Rod Bearing Replacement Service
As a BMW owner, specifically one with an M badge on the rear of it, we are sure you have heard of the dreaded rod bearing failure, specifically if your vehicle is powered by an S54, S65, or S85 as these are the most prone to failure. The job of the connecting rod bearing is to assist in lubricating the connection of the connecting rod to the crankshaft to allow for smooth functionality. It can be described simply as a circular motion.
For BMW’s motorsport department, the engines were designed with extremely tight tolerances between these components, which makes it hard to provide adequate lubrication, something the bearing relies on to last. Combine that with an original maintenance schedule of 15,000 miles, catastrophe can happen before any of these engines reach 100,000 miles.
Many advances have been made in bearing structure and design, we recommend and carry BE or VAC bearings to ensure that your engine is ready to rev for many more years. Paired with a new set of ARP bolts, you can be sure your bearings will last much longer!
Here at Tyspeed we recommend a rod bearing service at or before 80,000 miles on all S54’s, S65’s, and S85’s. We also offer this service on many other BMW models that see sustained high RPM use, or track days. Lastly, we always advise following a strict 7,000 mile oil change interval for daily driven vehicles, and shortening that with hard use, or track days.