DIY: Changing E39 front swaybar end links

This 1998 E39 540i Automatic is my daily driver. Recently it had begun to develop a nasty clunk over bumps coming from the front suspension, so I did a bit of research and discovered the most likely culprit would be the swaybar end links. It turns out you can look at the sway bar end links with the car sitting on flat ground and the wheels turned full lock in one direction or the other (depending on which side you want to check) rather than having to jack the car up in the air to get at it. The end links are located in front of the upright assembly.

I took a look at mine, and it turned out that the boot on the driver's side upper end was torn, so that was enough for me to order a replacement end link for each side of the car (figuring that if one is gone, the other is generally not far behind)

You can buy these parts from BMW however in Australia, BMW charge an "australian" tax and you generally pay 5x their normal value had you purchased them anywhere else in the world. As such, I looked into alternatives and soon discovered that the BMW parts are OEM by ZF's sub-brand Lemförder. The part number is 19387 02 009 (BMW part: 31 35 1 095 664 - search eBay for suitable end-links) - the parts fit either side of the car so you need two of the same part number to do the whole car. The Lemförder kit includes new nuts and washers, where some other brand kits do not.

Some of the guides on the internet state that you need to jack the car up to "unload" the suspension - this is not true, the swaybar is unloaded as long as the car is on level ground, it is only loaded if you were to jack up one side of the car at a time. To be honest, it's probably more comfortable to jack the car up and remove the wheels, but if like me you can't be bothered, it's quite possible to do it with the wheels on the ground.

What you need:

• New end links (duh)
• 16mm open end spanner
• 16mm socket
• Ratchet handle
• Breaker bar (or muscles)

I haven't got any photos of the process as my new garage has exceptionally poor lighting which is not conducive to capturing any sort of imagery (abysmal or otherwise)

Basically the process is as follows:

1. For RHS of the car, with car on level ground turn the steering full lock to the right; for the LHS you will need to turn the steering full lock to the left.
2. Use the 16mm open end spanner to hold the ball joint side of the end link (look at the new one if you don't understand what I'm talking about) - you can undo the top or bottom in whatever order you like, it doesn't matter.
3. Use the 16mm socket and ratchet to undo the nut on whichever (top or bottom) link you have the spanner on. You shouldn't need the breaker bar to undo this unless the incredible hulk last fitted these parts to your vehicle (or if you are exceptionally weak ;)
4. Remove the other end as well, then remove the end link.
5. Install the new end link
6. 
7. Install the nuts finger tight top and bottom; this prevents cross threading the nuts which can sometimes occur when using power tools. Note it's also recommended that you only use hand tools for this process to prevent damage to any mounts or to the end links.
8. Note item 10 in the image above to ensure you install the washer (my original end links were missing this washer on both sides, and as a result the noise my car had was due to the RHS end link working loose at the top) - of the two nuts included in the end link pack, the top bolt is the larger of the two with the free-rotating washer.
9. Tighten nuts using the open end spanner to hold the end links - ensuring you don't push the rubber ball joint boot off the end link (if you do, make sure you use a smooth/old flat head screwdriver or similar device to reinstall the ball joint boot)
10. Tighten down as hard as you possibly can using the ratchet handle (unless you're the incredible hulk). If you're incredibly weak, you might want to use the breaker bar to help get these tight. Note they have to be quite tight to stop them making any noise.
11. Go back to #1 and do the other side of the car

Then all you need to do is test drive the car to approx 180kph and ensure you no longer have strange suspension noises.

In my case it was immediately obvious as the loose end link was noisy even just pulling in and out of my driveway - the new found silence is amazing, having the new joints fitted has made the car feel a lot more stable at speed also.

Just a snapshot from the weekend

E21's on YouTube

I was just directed to the following video by PimpPalaceCustoms who is also responsible for the mad looking Mid Mounted Mazda Mini Truck. No interior? No Bonnet? No Problem!

This awesome video got me thinking back to the some of the videos that have helped re-energize this build as it's progressed, and I thought I should post some examples here.

Another E21 engine swap - this one with an EVO motor is laying down some very controlled drifts:

Some group 5 hillclimb video, mainly for the sound to get the spine tingling and help with motivation:

Hopefully I'll have similar traction issues to this car:

Here's a video which I found via the European Car Club of Australia Forums shortly before I got my motor running:

Here is an example of what NOT to do:

This is the reason I've not thrown away my original M20 - audible magic - turn up your speakers:

While I'm on the subject of M20's, eBay Germany has listed this very rare Hartge Rocker Cover

I also noticed an auction running for a set of yellow headlamps; might be worth a look if that's your thing:

Yellow Twin Headlamp Replacements

Even if you don't speak German, this Magazine could be a good little conversation starter on the coffee table:

Also, I've posted one of these before - but here in a different livery is another Group 5 Model:

eBay Germany E21 Round-Up

As I have done a couple of times before, when I go on eBay.de to have a look for cool E21 parts, I summarise and post them here for anyone else interested in these cars to take a look at - tonight is no exception and eBay Germany delivers yet again!

First up, I've found what appears to be a set of the BBS rear bumper under spoilers or spats. They are currently only asking 50 Euro and I've only ever really seen the actual front bumpers up for sale so I'd say these are relatively rare.

BBS(?) rear spats

The second are a pair of chrome mirrors, these would look quite cool on the right car. They don't really suit the track purpose of my car, but might suit one of yours?

Chrome mirrors

I also found some cool seats, first there's a Single E21 recaro seat - then I stumbled across a set of Alpina trimmed seats, my german is basically non-existant and as best I could glean from a translate these were fitted at some point to an E30 touring so the back seat might be no use; however the front ones look the goods!

Next I came across a black M20 manifold - this looks pretty cool and would probably be an easy/quick way to change with your existing unit to mean minimum downtime if your E21 is a daily driver - at currently less than 30 euros it's not particularly dear, however postage may be a killer due to the size and weight.

I also found an M10 Alpina airbox which is very cool! (and very dear) but worth a look for you purists:

Alpina Airbox

If my E21 still had an interior, I'd almost certainly pick up some M-sports styled leather gear boots - especially for under 10 euro.

For those of you interested in doing an EFI conversion (as I was originally intending) you might want to check out this M30 manifold modified to fit M20. If I'd been sticking with the original M20 motor I'd also have looked at these quite seriously - E21 6cyl headers/extractors or these ones which look a bit more substantial.

I'm also thinking about getting myself a BMW Service Team Jacket but not sure if that makes sense given my choice of powerplant. 

Moved At Last!

So it's been a pretty hectic week here; we got the keys to the new house on the night of the 24th and got stuck right into moving house on the ANZAC Day public holiday on the 25th.

One of the first things to be moved (due to trailer availability) was the E21. We ran into some difficulty getting it onto the trailer because of an exhaust flange - in the end we needed four boards under each ramp AND to jack up the front of the trailer with the trolley jack before it would clear. I've got to track down a short video of the car sliding on the ramps trying to get on so I can show you all, hopefully sometime in the next week or so I should be able to get my hands on a copy.

Loading up in the driveway of the old house

Safely stowed in the garage at the new house

This is the view from my study (where I write these updates)

I am now going to be walking past the car every time I go between my study and the house (as there is no door directly between the two) so progress should continue - it may not be at its recent breakneck pace however!

Although the new house does not have the same amount of floorspace in the garage as the old shed, it does have an additional workshop which seems to be much better insulated (being brick and tiles) than the old shed and so should be a little nicer to work in during winter. I'm using the smaller workshop as a storage building as well as locating my press, drill press, bench vice and general workbench etc for fabrication.

The front garage will house my shadow boards and tools for actually working on the cars, but to maximise space I will keep actual stored parts etc in the front garage to a minimum.

The mower (as seen in previous posts) is getting a workout moving load after load of stuff from the front yard to the back. There's not enough room to get a car down here but a small trailer and the mower fits easily. This trailer was on loan for a couple of days, but I have an old A-frame here and some spare steel so I will begin to make a trailer up purely for this purpose soon which will make transferring heavier items between the two locations a breeze.

Slowly filling up - more has been put in since this shot but I haven't got a more recent photo yet. It will all change quite a bit so I'll put a few more photos up as I go.

Here's the new front yard - the E21 just visible in the right hand bay of the garage.

The left hand bay is currently totally full with boxes from the shed, the BBQ, bookshelves and other items.

Lastly, here's a video from unloading the car:

Alpina style garnish on eBay

 jumped on eBay.de again tonight as I didn't have time to finish going through it yesterday, and found this "Alpina" rear garnish is the same as the one on my car; as best I can tell it's not a genuine part but it sure looks good on the car. It's currently quite cheap but with 5 days left it's anyone's guess how much it will end up selling for.

"Alpina" Rear Garnish

Also, I thought I'd chuck up a link to the remote battery kill switch (this is the seller I purchased from) as I had some difficulty finding them at an affordable price and these are good quality and cheap.

Remote Battery Kill Switch

I got my actual isolator switch from a Jaycar dealer; but it looks like you can get sufficiently decent units from just about anywhere. Here's one that ships from Hong Kong with free postage and only costs AU$10 - Battery Isolator


Anyway, further with the project:

Basically as it stands, I'm going to be moving the car on Wednesday night or Thursday to the new house. Once that happens it will likely sit untouched for a week or two as I need to build shelves and sort out all my tools and parts into the space I have available. Since I won't be doing any work on the car, I'll likely post up progress on the layout/organisation of the new workspace.

In amongst this, I've also got to finish dismantling the EB that donated it's motor and transmission to this project as the body shell from that car needs to go to scrap.

With the front of the car assembled, we're more easily able to start to visualise the way the cooling hoses will have to be modified; that will be one of the next few tasks. Basically, before it can be taken for a decent drive-test, it needs the following as a minimum:

• Complete flush and bleed of brake fluid
• Retaining springs fitted to brake and clutch pedals
• Clutch pedal stop
• Sheet metal for gearbox turret and rubber cover to prevent road debris from entering the cabin
• Upper radiator hose modified
• Lower radiator hose modified or alternative found - this may require sectioning the hose and fitting a joiner mid way as it needs to change dimensions in more than one direction.
• Hose from Coolant reservoir to side of radiator - need to make something fit/work here, will need to pull one of the headlights off (driver's side) to get to this properly. Hopefully I can do this by modifying a falcon hose and using it with the standard E21 coolant reservoir (since it will fit the car easier than a Falcon one would)
• Power steering hoses - this is vital because without these hoses, I cannot fit the serpentine belt (it would kill the power steering pump) and without the serpentine belt, there is no drive for the water pump and the engine will overheat.

Some E21 Ebay Gems

Just doing the typical Sunday eBay trawl and came across a few items which might be of interest.

First, in Australia, this BBS front spoiler (the same as on my vehicle):

BBS Front Spoiler on eBay

The second, on eBay Germany, is this set of 16x7" Alpina wheels. These would fit E21 and E30 and possibly other models as well.

Alpina 4x100 16x7" Wheels

On eBay.co.uk is a side-loader LSD for 2002/E12/E21:

LSD for 2002, E21, E21

A genuine E21 Alpina front spoiler

Alpina Front Spoiler

And this VERY COOL 1:43 scale Group 5 Race E21:

E21 Gr.5 Race Car 1:43

Anyway, I'd better get back to packing up for the big move next week!

Packing up and gearing down

As I've previously mentioned, we're moving shortly (hence the hurry up that finally got this project running) - I've pulled everything off the shelves in the shed to sort it out so the shed is a bit of a mess and counter-conducive to achieving progress.

Under bench mostly cleared 

The stuff still on the shelves in the back is all sorted out - stuff I'm keeping. 

I pulled the E21 off the pit a couple of nights ago as I had to get access to the cupboards on that wall of the shed; unfortunately in the process of moving the car around the fuel pump packed it in. I think this is a side effect of the lines being connected backwards for a number of start attempts - to be honest I'm surprised it held out this long after that before it ceased to function. I spent a good twenty minutes outside in the cold at 11.30pm changing fuel pumps!

 I decided that the bumpers and lights would be better off mounted to the car than travelling to the new house seperately from the car, so began to fit them up.

Here I've cut a section out of the front valance to clear the new crossmember I installed.

Next I removed the bonnet and installed the radiator. This required further trimming of the front valance on the metal bumper, so I removed the entire bottom section from one side to the other, since it's entirely hidden in use by the BBS bumper.

You can occasionally find these bumpers on eBay - E21 BBS Front Spoiler

Lots of removed pieces.

The BBS kit is a little out of shape from hanging up for so long. It's plastic so will gradually sort itself out.

Kidney grill re-installed; it's now a proper BMW again (engine aside!)

Next the headlights; I'd initially thought I'd have a lot of dramas making these fit but it turned out pretty straight forward.

First I tried cutting what looked like the minimum amount off the bracket to clear the radiator.

Then I also cut down the lamp itself.

It still didn't quite fit so I got a bit more aggressive as you can see.

The end result is what we wanted though; the lights bolted to the car.

Followed shortly after by the plastic trim

And the indicator, which I sprayed with some night-shades (tint) at an earlier stage of the build.

The LHS headlamp was modified much quicker as I knew exactly what needed to be done and how the second time around.

Testing the lights still work

And the indicators; looks like one of the fronts has blown a globe.

Trim panel installed on the LHS. Not sure what I'm going to do about the badges on this car. 323i isn't really accurate any more. I might see if the AU Falcon intech badges are sufficiently sized to cover this space.

Shark nose; a shot for the E21 fans.

It's starting to look aggressive now :)

I propped the sagged part of the bumper with a radiator hose; hopefully over the next 24 hours it will flex back to how it should be sitting.

The area under the RHS light, the paint has cracked a little where I bent a piece of metal to clear the radiator.

The LHS, similar damage is evident here but is not overly noticable from a distance.

I've still got to install the proper bumper (American readers probably refer to the Australian bumper as a "euro" bumper; Australian Delivered cars tend to be almost identical to those delivered in the UK, so we get all the cool stuff (i.e. in my E39 540i, I get a full first aid kit and a warning triangle; where the US customers get these left out). For those that don't know, the US have terrible federally mandated bumpers on the E21 which look awful - see https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=e21+us+bumpers&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest for some examples.

This will be a bit of work, as the factory brackets would have to pass through the radiator; so I'm going to have to come up with an alternative method of holding the bumper to the car.