2002 530i5 Rear suspension question

[mebjr12]

I Noticed that the inside of my rear tires are worn to the wires but the outside looks fine. The wear pattern looks the same on both tires. A few months back I hit some road debris on the interstate and got a 4 wheel alignment. I was told that the front and back was aligned within spec but couldn't be fully aligned because of wearing suspension parts. The car has 152k and all suspension parts are original with the exception of the front sway bar end links that I replaced.

I'm not ready to do a full suspension overhaul right now since its starting to get cold and I would be working outside. What should I start with that would alleviate the inside tire wear issue and get me through the fall and winter until I can address the full 18 piece overhaul? Also, would this be a good time to do Sub frame bushings?

Thanks in advance

[WBAD530i]

You could go with a cheap Ebay rear suspension kit that comes with the control arms and rear ball joints, but your main issue is the rear ball joints in the wheel carrier. These need to be pressed out and pressed back in, but will alleviate the inner wear on your tires. You wont be able to do anything with your current setup to keep it from wearing if you replace the rear tires.

A rear ebay kit will only be like $100 for ALL the parts needed, but it would be your best temporary option to have a smooth ride. Key word there is TEMPORARY. These parts while they feel good right after replacement will likely fail faster than OE/OEM parts.

Yes of course it would be a good time to do subframe bushings.

[computiNATEor]

I Noticed that the inside of my rear tires are worn to the wires but the outside looks fine. The wear pattern looks the same on both tires. A few months back I hit some road debris on the interstate and got a 4 wheel alignment. I was told that the front and back was aligned within spec but couldn't be fully aligned because of wearing suspension parts. The car has 152k and all suspension parts are original with the exception of the front sway bar end links that I replaced.

I'm not ready to do a full suspension overhaul right now since its starting to get cold and I would be working outside. What should I start with that would alleviate the inside tire wear issue and get me through the fall and winter until I can address the full 18 piece overhaul? Also, would this be a good time to do Sub frame bushings?

Thanks in advance

First things first, at 152k miles the car is definitely due for a suspension refreshing, and frankly I'd be surprised if it hasn't already had some. As the bushings wear, they will sag, and cause the rear tires to camber-in. It can become quite pronounced on old suspension.

The E39 with all-new suspension naturally has two degrees of negative camber on the rear tires, so it is somewhat normal for the rear tires to wear down on the inside edge more quickly. However, you should also be checking the tire pressure. The rear tires, according to the sticker on the door jamb, should be inflated much higher than the fronts. The fronts should be at 33psi, rears at 41psi, IIRC. I run at 32/40 because my Contis are stiff-riding. Some forum members have religious tire pressure checking procedures.

There are a lot of bushings in the rear suspension, and there are 2 adjustment points I think. There's the toe arm and the lower control arm (H-arm). Here's a good DIY that will help you interpret the alignment data. https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...heel-Alignment

Always get the alignment print-out from the shop's machine. It's very possible the guys doing the last alignment didn't do things correctly because they're just looking for "green" numbers on the machine. Rear toe alignment issues can cause excessive tire wear.

[computiNATEor]

Here are some tire pressure + rotation tips for the detail oriented among us:
https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sh...37&postcount=7
https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sh...9&postcount=10

[mebjr12]

Thank you both for the information.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[ordpete944]

Isn't excessive inner rear tire wear normal for sport package cars?

[marvinstockman]

When you hit something, you may have bent something, or the alignment shop screwed things up.

Also, 152K miles is a lot for NYC, and you definitely would need suspension work, but in VA everything may be just fine. My calculation is that ten Maryland miles, where I live, is the equivalent of one NYC mile, where the potholes are tank traps.