Who has actually replaced their rod bearings??

HadesM3 · 05-10-2018, 12:22 PM

I have a 2011 with about 50k miles and have contemplated replacing them since I purchased it. Currently, I drive the car about 2k miles a year and rolling the dice.

Almost every thread I’ve read where someone is asking for advice on a prospective m3 purchase someone always says “get the rod bearings replaced and enjoy”.

Who here has actually replaced their rod bearings? My guess is the actual percentage is low.

Banana Hammock · 05-10-2018, 12:23 PM

Got mine done at 70k. They were really bad.

I believe the contrary is true. I feel like a lot of members here have done the service.

Raek · 05-10-2018, 12:24 PM

Just finished breaking my new bearings in yesterday. Only had 19,996 miles when it went in. It may be a (expensive) placebo, but it makes me feel good...so, fuck it.

shashankj88 · 05-10-2018, 12:26 PM

Any leads on where I can get the rod bearings replaced in michigan?
I have 50k miles and only summer drive it
Thanks

Banana Hammock · 05-10-2018, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shashankj88

Any leads on where I can get the rod bearings replaced in michigan?
I have 50k miles and only summer drive it
Thanks

I would post in the regional section of the forum and ask members in your area about their experiences.

SYT_Shadow · 05-10-2018, 12:32 PM

There is a whole thread for rod bearing condition.

Almost 100% of the ones removed look like crap

I've done 5 rb changes so far. Doing #6 and #7 this weekend

Ab28 · 05-10-2018, 01:26 PM

Did mine at 32k miles...about 2 months into ownership.

Mine were worn pretty bad. Haven't seen a set pulled from a car without wear.

Ngilbe36 · 05-10-2018, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shashankj88

Any leads on where I can get the rod bearings replaced in michigan?
I have 50k miles and only summer drive it
Thanks

I am in Troy and had a guy lined up to do it before I decided to take the plunge and do it myself. He seems like a great guy and was available for a call in the middle of a Sunday to help even though I did pay him to do the job. I know he has done the job before as well. PM me for details.

Edit: Did mine at 68,000 and replaced with BE/ARP, OE showed signs of wear. At 73,000 now.

HadesM3 · 05-10-2018, 01:45 PM

You guys are starting to make me worry a little about mine now. I did a quote of $2500 from a local Indy.

PACarGuy · 05-10-2018, 01:45 PM

Had my MY2012 bearings done last week at 58K miles and it looks like I've could have gone quite a while longer, but glad I had it done anyway as I didn't want to always have it in the back of my mind.

deansbimmer · 05-10-2018, 02:00 PM

There are a LOT of owners who have done the service. I've done almost 70 by now and I'm only one of the many shops in the world who do a lot of them.. Thousands of sets of VAC/BE/WPC have been sold. So, more people than you think. The vast majority I've done were for people not on the forums.

Your bearings may be "safe" this week, but what about next week? Pay a little now, or pay a lot later when you or the next owner have to replace an engine.

HadesM3 · 05-10-2018, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

There are a LOT of owners who have done the service. I've done almost 70 by now and I'm only one of the many shops in the world who do a lot of them.. Thousands of sets of VAC/BE/WPC have been sold. So, more people than you think. The vast majority I've done were for people not on the forums.

Your bearings may be "safe" this week, but what about next week? Pay a little now, or pay a lot later when you or the next owner have to replace an engine.

I think you guys have pushed me off the fence.

Does it matter if the shop has replaced 5 or 50 sets on the s65? I know I’m being a little paranoid, but can a shop screw up the installation? I plan to get the BE’s with ARP bolts.

Matheus · 05-10-2018, 02:25 PM

Did mine with only 12k miles on the clock.
I wasn´t able to handle the paranoia!

kyrix1st · 05-10-2018, 02:30 PM

Turns out we have some shitty bearings on the far East as well.

My nearby shop has done few of them to make track dedicated/supercharged cars, and they all reported worn bearings. I am just waiting for my turn to do the job...

msan · 05-10-2018, 02:32 PM

You start a thread like this you are bound to convince yourself to do the bearings...

BOOF-M3 · 05-10-2018, 02:35 PM

I'm on the other side. I am well aware of the horror stories and the cost if one implodes. But i refuse to give in to bearings. I might add that most all the guys I ride with have had their bearings replaced immediately upon buying their cars. If one of my cars do toss a bearing then I only have myself to blame. Great thread, I hope it keeps going. There have been some good ones with polls up.

derbo · 05-10-2018, 02:39 PM

I got mine replaced by Performance Technic about 1-2months into my ownership last year.

2011 E90M3 with about 52k Miles.

KwlAznKid · 05-10-2018, 02:52 PM

did mine at around 70k

deansbimmer · 05-10-2018, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZombieM3

Does it matter if the shop has replaced 5 or 50 sets on the s65? I know I’m being a little paranoid, but can a shop screw up the installation? I plan to get the BE’s with ARP bolts.

A quality shop that knows BMW's can do the job just fine. The benefit of having someone do them that has done many of them is that their procedure is refined over time. That may mean shorter job time, better accuracy, less peripheral component breakage, etc.

yidgyi · 05-10-2018, 03:09 PM

Did my 2013 at 55kish miles w/ BE + ARP. 65K miles now

.

DreamTime · 05-10-2018, 03:17 PM

I bought my car with 85k miles on it, but I did not know rod bearings were an issue until I found this forum. After looking through all the service records I realized they had not been done. Had mine replaced at a buddy's shop around 95k miles. Glad I did, some of them looked pretty bad.

Name: rod bearings sept 2017 copy 2.jpg
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Name: rod bearings sept 2017 copy 2.jpg
Views: 1158
Size: 132.0 KB

delirium330 · 05-10-2018, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZombieM3

I think you guys have pushed me off the fence.

Does it matter if the shop has replaced 5 or 50 sets on the s65? I know I’m being a little paranoid, but can a shop screw up the installation? I plan to get the BE’s with ARP bolts.

Do you realize that you asked a leading question on a enthusiast forum, meaning that 1) the vast majority of members who actively participate on this site will care much more about maintenance than 99% of all other E9x owners and 2) your question will mostly elicit responses from individuals who HAVE done this service vs. not.

I know others have thrown out stats, guessing at the number of folks who have actually done this service vs. not vs. experienced blown engines... but the figures, at this point time, are probably in the ~1% range for any type of metric related to blown engines or replaced rod bearings vs. the number of E9x M3s on the road today.

Full transparency, I replaced mine at 60k, only because I plan to keep it forever and self insure my "warranty" with preventive maintenance. So I am 100% for doing it, just know that posing the question here, in the way you did, is just confirmation bias of what you probably already thought from reading around this forum.

05-10-2018, 12:22 PM	#1
HadesM3 Private First Class 135 Rep 195 Posts Drives: Pair of e90's Join Date: May 2016 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	Who has actually replaced their rod bearings?? I have a 2011 with about 50k miles and have contemplated replacing them since I purchased it. Currently, I drive the car about 2k miles a year and rolling the dice. Almost every thread I’ve read where someone is asking for advice on a prospective m3 purchase someone always says “get the rod bearings replaced and enjoy”. Who here has actually replaced their rod bearings? My guess is the actual percentage is low.
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05-10-2018, 12:23 PM	#2
Banana Hammock Beefcake 3769 Rep 711 Posts Drives: NA Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (2)	Got mine done at 70k. They were really bad. I believe the contrary is true. I feel like a lot of members here have done the service.
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05-10-2018, 12:24 PM	#3
Raek Major 901 Rep 1,044 Posts Drives: 08 M3, '17 Macan GTS Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: New York iTrader: (1)	Just finished breaking my new bearings in yesterday. Only had 19,996 miles when it went in. It may be a (expensive) placebo, but it makes me feel good...so, fuck it. __________________ I did a lot of things to it.
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05-10-2018, 12:26 PM	#4
shashankj88 New Member 0 Rep 28 Posts Drives: 2010 BMW M3 Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Michigan iTrader: (0)	Any leads on where I can get the rod bearings replaced in michigan? I have 50k miles and only summer drive it Thanks
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05-10-2018, 12:32 PM	#6
SYT_Shadow ///M Powered for Life 11490 Rep 10,329 Posts Drives: E90M/E92M/M4GTS/M4GT4/X5M Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Greenwich, CT iTrader: (2)	There is a whole thread for rod bearing condition. Almost 100% of the ones removed look like crap I've done 5 rb changes so far. Doing #6 and #7 this weekend __________________ DIY: S65 Rod Bearings E9X PFC Z54 BBK on F8X BK harness bar + seats: fit 6 tires in an M3 do88 Cooling Goodies GTS Twins: GTMore project
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05-10-2018, 01:26 PM	#7
Ab28 Captain 593 Rep 726 Posts Drives: E90 M3/E39 M5/128i Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: . iTrader: (3)	Did mine at 32k miles...about 2 months into ownership. Mine were worn pretty bad. Haven't seen a set pulled from a car without wear.
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05-10-2018, 01:45 PM	#9
HadesM3 Private First Class 135 Rep 195 Posts Drives: Pair of e90's Join Date: May 2016 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	You guys are starting to make me worry a little about mine now. I did a quote of $2500 from a local Indy.
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05-10-2018, 01:45 PM	#10
PACarGuy Captain 684 Rep 973 Posts Drives: 2012 E92 M3 DCT ZCP Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Philly burbs, PA iTrader: (1) Garage List 2012 E92 M3 [8.33] 2019 G01 X3 (wife's) [0.00]	Had my MY2012 bearings done last week at 58K miles and it looks like I've could have gone quite a while longer, but glad I had it done anyway as I didn't want to always have it in the back of my mind. __________________ 2012 E92 M3 \| ZCP \| DCT \| Space Grey Metallic \| Black Novillo \| BE/ARP \| MPE V2 \| AA green filter \|BMW CF Rear Spoiler, RW Carbon Diffuser, CF Front Splitters \| DTEC 160W Angel Eyes Last edited by PACarGuy; 05-11-2018 at 12:57 PM..
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05-10-2018, 02:00 PM	#11
deansbimmer BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 3752 Rep 2,907 Posts Drives: 2011 E93 M3 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: DFW, Texas iTrader: (17) Garage List 1988 BMW M3 [0.00] 2013 BMW M3 [0.00] 2011 X5M [0.00] 2011 BMW M3 [0.00]	There are a LOT of owners who have done the service. I've done almost 70 by now and I'm only one of the many shops in the world who do a lot of them.. Thousands of sets of VAC/BE/WPC have been sold. So, more people than you think. The vast majority I've done were for people not on the forums. Your bearings may be "safe" this week, but what about next week? Pay a little now, or pay a lot later when you or the next owner have to replace an engine.
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05-10-2018, 02:25 PM	#13
Matheus Private 23 Rep 55 Posts Drives: 2012 M3 E92 Fire Orange Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Brazil iTrader: (0)	Did mine with only 12k miles on the clock. I wasn´t able to handle the paranoia! __________________ 2012 E92 M3 ESS VT2 650 - Bilstein B16 Damptronic Coilovers - Brembo 380mm BBK - Innotech Catless Exhaust - GTS Carbon Wing - RollCage - Back Seat Delete - Sparco Evo Racing seats @m3boosted
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05-10-2018, 02:30 PM	#14
kyrix1st Colonel 2367 Rep 2,362 Posts Drives: G87 M2; E92M3 MT&DCT; M3 euro Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: nyc iTrader: (0) Garage List 2004 BMW Z4 [0.00]	Turns out we have some shitty bearings on the far East as well. My nearby shop has done few of them to make track dedicated/supercharged cars, and they all reported worn bearings. I am just waiting for my turn to do the job... __________________ Pass me if you can.
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05-10-2018, 02:32 PM	#15
msan Major 403 Rep 1,171 Posts Drives: 2011 E90 M3 / 2012 X5 35i M Sp Join Date: May 2015 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (16)	You start a thread like this you are bound to convince yourself to do the bearings...
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05-10-2018, 02:35 PM	#16
BOOF-M3 Brigadier General 4452 Rep 4,014 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Pasadena Florida iTrader: (1)	I'm on the other side. I am well aware of the horror stories and the cost if one implodes. But i refuse to give in to bearings. I might add that most all the guys I ride with have had their bearings replaced immediately upon buying their cars. If one of my cars do toss a bearing then I only have myself to blame. Great thread, I hope it keeps going. There have been some good ones with polls up.
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05-10-2018, 02:39 PM	#17
derbo Derbo Tuning 3610 Rep 3,022 Posts Drives: BMW M3 Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (2)	I got mine replaced by Performance Technic about 1-2months into my ownership last year. 2011 E90M3 with about 52k Miles. __________________ IG:ruhrohz_m3 Journal: Link E9x ZCP Suspension Info: Link Track Chat Discord: https://discord.gg/VsKbTyqBVj SF Bay Area: DM For coding services
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05-10-2018, 02:52 PM	#18
KwlAznKid Brigadier General 354 Rep 3,036 Posts Drives: BMW/MERCEDES/PORSCHE Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Los Angeles/Fremont USC/UCSD Alum iTrader: (6)	did mine at around 70k __________________ BMW E93 M3 / Mercedes Benz W209 CLK500 BMW E64 650I(sold) / BMW E92 328I(sold) / BMW E46 M3(sold) / BMW E92 335I(sold) Porsche 996 911 C2(sold) / BMW E46 325CI(totaled)
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05-10-2018, 03:09 PM	#20
yidgyi ///M 237 Rep 703 Posts Drives: 2013 E92 M3 ZCP Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Northern VA iTrader: (0)	Did my 2013 at 55kish miles w/ BE + ARP. 65K miles now . __________________ Follow me on IG: dre.pt
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05-10-2018, 03:17 PM	#21
DreamTime Captain 865 Rep 765 Posts Drives: 2008 E90 M3 6MT Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Greenville, SC iTrader: (2)	I bought my car with 85k miles on it, but I did not know rod bearings were an issue until I found this forum. After looking through all the service records I realized they had not been done. Had mine replaced at a buddy's shop around 95k miles. Glad I did, some of them looked pretty bad.
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