I've got an 05 R53 with about 95000kms and the FCABs are on their way out. I've read more than a few horror stories about people having difficulty pressing out the old bushings out so I ponied up the extra cash to get the brackets with the bushings already pressed in.

Typically I have access to a lift but unfortunately that will not be the case for a few more weeks and I'd really like to get this done before I go back to school. I'm just wondering what the doability of this job is with just a floor jack and the necessary hand tools? From what I've read you just need to unbolt the control arm at both the ball joints and it will then slide out of the bushing with a bit of force. Then just unbolt the bracket, drop the back of the subframe to get the clearance to pull it out and reassemble in the reverse order. Is this correct?

To give you a rough idea of my limited mechanical ability I've done my own pulley, springs, and struts but I used a lift for all those things.

 

the power flex bushings are way easier to install. you dont need to drop your subframe.
i did the power flex way. i went to home depot and bought a long screw, washers, and a nut to press the new ones in. and used a saw zaw and air hammer to remove old ones.

 

Like I said I will only have access to basic hand tools and a floor jack. I do not have a sawzall or air chisel, but I won't need either of those with the route I am going.

Anyone else?

 

I did them without a life by getting the bushings pre-installed by Way and all I had to do was send back the old brackets. But I had air tools which I would not do something like this without. Doing it on your back is hard enough.

Why not wait for the lift? It will be much easier to do it standing and being able to easily see everything.

///Rich

 

I did mine in my garage with basic tools and jack stands with a floor jack. Changed everything i could. Ball joints, tie rods and control arm bushings. Also replaced the clamps on the power steering lines that were leaking. Pulled the subframe out though. Made things very easy and it wasn't that bad. Pelican Parts has a good walkthrough with pics on there website. My control arm bushings didn't com off easily. Had to cut part of them off with a dremel. Definitely would have been easier with a lift, but that wasn't an option. Mine had !!21k. Got my bushes from Way, pressed with PowerFlex. Handles like new.

 

If you are replacing the entire bracket (not just 'pulling' the bushing) you'll find that removing the subframe is necessary.

Those that have tried to replace the bracket without removing the subframe found it impossible to accurately torque the bolts.

 

Thanks guys. I'll have a better look at everything tomorrow after work. If it seems like too much trouble I'm going to forget about it and wait for the lift.

Jamez, I assume thats the case because without dropping the subframe there wouldn't be enough room to fit a torque wrench on those bolts? I have a set of those flex head ratcheting wrenches so I'm pretty sure I could get on the bolts and tighten them up pretty good but I wouldn't know exactly how much torque I would be applying. I'd imagine it would be sufficient though.

 

Yup, no swinging room for a torque wrench. I don't know the torque spec off-hand, but I'd never torque suspension bits to "justaboutright"

I know you didn't say you would - but for future readers of this thread - NEVER put flex/pivot/universal attachments on a torque wrench, you'll never get an accurate 'pull.

 

Yep, no way I am doing this in the garage on my back

I'm gonna wait for the lift.

 

+1
When mine were done....
My mechanic (Greasysgarage...they do tons of mini work) needed to "persuade" one of mine out of the mount....they had to heat it up...impact gun and a bolt/but truck would not work...as the shop grew, think they bought a press....sometimes you can do it with skill and tricks....sometimes...it is a huge battle. They are sold pre-pressed for a reason.....

 

Sometimes I hang out in my buddies garage in the weekends, he's a certified mechanic and is considered the guru by my local mini owners club.

Anyway, when we put in my power flex LCA's we left the subframe on the car, he has a tool which is basically like a hockey puck looking thing with a threaded hole in it, just turn the bolt and it pushes the old bushing out of the bracket right on the car. Install new one is the same, just put the puck on the other side. The control arm itself was held in a vise while he cut the steel sleeve from the original bushing off the end, looked like an angle grinder with a cut off wheel.

By the way, I was hanging out and helping a few weeks ago, and he was changing a transmission, so he had to drop the subframe. He said it is easier to unbolt the powersteering fluid reservoir, and then disconnect the tie rod ends, and disconnect the end of the steering column. Taking the steering rack out with the subframe is easier than taking the ps pump off of the subframe. See picture, it's a simple compact package. He put a transmission jack under the subframe, and on a lift with air tools we had this out in about an hour or maybe just a little more.

 

I used this how-to by the great k-huevo:
http://personal.stevens.edu/~jdunn/F...l%20How-To.pdf

Took 6hrs but had all these done:
-LCA bushes
-ball joints
-PS fluid refresh
-new PS hose clamps
-PS fan cleaning
-under chassis detailing