Shared Knowledge
"BMW X5 - How to Replace the Sway Bar Link"
21 April 2011
Updated 22 June 2011
Summary: easy enough do-it-yourself (DIY) and easiest of front suspension component replacement but absolutely must have 2 jacks and a thin 18 millimeter (mm) open-ended wrench.
Background:
BMW X5: model year 2000, 4.4i, sports package, 149,000 miles.
Time to replace front suspension components.
Tools and parts required:
New sway bar links: left and right.
Car jack for jack point and second jack.
18millmeter (mm thin) open ended wrench.
I find thin wrenches at bicycle stores.
18 mm socket.
Torque wrench capable of 150 foot pounds (ft-lbs).
How to remove the old sway bar link:
Pull emergency brake.
Using car jack, at jack point on side to be worked on, jack up car high enough to remove wheel.
Remove wheel (19mm lug nuts).
Using 18mm socket, loosen but do not remove, nuts on sway bar link.
18mm nuts are on with significant torque.
There is weight on the swap bar link so you will not be able to remove it.
Place a second jack under steering knuckle.
Slowly begin to raise steering knuckle, taking weight off sway bar link.
As you raise steering knuckle, take your hand and check sway bar link.
Eventually, the sway bar link will become loose to the point that you can easy remove it.
This point, of sway bar link removal, is not either too high or too low.
Go slowly in jacking the knuckle.
To get the sway bar link to be loose, you might have to lower the car jack under the car and raise the jack under the steering knuckle or visa versa.
The nuts on the sway bar links should come off easily but if they begin to turn and there is no movement of the nut on the bolt, the ball joint is turning and you will have to use a 18mm thin wrench.
Place thin 18mm thin wrench, open end, in back of the sway bar link.
The ball joints of the link, right where they mate up with the sway bar and the mounting plate on the strut, have indents allowing you to place the thin wrench over the ball joint and hold it while you remove each nut.
Look at your new sway bar links if you are unsure about the indents allowing for an 18mm wrench.
With both nuts removed, lift away the sway bar link.
Note: the upper end of the link has a flat washer on it.
How to install new sway bar link:
Using the link you just removed, find your new link that matches it.
Look at the angle of the ball joints to the shaft.
When you are sure you have the correct link, mount it.
One of the ball joints may have to be movedto get it to insert into a hole.
Make sure you place the new flat washer on the bolt on the strut end of the link.
The washer goes in behind the strut plate on the bolt.
Place new nuts on both ends of the link and begin to tighten.
At some point, the ball joints will begin to turn and you will have to use the 18mm thin wrench to hold the ball joint.
Hand tighten the lower and upper nut.
Now use a torque wrench and while holding the ball joint with the thin wrench, tight each nut to 74 ft-lbs.
Check everything over.
Correct link installed??
Lower the jack under the steering knuckle putting weight on sway bar link.
Replace wheel and torque lug nuts (100 ft-lbs).
Lower car off jack at jack point.
Move to other side and repeat replace and install.