[rkreimer10]

Hello all I have decided to fix what appears to be the last leak I have. Before I toss out $1800 on a new unit I decided to reseal the boots. I am not sure if this is going to solve the problem yet, but I am confident in my abilities.

*Please note that I am not liable if you choose to attempt this on your own. Wear your PPE and please be extra safe*

*this was performed on an e60 08 535i so pictures may not be identical*

Notable tools needed... *not everything pictured*
-3/8" ratchet and extensions
-16mm, 13mm, 10mm, 8mm(1/4") and wobble sockets
-17mm, 14mm, 11mm, 10mm wrenchs
-T30 torx
-I used a 5/8" as my 16mm went missing.
-various tools like pics, small screw drivers
-brake cleaner
-heat gun



Leaking sway bar...



1. Jack up and secure car.

2. Remove driver and passenger wheels.

3.Remove 8mm bolts holding the black protective plastive covering the control arm.



4. Open the power steering reservoir and then remove the 17mm and 14mm hydraulic lines on the sway bar. *be ready to catch fluid*.







6. Disconnect the distribution valve for the vent valves...





7. Remove 10mm nut on bracket near sway bar mount and loosen the other. Then, swing the bracket out of the way.





8. Remove sway bar end links with T30 and 5/8" or 16mm wrench.



9. Remove the sway bar mounts which are each held on by a 13mm bolt on top and a 13mm nut on bottom. *Be careful as it will be ready to pull out after this.





10. Remove sway bar...



More to come......

[rkreimer10]

Now that the sway bar is out here are shots of where its leaking and what needs to be fixed.







11. Remove vent valves and set aside for later.



12. Remove as much glue as you can. One side can be removed from the pump and the other cannot. A heat gun can be used here but be very careful you do not melt the boot.





I used a really small allen to remove glue between boot and bar....



All clean. I was able to completely remove all the glue from this side.



This side I removed as much as I could with a small screwdriver and allen wrench. I also tried to stretch the boot out a little bit so I could fit new product in there.





13. Time to add gasket maker and glue. *clean with brake cleaner one more time and make sure it is dry*

First I added a ring of Permatex Ultra Black



Followed by this glue...





For this side I pryed open the end and used the nozzle on the Ultra black to inject the boot with as much sealer as possible. Then I packed in new glue.



14. clamp down and clean... Do not clamp so hard that all the sealer comes out. *I used a heat gun to shrink the boot back tight to the metal then clamped the boot. If there were any more waves in the boot I hit it with heat till it smoothed out.*



How it will sit for the night.



Last part for the night. Tomorrow will be assembly.

15. Clean the vent valves. Here I took apart the vent valves, cleaned, and reassembled pictures of them. This piece may need to be replaced, so we will keep an eye on it.



There are rubber o-rings inside the end that may be seeping. If so these valves would need to be replaced.





All cleaned...



From here it will be installing in reverse order. I will leave the clamps on for a while as the clamps do not affect the use of the sway bar. Eventually I will take them off.

I am hoping this will be a long term fix. and will post back once the system is up and operational.

[rkreimer10]

Both left sides of each boot came unglued as soon as I removed the clamps. The right sides were sealed really tight though. I think I clamped them too tight and did not allow enough glue to remain between the boot and bar. Anyways, I repacked the left side of the boots with a mixture of Ultra black and glue. I also reapplied another coat to the already sealed right sides. It looks rough but I am confident it will hold and seal now when it dries.

Here is a shot of the right side. It looks better in person, I swear.



I will report back in the morning.

[rkreimer10]

This turned out much better.







Now that its installed you will have to fill the power steering reservoir and clock the wheels a few times.

Then you will have to initialize the ARS system. I did this using ISTA+

Here is a video that I took of the system performing the test. I am so happy to be learning as much as I am about these cars.

Sorry for the bad video. Not a fan of recording with my cell phone.

Here is a link in the event youtube stops working.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Zi...&cver=20171025

No leaks are present so it will be a matter of time to see if this will be a long term fix.

[SYT_Shadow]

Bringing this back from the archives - did the fix work?

Thanks in advance!