Hello everybody. Just registered after about six months of lurking.

When researching the Powerflex control arm bushings, I saw lots of stuff that warned I needed either a 20-ton shop press or some special BMW tool to R&R these bushings.

Here is what I did using a free rented ball joint press available at any auto parts store.

Pushing out the first old bushing was an insane PITA--I used the press conventionally. This was stupid. I ended up ripping the vice right off the bench. For the second, I wised up. Use the hardened metal pipe bits and thick metal end thingys that come with the press kit (I'm sure they have a name), put the bracket on top of the larger diameter pipe on the concrete slab and slam it out of the bracket with a sledgehammer. The thing came out in like five blows. Even had I had a real hydraulic press I probably would've done it this way. No setup time; came out without all the fear I get around presses with the massive amounts of potential energy.

I did not take a photo of this part, but here is a diagram. Get it started with the thick metal top thing, then use the smaller diameter pipe to hammer it through. A little heat never hurt.



For installation of the Powerflex bushings, I just used the ball joint press conventionally. It's kinda tricky, but if you are patient, go slowly, have dishsoap and some kind of impact tool, and file down the sharp part of the lip of the bushing (just like .1mm worth, just to help it along!), it goes in no problem. If it starts going way crooked, don't keep going--loosen, reset, and try again. I used the prybar to keep it in line for one of them. If it goes in a little crooked (it probably will)--one blow with a hammer and that thing pops right through.









My thoughts on the Powerflex? They're awesome if you're looking for performance/accuracy. My friend raced his with new OEMs, and I will admit that the guys on here who advocate the OEM have a point. There is probably a reason BMW built a little more lateral articulation into them (other than just softness). For my purposes the Powerflex are excellent. I went with the Bilstein Tourings over the Koni Yellows because I have to drive my car on the horrible streets of Milwaukee, and the Powerflex bridged the gap between sharpness and livability.

Also changed struts, mounts, bellows, bump stops, control arms, swaybar links and bushings, a wheel bearing and all ball joints.

The Moog swaybar links from Pelican are way thicker than the OEM ones.

 

Good jerb! Maybe I will tackle that bushing myself next spring.

 

The only part that made me rage a little with control arm bushings was that I didn't had the proper tools to press them back in... even tho I've done it at the shop where I work (Toyota dealer). Didn't properly dropped the subframe as I didn't had a lot of time to get the job done. Getting the old ones out with a set of acetylene torch and air hammer was a joke

 

A friend of mine and I used a torch and air hammer to remove these from my E36. It was pretty entertaining.

 

I do offer the tool to remove them the right way. Makes it real easy.

 

Looks like the "right" way is the one that makes you money.

 

Last Sat. My mechanic did the ca bushing, ball joints, thermostat set replacement, coolant reservoir, emission hose and exhaust gasket. $250 total labor. I was gonna do all that said but luckily i did not after watching them do especially the bushing, they didnt remove the bumper nor the subframe just loosen all the bolts under and pull it down the sub frame a little then stick some wood to keep the frame open. They have used slim tools to get the bolts over the bushing bracket. I was lucky... But not so today i got carried away driving the mini with all the tightness and speeding laser got me. $147 speeding ticket.. So in conclusion i got $400. For labor and ticket lol.

 

Yeah your right. The easiest way to remove the bushing without dropping the frame is to use the right tool for the job. Some people on here do not have a gas torch setup or a press nor a saws all. So if I can help a guy out on here and make some money to put some food on my table. Your damn right I'm going to offer rental of my specialty tools.

 

Take it easy, man. Point of the tread was to describe my removal of OEM and install of Powerflex bushings with the subframe off without any specialty tools--just a rented ball joint press, sledgehammer, dish soap, file and impact tool--which is not wrong. And to toss in some Peter Gabriel. NBD

 

Yes I agree this thread was very useful because I could learn a lot about the installation of Powerflex bushings.Now I can do it easily by myself. From this source ,I got lot of information about the Powerflex bushings and removal of OEM.