Is it #8 in this pic?

Whatever #8 is, mine looks shot. I'm thinking of ordering a couple of these.
http://www.bavauto.com/shop.asp N52613BAV [SIZE=6] Performance Tuned Front Control Arm Bushing [/SIZE]
Can a Tire World install these?

 

Bingo!

 

I highly recommend the Powerflex bushings. I had them installed in my '05 R53 S this last Thrusday and the car is totally transformed....Better than new/stock!

My front control arm bushings were SHOT. The rubber looked like had been chewed by a dog. 52K street miles. The rubber OEM bushings are garbage!

The poly bushings last 10 times more than the OEM rubber junk. I don't see myself replacing these every 50K miles. They are a bear to install. Big/expensive job.

Fortunately my friend owns a shop and it is one of the most respected independent MINI mechanics in South Florida. He charged me $75 per hour to fit them in (3-4 hour job) and $100 for 4 wheel alignment which is highly recommended after new bushes go in.

I purchased the following sets of Powerflex bushings from Way Motor Works, a NAM sponsor:

- Front control arms
- Lower engine mount insert
- Gearbox to engine poly insert

Way sold me a new lower engine mount $40 because it was shot. Likely you will have to replace the lower engine mount as well. Mine was gone and the engine was loose at the bottom.

For just Bushings, I paid $198 including next day delivery via UPS. For labor and alignment the final bill was $512. In all and all was $700. Nest money ever spent. This is not just a mod but a maintenance item. The good thing with the Powerflex is that likely I will never have to replace the bushings ever again.

After the poly bushings went in, the car drives like they way it should. My razor sharp steering is back, putting power/torque down to the wheels is much, much smoother and instantenous because the engine is no longer moving/flexing under load. The braking is superb and rock solid stable. Even the gearbox feels better as there is no unwanted movement of shifter cables, etc.

See www.waymotorworks.com and on the search field type the world powerflex.

In terms of noise and vibration.... Car feels much smoother. I am only getting a slight vibration at idle because of the new lower engine mount and poly insert. To me this is extremely minor given the startling improvements made on the car as a whole.

I am a very happy camper.

 

I would venture to say that a Tire World would not be a good place to have them installed - it's not like bolting on a new wheel. A MINI dealer has special tools to make it relatively easy.

Worth doing, but not something to cheap out on.

 

Here is a how-to with links to give you an idea on the procedure. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...g-install.html

Look down to the related threads at the bottom of this page for more information.

 

If I wasn't convinced before that I shouldn't attempt this myself, I sure am now! I just need to find someone who can do it. Dealer is 75 miles away. That isn't all that far, but I really don't want the oem replacement. Any other suggestions. I imagine I shouldn't really wait until I get to the Dragon.

 

Poly bushings have more drawbacks than new OEMs, purchase the bracket with bushing installed, it will be easier to do it that way.

 

On the other hand, many of us are very satisfied with urethane control arm bushings, myself included, and many have installed them and have many trouble-free miles on them. They do increase steering precision and reduce unpredictable behavior while cornering.

They are apparently a mod that generates some controversy, with K-Huevo representing one side of the discussion with a great deal of excellent information from his experience.

George Mehalik, at Mini-Madness, could represent the other side if asked, as he sells his own brand and uses them in his successful track and street cars.

 

buy the bushing already installed in the carrier. it will be a lot easier than pushing out just the bushing. I did one of these and it was hell to get in.

 

I found a local BWM mechanic who noticed the MINI front susp was the same as the 3-series as far as the lower control arms and he was a wiz at replacing those ...

He replaced mine with polyflex for about 1/4 of dealer cost for OEM rubber....took him about 40 minutes a side and he did not drop the subframe....said he'd made himself 'a tool' after doing dozens of Bmers

ask around....

 

Find an independent that has exposure to MINIs and may have the required tools for the job.

I will never go back to OEM rubber bushings. If you are a well seasoned DIYer like K-Huevo and has the tools, time, place to do it every 50K miles, then more power to him.

But for the rest of us, Polys are the way to go. My car feels better than new and I will likely never have to deal with these again.

 

We'll see if 10k miles of use dampens your enthusiasm.

 

Please enlighten us, what should the 'Poly' guys expect in 10K miles? Does the Poly get harder, does it shrink, etc. etc.?

 

Either you’re being facetious or you didn’t bother to read the “OEM Control Arm Bushing Life” thread you started. I’ve already spelled out how poly bushings don’t allow the R50-R53 control arm to articulate the way OE designers intended. Poly front control arm bushings are not capable of absorbing energy to the extent rubber can; this will become intrusive over time, and once past the honeymoon phase where the positive change from a faulty bushing to any new bushing is forgotten, hard hits transferred to the chassis when driving over expansion joints and other road surface irregularities will become less tolerable. The OP may not see low enough temperatures to experience poly at its hardest, but I have, and it is uncomfortable. There is another side effect by design and that is un-damped fore and aft movement of the control arm. It is a subtle characteristic during most cornering, but becomes disconcerting in high-speed sweepers when mid corner corrections are required. It can make itself known in stop & go driving as the car pitches forward just a bit after the wheels have stopped.

I’m well aware poly control arm bushings are durable; mine looked liked new when removed after 12k miles. For me, the comfort tradeoff for bushing longevity lost its value and they didn’t live up to the handling hype.

 

K-Huevo I have no argument with your opinion on the subject. However like I said, you are a very skilled mechanic and you have the time and tools to be replacing worn rubber bushings as the need arises. Not the case here. I don't want to be paying someone to drop my subframe every 40K miles to replace substandard quality parts. This is a big/expensive job for the vast majority of us here. Clearly you are a comfort oriented driver. Nothing wrong with that. But comfort alone is a poor plea in favor of rubber bushings.

The evidence plays in favor of poly bushings.... The suspension geometry is better preserved as there is no added flexing of components, better tire contact at all times, better tire wear, better braking stability, less wheel hop, torque goes down better to the wheels, 10 times the durability of the rubber parts..... In sort there is very little argument against Polyurethane bushings.

Do you give up some NVH in the process? Sure you do, but for me the 5% I give in vibration isolation is well worth the benefits in the bigger picture.

Don't believe everything the OEM "engineers" is good. The manufacturers care about certain parts lasting the warranty period. That is their engineering approach. They want you to keep coming back for parts and service. More $$$ for them. Case in point the substandard OEM LuK clutch and dual mass flywheels. Don't tell me that BMW engineered and sourced these pieces for longetivity. Sorry but a Clutchmasters FX200 clutch and flywheel is a much superior piece of engineering with quality materials and durability to boot.

I have spoken with people that I consider to have your same automotive knowledge and they all agree that Polys is the better way to go long term.

Roads here in my neck of the woods are not the pot hole infestation you see in the rust belt states, so it is of little concern to me.

Urethane costs much more than rubber and it is harder to source in larger quantities. Do you genuinely think automakers would prefer to source more expensive urethane bushings over rubber ones in their assembly lines? The manufacturer does not care about you after the warranty is gone. They want you to keep coming back more more (Either a new car or parts/service to support substandard parts).

 

I deeply appreciate the contributions you guys have shared here, and am getting a lot out of your discussion. I still haven't decided which way to go yet, but I may have found a reputable local shop to do it. I need to meet them and see what I think. They do plenty of aftermarket BMW stuff.

This is why I like NAM so much. Thanks again, everybody.

 

I took the car to Munchen Motors in Mandeville. They found no problem. Apparently this bushing has a crevice between the perimeter and where the control arm goes in that I mistook for a crack. I took their mechanic for a ride and drove him through the spot where I had been hearing the clunk. He said any car would clunk through a hole like that.

 

Of course I read my own threads, I just wanted you to share your insights and views with those here. Thanks for sharing your experiences.