Member
Hey everyone! I've been doing some mods to my 7 this past year:
Muffler delete
Updated injectors
750 big brake upgrade
Long tube CAI - Cosmo Racing
4" MAF
DUDMD tune
Bilstein B6's and H&R Sport springs
Strut tower brace
22mm sway bar instead of 20.5mm
285/35/18's in the rear
And its been fun to drive but this past weekend i decided to rebuild the front suspension and add Polyurethane bushings
So i bought all 4 control arms From Karlyn (i've read mixed reviews but i figured if im swapping the bushing for a Poly then it wouldn't matter too much, it would be nice to have the new arm/ball joint)
Center link (TRW), Tie rods (TRW), Idler Arm (Febi), Sway bar end links (Delphi). I work in the auto industry and i get good deals on certain parts which is why i mixed and matched.
So the Poly Bushings i got from 2 different sources: Powerflex (black) for the lower forward arm and StrongFlex (red) bushings for the traction strut and 22mm sway bar bushing.
Installation was easy, getting the sway bar out was interesting as i needed to drop the subframe a bit, but took me about 3ish hours at our shop total for the front end rebuild.
After finishing the work i decided to take it for a spin. Luckily i live in Southern California and was able to take it through Decker canyon, Mulholland hwy and a few other favorites pretty aggressively.
Results are fantastic! no squeaking, doesnt ride too rough, it steers tight and true, Hugs the corners and is quick through the canyon. It' feels like a new car and i couldn't be happier with the results.
Just wanted to give a review of Poly bushings for anyone interested.
Next month i plan on taking it to Big Willow so we'll see what happens.
And After the new year i plan:
Poly rear bushings and rear sway bar upgrade
6 speed swap
Re paint
Coilovers
Last edited by BimmermanJp; 11-21-2017 at 12:15 PM.
Haynes740
Nice job man it’s about that time for me to rebuild my front as well. I want the rear sway bar package Fromm UUC.Originally Posted by BimmermanJp
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2001 740iL Guides,chains,vanos done. Full steptronic retrofit,3:15 diff. DUDMD tune. Sport seat retrofit. Porn lights
[IMG][/IMG]
Nitto ZR 285/40/18 rear 245/45/18 fr. UUC springs front. Porn lights. Sport wheel
1991 735iL UUC springs front only Style 42 wheels
Member
Thanks! im really happy with the work,quality and outcome.
I too want the rear sway bar package from UUC - $100 for the bracket set, poly bushings for $50 and the actual bar (used) for $50-100? so not too bad
Member
Not sure if you are aware, don't want to overstep. The only CAI approved by CARB is Dinan. And a sticker has to be placed somewhere visible in the engine bay - usually by the radiator.
ARB Compliance Executive Order D-176-13
When the shop goes to SMOG test they have a schematic of the OEM setup that they use to verify. If it doesn't match and there is no sticker for Dinan, they won't proceed. Unless you find a shop that doesn't care. I
Member
That sounds like an awesome upgrade! I wish I could get away with it here in the tri-state area.
Do keep an eye on the Karlyn arms. The only time I cheaped out on an e38 part was when I bought rear Karlyn control arms, and the ball joints were toast in under 10k miles. They in fact were worse than worn OEM when OEM was spent. I'm not sure if I got a defective set, but keep an eye.
E38 M Sport 6 Speed MANUAL
Member
I think I used Karlyn swaybar links at some point and the ball joints were totally gone in under 5k miles too.
Member
Yeah i am aware of the CARB compliant issue - i'm not too worried, but i understand where you're coming from.
Ok ill keep an eye out for the ball joints - i thought the bushings were the bad aspect of them.
But Damn Shane - you have a 6 speed e38? im purchasing the parts needed for that swap - any advice?
Member
Yes I do! I'm going to the grave with this thing.
Make sure time is on your side, I'd say. Carolina Driveline took f or e v e r. Months. The first extension they welded twisted apart after one drive in the car, to which it took more months to get fixed. Otherwise, the swap is quite easy and direct - don't get roped into shops who convince you that it's dark voodoo. E38s were sold in manuals, so it's very simple.
I wouldn't cheap out on wear parts like flywheels, clutches, bushings, etc. No used. They take time to do and expensive to redo, so do it right the first time. I rented a car to drive back from where I dropped off my car, and luckily I own the other 7 because driveshaft delays took 3ish months all together, so make certain your e38 isn't your only car. A rental would probably be thousands at that point.
Otherwise, the car is a hoot with a stick! Once in a blue moon, I do miss the ease and excitement of either mindlessly driving in traffic, or smashing my foot down and taking off because it downshifted automatically. I get over it, though.
If Photobucket wasn't run by children, I'd attach some glamour shots of the finished product.
Btw - what do you think of the DUDMD tune? Worth it? I was thinking about getting one.
Member
Yeah i have another bmw - so i wont need to rent a car.
Luckily i work with a bunch of Euro part suppliers so im only getting new parts.
I am planning on doing a m5 diff swap at the same time so i would only have to re work the driveshaft once, but i have a place i can keep the car dead until its fixed. Theres a local shop that does custom driveshafts for a good price - i just need to figure out the measurements when i get the m5 diff.
Does it feel a lot quicker with the 6 speed?
Well after the CAI and 4" MAF i can definitely feel more of a pull at/past 3k rpms so i like the extra kick, but for the cost of everything - $650... it's ok, not a lot of power but i do notice a difference and i would say its worth it cause its hard to get additional power out of this without going FI.
Last edited by BimmermanJp; 11-22-2017 at 12:19 PM.
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