BMW E46 Front End Clunk Diagnosis & FIX!

Finally solved the front end clunk on my $500 BMW E46. Quick and Easy fix for a very common problem that all of these BMWs have, hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to subscribe for more content

[@efoff652]

Bro where did you find an e46 that drives for 500 bucks

[@DayOffDIY]

This one I got from a coworkers brother, I actually got another one for $500 off Craigslist too. Have a bunch of content covering both on my channel :)

[@efoff652]

@@DayOffDIY that is awesome. I've been looking for that kind of bargain for a project lol. Your stuff is sweet!

[@DayOffDIY]

@@efoff652 thanks Ashton, appreciate it!

[@rick503z]

Theyre all over in the bay.

[@efoff652]

@@rick503z what bay?

[@TheBlaert]

Good to see someone actually using Lemforder parts

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks! :)

[@GalvanizedGreatness]

Don’t judge me 😂

[@DojatheGiant]

The dog is like, should’ve bought me a house

[@DayOffDIY]

LOL shop dog in training

[@dimi3391]

I just bought an F36 435i Gran Coupe and I’m getting exactly the same thing! I’ve been trying to figure out where to look and this gave me an idea as to where to look. Thanks for posting this!

[@DayOffDIY]

they go bad just as fast if not faster on the F body chassis too! id definitely check the control arm bushings. Thanks for the comment!

[@SkexR]

Trick I figured out when I did mine, use a ratcheting tie down strap and wrap it around the control arm the CAB and a piece of wood to protect the bushing. This will hold the CAB in place for hammering and will prevent the CAB from backing off. Hit it a bit then tighten the strap, repeat until seated.

[@DayOffDIY]

Thats a great idea!

[@keithhorton2777]

Worked for me as well.

[@goldysgarage189]

The e46 was an amazing platform

[@DayOffDIY]

one of my all time favorites!

[@mlevins2973]

Now you just need to swap every single gasket, tubing, bushing, pipe, sensor and line then its good to go. Fr though no ones buying a car for 500 unless its for the love of the game. Hope its being a fun project for you and you havent had to oursource too much of it. Youre doing gods work keeping one more of these beauties in circulation.

[@DayOffDIY]

Lolol you’re not wrong! I do it for the love of wrenching and keeping these old BMWs on the road but this car surprisingly didn’t need much! Sounds like you’d like my longer form content, I have loads of videos on this E46 and another one too. Both cost $500 each.

[@e46m54nissansr20937]

Ahh my beloved E46. My first car was an M52 328ci and I had it up to 250k miles. Great car

[@DayOffDIY]

Awesome! such great cars

[@iiplaya]

lol I had mines for 2 months found out the subframe was cracked and immediately got rid of it. I wish I would’ve fixed it and zf8 or manual swapped it then turbo’d it but I was boring at the time :(

[@lowkey.fuckedup]

still learning how to diagnose from feel when driving and this video helped me spot my own control arm going back. thanks man

[@DayOffDIY]

Happy to hear that Nathan!

[@KhanyisoMapuma]

THANK YOU! That's the clunk I keep hearing on mine

[@DayOffDIY]

I hope this helps! :)

[@englishcrumpet56]

Pry bar makes it so simple. Someone showed me that trick years ago. I used spray nine, but I see that glass cleaner works well also

[@DayOffDIY]

Love the pry bar trick!

[@eastsideofthetracks8311]

I recommend poly bushing for control arm even if the car is not going to be used to drive hard…there easier to install and last forever … also a performance mod they feel so much more solid

[@DayOffDIY]

i like poly but theyre too stiff for my taste, i like the factory softer feel

[@axjason]

Control arm, bushings, idler arm, bushings, ball joints, the whole shebang

[@DayOffDIY]

no idler arms on these E46, rack and pinion setup

[@broctms2]

Meyle HD is the only brand of suspension parts that should go on these. They are better than factory and will last almost 2x the lenght. I changed the bushings + the A arms + steering rods and front shocks. It drives better than new right now

[@DayOffDIY]

Ill have to give em a try

[@GopNet]

I used Meyle once and honestly ? Never again please.... lasted barely a year even though I avoid potholes like mine fields. Rear shock absorber lasted 2 years

[@juanpaVlz]

That design is very smart! Love it

[@DayOffDIY]

luckily its easy to replace too

[@leeludlowart237]

Done mine twice. The nappa ones are pretty good.

[@Iwillnotbepushed]

Someone dumped that BMW because they were told the repair was thousands of dollars. Then people like us by them. Oh that’s an easy repair.

[@fregyt]

Always love ur content. Love your pup too

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks Freg! Really appreciate it, I just gave Sage some pets for ya

[@15explant53]

More pets for sage

[@haroldbenett8141]

You a very informative scholastic artist 🏆😎. Ty bro for your intelligence 👌

[@DayOffDIY]

Thank you Harold!!!

[@Dazed1Hobbies]

Having same issue but different car. Was about to check other parts, but I think this might be where I need to start. Thank you 😊

[@DayOffDIY]

always my first thing to look at on front end suspension

[@tmelitta51]

From the second you stated the symptoms,I knew it was the control arm bushings. Very typical problem in the E46 @ 65K miles or more

[@DayOffDIY]

agreed! very common problem

[@ish9229]

All I needed was glass cleaner????? I been get my hands greased up all this time for nothing 😂

[@DayOffDIY]

lol, its my preferred lube for these

[@ish9229]

@@DayOffDIY that’s awesome I bet it dries up pretty decently too, so much less mess! Going to try this with my sway bar bushings 👌

[@tricktap8502]

Lol I used dish soap and it worked 😂

[@cameronscotty3671]

just learned if it’s the ball joint as well you have to replace the whole control arm with stock setup

[@yordantomov3974]

Best model bmw ever made.

[@DayOffDIY]

agreed!

[@talbotd27]

Instant sub, I have an e46 that needs a lotta work and I don’t have the $100,000 the shops want to do it 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@DayOffDIY]

I used to be the one charging those prices too! Book time on these bushings is like 2-3 hours if im not mistaken, parts and labor can be over $500!!! for a 30 minute job

[@DayOffDIY]

also thanks for the sub :)

[@tricktap8502]

Yeah, man same, great car, lots of problems, and don't have ridiculous amounts of money on a student salary. I just started learning it all myself because shops were gonna charge me almost 2 grand ($1700) to replace control arms 🤦‍♂️

[@Eazykilldavis]

I paid $500 for 2004 325Ci auto coupe it had disa- flap, fix 5 min, car did great. Going back to my 2000 323Ci manual coupe i did this to it. I did alot equal length headers, ram air, knN filter. Bad ass clutch, i was going going to put a LSd with taller gears and a 6 speed. But I got a e90 and e92 335i, still have the 2008 e92 335i i used the e90 for parts.

[@DayOffDIY]

Sounds like a badass car! you got good taste. E46s and E90s are my favorite 3 series hands down. anything after that im not a fan of

[@michalliska7629]

What a cute little doggo you got there :)

[@DayOffDIY]

Shes the cutest, growing up quick!

[@ciancadonk]

my guy that mustache is🔥

[@DayOffDIY]

thank you!!!

[@imbe.]

Nice! Its pretty, fix was easy and clunking is gone. Plus it was only 500.

[@DayOffDIY]

very easy fix! cant turn down a $500 E46!

[@ericgon46]

Use a puller to remove the control arm bushings. As far as install goes, dawn soap works great, you should be able to push the cab with your bare hands without having to hammer it on

[@DayOffDIY]

thats always a good idea, ive done it this way for years with no issue. ill have to try dish soap next time

[@ericgon46]

@@DayOffDIY just make sure when you push it on you do it quickly and bolt it right back

[@deebee9411]

Wish it was so...I spent hours trying to get my bushings on...used everything.... Everything...and even asked for help..and the help couldn't get it done...best thing was using a quick grip hand grip to get it to seed. One of the worst... longest experiences working on this car I've had in ten years of ownership...granted...if my car was on a lift instead of on ramps..it wouldn't have been so hard...a lift is everything in saving backaches and headaches

[@kanthonysmith]

Great video sir, very informative. What are you doing to the breaks again

[@AndrewKidd14145]

500 god damn.

[@johnnychimpo7539]

Yea but needs 3k worth of maintenance and repairs minimum

[@radsbosscraft8476]

​@@johnnychimpo7539they really aren't that expensive to repair. I picked up my e46 for 600 about 6 months ago and all it needed to drive was a valve cover gasket and a battery and it still needs work but I have only put like 400$ into it. Older BMWs really aren't that expensive to work on however I will say I'm not always using OEM but everything I have used has worked great

[@NirmalSingh-gf8ef]

That’s looks good deal for 500 bucks now

[@DayOffDIY]

Shes a great driver now

[@thailandretromods]

Good vid bro!

[@jcoach3064]

That's a killer deal !!!!

[@brainiestben]

Doing the bmw gods work. Thank you sir!

[@DayOffDIY]

appreciate it ben!

[@brainiestben]

@@DayOffDIY my pleasure! First of your vids I’ve seen and instantly love what you’re doing! Keep up the amazing content :)

[@lamarglenn715]

THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@evanlilly420]

Great technique to get them off!

[@DayOffDIY]

thanks! works the best

[@RS-of1om]

Good Fix

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks

[@andrewlace]

That bushing is huge

[@DayOffDIY]

yeah they wear out surprisingly quick too

[@Supra_Mickey]

Recommend tire lube next time slides on way easier no hammer required

[@DayOffDIY]

Good idea

[@justinkaufman495]

Lower control arms are always very fun to fight with. My mazda 5 had bad ones and the issue is the bolts holding them on get stuck and cannot be removed by the time is showing signs of damage.

[@DayOffDIY]

Damn that’s a pain in the A$$. Luckily these didn’t fight me too hsrd

[@robbybobby410]

Anytime you remove anything like that, you want to get it aligned. Especially if it's all wheel drive, or you'll go through tires real fast.

[@DayOffDIY]

100%! always a good idea to align after control arm bushings

[@VictorEstrada]

I had an e46 just like that one, same color. I miss that car tbh, even while building a 950whp f30.

[@DayOffDIY]

Sounds like a badass F30! They dont make em like they used to!

[@IsaacGbornor]

And you get a beautiful Car ,I am jealous of you

[@DayOffDIY]

thanks! shes driving great

[@peted5217]

A Likely Story......

[@biggchizz]

Thank you.😮

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks for the comment

[@Hennysgarage]

thats an insane deal.

[@DayOffDIY]

it really is! I scored. Its my daily driver and im only into it about 1500 bucks with the purchase price

[@Rlip]

Wow this genius 😂hope in don’t have to change mine but now I know

[@DayOffDIY]

Now you know :)

[@friguy4444]

You know I've been thinking the clunk was my brakes but now that I've seen this I'll be checking the lollipops!

[@izzyskinnychin1462]

Try and shake your wheel if you have it off the ground and see if there is any play

[@DayOffDIY]

Agreed! You should be able to have play front to rear

[@nicowallace6409]

I’ve been putting this off for 6months, I guess this is a sign

[@DayOffDIY]

worth it after the work!

[@IntegraProsper]

THAT'S MY CAR. DUDE YOU TOLD ME IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET & THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. THAT'S FUCKED UP.

[@Loud_e46]

That’s why you’re blocked

[@josevargas1820]

_Doggo 🌟_

[@DayOffDIY]

shes the cutest :)

[@rogercvc6768]

Looks like your $500 was well spent. Congrats!

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks Roger! I think so too

[@jcoach3064]

I knew as soon as you said clunk when brake control arm and or bushings

[@DayOffDIY]

you know it!

[@goranborovic2840]

Best car i ever had

[@DayOffDIY]

theyre my favorite daily!

[@nuggetslayer7400]

*best car ever

[@smackmurph7414]

“Buttery smooth” 😂😂😂😂

[@DayOffDIY]

Buttery!!!!

[@t.l.robinson2162]

Very cool.

[@DayOffDIY]

thanks!

[@t.l.robinson2162]

@@DayOffDIY you are very welcome.

[@mikebing1230]

Trust arm bushings. Easy

[@DayOffDIY]

very easy on this chassis

[@gstar6315]

Nice

[@askthemhoesv]

This is just great

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks Anthony!

[@magnust3347]

Great job! The brand is named Lemförder with the vowel 'ö'. It is not an 'o'. The two dots on top matter and signal that it is not an 'o'. If it would be an 'o' - why would they misspell their own brand name?

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks for the correction! I really do appreciate it mate

[@cyclonus01]

Love these youtube videos where people lie about what they paid for cars.

[@DayOffDIY]

That’s the real purchase price, and actually the second E46 I’ve found for $500 in the last 6 months :)

[@nicklievore1739]

Control arm bushings don’t leak

[@DayOffDIY]

theyre actually fluid filled inside of the rubber casting. give it a google. lots of BMW models use that same design

[@virenpatel9973]

Yeah, they do. But maybe not on your Honda.

[@loganeugenes991]

My man...! Just like me!

[@Changitos.]

You made it look so easy man. Any experience on X5’s? I just got one from auction

[@DayOffDIY]

The control arm bushings are more challenging on the X5, they need to be pressed out of the control arm, but not hard with the right tools

[@valentinmitev7681]

E46❤

[@paulodeoliveira3368]

I had an E46 but had to sell it as it wasn't developing power and was heavy on petrol.

[@yeldog11]

Spraynine and a big pair of channel locks.

[@DayOffDIY]

thatd work too!

[@yeldog11]

@@DayOffDIY I'm an old BMW tech that made a lot of money on E46s. I enjoyed your video. Keep it up!

[@DayOffDIY]

thanks friend! appreciate the support

[@sphiwemsimango6043]

Leaking control arm bushes?😎 ok

[@DayOffDIY]

theyre actually fluid filled on lots of BMWs , give it a search on the ol interweb

[@virenpatel9973]

Yes. Leaking control arm bushings. German cars are fluid filled bushings on most models.

[@j_takasaki]

there is a certain measurement how far these bushing have to be on the control arm, at least bmw says so.

[@DayOffDIY]

yeah i try to check the previous bushing to where it sits before removing but ive never measured

[@thevillage38]

And now i get to ALL the oil leaks

[@DayOffDIY]

This one is surprisingly dry! all thats left is oil pan

[@dylanfoster7603]

Lollipop bushings for future reference

[@DayOffDIY]

they have lots of names

[@spikester550]

bushing leaking? maybe the oil dripping from ccv valve on drivers side or even the oil filter housing gasket will leak down to it

[@DayOffDIY]

They’re actually fluid filled bushings, many bmw chassis have em, from E46, E60s and E90s

[@spikester550]

@@DayOffDIY its just a bit of oil for dampening, just get a polyurethane and you wont deal with it.

[@DayOffDIY]

the poly are a bit too stiff for my liking@@spikester550

[@fusion_phoenix]

the control arm bushings don't leak

[@DayOffDIY]

They do, they’re fluid filled. Look it up

[@LukeBjohnson]

@@DayOffDIY thats why im going with the meyle hd ones or even powerflex poly bushings cause the lemforder ones are the only ones with liquid in them

[@AgSherr]

Score!

[@Derek_72]

Control arms leak?

[@danieldecker6396]

Did nobody else realize he said the bushings were leaking

[@DayOffDIY]

they are! some BMW bushings are fluid filled. give er a google

[@virenpatel9973]

Yes I did. And he’s correct. They’re fluid filled. Which is why when they leak, they leak orange.

[@davidg.9942]

had bad experience with lemforder, 2 sets in 5 years, they are filled with grease and they leak,, went with meyle HD and forgot they even there,,,

[@DayOffDIY]

they do leak sometimes, ill have to try the meyle next time. i recommend these because they come with the bracket replacement so i dont have to press them out

[@dmar9368]

Leaking control arm bushings? They’re rubber

[@DayOffDIY]

Theyre fluid filled from the factory actually.

[@PhantomZore]

Wow I think you just made a 1 min DIY on replacing that bush. Good editing with before and after 👍 Keep up the good work and can’t wait for the next video!

[@DayOffDIY]

That was the goal! Every part of me wanted to go long form for the regular audience, but hoping KZbin shorts will get me out to more people :) fire season is coming soon

[@DayOffDIY]

Thanks Phantom, you’re the best

[@PhantomZore]

@@DayOffDIY Im sure I watched a video a few months back that did a test on using shorts for a month and he came to the conclusion that they expanded his reach by about 20%. So it’s not a bad idea to make a few from time to time and if you make them like this where its a different video and not just taking 1min from a video your audience has seen, I think it will do well. 👍 Do you have a KZbin plan in place for fire season? Maybe films 5 videos and upload 1 or 2 a week to give yourself some room to breathe

[@PhantomZore]

@@DayOffDIY Almost 1000 views already! 🎉

[@DayOffDIY]

@@PhantomZore so far so good :)

[@Neo-RSA007]

That's a bargain. My friend once paid $562 with a fckd up master cylinder. He never picked it up😅😂😂

[@DayOffDIY]

damn! lol yeah it was a score

[@colestaples2010]

Wow 500$ wish I could find a deal like that

[@DayOffDIY]

thank you :)

[@chaselaframboise2511]

You still got a steal

[@DayOffDIY]

I scored, peep my channel for another $500 BMW im working on

[@calexl99]

Always a problem with older BMWs

[@DayOffDIY]

Always!

[@minski6474]

Der Bruder hat einfach Volltank😮

[@danieltaylor2340]

Good job. Now replace the engine

[@DayOffDIY]

Nah engine is still mint!

[@brettvandenbosch8772]

I do wonder if using a hammer will damage the bushings.

[@DayOffDIY]

Not a plastic soft blow mallet in my opinion

[@jamesmendoza5097]

That bushing that u fixed is just one of the many motherf ing problems this BMW will throw at you. Bring More Wallet BMW 😂

[@DayOffDIY]

It never ends!!!

[@donkeyunknown11]

I didn’t know bushings could leaks 😂

[@DayOffDIY]

they do indeed! these bushings are fluid filled so when they tear you can see signs of leaking.

[@FedericoTimothy]

these Lemforder bushings are fluid filled, same goes for engine mounts.

[@vincentlong5569]

2002 Boys here….

[@Rondondon747]

Yes, but what about ball joint? It is usually dead as well.

[@DayOffDIY]

sometimes they do go out! on this one they still have some life. front end is tight!

[@flipvdfluitketel867]

At this point a complete front suspension refresh is in order

[@DayOffDIY]

agreed, although struts are nice n dry

[@EKHondaMotive]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@DayOffDIY]

:)

[@roberthatley7415]

The diag was so obvious from the get go lol

[@DayOffDIY]

for the experienced absolutely

[@user-lt1dq5yo6t]

It looks so easy just go to automotive repair school then graduate and after that find an E46 with bad front end suspension for 500 bucks.

[@DayOffDIY]

I actually didnt go to automotive school, just learned on the job, but anyone can do this repair with simple hand tools! :)

[@LoppanH]

Glass cleaner you say is that extra good?

[@DayOffDIY]

I like it to lubricate the bushing for installation, but it evaporates so it doesn’t stay lubricated afterwards

[@richardalletag1129]

See that century dog

[@davidzhang724]

Can anyone tell me what is the difference between break clean and glass clean

[@DayOffDIY]

brake cleaner is for cleaning brakes, oils, grease etc... glass cleaner, just for glass

[@derrickeafford5047]

😂 i have to do this and install new belts😅

[@DayOffDIY]

easy fixes!

[@derrickeafford5047]

@@DayOffDIY yessir