E34 Pitman arm

[bimmerman]

I will be changing my pitman arm and was wondering if it is necessary to change the whole arm or just the bushing?A while ago in the old forum someone postred some very interesting facts about the pitman arm including a diagram. I hope those kind contributors can repost again for the benefit off all whose cars have pitman arms.

 

[ehoe]

No there is no reason to change the whole rear arm unless its been damaged somehow. Just change the worn out bushings such as the pitman arm bush (no 6 on pic) and trailing arm bushes (no 2 on pic).

Visually you can check if the pitman arm bush is worn and in need of replacement. But the other bushing such as the trailing arm bush & axel carrier bush may look ok but it may be cracked. Ask your mechanic, he should be able to advice you on how to check or what are the symtoms of a worn out rear bushings. Good luck.

 

[magicfox]

I did change the pitman arm, not just the bushings. Do you know where to get just the bushings?

 

[bimmerman]

Ehoe,

Thanks for the diagram, you're my hero. Actually I was referring to the Pitman Arm not the trailing arm, which someone posted on the old pre server crash forum. Do you happen to have it?

Magicfox,

Actually I don't know if you have to change the Pitman arm or just it's bushings. The pitman arm is around RM400 right? If can change just the bushings then can save a bundle loh.

 

[ehoe]

The pitman arm bush (refer to my earlier pic, item no 6) is the figure '8' bush and this bush is replaced as one whole piece. I don't think you can change just the rubber bushings alone, its sold complete as one piece.

This pitman arm bush isn't cheap if I remember correctly, I ended up buying mine from kiasuland so it was slightly cheaper than here in KL.

 

[fish]

got mine change in Dec'04 . Brand Lemforder and it cost me RM 164.00 per pc .

 

[ALBundy]

A failed pittman arm or some call it dog bone will give you a "clicking" noise when you apply pressure on the car, ie; when you enter the car. AS for the trailing arm, visual inspection is quite impossible to determine its condition. I have not replaced it yet, but if you are experiencing abnormal tire wear, that will be a good time to replace it.

Rgds

 

[bimmerman]

Originally posted by ALBundy@Mar 7 2005, 11:42 AM
A failed pittman arm or some call it dog bone will give you a "clicking" noise when you apply pressure on the car, ie; when you enter the car. AS for the trailing arm, visual inspection is quite impossible to determine its condition. I have not replaced it yet, but if you are experiencing abnormal tire wear, that will be a good time to replace it.

Rgds

Hmmm... Don't think I hear a clicking sound but I do hear a squeak from the rear when I enter the car.

Mr. Albundy, can bad bushings and pitman arm make your tires hum or drone at a certain speed like 80KPH for example? My Dunlop SP9000 is now totally wasted and so I bought a pair of used 50% thread Falken GR-B and Potenza S01. Both thread patterns look identical although different brand. Oem? Anyway, these tires start to hum at exactly 80KPH and will hum at any speed on some surfaces. Is this normal for these types of tires or is the bad bushings and pitman arm causing the tires to sing?

 

[bimmerman]

CHANGED MY PITMAN ARM AND TRAILING ARM BUSHINGS TODAY!!!

I was so sure it was the trailing arm bushes that I went straight to my regular mechanic and told him to change the trailing arm bushes.

So half an hour later, off came the brake calipers, brake pads, brake shoe (yes! brake shoe! I just discovered that the E34 has a hybrid disc brake/drum brake rear brake system. Disc for regular braking, drums for handbrake! :dunno: ), brake rotor, pitman arm and then off came the trailing arm.Guess what! The bushings were in good condition. Tight as scrooge! So what Pussy said in another thread is correct then. These bushings last for at least 15 years! And my car is only 10 years old.

Anyway, I picked up the pitman arm and lo and behold! It was so loose I could almost pull the bushing out of it's sockets. Although it still looked fine! No torn bushings, no clicking sound, not faults detectable audibly and visibly. No wonder the car was toeing out and wrecking my tyres!!!

But since everything was now off the car I changed the bushings anyway.

Cost:

Bushings were Lamforder at RM30 a piece = RM30X4 = RM120
Pump bushings into trailing arm = RM 36
Pitman Arm 1 piece (ATOZ? Brand) = RM95
Workmanship = RM100

Total = RM 350

Guess what! My car now steers differently. I think the corrected toe angle on the rear will require me to do a front alignment as well.

Has it fixed my problem? Well, only time will tell but theoretocally I think the problem is fixed.

 

[bimmerman]

Now has anybody heard of Altoz? It's only RM95 for a Pitman arm as opposed to Lemforder at twice the price. Is this a fake inferior brand?

Did a Yahoo and Google and came up with absolutely nothing on ALTOZ! :dunno:

 

[viewfinder]

The arm looks like a pair of binoculars. Both the left&right pitman arm bushes' rubber housing have disintegrated after ~21000km. Together with a pair of new lower control arm (worn ball joint rubber housing), now the ride feels firmer right away :top: