Stand hard on the brakes in an F90 M5 from triple digits and you may feel it: a shimmy through the wheel that should not be there on a car this capable. A big part of the cause sits up front, where BMW mounts each tension strut in a soft rubber bushing. It keeps the cabin quiet. It also lets the strut move fore and aft under load, and that movement shows up as vague steering and brake shimmy.
The Dinan Tension Strut Ball Joint Kit removes that slack on the BMW F90 M5 and the F91, F92 and F93 M8. Dinan replaces the factory rubber with sealed ball joints in machined aluminum housings, so the strut stays where the engineers put it. The result is sharper turn-in, more feedback through the wheel and less shimmy when you lean on the brakes.
How the Dinan Tension Strut Ball Joint Kit Stays Street Friendly
The usual worry with a solid mount is noise and harshness. Dinan addresses it with nylon-lined bearings, which it calls the quietest bearings on the market, and rubber boots that seal the joints against dirt and water. You get the precision of a ball joint without turning your daily driver into a race car that clunks over every expansion joint.
It is a front suspension part, so there are no emissions concerns, no coding and no tuning required. Dinan part number D280-0019. Sold by AutoTecknic, an authorized Dinan dealer.
What's Included
- 2 x ball joint holder assemblies
- 2 x retaining caps
- 4 x spacers
- 1 x Dinan cap tool
- Loctite 609 retaining compound
Key Features
- Replaces the factory rubber tension strut bushings on both sides
- Nylon-lined sealed ball joints for quiet street use
- Machined aluminum housings
- Rubber boots keep dirt and water out of the joint
- Sharper steering response and reduced brake shimmy
- Dinan-rated 4 hour installation
Vehicle Fitment
Fits the front tension struts on these BMW M models:
- BMW M5 / F90 Sedan (2018-2023): M5, M5 Competition
- BMW M8 / F92 Coupe, F91 Convertible, F93 Gran Coupe (2020-2025): M8, M8 Competition
Not confirmed for the M5 CS. Contact us with your VIN before ordering for a CS.
Installation Notes
This is a press job, not a bolt-on. The tension struts come off the car and the factory bushings are pressed out, so you need a hydraulic press, a vise and a torque wrench. Dinan rates it at about 4 hours. If you do not have a press, have a shop that knows F90 and F9X suspension do it, and have the alignment checked afterward.
- Remove both front tension struts following the BMW procedure.
- Press out the factory rubber bushing and clean the bore with soap and a Scotch-Brite pad.
- Apply Loctite 609 to the bore and press in the Dinan ball joint assembly.
- Install the retaining cap with the supplied cap tool and torque it to 110 ft-lb.
- Fit a spacer on each side of the ball joint and reinstall the strut with the factory bolts, angle-torqued to BMW specification.
