any experience with MayLE HD Tie rods and indy alignment?

05-15-2026

I am planning to replace tie rods on my '20 xdrive 40i (again, DIY this time at mere 42K miles).

Came across MayLE HD kit on FCP. Wonder if anyone has experience with the aftermarket quality and steering feel?

Also, I need an alignment after some other suspension work together. What should I be looking for from indy shops? Simply asking if they are using Hunter and requesting a before-after report is good enough? Any reputable tire store chain offer alignment for BMW? I have not called around to see which shop has the special equipment yet. Taking to the dealer is my last resort due to my subpar experience with their service.

I will share my ownership experience and repair work done by dealer and DIY in another post.

Thanks.

An image attached to this post, provided by the poster

05-15-2026

How are your wearing out tie rods so fast?
If you're capable of changing the parts yourself, then do the alignment too. It's not that hard. A couple straight edges and a tape measure is all you need.

05-15-2026

4bar wrote
How are your wearing out tie rods so fast?
If you're capable of changing the parts yourself, then do the alignment too. It's not that hard. A couple straight edges and a tape measure is all you need.

Honestly, I have no idea why they worn out so fast. This x5 is my family car to haul kid and wife around. Can't drive aggressively.

Last time tie rods were replaced a couple of months after the CPO warranty expiry in Jan, 2025. I brought my car in for an occasional clicking noise at left turn after the dealer replaced my left front air strut for puff noise within CPO warranty. The dealer told me my left tie rod went bad and need to replace both. It was 27K miles then. The dealer said tie rods are wear and tear not covered by CPO, which I understood. They want $1800 for parts and labor. I haggled with BMW NA for the failure at low milage. They agreed to pay the parts as a good will but I had to pay the labor ($750). The dealer put on new tie rods without alignment work. 8K miles later. I found grimes on tie rod ball joints when I checked my tension stut leak. I called the dealer again. They said because BMW offer good will once already. They would not likely to pay parts again. And they want me to pay $175 diagnostic fee to take a look. So, I gave up.

Speaking tension strut, I found left leak a year ago from a few drop on my garage floor. Then I was suprised the right leak even earlier and already dried up. The dealer never told me so when they changed my tie rods. It can't be hard to tell once the tech get under the car. So, I don't trust the dealer's inspection at all.

Last month I went in for starter recall. The technican sent me an inspection video where he claimed everything look fine, while I know for sure:

1) both tension strut leaked
2) grims on both tie rod joints
3) right rear tire (4/32) wron out more than the other three (6/32 and 7/32). The difference is not due to misalignment, but because my CPO dealer only replaced three tires. Yup, I found it out some time after my purchase. I purchased the CPO from a different dealer than the one I have brought my car for services.

And they did not renew bolts for reinforcement shied when replacing the starter.

Anyway, this car drives great. But the suspension parts gave me some grieves so far. Other than tension struts and tie rods all leaked under 27K miles, my left front air suspension was replaced at 23k miles. The left rear is making same puffing noise at lower speed over bumps under 35K miles. Will address it later after I fixed tension struts, tie rods and replace rear tires in pair.

I saw some vidoes about doing alignment at home. But the computerized alignment is still preferred. It is an insurance with a small fee comparing to all these DIY work I am planning to do. Tension strut should be straightforward. The only challenge to me as a 150 lb slim fit is to bust off axel nuts and then tighten at 210NM with 90-degree turn. It requires quite some brutal force. Planning to get a 3/4 inch break bar from habor feight and a 4 feet cheater pipe from home depot to tackle them. My current tool are up to 1/2 inch drive only.

If I go with OEM tie rods, count the thread turns and a quick alignment with string should be good enough before heading for new tires and professional alignment.

05-15-2026

That's crazy. I put nearly 190k miles on my f15 x5, and tie rods were still original.
Instead of breaker bars, you might want to invest in a 1/2" cordless impact wrench.

05-15-2026

4bar wrote
That's crazy. I put nearly 190k miles on my f15 x5, and tie rods were still original. Instead of breaker bars, you might want to invest in a 1/2" cordless impact wrench.

Yes, I have 1/2 impact wrench ($100 from amazon) to take off lug nuts. So, I am planning to use 3/4 break bar with bare hands first and then zip off 1/2 drive. I have 1/2 torque wrench to tighten to 210nm and then 3/4 drive break bar for final 90-degree. For this reason, I had to buy both 1/2 and 3/4 drive 17mm hex bits and extension for break and zip separately.

2 days ago

crawled under my car and checked suspension part thoroughly. Both tie rods outer ball joint boot indeed leaked. but the inner end look fine. plan to buy MayLE HD outter ends at $52 each from FCP and swap our the outer ends only. FCP says the parts not compatible with my 2020 but only 2022 onwards. But I doubt the part geometry changed. The reason is likely early OEM part were known to fail and produce clicking noise so BMW came up with their own revision. MayLE HD made the part earlier than the revised OEM part. I checked the dealer invoice, the parts they put on a year ago are already revised. I suspected the technician simply tightent the ball joint end with air compressed wrench without checking the torque specs. Very likely overtightened them or twisted ball joint boot at the installation. Anyway, will see if $100 parts solved my problems.

2 days ago

yzhou2004 wrote
crawled under my car and checked suspension part thoroughly. Both tie rods outer ball joint boot indeed leaked. but the inner end look fine. plan to buy MayLE HD outter ends at $52 each from FCP and swap our the outer ends only. FCP says the parts not compatible with my 2020 but only 2022 onwards. But I doubt the part geometry changed. The reason is likely early OEM part were known to fail and produce clicking noise so BMW came up with their own revision. MayLE HD made the part earlier than the revised OEM part. I checked the dealer invoice, the parts they put on a year ago are already revised. I suspected the technician simply tightent the ball joint end with air compressed wrench without checking the torque specs. Very likely overtightened them or twisted ball joint boot at the installation. Anyway, will see if $100 parts solved my problems.

I have no experience with the Meyle brand. In terms of suspension parts on BMW's I've use a few, here's a Beck Arnley, it's a brand I've used in the past without issue, though it's been awhile. If something is wrong somewhere that's causing you to go through tie rod ends, then I wouldn't spend a lot to replace them til you either find out what it is or if its just poor fitment onto the car by the installer. Whatever brand you go with, make sure the short little shaft has a flat spot on it so you can get an open end wrench to hold it as you torque the nut.

I recently replaced suspension parts on my BiL's car, (shocks, springs, tie rod ends, sway bars, etc) I had to get that axel nut off and then torque it. I bought a 3/4" drive torque wrench and socket and used every bit of muscle and weight within me to torque it. I also borrowed a friends impact driver to get it off, worked like a charm.

https://www.partsgeek.com/vh12jdk-bmw-x5-tie-rod-end.html?gb=pp&cid=28884375&aid=4168799321&kid=1100003048155&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%28BSC%29&utm_term=1100003048155&utm_content=BMW

Yes, you can, as a short term temp solution, accurately measure the distance, in mm, from the centerline of the outer tie rod end shaft to a place on the inner tie rod that will not be disturbed and then match that dimension when installed the new tie rod end. You can make a mark on the inner one if you want. Don't just count threads. It will still be off a little but not enough to worry about. You may not have a perfectly centered steering wheel as you try going straight down the road till the alignment is done. The alignment will be the last thing you will want to do, get all your suspension work done first.

Yesterday

M a r t y wrote
I Whatever brand you go with, make sure the short little shaft has a flat spot on it so you can get an open end wrench to hold it as you torque the nut.

I recently replaced suspension parts on my BiL's car, (shocks, springs, tie rod ends, sway bars, etc) I had to get that axel nut off and then torque it. I bought a 3/4" drive torque wrench and socket and used every bit of muscle and weight within me to torque it. I also borrowed a friends impact driver to get it off, worked like a charm.

as helpful as always

yesterday I bought a 3/4 inch 20 inch pittsburge break bar + 4 ft cheater pipe from home depot for breaking off and final 90-degree turn of axle nut. I have a craftsman 30 inch 1/2 drive to make the initial 210nm spec. Hope this will work out once I source all parts.

Yes. MayHD is manufactured the same way as OEM. The shaft has a T50 in the center to counter hold 21mm nut. I bought a pass-through wrench and socket set for the job.

Yesterday

Are you replacing struts at same time? Just wondering since you're taking axle nuts off.

Yesterday

4bar wrote
Are you replacing struts at same time? Just wondering since you're taking axle nuts off.

yes, will replace both side tension struts at the same time.

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any experience with MayLE HD Tie rods and indy alignment?