily its easy to replace too
You a very informative scholastic artist 🏆😎. Ty bro for your intelligence 👌
Thank you Harold!!!
I recommend poly bushing for control arm even if the car is not going to be used to drive hard…there easier to install and last forever … also a performance mod they feel so much more solid
i like poly but theyre too stiff for my taste, i like the factory softer feel
What a cute little doggo you got there :)
Shes the cutest, growing up quick!
Wow I think you just made a 1 min DIY on replacing that bush. Good editing with before and after 👍
Keep up the good work and can’t wait for the next video!
That was the goal! Every part of me wanted to go long form for the regular audience, but hoping CZcams shorts will get me out to more people :) fire season is coming soon
Thanks Phantom, you’re the best
@@DayOffDIY Im sure I watched a video a few months back that did a test on using shorts for a month and he came to the conclusion that they expanded his reach by about 20%. So it’s not a bad idea to make a few from time to time and if you make them like this where its a different video and not just taking 1min from a video your audience has seen, I think it will do well. 👍
Do you have a CZcams plan in place for fire season? Maybe films 5 videos and upload 1 or 2 a week to give yourself some room to breathe
@@DayOffDIY Almost 1000 views already! 🎉
@@PhantomZore so far so good :)
Meyle HD is the only brand of suspension parts that should go on these.
They are better than factory and will last almost 2x the lenght.
I changed the bushings + the A arms + steering rods and front shocks. It drives better than new right now
Ill have to give em a try
I used Meyle once and honestly ? Never again please.... lasted barely a year even though I avoid potholes like mine fields. Rear shock absorber lasted 2 years
Instant sub, I have an e46 that needs a lotta work and I don’t have the $100,000 the shops want to do it 🤦🏻♂️
I used to be the one charging those prices too! Book time on these bushings is like 2-3 hours if im not mistaken, parts and labor can be over $500!!! for a 30 minute job
also thanks for the sub :)
Yeah, man same, great car, lots of problems, and don't have ridiculous amounts of money on a student salary. I just started learning it all myself because shops were gonna charge me almost 2 grand ($1700) to replace control arms 🤦♂️
Having same issue but different car. Was about to check other parts, but I think this might be where I need to start. Thank you 😊
always my first thing to look at on front end suspension
Done mine twice. The nappa ones are pretty good.
500 god damn.
Yea but needs 3k worth of maintenance and repairs minimum
@@johnnychimpo7539they really aren't that expensive to repair. I picked up my e46 for 600 about 6 months ago and all it needed to drive was a valve cover gasket and a battery and it still needs work but I have only put like 400$ into it. Older BMWs really aren't that expensive to work on however I will say I'm not always using OEM but everything I have used has worked great
my guy that mustache is🔥
thank you!!!
Lower control arms are always very fun to fight with. My mazda 5 had bad ones and the issue is the bolts holding them on get stuck and cannot be removed by the time is showing signs of damage.
Damn that’s a pain in the A$$. Luckily these didn’t fight me too hsrd
Great video sir, very informative. What are you doing to the breaks again
All I needed was glass cleaner????? I been get my hands greased up all this time for nothing 😂
lol, its my preferred lube for these
@@DayOffDIY that’s awesome I bet it dries up pretty decently too, so much less mess! Going to try this with my sway bar bushings 👌
Lol I used dish soap and it worked 😂
Best model bmw ever made.
agreed!
From the second you stated the symptoms,I knew it was the control arm bushings. Very typical problem in the E46 @ 65K miles or more
agreed! very common problem
Control arm, bushings, idler arm, bushings, ball joints, the whole shebang
no idler arms on these E46, rack and pinion setup
Use a puller to remove the control arm bushings. As far as install goes, dawn soap works great, you should be able to push the cab with your bare hands without having to hammer it on
thats always a good idea, ive done it this way for years with no issue.
ill have to try dish soap next time
@@DayOffDIY just make sure when you push it on you do it quickly and bolt it right back
Wish it was so...I spent hours trying to get my bushings on...used everything.... Everything...and even asked for help..and the help couldn't get it done...best thing was using a quick grip hand grip to get it to seed. One of the worst... longest experiences working on this car I've had in ten years of ownership...granted...if my car was on a lift instead of on ramps..it wouldn't have been so hard...a lift is everything in saving backaches and headaches
Good vid bro!
I paid $500 for 2004 325Ci auto coupe it had disa- flap, fix 5 min, car did great. Going back to my 2000 323Ci manual coupe i did this to it. I did alot equal length headers, ram air, knN filter. Bad ass clutch, i was going going to put a LSd with taller gears and a 6 speed. But I got a e90 and e92 335i, still have the 2008 e92 335i i used the e90 for parts.
Sounds like a badass car! you got good taste. E46s and E90s are my favorite 3 series hands down. anything after that im not a fan of
That’s looks good deal for 500 bucks now
Shes a great driver now
Nice! Its pretty, fix was easy and clunking is gone. Plus it was only 500.
very easy fix! cant turn down a $500 E46!
just learned if it’s the ball joint as well you have to replace the whole control arm with stock setup
Doing the bmw gods work. Thank you sir!
appreciate it ben!
@@DayOffDIY my pleasure! First of your vids I’ve seen and instantly love what you’re doing! Keep up the amazing content :)
bushing leaking? maybe the oil dripping from ccv valve on drivers side or even the oil filter housing gasket will leak down to it
They’re actually fluid filled bushings, many bmw chassis have em, from E46, E60s and E90s
@@DayOffDIY its just a bit of oil for dampening, just get a polyurethane and you wont deal with it.
the poly are a bit too stiff for my liking@@spikester550
Someone dumped that BMW because they were told the repair was thousands of dollars. Then people like us by them. Oh that’s an easy repair.
I had an e46 just like that one, same color. I miss that car tbh, even while building a 950whp f30.
Sounds like a badass F30!
They dont make em like they used to!
Looks like your $500 was well spent. Congrats!
Thanks Roger! I think so too
Great technique to get them off!
thanks! works the best
You made it look so easy man. Any experience on X5’s? I just got one from auction
The control arm bushings are more challenging on the X5, they need to be pressed out of the control arm, but not hard with the right tools
You know I've been thinking the clunk was my brakes but now that I've seen this I'll be checking the lollipops!
Try and shake your wheel if you have it off the ground and see if there is any play
Agreed! You should be able to have play front to rear
THANK YOU SO MUCH
Anytime you remove anything like that, you want to get it aligned. Especially if it's all wheel drive, or you'll go through tires real fast.
100%! always a good idea to align after control arm bushings
Recommend tire lube next time slides on way easier no hammer required
Good idea
I had an E46 but had to sell it as it wasn't developing power and was heavy on petrol.
That bushing is huge
yeah they wear out surprisingly quick too
That's a killer deal !!!!
“Buttery smooth” 😂😂😂😂
Buttery!!!!
I’ve been putting this off for 6months, I guess this is a sign
worth it after the work!
Leaking control arm bushings? They’re rubber
Theyre fluid filled from the factory actually.
had bad experience with lemforder, 2 sets in 5 years, they are filled with grease and they leak,, went with meyle HD and forgot they even there,,,
they do leak sometimes, ill have to try the meyle next time. i recommend these because they come with the bracket replacement so i dont have to press them out
Wow this genius 😂hope in don’t have to change mine but now I know
Now you know :)
I do wonder if using a hammer will damage the bushings.
Not a plastic soft blow mallet in my opinion
the control arm bushings don't leak
They do, they’re fluid filled. Look it up
@@DayOffDIY thats why im going with the meyle hd ones or even powerflex poly bushings cause the lemforder ones are the only ones with liquid in them
Good Fix
Thanks
Glass cleaner you say is that extra good?
I like it to lubricate the bushing for installation, but it evaporates so it doesn’t stay lubricated afterwards
Best car i ever had
theyre my favorite daily!
*best car ever
thats an insane deal.
it really is! I scored. Its my daily driver and im only into it about 1500 bucks with the purchase price
Control arms leak?
Btw, the control arm bushings aren’t “hydraulic” it’s a solid rubber. The motor mounts may be but last time mine broke they were not filled or dirty around the area so not sure
No the bushings have fluid inside. I’ve done countless control arm bushings, they are fluid filled.
@@DayOffDIY I found it’s a silicone lube. No wonder they break so often and never showed oil, of course rubber degrades from oil exposure. I’ve also done many in the 10 years probably thousands and haven’t seen one leak only engine mounts. Very very strange.
Control arm bushings don’t leak
theyre actually fluid filled inside of the rubber casting. give it a google. lots of BMW models use that same design
Yeah, they do. But maybe not on your Honda.
And you get a beautiful Car ,I am jealous of you
thanks! shes driving great
Yes, but what about ball joint? It is usually dead as well.
sometimes they do go out! on this one they still have some life. front end is tight!
Great job! The brand is named Lemförder with the vowel 'ö'. It is not an 'o'. The two dots on top matter and signal that it is not an 'o'. If it would be an 'o' - why would they misspell their own brand name?
Thanks for the correction! I really do appreciate it mate
So what's the glass cleaner for?
Lubricates the control arm to hammer on the rubber bushing, after install it evaporates so the bushing doesn’t stay lubricated
THAT'S MY CAR. DUDE YOU TOLD ME IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET & THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THAT'S FUCKED UP.
That’s why you’re blocked
How much it cost to fix it? With labour and without
Less than $80 bucks for just the parts no labor, at a shop I’d guess 2-300
Can anyone tell me what is the difference between break clean and glass clean
brake cleaner is for cleaning brakes, oils, grease etc... glass cleaner, just for glass
Thank you.😮
Thanks for the comment
there is a certain measurement how far these bushing have to be on the control arm, at least bmw says so.
yeah i try to check the previous bushing to where it sits before removing but ive never measured
That's a bargain. My friend once paid $562 with a fckd up master cylinder. He never picked it up😅😂😂
damn! lol
yeah it was a score
A Likely Story......
Trust arm bushings. Easy
very easy on this chassis
have the sam problem but i just changed the bush to fix it still no fix
You got an E46?
@@DayOffDIY yes
@@sha31dow10 how do the strut mounts look?
That bushing that u fixed is just one of the many motherf ing problems this BMW will throw at you. Bring More Wallet BMW 😂
It never ends!!!
Wait a minute did you say glass cleaner 🧐please tell me more
I like glass cleaner because it lubricates the bushing for install, but it evaporates so the bushing will be dry after install. If I used lubricant it would potentially allow the control arm to slip or move inside the bushing
@@DayOffDIY I see what you are saying and it doesn't leave a residue that collect dust.. I'll try that from now on my go to has always been armor Al
@@tyerambo7963 no residue. Armor all sounds like it would work decent, it kinda dries out after a long time
Leaking control arm bushes?😎 ok
theyre actually fluid filled on lots of BMWs , give it a search on the ol interweb
Yes. Leaking control arm bushings. German cars are fluid filled bushings on most models.
This is just great
Thanks Anthony!
Very cool.
thanks!
@@DayOffDIY you are very welcome.
Spraynine and a big pair of channel locks.
thatd work too!
@@DayOffDIY I'm an old BMW tech that made a lot of money on E46s. I enjoyed your video. Keep it up!
thanks friend! appreciate the support
And now i get to ALL the oil leaks
This one is surprisingly dry! all thats left is oil pan
Nice
Control arms are *LEAKING* ?
yeah theyre fluid filled actually
@@DayOffDIY Interesting, never heard of before. Thanks for sharing :)
I knew as soon as you said clunk when brake control arm and or bushings
you know it!
Love these youtube videos where people lie about what they paid for cars.
That’s the real purchase price, and actually the second E46 I’ve found for $500 in the last 6 months :)
Bushings leak?...
yeah factory bushings are fluid filled on lots of BMW models.
Leaking bushes?
correct, theyre fluid filled from factory
@@DayOffDIY never heard of that. Thank you.
Lollipop bushings for future reference
they have lots of names
Bro please reply back … I have an e60 … I’m here going to spend 600 for control arm kit . I’m having that same exact issue but i also think I should actually buy whole new set since I do plan on keeping this car on the long run .
E60 control arm bushings are more challenging to replace, replacing the arm is a good move
@@DayOffDIY I have someone saying it might be just the link bars ?
@@thanlorenzo1422 hard to say without physically looking at the car
@@DayOffDIY thanks for replying
I loved my e46 but god damn after 100k miles it’s just replacing one thing after another. You end up replacing more than what you paid for it. Sure miss the handling though
It sure can feel like that sometime, I know, one thing after the other, but eventually they hold together for a while lol!
Wow 500$ wish I could find a deal like that
thank you :)
My man...! Just like me!
Leaking? Glass cleaner?
some BMW bushings are fluid filled, glass cleaner to lubricate the arm but evaporate after
@@DayOffDIY never knew that been working on bikes 30 years learn something new
_Doggo 🌟_
shes the cutest :)
Please take my advice and get the powerflex bushings!! They will last a lifetime. Normal ones don't last a year !
Im open to trying them, are they Poly?
@@DayOffDIY Yes
You still got a steal
I scored, peep my channel for another $500 BMW im working on
Bro around me (and I’m constantly on marketplace) you cant get an e46 with a stripped interior, rusted out body, and blown engine for less than a grand.
I hear ya, its been hard to find another one, I consider myself lucky!
Leaking?