DIY bmw e39 suspension repair

The German concern BMW has existed since 1916, many of the company's car models are extremely popular all over the world, and some car brands have become even legends. BMW suspensions are distinguished by their softness and comfort, but some Russian car owners note that certain elements of the chassis are not very reliable.

However, Russian roads are not of good quality either; in Europe there are much fewer complaints about the "running" of BMW cars.

On different brands of cars, the suspension has a different design, and the more expensive and solid the car, the more complex it is. In this article, we will look at the structure and characteristic "diseases" of the front and rear suspension of cars of various generations of BMW 5-series, as well as X5 SUVs.

The suspension in a passenger car is the connecting link between the car body and the road surface. Like any other car, BMW cars have front and rear suspensions, which contain damping elements, details that set the direction and level of stiffness.

BMW's suspension scheme is peculiar:

• unlike the standard MacPherson strut, a "multi-link" is installed on the front of the BMW;
• the rear suspension is also mainly multi-link, independent, with a leading rear axle, wheel drives (CV joints).

BMW's front suspensions cannot be called too simple, and the higher the class of the car, the more different elements can be in its chassis. As a rule, the suspensions on the machines of the German concern are multi-link; to facilitate the design, the levers are often made of aluminum. For example, you can consider the front suspension of a BMW 5-series car in the back of E34 (years of manufacture 1988-96), it includes:

• shock absorber struts - right and left;
• springs;
• upper shock absorber supports;
• anti-roll bar;
• upper and lower arms;
• transverse levers;
• stabilizer links;
• front wheel hubs with bearings;
• steel beam.

All the levers of the BMW front suspension have a pressed-in silent block on one side, and a hinge on the other. The multi-link suspension allows for a smooth ride and excellent handling. Of course, the multi-link design increases the comfort of the car, but such a suspension has its significant disadvantages:

• on bad roads, the silent blocks of the levers quickly break, the hinges fail;
• the cost of the parts is quite high and the front suspension is expensive to repair.

Repair is cheaper if you do not completely replace the levers, but only repress the silent blocks. There are many repairmen who also restore hinges. Often, car owners of BMW E34 buy "second-hand" levers at auto dismantlers or from advertisements in reserve - they drive one set of levers, and at this time give the other for restoration to a car repair shop. But remanufactured parts have a significantly shorter life than new ones.

The silent blocks of the upper levers are considered to be the weakest in the front suspension of a BMW; if the car is operated on bad roads, parts may fail at a run of 30 thousand km.

Since almost all BMW models are rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the rear axle of the vehicles is the leading one. Rear suspension BMW - independent, and also multi-link, it does not have that rigid body ("stocking") of the rear axle, which is so often used on many cars with rear wheel drive.

The rear suspensions of BMW on all models of cars may have structural differences, but the principle of operation is the same for them. The standard suspension includes the following parts:

• rear axle reducer;
• rear wheel drives (CV joints);
• springs;
• longitudinal levers;
• transverse levers;
• beam;
• shock absorbers;
• wheel hubs with bearings.

Structurally, the rear suspension of BMW, first of all, can differ in levers, for example, on a 3-series car in the body of an E46 or E36 there are two longitudinal, two lower and two upper wishbones, and the upper ones are made of aluminum (in the picture below - under number 9 ), and the springs rest on them.

The rear suspension of older cars, such as the BMW E30, is somewhat simpler in design - on each side of the wheel, there is one V-shaped arm with a platform for installing the springs. At one end of the lever structure, a wheel hub is attached, on the other side two silent blocks are pressed in, with the help of which the lever is connected to the rear beam through bolts with nuts.

BMW "five" in the back of E39 was produced by the German concern from 1996 to 2003, the car replaced the E34 model. On the "thirty-ninth" body, unlike its predecessor, an aluminum front beam was installed, and aluminum front suspension arms were also used. For the first time on cars of the 5th series (in the back of E39), instead of a steering gear, a steering rack was used, but not everyone liked this innovation - the rack was not very reliable, and caused a lot of complaints.

If the aluminum levers fail, they can be replaced with steel, made in China, but the quality of the parts is difficult to guarantee. On cars in the E39 body with V-shaped eight-cylinder engines, steel levers are installed, and they are more reliable than aluminum ones. Another problem in the BMW chassis - the ball joints change only as an assembly with levers.

The suspension of the BMW E39 does not differ in reliability in general; it requires repairs quite often. An even bigger trouble is that all original parts for the 39th are expensive, and non-original parts quickly break down.

The rear suspension of the E39 is multi-link, it does not tolerate Russian roads well. It has to change the levers quite often, and after each replacement, it is necessary to adjust the camber-toe-in. There are also disadvantages - the rear levers, just like the front ones, change only as an assembly, and the ball ones do not last long, the rear springs often break.

After the termination of the production of the BMW 5-series E39 in 2003, the German concern started the production of a new "five" in the back of the E60, and the car was produced until 2010. In the front suspension of this car, aluminum levers are also installed, and they do not always last long. But we should not forget that the suspension of the BMW E60 is very soft, it easily swallows any bumps on the roads, passengers and the driver in the cabin feel comfortable even when driving on very uneven roads. And since BMW is a high-speed car, many motorists like to "submerge" the gas pedal. Therefore, it is not surprising that the suspension begins to require repairs quickly enough.

The "disease" of the steering rack was transmitted from the model in the back of the E39 to the BMW E60 - the steering mechanism also quickly fails. In general, the suspension itself on the E60 is more reliable than that of its predecessor - the stabilizer struts are the first to "die", but this usually happens not earlier than after 50 thousand km. Closer to the first hundreds of thousands of kilometers, the silent blocks of the lower front levers "surrender"

As in any other generation of the "five", BMW in the back of the E60 also had an "M" series, and the suspension of these cars is stiff. The driving performance of the BMW E60 M5 is excellent, but the suspension life is less. In cars in the Dynamic Drive E60 version, shock absorbers can quickly fail (already at a run of up to 50 thousand km), and replacement of parts is expensive.

The BMW X5 was produced by the Bavarians in three bodies - E53, E70 and F15. For the first time "X-Fifth" was presented to the public in 1999, it was developed on the basis of the well-known passenger model E39.The first generation brand was produced until 2006, and then the E53 was replaced by the second generation E70 SUV, which was produced until 2013. The crossover in the back of the F15 replaced the E70 model on the conveyor; it is being produced to this day.

The BMW X5 E53 SUV was produced with conventional or air suspension, moreover, the pneumatics could stand on the front and rear axles, or only at the rear. In the “front end”, the main disease of the E53 is the steering rack - it may not run even 100 thousand km without repair. On the BMW X5, the suspension "suffers" from the following diseases:

• the resource of the front levers is on average 20-25 thousand km, especially quickly they "end" if the car is operated on bad roads. But the fact is that the BMW X5 is still an SUV, so the owners of these cars spend a lot of money to repair the front suspension;
• The ball joints on the rear levers do not last long, and the ball joints are sold only assembled with levers.

There are many common and similar parts in the E39 and E53 suspension, the air suspension can travel up to one hundred thousand kilometers without repair. Although many elements in the undercarriage of BMW E39 and E53 cars are practically the same, the X-Fifth “swallows” bumps on the roads the best, rides more confidently.

The suspension of the X5 E70 is stronger than that of the BMW X5 E53 crossover, first of all it is necessary to change the front levers and steering rods, replacement is required after about 80-100 thousand km. Pneumatic elements on air suspension can fail at a mileage of 60 thousand km, the resource of hub bearings is about 60-80 thousand km.

According to the reviews of car owners, the suspension on the E70 SUV is stiff, and when driving on an uneven road, the passengers in the car are shaking well, the passengers in the rear seats especially feel the stiffness. But the owners of the BMW X5 E70 crossover are pleased with the fact that the suspension has become more refined, does not require repairs as often as on the previous model BMW X5 E53.

Everything about BMW 5 Series repair with your own hands: step-by-step instructions with photos, error codes and decoding in Russian, electrical diagrams.

Many connoisseurs of the famous BMW 5-ki with E39 body sooner or later face the problem of replacing shock absorbers and coil springs with new ones. This is primarily due to driving safety. But you should not rush to the service station right away, since the article will tell you how to do this with your own hands, without resorting to.

The braking system of a car is one of the main components of driving safety. The brakes should be revised regularly. Before we learn how to check the BMW E39 brake system ourselves, let's figure out what it consists of.

Owners of BMW E34 cars do not always enjoy a great ride in their car. The units and assemblies of these machines are not eternal, so they have to be periodically repaired. Some, noticing a minor breakdown, immediately run to various service stations, where they spend large sums of money, others try to do it on their own in their own garage. So .

Any part in the car can break down over time. Wheel bearings are no exception. Almost any owner of this car is capable of diagnosing and replacing hub bearings on a BMW in the back of E39 with his own hands.

According to the BMW E39 service manual, an oil change must be carried out either once a year or after a run of 15 thousand kilometers for gasoline engines and every 10 thousand for a diesel engine. Such recommendations are valid abroad. There is a small postscript in the manual: if the car is operated in difficult conditions, then the engine must be replaced.

Today, one of the most popular BMW models is the E39 of the fifth series. Despite the fact that it was discontinued in 2004, these cars can still be seen in large numbers on Russian roads.

The fourth generation of the fifth BMW model (E39) was equipped with three types of head units (GU) for the audio system.In the basic configuration, the GU had a radio tape recorder and a radio receiver. For the business configuration, a CD player and a radio broadcast receiver were installed. A multimedia system with navigation was installed in the BMW E39 with expensive options.

Quite often you can hear complaints from the owners of the BMW E39 model (as well as E53) that the engine starts to overheat if the air conditioner is turned on, especially in hot weather, standing in a traffic jam. This occurs for several reasons.

The BMW E39 car, like most modern cars, is equipped with an anti-lock system (ABS). Its main task is to prevent complete locking of the wheels when braking in an emergency. The anti-lock braking system improves vehicle control when you press the brake pedal sharply, especially when cornering and during ice conditions. The ABS includes the following components: hydroelectronic.

Some vehicle owners have probably faced a situation where the car does not start, and the dashboard lights up and the starter turns the engine. There can be many reasons. The most harmless can be a malfunction of the fuel pump. He is responsible for supplying fuel from the tank to the engine. Almost everyone can check the operation of the gas pump. In this article .

Service and operation

Manuals ￫ BMW ￫ 5 (E39) (BMW 5)

Rear suspension General information Rear suspension 1 - wheel bracket 2 - shock absorber strut 3 - coil spring 4 - shock absorber 5 - anti-roll bar 6 - rear axle reduction gear 7 - transverse suspension arm 8 - drive shaft 9 - suspension beam 10 - direction. Removing and installing rear shock absorber Rear shock absorber 1 - shock absorber 2 - bolt 3 - lower spring cup 4 - protective cover 5 - compression buffer 6 - helical spring 7 - protective cup 8 - upper spring cup 9 - support 10 - nut 11 - plate 12 - nut. Disassembly of the shock-absorber strut Installation of the shock-absorber and the spring of the rear suspension is carried out in the same way as the installation of the shock-absorber and the spring of the front suspension, refer to Section Dismantling the shock-absorber strut / shock-absorber. Removal and installation of the coil spring. PERFORMANCE ORDER 1. When assembling the rear shock. Rear Suspension Air Damper An optional rear suspension air damper can be installed. 1 - air shock absorber 2 - air supply device 3 - right pipeline 4 - left pipeline 5 - bolt with a toothed ring The air shock absorber is a gas-filled combination.

1 - wheel bracket 2 - suspension strut 3 - coil spring 4 - shock absorber 5 - anti-roll bar

6 - rear axle reducer

7 - transverse suspension arm 8 - drive shaft 9 - suspension beam 10 - guide arm 11 - balancer

The rear suspension is a multi-link design with a subframe and double elastic suspension of the final drive. The wheels are guided by four wishbones that are elastically connected to the subframe. The subframe is also elastically connected to the body. In addition, the arms and drive wheels are geometrically positioned in such a way that they, together with the rubber mountings, create the effect of joint steering of the rear wheels and provide a precisely calculated adjustment of the steering angle of the rear wheels. This gives an advantage in traffic safety in all situations.

The rear suspension is entirely made of aluminum. Therefore, the requirements given in the Section Front suspension should be observed.

1. BMW 5 Series vehicles 1.0 BMW 5 Series vehicles 1.1 Vehicle identification numbers 1.2 Purchase of spare parts 1.3 Service technology, tools and workstation equipment 1.4 Jacking and towing 1.5 Starting the engine from an auxiliary power source 1.6 Checking the vehicle's readiness for operation 1.7 Automotive chemicals, oils and greases 1.8 Troubleshooting

2.Operating instructions 2.0 Operating instructions 2.1 Controls, instruments and warning lamps 2.2 Locking devices and anti-theft alarm 2.3 Interior equipment 2.4 Security systems 2.5 Refueling, starting and stopping the engine 2.6 Parking brake 2.7 Manual gearbox (RKPP) 2.8 Automatic transmission ( AT) * 2.9 Tempostat 2.10 Parking proximity alarm (PDC) * 2.11 Automatic stability control with traction control (ASC + T) 2.12 Electronic damping control (EDC) * and ride height adjustment 2.13 Lighting 2.14 Heating and ventilation systems 2.15 Automatic air conditioning * 2.16 Autonomous heating and ventilation systems 2.17 Self-diagnosis system * 2.18 Trip computer 2.19 Run-in 2.20 Catalytic converter 2.21 Anti-lock braking system (ABS) 2.22 Driving with a trailer 2.23 Roof rack 2.24 Car phone * 2.25 Radio reception 2.26 Headlight conversion 2.27 Hood 2.28 Car radio 2.29 Hi-Fi audio system with DSP * 2.30 Warning triangle * 2.31 First aid kit *

4. Engine 4.0 Engine 4.1. Engine repair procedures 4.2. Engine lubrication system

5. Cooling and heating systems 5.0 Cooling and heating systems 5.1. Cooling system 5.2. Heater 5.3. Air conditioner

6. Power supply systems and release 6.0 Power supply systems and release 6.1. Power supply system 6.2. Petrol engine injection system 6.3. Diesel engine power supply system 6.4. Exhaust system

7. Electrical equipment of the engine 7.0 Electrical equipment of the engine 7.1. Ignition system 7.2. Diesel engine preheat system 7.3. Charging and starting systems

8. Manual gearbox 8.0 Manual gearbox 8.1 Removal and installation of manual transmission and AT 8.2 Removal and installation of the gear lever

9. Automatic transmission 9.0 Automatic transmission 9.1 Removal and installation of automatic transmission 9.2 Adjustment of the gear shift drive 9.3 Checking the level and changing the automatic transmission oil

10. Coupling and drive shafts 10.0 Coupling and drive shafts 10.1. Coupling 10.2. Drive shafts

11. Brake system 11.0 Brake system 11.1 Anti-lock system 11.2 Removing and installing front brake pads 11.3 Removing and installing brake disc / front brake caliper 11.4 Removing and installing rear brake pads 11.5 Removing and installing rear brake calipers 11.6 Removing and installing rear brake disc 11.7 Measuring the thickness of the brake disc 11.8 Brake fluid 11.9 Bleeding the brake system 11.10 Replacing the brake lines 11.11 Replacing the front brake hose 11.12 Checking the vacuum brake booster 11.13 Removing and installing the parking brake pads 11.14 Adjusting the parking brake 11.15 Removing and installing the parking brake lever 11.16 Removing and installing parking brake cable 11.17 Checking and replacing the brake light switch

12. Suspension and steering 12.0 Suspension and steering 12.1. Forward suspension bracket 12.2. Back suspension bracket 12.3. Steering

For our own safety and peace of mind, we check the rear suspension. After inspection by the master, we decided to replace: worn out parts, although you can still drive. The rest of the silent blocks and suspension rods are in good condition and do not need replacement.

- all 4 rear suspension airbags

- rear brake pads - rear hand brake pads - hand brake cable (stretched) - rear brake pad wear sensor - complete replacement of brake fluid

- rear brake pad retainers

While I was driving for spare parts, the master removed the entire rear suspension, for the convenience of replacing the rear suspension airbags.

The rear differential is dry, no leaks, which pleases

At the same time, we looked at the condition of the bottom of the body, the result is that the patient is healthy

We managed to take out the pillows for today

Parts and his numbers that were in stock, pillows will arrive tomorrow.

rear brake pad wear sensor

rear hand brake pads

Continued in the second part.

Service and operation

Manuals ￫ BMW ￫ 5 (E39) (BMW 5)

1 - wheel bracket 2 - suspension strut 3 - coil spring 4 - shock absorber 5 - anti-roll bar

6 - rear axle reducer

7 - transverse suspension arm 8 - drive shaft 9 - suspension beam 10 - guide arm 11 - balancer

The rear suspension is a multi-link design with a subframe and double elastic suspension of the final drive. The wheels are guided by four wishbones that are elastically connected to the subframe. The subframe is also elastically connected to the body. In addition, the arms and drive wheels are geometrically positioned in such a way that they, together with the rubber mountings, create the effect of joint steering of the rear wheels and provide a precisely calculated adjustment of the steering angle of the rear wheels. This gives an advantage in traffic safety in all situations.

The rear suspension is entirely made of aluminum. Therefore, the requirements given in the Section Front suspension should be observed.

As you know, the strut consists of a shock absorber and a spring, and of additional elements that serve to enhance rigidity. Sooner or later, this suspension element has to be changed. In today's article, I propose to find out how to replace the front struts of a bmw e39. Yes, the owners of these cars can only be envied. After all, this is truly the embodiment of comfort, power and good handling. But at the same time, even on this car, over time, you have to deal with the replacement of shock absorbers. As we know, there is nothing eternal. In the article you can find out how to replace the front struts with your own hands. If you are not afraid of difficulties, then go ahead!

To remove the BMW E39 suspension strut, we perform the following steps:

• raise the front of your car with a jack and fix it in this position. We do not forget about safety, we substitute stops, we do not rely only on the jack;
• unscrew and remove the front wheel;
• using a second jack, it is necessary to raise and fix the transverse lever;
• we loosen the 3 nuts securing the shock absorber to the body. They are located in a convex wheel recess inside the engine compartment;
• the nut and bolt are loosened from the bottom of the rack;
• then we knock out the bolt and release the rack;
• the next thing to do is to slowly lower the jack, while simultaneously disengaging the steering knuckle from the rack.

What I wanted to focus on: on the rack, in addition to the three marked nuts, there is another one in the middle. So you don't need to unscrew it. Unscrew it only if it is supposed to replace individual parts of the rack. It is possible, in principle, to knock out the bolt by any means at hand, but at the same time you need to be careful not to damage it.

If you are going to replace the coil spring on the car in question, namely the BMW E39, you need to consider the following features:

• depending on the engine on your car, the springs of the shock absorbers may also differ;
• in addition, do not forget about the color coding of the springs - they cannot be swapped;
• in the absence of color, it is applied independently. The left and right springs should be marked with different colors;
• accordingly, different models have different springs.

It is important to take into account that when replacing the spring, various kinds of contamination should not get onto the rack. Also, the BMW E39 shock absorber can not be clamped in yews. To remove the spring, you need to use a special spring removal tool.

Next, consider the process of removing the spring:

• compress the spring until we see the support of the rack, which is located in the upper part, while it can be turned by hand;
• we loosen the nut holding the piston rod;
• then all parts of the upper support are removed;
• remove directly the spring itself;
• all dismantled parts are washed with flushing gasoline, cleaned and dried. Compressed air will come to our aid.

After parts have been rinsed and dried, make sure they are free of contamination. Next, they need to be carefully inspected and, if wear is detected on certain parts, they should be replaced. In fact, the spring and the strut of the BMW E39 have been disassembled. Then you can start replacing these suspension elements. If the piston rod has wear or the strut has lost its shock-absorbing properties, then it must be changed without fail.

• directly the rack;
• spring;
• appropriate gasket;
• corresponding nut;
• upper rubber bushing;
• bottom rubber grommet;
• special cup;
• upper support for the spring;
• rubber pad installed at the top;
• buffer;
• protective cuff

We carry out the assembly in the following sequence:

• remove air by moving the piston up and down. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the piston with the rod passes the full stroke length;
• then it is necessary to pull out the piston rod if the side of the steering knuckle is located at the bottom, and, accordingly, on the contrary, squeeze it - if at the top;
• the spring is again compressed by a special device and put on the rack. It is important to make sure that she sits in her place;
• then put on all the details on the rack;
• a buffer is put on the piston rod, then the cuff and cup in the appropriate direction;
• before putting on the upper support of the rack, you need to find a recess that is located on the upper circle;
• you need to put on the support in such a way that the notch after installing the rack is directed to the inside of the car;
• the nut on the stem should be screwed on with a force of 18-24 N * m. In addition to being new, it needs to be held in the right direction;
• when all the above operations are completed, the spring slowly unfolds, while you need to make sure that it falls into place.

Once the rack has been assembled, it can be installed on the vehicle. It is installed in the reverse order.

You can control how correctly and efficiently the work was done in the following order:

• turn the steering wheel several times to the left and right sides, while the brake hose should not rub against anything;
• the nuts of the upper support are tightened with a force of 45-53 N * m;
• then you need to hammer the shock absorber bolt on the underside into the wishbone;
• if removed when replacing the brake hose strut, it is imperative to bleed the brakes.

I hope that the described process for replacing the front struts of the BMW E39 did not seem too difficult. Now you yourself, if necessary, can repair your car.

We have a BMW E39 car under repair on which it is necessary to replace the front shock absorbers (struts). We will show you how to do it correctly with your own hands.

We lift the car, remove the front wheels. Unscrew the steering rod with a 19 key:

We take it out with a puller, if you do not have one, then you can knock it out with not strong hammer blows. Using the head 10, we unscrew the fasteners of the protective casing:

And we take it off. Using two keys for 18, unscrew the lever:

Next, we need a head for 10 and a key for 10:

We lower the car and unscrew the bolts securing the shock absorber to the glass with a 13-point head:

Loosen the central nut. We press on the shock absorber and pull it out of the arch. We tighten the spring, we do it on a special apparatus, in most cases everyone uses ties. Remove the protective plastic cap with a screwdriver. We use the head 22 and the hexagon 6, unscrew the support:

In this case, we fix the head with a key. We take a new shock absorber, pump it 5 times before installing it. To do this, lower the rack all the way and wait until it rises, then lower it again.We insert into the spring, transfer the parts from the old shock absorber, assemble in the reverse order. The video shows the whole process from start to finish. Some for the convenience of work and safety (so as not to damage) remove the caliper, we did not do this.

The shock absorbers on the left and right are the same, differ only in installation. It is necessary that the letter on the corresponding side fits into the slot of the trunnion.

After replacing shock absorbers (struts), do not forget to visit the camber immediately.

Video of replacing the front shock absorbers in the BMW E39:

Backup video how to replace the front shock absorbers (struts) in the BMW E39:

We change the upper front suspension arm on a BMW E39 (BMW E39) car with our own hands. We have a new lever without a silent block, you can certainly buy some kind of China with an already built-in silent block, but from my own experience I can say that they do not last long. In the course of the action, we will repress the silent from the old lever into the new one.

For replacement work, find a lift or inspection pit. Symptoms of a dead lever, a characteristic knock when driving in holes, you can also check it on a car raised on a lift.

Video of replacing the upper front arm on a BMW E39 (BMW E39):