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Thread: Danny's Japan Rot 540i Touring Thread

  1. #1076
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    Quote Originally Posted by blarf View Post
    Lemforder moved a ton of production overseas (incl. China). It's certainly possible you got a bad bushing, but to me it seems more likely that there's just something wonky going on with your front suspension. I went with TRW units from FCP since they're about half the price of the Lemforder units and TRW is now part of ZF (as is Lemforder). Fingers crossed.
    Yeah, the last time both of my Lemforders blew out I still had most of the original steering components and a bad alignment. At this point all the steering components (tie rods, center link, idler arm) are new, but the alignment is still bad. Hopefully with a proper alignment my next set will last longer. I'm glad that I bought these parts from FCP Euro though, because it's saved me a fortune.
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    Don’t the OE X5 bushing fit?

  4. #1079
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    Quote Originally Posted by CPHES View Post
    Don’t the OE X5 bushing fit?
    Good point. Definitely worth a try if you have a press.
    Nate J.

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  5. #1080
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    Quote Originally Posted by CPHES View Post
    Don’t the OE X5 bushing fit?
    Yes they do as I installed a pair last weekend. They’re considered an upgrade as they are slightly reinforced in comparison to the OE e39 bushings.

  6. #1081
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    Quote Originally Posted by dannyzabolotny View Post
    Isn't PF stiffer than stock? I already experienced that with the Meyle HD bushings, I hated them. Way too much NVH. I'm trying to take the touring back to a stock-ish level of firmness, the roads here are very bumpy. They're technically "good" roads in that there are no potholes, but the heat makes them crack and expand so almost none of them are smooth.
    My wagon has STs on it so I attribute it's harshness to mostly the coilovers. But I have PF subframe bushings and it made the ride a lot more solid. I think if you had stock suspension and bags it would prolly ride wonderful.

    My X5 has the entire PF treatment I think (SF bushings included) and with brand new Sachs struts and 17" wheels it rides like a champ. People say X5s with no bags ride hard and I fail to see it.

    Just do it up Danny. If anything it'll help your alignment even more by being a part that won't flex as much and it will also uncover any other issues that may be hiding like a ball joint that's playing hard to get.

    Makes me think I should open a shop there. I used to be the alignment guru around these parts.

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    Just come to NY Danny and hang out with a bunch of us east coasters.

  7. #1082
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    I have PF bushings up front and for rear subframe, sway bar, etc. out back. Koni yellows on Dinan springs. Aside from the harsh hits, she rides incredibly smoothly. Do feel the expansion joint type bumps but not many sport suspensions won’t. Utterly thrilled with the ride quality though once I got the huge front wheels off the car and eliminated rubbing. She’s my daily and I have pretty high standards. Went through everything that spins eliminating vibrations too and it all made the suspension shine even more.


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  8. #1083
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    The 540it has Lemforder bushings almost everywhere aside from the subframe bushings, and it still doesn't ride all that soft. It's lowered on coilovers in the front and has new Arnott air bags in the rear along with Koni adjustable shocks set to a fairly soft setting. Again, I'm not trying to stiffen my ride, I'm trying to do the opposite. My commute to the shop is literally a sequence of bumps with some short stretches of smooth pavement, I'm not trying to go any sportier with it.
    1995 525i 5-speed - Thread

  9. #1084
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    I agree, the poly bushings - as long as they aren't the rock-hard near-delrin type... - shouldn't be a major problem, but then again good HD or X5 rubber SF bushings should be cush as well - you shouldn't blame those for bad ride. Danny I wonder if there's not still some sneaky thing wrong that has been missed. Your car should ride perfectly cush with that level of mod or even more. Even moderately aggressive suspension mods to an E39T doesn't result in a harsh ride unless something else is wrong.
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  10. #1085
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    Think you guys are massively underestimating how bad our roads here
    We know another friend with a touring that doesn't have the same "crashing" over bumps that mine (with totally SHOT subframe bushings) and Danny's (with HD bushings) has over most bumps. That soft riding touring is on stock bushings

    Danny had a good riding E39, went to HD bushings, then the ride got worse
    Once he replaced the stiffer front stuff with OEM stuff it softened up nicely (one blew, but thats most likely his lack of alignment putting undue stress on the part)

    Trying to convince him to go with HD bushings is going to fall on deaf ears. Especially from sedan owners, thats a totally different setup. If the rear didn't "crash" over bumps, Im sure Danny could have lived with the front being a little stiffer than stock

  11. #1086
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    Danny's Japan Rot 540i Touring Thread

    Again, I’ve got a touring with PF bushes nearly everywhere, and Boston has some utterly horrid roads.

    Everyone’s ass may be different but the entire fam falls asleep anytime I drive somewhere over 30 minutes away....

    The axles and driveshaft caused waaaay more issues than the bushings and once they were sorted ($$$$$, ouch) she rides like butter.


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  12. #1087
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    I'm still on 17s with a 45 profile tire....maybe that's why mine rides better?

    I don't like anything bigger around here unless it's a lightweight wheel. 18s and bigger equate to heavy and driving home at night when there's been unsuspecting roadwork and a shitty roadplate hastily installed, it leads to bad things.

  13. #1088
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    Danny's Japan Rot 540i Touring Thread

    FWIW my ride quality was vastly improved going from 19” to 18” summer wheels. I run 16” in the winter. Now that is Cush... if a bit spongey. But it is nice having smaller rear tires... makes for a bit more fun on the gas.


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    Last edited by scottieducati; 09-12-2018 at 11:52 AM.

  14. #1089
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    how do I get to the touring side

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    Quote Originally Posted by BimmrMeUpSnotty View Post
    You go to the dark side, then turn right if you’re a conservative, go down...... if you are a.... a.... barf! A liberal.
    Ugh... I thought we were friends

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  17. #1092
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    Ease up on the thread-jacking, y'all. Let's keep it related to my wagon. Which has been doing fine recently, aside from the usual transmission quirks. Rolled over 214k two weeks back, getting closer to 215k now!

    The other day I called the dealership for a quote on an alignment, and it was $169. Not too bad, I guess. I'll wait until I have the thrust arms replaced (again) before I get another alignment. Plus I've been reading that I'll need to drop the rear lower swing arms to do my axles, so I'll definitely need an alignment after that.
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  18. #1093
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    Stupid question, Danny, but do you load the suspension BEFORE you torque the bushing retaining bolts?


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  19. #1094
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    Danny's Japan Rot 540i Touring Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by M5XTu View Post
    Stupid question, Danny, but do you load the suspension BEFORE you torque the bushing retaining bolts?
    Yeah, always. Never tightened bushing bolts without the preload, even on the first round of suspension work I had ever done. I either use ramps and drive the car onto them to allow for settling, or I measure the normal ride height and jack the axle up to match it. Depending on how much room I need, of course.
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  20. #1095
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    Welp, looks like this is the end of this thread. The 540it has been sold, and will be on its way to the new owner shortly. I listed it for sale a few days ago and got lots of interest. A local guy came out to look at the car, he absolutely fell in love with the color and the fact that it was a wagon, we agreed on a price, and as they say, the rest is history.

    I won't lie, it's a little bittersweet. Over the past 2.5 years and 45,000 miles of driving, I've spent a lot of time with this touring. It's gotten a lot of love at car shows and from enthusiasts all around. Sadly, over the past year I haven't really been able to do too much to it, as my new shop business has consumed a lot of my free time (and money). I've also had the itch to try daily driving something a little lighter and more nimble, just to change things up a bit from my typical luxobarges. I figure if I need to do any heavy hauling or towing I can do it with my 2003 Range Rover that I've had for a couple months now.

    This is what's going to be my new daily— it's a 1997 E36 M3, Techno Violet with a black interior. It's got 204k miles, heated seats, and appears to be in excellent condition. I put a deposit down on it today and on Wednesday I'll be flying out to Wisconsin to road trip it back with Graham. The car is originally from Texas and it hasn't spent much time up north, so there shouldn't be much rust, if any at all. I'm super stoked on the color combo, I love BMW's in cool colors. I've already spent plenty of time with an E36 M3 since I already own one with Graham (1997 Cosmos Black coupe with M-Rain fabric interior). The difference is that this M3 will stay civil and comfortable, as opposed to our other M3 which is a little on the rough side. I'm also thrilled that it's a sedan— I love having four doors and a usable back seat.

    Last edited by dannyzabolotny; 12-29-2018 at 09:14 PM.
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  21. #1096
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    Congrats on the sale! I’ll miss seeing your posts about the 540iT, but I understand your desire for a change in pace. Multiple cars are always nice to have vs a single compromise car (even when that compromise is as sweet as an E39 540iT in a rare color).

    Congrats on the M3/4/5! That’s the exact spec I’d want.
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  22. #1097
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    At least this time you just went and dun it instead of talkin' about it... The TV E36M3 is awesome, although seems like an odd choice for you for a primary vehicle in some ways. Wut happened to your V8BMW4LYFE philosophy!?

    Does seem surprising you wouldn't want to just keep the Tour for various reasons (cargo, better highway cruiser, etc.)... but when you buy another E39T or E53 in a month that'll sort that out. ;^)
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  23. #1098
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    Got em on the dark side, that E36 life

    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder View Post
    At least this time you just went and dun it instead of talkin' about it... The TV E36M3 is awesome, although seems like an odd choice for you for a primary vehicle in some ways. Wut happened to your V8BMW4LYFE philosophy!?

    Does seem surprising you wouldn't want to just keep the Tour for various reasons (cargo, better highway cruiser, etc.)... but when you buy another E39T or E53 in a month that'll sort that out. ;^)
    Its like I told Danny, you can E39-ify an E36 but you cant E36-ify an E39

    Think a bit part of his being willing to change out of E39 world is from having driven some S52s including our shared M3 and some S54 powered cars recently. He realized they werent as torqueless as people online said lol...
    He (we) also has the Range Rover now which does all the wagon duties as good or better than the wagon

    And I know for a faft he will never own another E53 but I imagine the next cheap manual 540 to come up Danny is gonna snag... Ill encourage him to do so...
    After all we will need a donor M62 for the E36 swap...

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  24. #1099
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    Quote Originally Posted by computiNATEor View Post
    Congrats on the sale! I’ll miss seeing your posts about the 540iT, but I understand your desire for a change in pace. Multiple cars are always nice to have vs a single compromise car (even when that compromise is as sweet as an E39 540iT in a rare color).

    Congrats on the M3/4/5! That’s the exact spec I’d want.
    And what a great compromise it was! I’ll miss it for sure, but I’m also excited to work on the M3— lots of cool mods and things you can do with those cars.

    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder View Post
    You are a freak bro.

    "I'm keepin' this forever!"
    "I'm sellin' it!"
    "I'm keepin' this forever!"
    "I'm sellin' it!"
    "I'm keepin' this forever!"
    "I'm sellin' it!"

    At least this time you just went and dun it instead of talkin' about it... The TV E36M3 is awesome, although seems like an odd choice for you for a primary vehicle in some ways. Wut happened to your V8BMW4LYFE philosophy!?

    Does seem surprising you wouldn't want to just keep the Tour for various reasons (cargo, better highway cruiser, etc.)... but when you buy another E39T or E53 in a month that'll sort that out. ;^)
    That’s why I didn’t want to say anything until it was done, didn’t want to rile people up and then not sell it, haha. My thought process was that since I thought about selling it so often then I should just sell it.

    In an ideal world I’d keep the 540it around, but I’m not made of money and registering/insuring/maintaining so many vehicles would get pretty tight financially, especially with my fix-all-the-things philosophy of car ownership. So as a new car is coming in, another has to leave.

    I still get to experience the joys of M62tu ownership in my Range Rover, which I’ll be keeping around. It’s got 104k miles and I’m sure I’ll go through all the usual M62tu issues on it in due time, so in a way it’s like a spiritual successor to the wagon. Same 5HP24 transmission and self-leveling suspension too (albeit at all four corners instead of just rear). I’ve already done the water pump and full intake manifold reseal on it, haha. The Range Rover is taking the role of highway cruiser/comfortable vehicle. Surprisingly, the fuel costs aren’t THAT much more than in the touring... 13mpg around town and 17mpg on the highway, versus 15mpg/19mpg in the touring.

    In a way it does represent a shift from my one-car-for-everything philosophy, but I’m okay with that. The touring handled spirited driving just fine but it didn’t love it— canyon carving led to destroyed suspension bits, heavy tire wear, and stuff rattling loose in the interior, so every time I drove it moderately hard I had to fix things. At the end of the day it’s a heavy car and that makes it harder to toss around. It also wasn’t ideal for hauling stuff, since the interior would get wrecked from hauling car parts and wheels, no matter how well I secured everything and covered it all in blankets. I figure with the M3 I can drive a lot harder (Graham and I beat the crap out of our shop M3) without tearing up suspension components, and I can throw car parts in the back of the Range Rover with no worries.
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  25. #1100
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    Good luck on the new one, 2 years and 45k miles, in Danny years I believe that converts to 40 years and 1,000,000 miles for normal humans. You must have loved it. I bet you’ll be back


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