Hi all you new Mini owners. I've been one of many that have had the front bushing go out on one of the control arms. The good news is that even if it fails, it can't come apart, but it sure can rattle around and make a racket (ask me how I know...)

Anyway, when I took the first one off and it looked good, I was bummed thinking I'd dropped the front subframe chasing a red herring, but the other side confirmend my diagnostic that they needed work.


The bushing hadn't completely torn until I tried to remove the bushing carrier from the control arm, but it didn't have far to go! You can't tell from the photos, but tears were starting on the one that looks good.

While I have over 80k on my car, I've heard of failures of this at much lower milage. If you're at or over 40k or so I'd check them every time the car is up on stands..

Matt

 

Doctor,
Don't you use your auto pretty hard? It's helpful that you identified your vehicle mileage. In addition to rattle, were there any other noises or behaviors to report?

 

at both high accelleration and braking. Massive bangs on pot-holes as it got to be what you see here.

K-huevo posted a way to check yours. Support the front of the car on stands, take off the front wheels. use a jack to compress the suspension a bit. Grab the control arm at the back by the bushing and try to push it in and out. If it moves a bunch, you're hosed. If it stays put, you're probably good, at least no further than the onset of cracks in the rubber.

But even though I hit the turns hard and have high mileage, I've heard of failures here at much lower milages. I think JimZ68s were on par with mine. I'm not sure if I've heard of them going during warranty, but as low as the mid 50s for sure.

Anyway, there are very few parts that I've heard multiple failures on, and this is one of them.

Matt

 

So these, and the front control arm ball joint can both go bad before 50k...that doesnt sound right to me. I would hope that would be more durable. What are you replacing them with?

 

I noticed I had a front control arm bushing out about 4k miles ago and I haven't fixed it yet. Besides dropping the front subframe, don't you have to have a hydraulic press to pull them out? Is that the same one the Alta PSRS replaces?

I was quoted $300 labor + personal cost of parts to replace both the bushings; does it really take that much time?

What are you replacing yours with Dr. O ?

 

I'm one of the guy who had them go out Mulitable times. I've gotten about 22-25k each time before they went out. I do Autox alot and tow a trailer when I go autox.

As for time It took the Dealer just a tick over 3 hours to complete each time (under warrenty). On the next shot i have a set of Poly's to go in for better handeling and longer lasting.

 

had to keep the autox secret from the dealer, eh mugami? i would think they would call that abuse. where are you getting your poly bushings from?

 

these don't go out all the time, but they are starting to show up a lot more. To replace them, you don't have to drop the subframe if you have the BMW tool and are replacing them with stock or poly. The alta system requires a bit more force and you have to drop the subframe. $300 labor sounds about right. I'd seen ~$540 for the whole job including parts before.....

When I did my detective work on replacements, it seems that the choices are

Stock
Poly
Alta
Custom

The knock on the poly from some of the track rats is that it gets really, really still when it's cold, and that it doesn't take a good set in turns. That advice is balanced by lots of street drivers that like the improvement that the poly gives. I'm going with the Alta parts because I'm curious about them. I know of a few up north that are going back to stock because of the problems with poly, and a few that use the Alta system for track cars.

Matt

 

As Matt says, the bushings can be replaced without dropping the subframe https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=63869, although it requires a costly BMW bushing removal tool. I recommend replacing the entire bracket which comes with the installed bushing; the price between a pair of bushing/sleeves and the brackets is about $50, it’s worth the cost in ease of replacement to do the brackets. As for time that depends on tools, equipment, and familiarity with the process; $300 for labor is good, the brackets are less than $40 list each.

For those planning to keep their MINIs for a long time you might as well get the tools and do it yourself the first time because it’s highly likely you will be replacing the bushings again. I’ll be doing a how-to for this next week.

 

disconnection the steering! The little notes that you PMed me didn't have that step!

Interestingly enough, I had a hell of a time finding the tools for the ball joints and the tie rod end. You can special order them from NAPA for a bit less than $20 a pop (these are ball joint and tie rod tools, not the BMW tool for doing the bushing), but I couldn't find a store that had them in stock. Harbor Freight sells a front end kit with those two tools and three others for $90. Seems that all the Kragen like places only sell pickle forks! Stone age tool!

Matt

 

Matt, i know i'll be having to take on this task soon myself, but i'm wondering which side was worse?
On My car, the passenger side seems to be giving more than the driver side bushing.

hmm.....after looking at the pic. you posted, looks like its the passenger side for you too right?

James

 

but interestingly the driver side with just cracks in the rubber was the one making the large thunks! I guess it's just one turn that really hammered it. I've been noticing noise and directional issues under braking for a couple months (has it really been that long?).

The passenger side is the one that looked the worse, for sure!

Matt

 

Gotcha Matt. Hmm...now I gotta decide which way to go, stock or poly.
I'd go with the Alta, but fear that it might rattle in a few thousand miles....whats your take on that? Specifically, your take on the design of the Alta I mean.

 

There is a SS sleve that goes over the hex shaped thingy. It's held in place with 6 set screws. This goes into a (what looks to be) delrin sphere that's captured in an Al body. I don't know how the two halves are held together, but it looks to be a massive press fit. Since the shaft is free to move back and forth (takes some force but will do it) there is a limit to the forces that can be put on the housing in the axial direction, and it's a low limit at that. for the radial, I guess time will tell if pot-holes win out over the ball. I'll get back to you in another 50k miles.

Matt

PS, I'm not surprised that this part goes. The front control arm is a big L, with the wheel at one end, a ball joint in the middle, and this ribber at the other end. Evry lateral force on the tire (braking, acceleration, and the lateral component of bumps) pivits around the ball joint and wacks this sucker.

 

The burden of liability is greater than the freedom of altruism (k-huevo, 2007); oops, sorry Matt.

Here is the procedure in a nutshell. Remove the bracket for the power steering reservoir, get the front on stands and remove the front wheels, un-bolt the steering column, disconnect the droplinks from the sway bar, remove the bumper cover & bumper, unscrew the bolt on the crush tub, this part is optional but I do it to make aligning the bumper again easier – remove the crush tubes, remove the powersteering fan, pop the tie rod ends from the steering knuckle. Remove the two bolts on the outer ball joint at the steering knuckle, place the jack’s lift pad under the center round section on the subframe and apply some lift, remove all the chassis bolts, lower slightly so you can get to the wires on the power steering pump and remove them, lower while being careful to route the powersteering reservoir so it doesn’t catch on anything roll the subframe from under the vehicle. The struts will hold the steering knuckles and drive shafts so there is no need to remove them. Once the subframe is out, the bolts holding the inner ball joints can be removed and the control arms pulled from the bushing bracket.

If the bushing has cracked, it has lost internal fluid and failure is not far behind.

 

thanks for the input Matt, I'll be looking foward to a 50k mile update on that. Hmm decisions decisions....might just go stock again for now.

 

the electrical connector for the xenon leveling system just has one locking tab on it, but it can get full of crap and I needed to pry mine at the lock tab because the thumb-tab wouldn't work. I also disconnected the bracket from the control arm before I removed the system in case the arm could drop too far for the sensor assembly. It's a 10mm bolt. I had to drop the sub frame about 2-3 inches to get enough room for my fat hands to get to the connectors for the power steering pump. One is a thumb lock that worked, the larger power connector took some prying. I had to turn the steering off center to get to the bolt on the lower universal joint, but return it to center before dropping the subframe, and lock the steering! Otherwise you can mess things up.

Matt

 

Nope not keeping it a secret at all.. Seeing that the Tech also Autox a MINI at the same events. I got the Bushing from Powerflex directly. On the second replacement set i asked if he would put the polys in instead of the Stockers, but they had the underwriter there.. and i had the choice .. Stockers for Free or they would charge me 700.00 to install the Polys. Needles to say i went for the Freebies.

 

My warranty is up in August... Is there any way to have them check these and replace beforehand? (It's warranty work, so I can't see the dealer having too much trouble with it) I guess I should call my SA.

 

I'd say it's worth a shot...maybe tell them that your ride is wandering a bit during braking and acceleration, see what they say. You can prolly show them how it moves by grabbing and turning the tire back and forth a bit, it's pretty noticable on my car. good luck.

 

and my back is sore. That sub-frame is heavy! Anyway, now that I've been through it I won't think twice about dropping the front sub-frame. It's work but not a diffucult job, more a physical one.

Went for a drive and I instantly realized two things.
1) The banging from the bushings is gone
2) I need an alignment!

Anyway, don't let the sound of the job intimidate you, it's not that bad.

Matt

 

Yep, same deal as mine. One was torn almost all the way through. Funny thing, even with 90k miles, the ball joints were fine!
I went with the Powerflex bushings with what they call the "motorsport support" plates. Work fine for "canyon carving" and the occasional Track Day.


Jim

 

Yeah, I'll be dropping the subframe too...I've had the whole front off a few times in the past so this time i'll just be taking it a few steps further.

I'm wondering now though why it's the passenger side bushing that seems to be in worse shape than the driver's side? not a big deal, but makes me hmmm.

 

Dr O, could you please post the part #s for the napa (they might have them around here) ball joint and tie rod end tools and the harbour freight kit? I'll be doing the psrs soon, thanks.
mike

 

I go to the web sites, and I search under "ball joint"! It works wonders! The tools are technically called "Ball joint separators" but one may be a "tie-rod separators!" The kit from Harbor Frieght is called a "front-end tool kit" or something.

Search will set you free!

Matt

ps, this is in the vein of giving a fish vs teaching fishing!