Cross beam — removal and installation (BMW 7 Series E32)

Caution: If, when turning, especially sharp turns, noise appears on the side of the wheel that is outside the turn, this indicates a faulty wheel bearing.

Removal

Raise the engine and remove the engine mounts.

Mark the positions of the front wheels on the hubs so that you can then install the balanced wheel in the same position. Loosen the wheel bolts with the car on the floor. Support the car from the front and remove the front wheel

Unscrew the bolt/nut and remove the braces from the cross beam, having first removed the cover.

Remove the suspension arm from the cross beam.

Remove the heat shield and engine shield holder.

Support the shock absorber from the outside.

Measure the thread length (A) of both tie rods and mark it or count the number of turns when unscrewing it.



Loosen the locknuts (arrow) and unscrew the steering rods.



Remove the steering gear mounting nuts from the cross beam.



Unscrew the nuts and remove the stabilizer bar.

Support the beam from below with a floor jack.

Unscrew the three crossbar mounting bolts on the left and right and lower the beam down. To do this, partially remove the trim in the area of the rear bolts.

Note: The bolts are different lengths, so you need to mark their positions.

Installation

Install the cross member and bolt it to the engine mount, tightening it to 75 Nm. Tighten the two shortest bolts at the rear.

Install the stabilizer on the crossbar and tighten its mounting nuts to a torque of 20 Nm.

Install the steering gear and tighten the new self-locking nuts to 40 Nm.

Tighten the steering rods according to the marked thread length (A). Tighten the locknuts to 45 Nm.

Install the heat shield and engine shield holder.

Install the control arms and tie rods onto the crossmember and tighten the new self-locking nuts, but do not tighten them completely.

Install the engine mounts.

Remove the engine lifting device.

Install the front wheels. Do not lubricate the wheel bolts. Install the wheels according to the marks made earlier. Lower the vehicle. Tighten the wheel bolts crosswise to 100 Nm.

Place the vehicle in the working position. To do this, you must fulfill the following conditions:

• The car stands on wheels.
• The front seats are in the middle position.
• Each front seat has a load capacity of 68 kg.
• There is a 68 kg load in the middle of the rear seat.
• In the center of the trunk there is a load weighing 21 kg.
• The fuel tank is full of fuel.

Tighten the self-locking nuts of the tie rods on the cross member to a torque of 110 Nm. Install the cover.



Tighten the suspension arm mounting nuts on the crossmember to the following torques:

• 6-cylinder engines - 81 Nm,
• 8-cylinder engines - 77.5 Nm.