Sponsored

Issue with BMR lower control arm bearing kit bk055

jmeiers

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2018
Threads
41
Messages
603
Reaction score
341
Location
Northern Virginia
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT PP1/401A/A10
Vehicle Showcase
1
Ok.. Just returned home from a week-long backpacking trip and after my previous post where I stated that I only had the binding/bouncy ride issues, I can say that my bearings are now creaking/clicking.

As I mentioned previously, I slightly reduced the clamping load by backing off the front lower control arm bolt about 1/8th of a turn or so. This cured the bouncy ride and all seemed to be just fine. After a week of sitting in the garage, the car now exhibits a clicking sound with just a slight amount of movement in the chassis. I put the car up on ramps and can 100% isolate the sound to the right rear BK055 bearing most of the time. I can induce the sound at will on both, but the right bearing is much more "vocal". I can even feel the clicking in the bearing as weight is put into the chassis. Something is off.

I called BMR and spoke with Dion. The next step is going to be to yank things and take some measurements.

He gave me the following, which may help out others who are having issues. He gave me some measurements which he indicated should tell whether something is amiss or not..

The slot/opening width where the bushing/bearing fits into the subframe: 1.13"
Total width of misalignment spacer: 1.28"
- Larger OD portion should be: 0.51" wide
- Smaller OD portion (which fits into the ball): 0.675"
OD of the misalignment spacer (where it fits into the ball): 0.65"

*Edit* Interesting to note that he stated the total width of the misalignment spacer is 1.28" when the widths of each individual portion equal 1.185"..

@BMR Tech
Hey, you could try it how I explained in the previous post above on how I resolved my clicking. I put the car on race ramps so suspension was loaded (understand this should be unnecessary since it is a bearing). I backed off the front RLCA bolt until I could see space between the frame ear and the closest spacer to the bolt head. I then tightened it back up until the all the space was removed. No more and no less. No more clicking/popping and no more bounce.

I am pretty sure the root cause is the spacers are too long just as Kelly had explained earlier. I'm in the middle of a house move so I don't have time to mess with it probably for another month. I do plan to pull the control arm back out and machine the spacers short enough so they have no chance of touching once the bolt is fully torqued back to 166 ft/lbs.
Sponsored

 

JustDSM

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
47
Reaction score
35
Location
Ennis, TX
First Name
Justin
Vehicle(s)
2020 Mustang GT PP1 6spd
that doesn't add up and also can't possibly be right. The distance between the mounting 'ears' from the frame is what 2+ inches?
have a helper shove down on the car while your finger is resting lightly on the bearing and/or mis-alignment bushes. can you feel shocks or sliding motion?
I too immediately realized that and called Dion back. He 100% confirmed that the subframe opening was 1.13"

The total length of each misalignment spacer is 1.28", which includes the smaller OD portion of the spacer that fits inside the ball (0.675"), leaving the 0.51" larger OD portion of the spacer exposed. In theory, this should mean we have 1.02" of misalignment spacer and whatever the width of the ball is on the bearing taking up that slot.

I still don't fully understand how he came up with a total width of the spacer being 1.28" when adding the each section of the spacer comes up with 1.185".?.?

Forgive my crappy drawing, but this is what I'm attempting to describe: *Note my above concern*

FullSizeRender.jpeg


I have the car on ramps at the moment and when I slightly load the rear suspension, it clicks and I can feel the bearing "pop". My rear springs (980lbs/in) are just a bit too firm to really compress the rear with body weight.
 
Last edited:

JustDSM

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
47
Reaction score
35
Location
Ennis, TX
First Name
Justin
Vehicle(s)
2020 Mustang GT PP1 6spd
Hey, you could try it how I explained in the previous post above on how I resolved my clicking. I put the car on race ramps so suspension was loaded (understand this should be unnecessary since it is a bearing). I backed off the front RLCA bolt until I could see space between the frame ear and the closest spacer to the bolt head. I then tightened it back up until the all the space was removed. No more and no less. No more clicking/popping and no more bounce.

I am pretty sure the root cause is the spacers are too long just as Kelly had explained earlier. I'm in the middle of a house move so I don't have time to mess with it probably for another month. I do plan to pull the control arm back out and machine the spacers short enough so they have no chance of touching once the bolt is fully torqued back to 166 ft/lbs.
I was able to isolate the clicking noise to the bearing by doing just want you did and put the rear of the car on ramps to load rear rear suspension. When I remove all tension load (torque on the fastener) it will stop all clicking noises. I can confirm that. But if any meaningful torque is applied to the fastener, the clicking will resume.

I will probably pull my spacers and measure this evening. I too suspect the spacers are the issue.
 

jmeiers

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2018
Threads
41
Messages
603
Reaction score
341
Location
Northern Virginia
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT PP1/401A/A10
Vehicle Showcase
1
I was able to isolate the clicking noise to the bearing by doing just want you did and put the rear of the car on ramps to load rear rear suspension. When I remove all tension load (torque on the fastener) it will stop all clicking noises. I can confirm that. But if any meaningful torque is applied to the fastener, the clicking will resume.

I will probably pull my spacers and measure this evening. I too suspect the spacers are the issue.
Looking forward to hearing your results. I wonder, if after the pulling the arm out, if you can physically see the spacers touching each other internally while holding them together while they are both inserted into the bearing? This sucks altogether because just installing them initially is one of the most pain in the ass jobs I've done on this car. I guess we are the only 2 lucky people in the world to run into this issue.
 

shogun32

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2019
Threads
89
Messages
14,607
Reaction score
12,097
Location
Northern VA
First Name
Matt
Vehicle(s)
'19 GT/PP, '23 GB Mach1, '12 Audi S5 (v8+6mt)
Vehicle Showcase
2
when building a bearing like this the point is to pinch the ball and any shank that resides within the ball is used to support the fastener. 2x0.675=1.35 of which the ball should be narrower than that and probably right around 1" but would result in quite a bit of lateral movement (slide back and forth) nearly 0.35" worth. Other locating surfaces of the casting would significantly reduce freedom to slide so far as to hit the ramps leading to the larger OD where the chassis flanges attach.

I have the car on ramps at the moment and when I slightly load the rear suspension, it clicks and I can feel the bearing "pop".
sounds to me the ball is bound in it's race - there is a lot of sideways force acting on the ball. If the ball is not caged with a shoulder on the inner portion of the misalignment spacer, then it would follow that it's jammed into one of the slopes.

Any chance you can get a pic of the bearing and hold a ruler up so we can guesstimate at the lengths?
 

Sponsored

AramEJ

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
11
Reaction score
1
Location
CA
First Name
Aram
Vehicle(s)
2016 Mustang GT PP
hi there, am having the same clicking issue only on the passenger side, I did tighten the bolt when the car on ramps ( did not torque it) now the clicking noise is way less but it still there, any update solution on this issue??
 

AramEJ

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
11
Reaction score
1
Location
CA
First Name
Aram
Vehicle(s)
2016 Mustang GT PP
Looking forward to hearing your results. I wonder, if after the pulling the arm out, if you can physically see the spacers touching each other internally while holding them together while they are both inserted into the bearing? This sucks altogether because just installing them initially is one of the most pain in the ass jobs I've done on this car. I guess we are the only 2 lucky people in the world to run into this issue.
Any luck fixing this issue ?
 

jmeiers

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2018
Threads
41
Messages
603
Reaction score
341
Location
Northern Virginia
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT PP1/401A/A10
Vehicle Showcase
1
Any luck fixing this issue ?
I am still running with my previous fix of simply loosen and tighten up the bolt just enough to take out any visible space. It’s not torqued down to spec but I have been to the drag strip without issue and no clicking or bouncy ride.
 

AramEJ

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
11
Reaction score
1
Location
CA
First Name
Aram
Vehicle(s)
2016 Mustang GT PP
I am still running with my previous fix of simply loosen and tighten up the bolt just enough to take out any visible space. It’s not torqued down to spec but I have been to the drag strip without issue and no clicking or bouncy ride.
I did the same think I still have the noise but so little knowing am on air suspension, I also put some blue thread lock just in case.
 

BMR Tech

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2014
Threads
168
Messages
5,141
Reaction score
3,691
Location
Tampa, FL
Website
www.bmrsuspension.com
First Name
Dion
Vehicle(s)
2018 GT, 2010 GT500, 2019 F-150 5.0
Just wanted to update the thread and let everyone know R&D is currently looking into the BK055.
 

Sponsored

Check06

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Threads
6
Messages
76
Reaction score
19
Location
Socal
First Name
Evan
Vehicle(s)
2016 Mustang P1X GT
Sub'd

Am looking into adding SP083R, ELK012, TCA045, BK055, CB005, TR005R, SB043 with FRPP FR3 struts and shocks
 

jmeiers

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2018
Threads
41
Messages
603
Reaction score
341
Location
Northern Virginia
Vehicle(s)
2019 Mustang GT PP1/401A/A10
Vehicle Showcase
1
I did the same think I still have the noise but so little knowing am on air suspension, I also put some blue thread lock just in case.
The same for me when I was going thru this. The more I backed off the 166 ft/lbs of torque, the more the clicking/snapping sound went away as well as the bouncy ride. Just keep backing off until the sound goes away. Or do like I described in an earlier post in this thread.

Let's see what BMR comes up with regarding this. I think the spacers should be machined down slightly.
 

ked

Active Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2019
Threads
7
Messages
31
Reaction score
5
Location
Qatar
First Name
Khaled
Vehicle(s)
2016 Mustang GT
Just wanted to update the thread and let everyone know R&D is currently looking into the BK055.
sub'd

I bought mine last September had them on the car mid December .

and I too am facing the mentioned issues ,for the mean time the spray lubrication seems to be a temp fix.

And as always your help and support is highly appreciated , any updates regarding the BK055?
 

BMR Tech

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2014
Threads
168
Messages
5,141
Reaction score
3,691
Location
Tampa, FL
Website
www.bmrsuspension.com
First Name
Dion
Vehicle(s)
2018 GT, 2010 GT500, 2019 F-150 5.0
We have tested multiple sets of the BK055 and none of what we have tested have had issues. However that doesn't mean that we could have recieved a bad batch. If you are having this issue please email over a copy of where you purchased them so we can get them warrantied for you.
Sponsored

 
 




Top