Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    the OC
    Posts
    427

    Question to thrust or not to thrust [arms]

    I was told by BMW Irvine "REC THRUST ROD BUSHING REPLACEMENT" @ about 675$ and 5 hrs of work,.

    I checked with a bMW authorized local indy shop, and was told:

    "your model of car doesn't have thrust rod bushings - it has control arm bushings. But there is really only one bushing on the front of the car that you replace." and

    "Bushings are the same on all non-M E46's. Labor is $180 and the parts with mounting brackets are $177. Takes about an hour and a half."

    Im not a mechanic, not mechanically inclined. I am at a loss at to why BMW is telling me i have a part that supposedly does not exist, and why their rates for this part. installation are SO far over and indy shop.

    any help, IN LAYMANS TERMS. would be GREATLY appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Fairfax Station, VA
    Posts
    2,806
    The Indy shop is correct, in fact his labor estimate is very reasonable and he's just charging you full retail for the FCABs. Believe the dealer must have confused your E46 with a car that has two thrust arms which do the same function as one e46 control arm. My old e39 had thrust arms, the lower front thrust arm with bushing cost $250 and the upper front thrust arm with bushing cost about $200, and if I recall correctly the labor estimate was 4-5 hours to replace both.

    Bruce
    21 GMC Sierra - mine
    16 X5 M-Sport - wife
    11 M3 - 1st son
    04 Tundra - 2nd son
    17 X1 M-Sport - daughter

    Former (mo/yr sold):
    15 335xi M-Sport (8/18)
    11 335is (8/17)
    11 X5 AW/blk (11/15)
    04 330xi blk/gray (7/15)
    06 ZHP SGM/blk (6/15)
    08 335xi blue/blk (4/15)
    04 ZHPci MB/blk (2/14)
    04 ZHPcic IR/Alc (10/13)
    01 540iT anthra/blk (7/13)
    04 ZHPci TIAG/blk (9/12)
    03 540i M-Sport (9/12)
    01 325ci (3/12)
    02 325iT 5MT (10/11)
    05 ZHPci (7/11)
    03 330cic (2/11)
    00 323ci (10/10)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    San Diego
    Posts
    595
    feel free to PM me or Das Boots . I have a guy in Oceanside who will save you a ton of money and teach you all about your car at the same time.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    Whatever indy told you there was only one bushing on front of car, is suffering from head in ass syndrome.

    Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    2,378
    Quote Originally Posted by danewilson77 View Post
    Whatever indy told you there was only one bushing on front of car, is suffering from head in ass syndrome.

    Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA
    i think he meant one type of bushing, not one bushing only.
    --Wes--

    04 330i ZHP Oxford Green/Natural Brown
    04 330Ci ZHP Silvergrey/Alcantara (RIP)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    Quote Originally Posted by webster View Post
    i think he meant one type of bushing, not one bushing only.
    OK. If he is talking CAB's. Do it yourself. $100.....easy DIY.
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    Oh...and another thing.....the job will take him 2 hours max (so he's charging you book hours), and they are marking up their parts. Tell him you want these (or Lemforder).



    http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-...-31126757623my
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    I suppose the $180 in labor isn't too bad though.
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Fairfax Station, VA
    Posts
    2,806
    Yeah, the Indy told him an hour & a half labor for $180, so I suspect a $120/hr labor rate is good for SoCal. And 90 minutes to do it is about right, even though other guys charge that much labor time per side to replace the FCABs.

    Bruce
    21 GMC Sierra - mine
    16 X5 M-Sport - wife
    11 M3 - 1st son
    04 Tundra - 2nd son
    17 X1 M-Sport - daughter

    Former (mo/yr sold):
    15 335xi M-Sport (8/18)
    11 335is (8/17)
    11 X5 AW/blk (11/15)
    04 330xi blk/gray (7/15)
    06 ZHP SGM/blk (6/15)
    08 335xi blue/blk (4/15)
    04 ZHPci MB/blk (2/14)
    04 ZHPcic IR/Alc (10/13)
    01 540iT anthra/blk (7/13)
    04 ZHPci TIAG/blk (9/12)
    03 540i M-Sport (9/12)
    01 325ci (3/12)
    02 325iT 5MT (10/11)
    05 ZHPci (7/11)
    03 330cic (2/11)
    00 323ci (10/10)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    the OC
    Posts
    427
    Autozone.com
    Thanx everybody.

    I'll continue researching... There even seems to be some debate among members here..... And I have to admit there is enough tech talk hear to confuse those of us who are not knowledgeable in the inner workings of an automobile, especially the coded CAPS terms...


    My big question/ fear was that a dealer was telling me I need a part that I didn't/ doesn't exist on my car. I can compare labor and part rates from Indys.... But I'd like to know what I'm comparing, if that makes ay sense. Would the dealer get my car, realize that (maybe) the part doesn't exist... Then charge me for it anyway? I the costs form BMW Irvine a d the Indy shop were close, then I'd say it was just a case of semantics.

    I don't know if that's the case.


    DIY- I don't have tools or space, so I can't say if it is a DIY or not.

    I will follow the suggestion to co tact the place in Oceanside (though just far enough away to. Perhaps cost as much in gas as localized labor?).


    At any rate, I appreciate the feedback thus far.

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