E70 Front Suspension Refresh Guide

[cayx5]

Originally Posted by Sophisticated Redneck

This has me very concerned as both of mine have failed in the past month also. I was chalking it up just to a fluke as Lemforder is an excellent name plus an oem manufacturer for BMW and this type of failure after less then 30k miles in my instance is highly unusual. Where did you purchase yours from? I will be using FCP Euros lifetime warranty for the first time on these.

The shop provided the part but they showed me the struts before installing and it does say Lemforder and was in original packaging. The part is under warranty but your premature failure has me concerned about quality of aftermarket Lemforder parts. Warranty is only 2 years 24k miles.

I am thinking I might want to just continue using the tension struts even though the hydraulic fluid has leaked and wait until closer to the end of warranty period to have it replaced. Curious your thought on this.

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Originally Posted by cayx5

The shop provided the part but they showed me the struts before installing and it does say Lemforder and was in original packaging. The part is under warranty but your premature failure has me concerned about quality of aftermarket Lemforder parts. Warranty is only 2 years 24k miles.

I am thinking I might want to just continue using the tension struts even though the hydraulic fluid has leaked and wait until closer to the end of warranty period to have it replaced. Curious your thought on this.

Lemforder is a solid name, thats why BMW uses them to make OEM parts for them however its clear something is up as possible bad production run.

As for running them leaking, I have noticed the truck is all over the road now on uneven surfaces. On normal roads it feels fine but again noticeable at high speeds when changing lanes on even roads, it was rock solid until right before these started leaking. Mine are so bad I could move them just by hand in the rubber bushing. I think it really depends how much fluid you have lost, its clear mine has leaked all the dampening fluid out. I will find out more if there is a possible recall on them or if Lemforder knows about this issue and its been resolved and update here once I know more.

[wcs531]

Probably a long shot cause the mechanic should know this, but I feel like if they didn't load the suspension before tightening the bolt at the bushing that it could prematurely wear them out. The bushings would always be stressed as their neutral position would be with the wheels off the ground.

Redneck - I see from your guide that you made sure to load the suspension so obviously not your issue.

[cayx5]

Originally Posted by wcs531

Probably a long shot cause the mechanic should know this, but I feel like if they didn't load the suspension before tightening the bolt at the bushing that it could prematurely wear them out. The bushings would always be stressed as their neutral position would be with the wheels off the ground.

Redneck - I see from your guide that you made sure to load the suspension so obviously not your issue.

You bring up a good point. I did, however, ask the shop that installed my tension struts whether the car needed to be loaded and was told "absolutely". The shop specializes in suspensions (much of it aftermarket suspension setups) and alignments. Been taking my cars to them for years and the owners are knowledgeable. I suspect that OP and I may have gotten a defective batch of bushings. Look forward to seeing what OP finds out.

[SlowX6M]

This is why I went with genuine parts as listed in my post #19. Expensive, over $3k in parts, but I've had nothing but bad experience with aftermarket parts in the past, so I tend to always stick with genuine parts.

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Originally Posted by SlowX6M

This is why I went with genuine parts as listed in my post #19. Expensive, over $3k in parts, but I've had nothing but bad experience with aftermarket parts in the past, so I tend to always stick with genuine parts.

Ya this whole situation is reminding me of the Bosch OEM ignition coil fiasco.

Bosch made most of the coils for the E70's during their production run. OEM Bosch coils are less then half the cost of the same Bosch coil with the BMW stamp on it

BUT

BMW bought coils from the Germany Bosch plant, OEM Coils came from Lithuania plant which had many production issues with the coils. Many users (myself included) had dead coils right out of the box. Same Company, Same part, but completely different quality. I am starting to suspect we have a similar issue here. I am still hoping its just a fluke, FCP is going to replace the struts for free but if they fail again so quickly, I don't think I will ever purchase OEM again for such a major part regardless of the lifetime warranty. Will update this thread as I learn more. I am also going to edit this threads original post with a warning about the struts after the dust settles on how this plays out.

[SlowX6M]

Originally Posted by Sophisticated Redneck

Ya this whole situation is reminding me of the Bosch OEM ignition coil fiasco.

Bosch made most of the coils for the E70's during their production run. OEM Bosch coils are less then half the cost of the same Bosch coil with the BMW stamp on it

BUT

BMW bought coils from the Germany Bosch plant, OEM Coils came from Lithuania plant which had many production issues with the coils. Many users (myself included) had dead coils right out of the box. Same Company, Same part, but completely different quality. I am starting to suspect we have a similar issue here. I am still hoping its just a fluke, FCP is going to replace the struts for free but if they fail again so quickly, I don't think I will ever purchase OEM again for such a major part regardless of the lifetime warranty. Will update this thread as I learn more. I am also going to edit this threads original post with a warning about the struts after the dust settles on how this plays out.

This is the case with very many parts, even with simple stuff such as bulbs. OEM factory bulbs tend to last much longer as they are made to a different quality standard.

There is also a flood of "fake" genuine parts, so it is important to purchase parts from reputable vendors. I tend to stick with FCP and Pelican.

[cayx5]

Originally Posted by SlowX6M

This is the case with very many parts, even with simple stuff such as bulbs. OEM factory bulbs tend to last much longer as they are made to a different quality standard.

There is also a flood of "fake" genuine parts, so it is important to purchase parts from reputable vendors. I tend to stick with FCP and Pelican.

My indy BMW shop uses Eldor coils as they've had issues with Bosch. I asked what they use for control arms and tension struts and they said Lemforder. That said, I was told that they have had issues as well with premature failure. I'm told that normally premature failure is like mine where it fails within the first year.

[SlowX6M]

Originally Posted by cayx5

My indy BMW shop uses Eldor coils as they've had issues with Bosch. I asked what they use for control arms and tension struts and they said Lemforder. That said, I was told that they have had issues as well with premature failure. I'm told that normally premature failure is like mine where it fails within the first year.

There have been several revisions of the coils, BMW had issue with them from the start. I understand they finally resolved them, I dont remember which ones were they, but since the pandemic the best coils have been in short supply.

[evilchargerfan]

Sophisticated Redneck

I cant thank you enough for this post. It really helped me perform this task without a hitch. And thanks to those who chimed in on clearance in the engine bay to make room to unbolt only whats needed to install the upper a arms

I 110% echo what the OP says about vibrations, car pulling left/right, clunks, and how it makes the car feel like new. I also agree on the upper a arms replacement as being alot of trouble for very little benefit

And, maybe its just my imagination but.... did anyone else feel better steering response? My steering wheel inputs just feel more, "crispy" nowadays.

I am a crazy person and wanted to test out the "feel" of each arm, individually. I installed the tension strut first. a month later, the lower control arm, a month later, the upper a arm. I as the OP said the tension strut and lower control arm were the main culprits, and the upper a arm could have easily been skipped over with very little consequence

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Originally Posted by evilchargerfan

Sophisticated Redneck

I cant thank you enough for this post. It really helped me perform this task without a hitch. And thanks to those who chimed in on clearance in the engine bay to make room to unbolt only whats needed to install the upper a arms

I 110% echo what the OP says about vibrations, car pulling left/right, clunks, and how it makes the car feel like new. I also agree on the upper a arms replacement as being alot of trouble for very little benefit

And, maybe its just my imagination but.... did anyone else feel better steering response? My steering wheel inputs just feel more, "crispy" nowadays.

I am a crazy person and wanted to test out the "feel" of each arm, individually. I installed the tension strut first. a month later, the lower control arm, a month later, the upper a arm. I as the OP said the tension strut and lower control arm were the main culprits, and the upper a arm could have easily been skipped over with very little consequence

Happy to help! Keep an eye on your tension struts however, I think there are some bad batches floating around out there. Both of mine just failed after about 30k miles, leaking silicone fluid out the main joint and now truck will pull side to side over uneven pavement. Another user has reported the same failure. At this point its still in the anecdotal stage but something to be cautious of just in case. I am in the process of having mine replaced under FCP's lifetime warranty.

[evilchargerfan]

did you ever do the rear suspension refresh in the same manner?

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Originally Posted by evilchargerfan

did you ever do the rear suspension refresh in the same manner?

Not yet, every spare moment I have right now is being consumed by a new intake I am making for the entire E70 lineup(sneak peak on the first prototype below) so it will be sometime before I get to the rear. Looks to be quite a bit more complex too, alot of linkages back there...I plan on tackling the rear subframe & differantial mounts at the same time, should be fun I will make a post about it when I do though with everything I learned.

[nodemgr]

What bolts did you replace for this job? I bought Moog parts and not a kit and there are no bolts.


tension strut hw ea total
2 07129908068 1 per side bolt $10.29 $20.58
2 33326760668 1 per side nut $1.99 $3.98

wishbone hw
4 33326760668 2 per side nut $1.99 $7.96
2 07129908011 1 per side bolt $6.39 $12.78
4 33306760349 2 per side nut $1.99 $7.96
2 07119906898 1 per side bolt $6.79 $13.58

total $66.84

[cayx5]

To OP, did you replace your tension struts? I just had mine replaced and both leaked fluid from same spot. No visible signs of cracks in rubber bushing. Tech told me that they always load the suspension before tightening the bushing bolt. Watched them do it this time as well. Tech told me he thinks its a bad set. He's seen this before. Hope all is good for a long time.

[SlowX6M]

One of the tension rods on my car was replaced 2 years after I bought the car brand new, with around 20k miles on the clock - the dealer saw it failing during a regular maintenance visit. They are clearly a problematic design.

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Originally Posted by cayx5

To OP, did you replace your tension struts? I just had mine replaced and both leaked fluid from same spot. No visible signs of cracks in rubber bushing. Tech told me that they always load the suspension before tightening the bushing bolt. Watched them do it this time as well. Tech told me he thinks its a bad set. He's seen this before. Hope all is good for a long time.

I did, they looked exactly like yours and I pre-loaded mine also. I believe Lemford has a bad production lot of these floating around out there as they are normally a good name and all of the other suspension components I have made by them are trouble free.

With that being said, if these fail again, I am going to replace them with the actual BMW part.....at 3 times the cost....

[wcs531]

Originally Posted by Sophisticated Redneck

With that being said, if these fail again, I am going to replace them with the actual BMW part.....at 3 times the cost....

Even if you're using FCP for possible future replacement $600 up front is a little crazy.

I thought I went with Lemforder(which was concerning given this thread), but realized I went with Meyle HD. I think my rationale was the BMW/Lemforder ones only last 60k miles anyway so maybe the HD would be a little beefier. I only have about 6k miles on them at the moment so no idea on longevity, but the car drives well with them along with eibach springs and koni active shocks.

[SlowX6M]

Most aftermarket suspension components for all car makes are often subpar and only last for a year, and BMW is no exception. In the past I had my share of bad experiences with aftermarket suspension parts for Lexus and Honda, and I learned not to waste my time with them. OEM parts are expensive, but my original parts lasted for 10 years, so I got my money worth. Taking a risk with aftermarket parts, and then having to pay for labor and alignment and new parts after a year is a lot more expensive than doing it right the first time

[wcs531]

Originally Posted by SlowX6M

Most aftermarket suspension components for all car makes are often subpar and only last for a year, and BMW is no exception. In the past I had my share of bad experiences with aftermarket suspension parts for Lexus and Honda, and I learned not to waste my time with them. OEM parts are expensive, but my original parts lasted for 10 years, so I got my money worth. Taking a risk with aftermarket parts, and then having to pay for labor and alignment and new parts after a year is a lot more expensive than doing it right the first time

I'm all for avoiding cheaper aftermarket components which there are an abundance of, but you cant just lump all aftermarket together.

BMW isnt making these parts themselves. They contract them out to the likes of Lemforder, Bosch, ATE, etc, and in many cases the parts are identical with the exception of the logo.

[mitch808]

There is a poly option for the tension rods from PowerFlex. It's simple to install. I used a ball joint press and pressed out the old stuff, and was able to use a vise to squeeze in the new poly bushings. Grease it. No need to pre-load the suspension. No added NVH at all.

[SlowX6M]

Originally Posted by wcs531

I'm all for avoiding cheaper aftermarket components which there are an abundance of, but you cant just lump all aftermarket together.

BMW isnt making these parts themselves. They contract them out to the likes of Lemforder, Bosch, ATE, etc, and in many cases the parts are identical with the exception of the logo.

Perhaps, but thats not how it necessarily works, just because the parts are made by the same manufacturer they may or may not be made to the same standard.

With the tension rods in particular, they aren't the most reliable design to start with, and unless there is a part that specifically exceeds OEM specs, I'm not taking any chances. Labor + alignment can be expensive.