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01-12-2011, 08:21 PM | #1 |
Lieutenant
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DIY: Rear bushings lube for suspension noise
I've had my Z4 for a couple weeks now. But every time I went over a speed bump or up a inclined driveway I'd hear a ton of groaning from the right rear. What's worse is my own driveway is at an angle so I get to start and finish each drive with the obnoxious racket.
I searched the forum and found a few posts on aftermarket bushing kits and I know that the rear sway bar bushing bolts come loose, but I didn't find any articles on noise. The design of the rear end is amazing. The fit and finish of the components and how the link goes through a window in the upper control arm, it shows this car was well engineered. Sadly I think BMW used bushings made of softer rubber instead of the stiffer (and quieter) poly-urathane, perhaps for ride control, maybe to save money. I considered spending the day taking the rear end apart, but was quickly discouraged by the amount of work it would be. I had plans of taking the bushing bolts out, and lubing with Shin-Etsu grease. It's the same grease that Honda uses on seals, door hinges, seat tracks, etc. The grease is safe for rubber and lasts forever. Instead I used Heavy Duty Silicone spray. I didn't want to since the silicone can wear off and leave the rubber or plastic even more dry and "creaky" than before, but I was at my wit's end. I started by lifting the car, dropping the pan, setting on jack stands and removing the tires. Now that I think about it you could probably access all of this with the tires on and just lifting one side at a time. Be safe and use jack stands or ramps. I sprayed the following on each side:
After I did both sides I used the jack to compress one side by about two inches. Then sprayed all the spots again. I lifted the car off the jacks, put the pan back on and went for a test drive. WOW!! The car doesn't creak at ALL. I even went over a tall thick speed bump at a 45 degree angle one tire at time angle to see if I could get any noise. Backing up my driveway it's dead solid quiet. Ahhhhhhhh! So if you have any creaky, clunky noise try lubing the bushings. I think after I'm out of my warranty period I'll look into a performance aftermarket set, but for now I'm really happy. I'll report back on how long the silicone lasts. If less then a few weeks I might try a dry film lubricant that's safe for rubber. |
01-12-2011, 11:38 PM | #2 |
///M'n it Up
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FYI, poly-urathane is certainly not more quiet than the OEM rubber bushings. Ask any Z3 owner with aftermarket subframe, or rear trailing arm bushings.
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01-13-2011, 08:58 AM | #3 |
Bad Lieutenant
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Might not be a good idea to use any lube on the bushings, they will attract a lot of dust and dirt and increase the wear. Sounds like you should have the bushings replaced, maybe with the powerflex if you're looking for a longer lasting bushing?
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