Hey guys. I'm going to be doing some front end work when I get my mini back from the dealership. They told me I have a cracked control arm (lower?) and I know it has a bad upper strut mount and deformed towers on both sides. So the plan is to do the following:

• check for play on all wheels
• replace control arms, pair
• replace upper strut mounts, pair
• replace front struts(?), pair (i'll leaf through the service history, but i'm not sure if/when this was ever done. might explain the deformed towers)
• add strut tower protection (any recommendations here? i'll have the struts off the car so i was considering using the ones that mount from underneath the help pull the deformed towers back in position. thoughts?)
• install new wheels
• check for play again
• take it to a shop for an alignment

Thoughts? Is there anything I missed or should be looking for or take care of while I'm in there? Upon last inspection the CV boots looked good and I can check again (remember Mini just did their "safety inspection" on it too so they would have warned me of anything glaring). Thanks guys!

 

I would verify what they said about cracked control arms? as that may have been cracked control arm bushings
I would replace them with powerflex bushings.

For strut tower plates go with the Craven stds

 

Yeah I'll definitely get them to confirm what they originally said when I pick it up that it's the arm that's cracked and not just the bushings and then visually inspect it myself. Either way, the prepressed bushings from you guys come pressed in new control arms? And if that's the case, the price is for a set of control arms with the bushings prepressed?

 

Oh wait, I think I get it now. It's prepressed into a bracket and the bracket goes in the control arm? What kind of tools does it take to press these anyways?