[se93]

Greetings to all,

I am in the market for some good, non-genuine BMW front sway bar links and looking for some feedback if Lemforder is my best choice. I am not a fan of the Meyle line, so that one is discarded. FCP Euro has Lemforder, Meyle and Corteco, so what do you think?

 

[docnabimmer]

At least Lemforder sway bar links were MADE IN GERMANY last time I got mine 3 yrs ago.
So yes they are ad good as BMW without the bmw tax😉

 

[TüftlerMatt]

Yes, I would say they are. I bought and installed the links you’re referring to from FCPEuro last month (alongside changing the FCABs). They seem to be of good quality and I chose them because they were marked as the OE option and made in Germany.

I can’t speak to the other brands, but I had to buy a thin 18mm cone wrench to install them. You can get one at a bike shop, or of course on Amazon: https://a.co/d/fAcIcPt

 

[Alex323Ci]

Meyle HD are superior to the Lemforder in design and performance at this part.
Lemforder are still good.

 

[andrebimmerandre]

I think mine are from FEBI, and they are doing their job. They aren’t on there for a very long time, so time will tell. I think (but this is just an assumption), for these ones it doesn’t really matter. But of course, my recommendation would be go to for Lemforder, because they are probably OE, and if they are not it usually is a solid choise.

 

[adasterdezaster]

It's all I use and I've never had a problem


Cheers,

Poon

 

[se93]

Thanks to all. Just ordered a set of Lemforders from FCP Euro.

 

[Alex323Ci]

MEYLE HD has bigger stronger balljoints, thicker diameter bars, less expensive than and longer warranty than Lemforder.
no brainer.

 

[se93]

MEYLE HD has bigger stronger balljoints, thicker diameter bars, less expensive than and longer warranty than Lemforder.
no brainer.
View attachment 974289

I prefer a German made part over a chinese one, but thanks for your input.

 

[ThreeM30s]

Less mass is best, so long as it has the same strength. The Chinese ones are often substitutes, and require a high level of confidence on the part of those that know better than most. Meyle HD is savvy marketing, but with the notoriousness of cheap sway bar links (these look very much like the cheapest non-name ones you can get), and the performance of OEM suspension parts more generally, if any vendor claims to make an improved e46 part, community confirmation should be clear before you use it.

IMHO buying anything other than OE is always an experiment in patience otherwise

 

[Alex323Ci]

Less mass is best, so long as it has the same strength. The Chinese ones are often substitutes, and require a high level of confidence on the part of those that know better than most. Meyle HD is savvy marketing, but with the notoriousness of cheap sway bar links (these look very much like the cheapest non-name ones you can get), and the performance of OEM suspension parts more generally, if any vendor claims to make an improved e46 part, community confirmation should be clear before you use it.

the MEYLE HD swaybar links have been reviewed by several people. i even did a comparison review. even BIMMERWORLD (high performance street/track) recommends these swaybar links. no guessing they’ve been used by enthusiasts for years. they even come with a factory backed longer warranty(if not purchased at (FCP).

i do like Lemforder brand, nothing bad to say against them. just not the best part for this application.

 

[docnabimmer]

Just to let people know Meyle HD is made in turkey- I opted for Meyle HDs but upon inspection - the rubber was separated anteriorly (both)where it meets the metal so they went back. unfortunately FCP had ran out of replacements- they offered Lemforders instead which they had on stock....
Lesson learned ALWAYS inspect product upon arrival.
Lemforders were perfect on arrival ...

 

[Alex323Ci]

Just to let people know Meyle HD is made in turkey- I opted for Meyle HDs but upon inspection - the rubber was separated anteriorly (both)where it meets the metal so they went back.
Lesson learned ALWAYS inspect product upon arrival.

yeah I have a BNIB set of Meyle HD in garage on shelf for a customer that I just opened and inspected. not sure what rubber was separating from metal but the seals on mine all good and have a ring around them.
and again to confirm, these Meyle HD are *Not made in China.

 

[docnabimmer]

yeah I have a BNIB set of Meyle HD in garage on shelf for a customer that I just opened and inspected. not sure what rubber was separating from metal but the seals on mine all good and have a ring around them.
and again to confirm, these Meyle HD are *Not made in China.
View attachment 974353 View attachment 974355
View attachment 974356

Its the part of the rubber sleeve nearest the counterhold....that was ripped.

 

[se93]

Greetings to all,

Should both ends of a new sway bar link be rigid to the point you cannot swivel them by hand? My reason for asking is because my new Lemforder parts arrived and one end is firm and cannot be swiveled by hand, while the other end swivels easily.

On my car, the driver’s link is stiff on both ends, while on the passengers side, the bottom end can be moved by hand


Can someone chime in?

 

[Alex323Ci]

both ballljoints should be firm. if it swivels easily it’s not good.

 

[se93]

both ballljoints should be firm. if it swivels easily it’s not good.

Isn’t that great. Brand new Lemforder parts sealed in their bags and defective. Terrible. I may be giving the Meyle HD’s a chance.

 

[se93]

Here is a Dropbox link to a video I took moving the ball joints

IMG_1359.MOV

Shared with Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

LMK what you guys think. Sorry for the lousy quality video.

 

[el.T]

visually inspect the boots and snap rings, squeeze the rubber boot lightly to balance grease, likely the grease settled during shipment. If no grease is evident on outside of boot or ring, no grinding feeling during movement, no squeeking or resistance during rotation. install them. colder room temp can make them sluggish until they warm up a bit....just follow the guidelines for torque. Make sure everything is cleaned of road debris, grease and sand.
As its an easy install, youll know quickly if they are good. No knocking. Good luck.
Lastly once completed and car is on ground and level, start the car, turn the steering wheel from full lock left to full lock right and back to center without stopping, just smooth motion, to reset the steering angle/sensor. Upon first startup you may see yellow abs, traction and brake lights on dash, resetting steering angle should turn these off.

 

[se93]

visually inspect the boots and snap rings, squeeze the rubber boot lightly to balance grease, likely the grease settled during shipment. If no grease is evident on outside of boot or ring, no grinding feeling during movement, no squeeking or resistance during rotation. install them. colder room temp can make them sluggish until they warm up a bit....just follow the guidelines for torque. Make sure everything is cleaned of road debris, grease and sand.
As its an easy install, youll know quickly if they are good. No knocking. Good luck.
Lastly once completed and car is on ground and level, start the car, turn the steering wheel from full lock left to full lock right and back to center without stopping, just smooth motion, to reset the steering angle/sensor. Upon first startup you may see yellow abs, traction and brake lights on dash, resetting steering angle should turn these off.

The boots/snap rings look fine and I am just really surprised at how easily I can move the ball joints with my hand. I have contacted FCP Euro to see what they have to say and also sent them the link to the video for them to review. I can recall installing a set of front sway bar links on my 2004 Toyota Camry and the ball joints were solid and not moveable at all with my hands.

This is really confusing to see 2 sealed parts be defective.