WHAT: Install Powerflex lower control arm bushings. Part number: PFF5-1302

Powerflex PFF5-1302 Bushings



Here’s how loose the factory bushing is at 50,000 miles and <5 years:

Plenty of rubber cracking too:




THIS PROCEDURE SHOULD BE APPLICABLE TO THE FLOWING MODELS:

• 1' F40   (05/2018 — 12/2019)
• 1' F52   (10/2015 — 12/2019)
• 2' F44 Gran Coupé   (10/2018 — 12/2019)
• 2' F45 Active Tourer   (11/2013 — 04/2018)
• 2' F45 Active Tourer LCI   (04/2017 — 12/2019)
• 2' F46 Gran Tourer   (07/2014 — 03/2018)
• 2' F46 Gran Tourer LCI   (05/2017 — 12/2019)
• X1 F48   (11/2014 — 07/2019)
• X1 F48 LCI   (05/2018 — 01/2020)
• X1 F49   (11/2014 — 08/2019)
• X1 F49 LCI   (05/2018 — 12/2019)
• X2 F39   (10/2016 — 12/2019)
• MINI F56   (04/2013 — 12/2019)
• MINI F56 BEV   (11/2018 — 12/2019)
• MINI F55   (09/2013 — 12/2019)
• MINI Clubman F54   (11/2014 — 07/2019)
• MINI Clubman F54 LCI   (05/2018 — 12/2019)
• MINI Cabrio F57   (11/2014 — 12/2019)
• MINI Countryman F60   (11/2015 — 01/2020)
• Zinoro M13   (06/2015 — 08/2019)

TOOLS NEEDED:
• E14 torx socket
• 16mm box wrench
• 17mm socket
• 8mm wrench or socket.
• Various press/puller tools

PART NUMBERS:

• Powerflex Bushing Kit: PFF5-1302

• Bushing Bracket Bolts:
31106863102 (2x)
33306857402 (2x)
31106862545 (4x)

• Main Pivot Bolt/Square Nut
31106868038 (2x)
31106867397 (2x)

• Ball Joint Pinch Bolt and Nut
31106876027 (2x)
33306760587 (2x)

PROCEDURE:
Unlike other BMW vehicles (E30, E36, E46) I don’t think it’s possible to replace these bushings with the control arm still on the car, so the first step will be to remove the entire control arm assembly. Thankfully this is quite easy to do.

Raise the car on a lift or jack stands and remove the front wheels. 17mm socket.

Remove the felt undertray. 8mm socket

Remove the headlight level sensor connection from the right side control arm. A single bolt and 8mm wrench.

The ball joints at the hubs are the pinch bolt type, vs. a taper type, so they’re easy to remove. Use an E14 and 16mm sockets/wrenches to remove the single pinch bolt (yellow circle, bolt not shown here) I was able to pull the ball joint from the hub without any other tools.



Remove the single pivot bolt from the middle of the control arm. This bolt can be accessed from the front of the car, looking backwards. E14 socket. Green circle.



To access all 4 bushing bracket bolts you need to remove 3 undertray screws. 8mm socket. Green dashes. Bend the undertray away from the bracket bolts.




I’d suggest marking the orientation and location of the bushing bracket with a sharpie. Using an E14 socket, remove all 4 bushing bracket bolts. Blue dashes.




You can now remove the entire control arm assembly from the car. A small prybar and rubber mallet will be handy, but probably not 100% necessary.

Now comes the hardest part, pulling the bushing/bracket assembly from the end of the control arm. The wavy/asymmetrical design of the bracket means getting a grip on the bracket with a puller tool is a challenge. I used a Harbor Freight gear puller set (62958) and a
big c-clamp, but it was ugly and took many attempts. A large standard style two or three jaw gear puller might work. I tried one but it was too small.

The bushing bracket has a hole in the side which I put in an M12(?) bolt which gave a spot to put one puller jaw.

The end of the control arm is also hollow, so I dropped a big bolt in the middle to give a place from the puller to push on.

You probably can find a better way to do this. I just used what I already had at home.

 

Next I used a homemade press tool to remove the old bushings and install the new one.

My tool was 1/2” fine pitch Grade 8 all-thread, plus Grade 8 washers and nuts.

The brown piece is a 3” nominal SCH80 (not SCH40) steel pipe nipple at 5.5” long. Got it from Zoro for about $20 shipped. Part number 41109GR. Tool I.D. should be around 72mm if you want to find an alternative.

Plus a Harbor Freight seal driver kit. 63261.




I tried to shave down a HF seal press puck to exactly 70mm (the ID of the bracket) to press the bushing out of the bracket, but the puck kept getting jammed. The metal wall of the bushing itself is very thin (1.6mm) , so it was hard to get a grip on it.

I found it easier to use the 65mm puck and press out just the rubber insides of the bushing and leave the metal sleeve in place. These are hydrobushings (fluid filled), so you’ll probably leak oil. Do this over a rag.





Then just hammer out the metal sleeve.




You can use the same set of tools to press the metal Powerflex sleeve into the bushing brackets. I chose to coat them with anti-seize.





Then press in the purple bushing from the same direction. Powerflex suggests installing the purple piece with dish soap as a lubricant.








You can then press the black Powerflex piece onto the control arm by hand. Powerflex makes no mention of lube for this step.

Then using the supplied grease, push the purple bushing over the black bushing, by hand.

The control arm is now ready to be reinstalled.

 

TIGHTENING TORQUES:

Control arm pinch bolt:
- 60 Nm. The TIS says to torque using the bolt head, and not the nut.

Main control arm pivot bolt:
- 100 Nm, then 90°. Tighten while the weight of the car is on the ground or ramps, per the TIS

Bushing brackets:
- The smaller M10 bolts, 56Nm plus 90°.
- The larger M12 bolts, 100 Nm.

Wheel Bolts: 140 Nm

 

After a few hundred miles on these, I feel more comfortable giving my impressions on them vs. day 1.

The biggest change I can feel is steering that grips better when just off-center. On-center feels the same, but the harder you turn the wheel, the more it feels like the front end bites and becomes more direct. Consequently, understeer feels reduced.

Essentially no increase in noise, vibration or harshness that I can tell.

I’m 100% happy with these and I highly recommend them. This and the NM Engineering 25mm rear sway bar are my top two modifications currently.

 

Thanks for the write up. Will likely do this in the near future.

 

Did you change out all of the bolts that were removed with brand new hardware? I'm debating ordering new torque to yield bolts or just sending it with some loctite

 

Hey there! I know this a few years old, but hopefully you're still around... I'm tackling this now on my F56 and cannot for the LIFE of me get these ******* metal sleeves out!! You mention just "hammering them out"... Is there any trick to this or specific "tool" to use?...