I just got my control arms bushings replaced today. I picked the car up from the guy that was working in on it. I went to leave and noticed right away a strange noise from the drivers front end. Not the usual clicking from the bad bushings. It almost sounded like was from the intake transmission area. I took it right back to the guy and took him for a drive. He heard the noise but wasnt sure what it was, he thought I had the window down or the door open. Driving home it made the noise thru all the gears. When I pressed the clutch the noise went away. Got home I removed the intake and everything look OK with that. Thought I could get a peek at the transmission and everything looked OK for what I could see.

The guy didnt drop the subframe completely. I just wonder if something popped loose or he unplugged something. Any ideas???

 

I just got done replaceing my control arm bushings as well. like a couple of hrs ago. I did drop the sub frame. but I also have noise after the job. Here is my take on it. I replaced with polyurithane bushings from Mini Madness. they are harder than the stock bushings and in turn do not isolate vibrations as well or nouse. What we are hearing is the road noise and engine noise vibrations traveling through the new control arm bushing into the body where the subframe bolts right at your feet. That is why it sounds like a window or an opening at your feet. It is just noise vibrations. I read about this but didn't understand it util my test drive.

Did you replace with stock or aftermarket bushings?

 

I used the powerflex polyurethane bushings. It makes no sense... if it added more vibration that would be one thing. Vibration that you can feel. Why the noise?? And why doesnt make the noise when my clutch pedal is engaged?? My sound is only coming from the driver side.

 

any more on this issue guys???

I need to change my bushing out soon. they are starting to crack and tear..Which ones should I get?

 

I ordered a set of stock control arm bushings with the brackets. Gonna take out the powerflex out and swap the new rubbers in. Hope it fixes my problem. Driving home tonight, sounded like there was a huge hole in my floor

 

After I had the stock bushings replaced with powerflex ones, there was no added noise and only minimal NVH on certain road types.

Just a question here, but was your mechanic competent? The guy I had do mine was a favorite of the local BMW club, so he knew what he was doing.

 

At the base of the steering column there is a nylon collar around the shaft that should fit within a rubber boot on the firewall. The steering column moved upward during the install pushing the collar out from the boot. Road, clutch, and gear noise is now transferred unimpeded into the cabin. I would guess clutch and gear noise was always present but became noticeable after the opening in the floorboard.

 

Having done this job a few times, I can see how what k-huevo described can happen if the subframe was partially dropped w/o disconnecting the steering column from the rack.

 

Keith FTW

 

The mechanic was a BMW mechanic but that doesnt make him competent.


I'll call him tonight and tell him about the steering column. So the nylon collar, can that be popped back into place or is it possible its damaged?

 

If indeed this is the source of the noise, a mechanic is not needed for placing the plastic collar back in the boot; push the seat back, get on your elbows on the floor, use a small flat-blade screwdriver to help leverage the boot lip over the collar, there is groove in the boot lip and a corresponding slat around the collar to slip inside.

The lower steering shaft telescopes over the upper column, sometimes it has to be pushed upwards for disconnect/reconnect indexing on the steering rack. Failure to re-fit the collar has nothing to do with mechanical competence.

 

Yup, that was the culprit. There was about an 1/2 inch gap between the rubber boot and the firewall. Pushed it back into place while the car was running and instant silence .....WOW!!! It was wonderful to drive home tonight in a quiet car, Thanks k-huevo!!

 

So, how do you like the new bushings now?

 

not shure about his but mine are the clappers,did lots of other stuff as well and should have done so ages ago

 

Like I said - k-huevo FTW!

 

We are lucky to have a man like K-Huevo on this forum,obv he's an acomplished Mini mechanic and gives his time freely.

 

I love them!!! But I still hear that annoying clicking noise that I thought originally was my control arm bushings. But its not so bad after the past 4 days

 

After a hundred long distance diagnoses, I finally got one close; however, it was the boot and not the collar.

Thanks for the appreciative comments Benjanmini, but I’m only an enthusiast with tools. BC, not sure how to take FTW, I was a Harley rider in the seventies and that acronym was an attitude moniker.

OK PA-MCS tell us more about the clicking.

 

+1

 

say your in 3rd gear, (or any lower gear with good amount of torque) driving normal then give it about 1/2 throttle. then let off. Once you hit the throttle there's a "click", then again when you get off the gas. almost like a pen in your glovebox rolling back and forth.

I've read it hear before someone decribing the same sound. Someone told him control arm bushing.

 

Engine mount, ball joint, or top strut nut (less likely). The hydraulic mount is easy, look for black fluid at the base & splashed on the side of the head or grab the bracket and push/pull for a repeat of the noise, the lower will require a visual and re-torque, the air box will have to come off to get at the transmission bolt and tighten. The ball joint brackets will need unfastening to check the health of the ball joints. A deep, thin wall 21mm socket to tighten the strut nut.

 

Thanks to this thread. It seems as if my noise was where the boot got pushid in so slightly. a quick fix with the screwdriver and no noise.