DIY: Just Another Lower Control Arm Bushing Swap

[MikeV]

STEP 4: Now put the lollipop with remaining bushing into your vice and bust out your trusty air saw and cut two slots in the outer bushing lining from the inside of the lollipop, but be sure not to damage the lollipop! You could also use a hacksaw, but that's kind of girly.... So do that at your own discretion. :12:

hotwheels, eh?


amazing write up! makes me want to replace mine even though they are fine!

[beamerboycsl]

how far does the lolipop go on to the lca, does it sit flush with the outside of it? and did ur steerin go back to bein nice and tight after this fix? about to do mine.

[sandsrfr]

how far does the lolipop go on to the lca, does it sit flush with the outside of it? and did ur steerin go back to bein nice and tight after this fix? about to do mine.

It gets pressed as far as it can go onto the LCA (up to the end of the machined end)...

Very nice DIY writeup BTW! and entertaining!

[blackbimmer30]

Dude ..you saved my life. thanks a million

[JuiceSqueeze]

Is this valid for '96 328/M3 or no?

[NegativeCambre]

Is this valid for '96 328/M3 or no?

Yup... the only E36 that would need some revision to this writeup would be the 95 m3--since it has the offset bushings.

And the revision would be small... match up the arrows...

Steve

[Tommy R]

Yup... the only E36 that would need some revision to this writeup would be the 95 m3--since it has the offset bushings.

And the revision would be small... match up the arrows...

Steve

Like such?

[NegativeCambre]

Like such?

OH geeze... party fowl! Sorry Tommy... I glanced through the writeup real fast (but don't worry... I read it all the way through a long time ago when you first posted it ) and could have sworn you used the centered 96+ bushings.

Then yes, this covers all aspects of E36-dom.

For the centered bushings, just make sure the little cavities are inline with the handle on the lollipop.

Steve

[Tommy R]

LOL... No sweat, Steve. Just bustin' your chops. Now get back to finishing up that V8 conversion. I want to see it at Nats this year!

Tommy

[gielamonster]

Tommy, I used your DIY this weekend for my LCABs. Thanks for writing it. I too did the whole job without any special tools (beyond a gear puller). There were only two things that made the job a PITA...

1) Getting the outer portion of the old bushings out of the lollipops. I found it was MUCH easier if I crushed in both sides of the bushing (the part that stickes out past the edge of the lollipop) with a vise. I crushed it in all around, and then it was really easy to pound/press the bushing out. I also did the second one with one of those hand crank arbor presses, 100x easier to get things out and back in.

2) getting the lollipops w/ fresh bushings back on the LCA. Man that part was a beyotch. I found the only way I could do it was to lay on my back on the concrete drive (no creeper or cardboard or whatever) to get enough friction to hold still. Then it was a combination of sheer might and obsenities to get them on. I used liberal applications of dish soap. And I cleaned the LCA ends off with a wire wheel on a drill, they were super smooth.

I haven't taken the car out of the drive yet, but I suspect my front end shimmys should be gone for good now.

Thanks again.

[Tommy R]

Glad it worked out for you! The best method I figured for slipping the new bushing onto the control arm is to lube both with dish soap, push it on as far as you can while twisting it, remove it, re-lube, and repeat. Each time it went farther and farther onto the LCA until finally it went all the way. As you suggested, wire wheeling the LCA is a must for a smooth surface.

I'll be doing it again this weekend when I install new control arms. I just hope the bushings come off in one piece so I don't have to screw around with pressing in/out of the lollipops again! Being solid bushings, it shouldn't be a big deal, but I've got a spare set of bushings at the ready just in case!

Tommy

[Jester4176]

I haven't taken the car out of the drive yet, but I suspect my front end shimmys should be gone for good now.

Is this bushing what is responsible for a shimmy on high speed tight cornering?

Kind of a n00b to suspensions here.

[gielamonster]

It was for me! ALL of my front end shimmies are gone! Car feels brand new.

Except for the imbalanced wheel I'm using as a spare until I can find a new Contour...



If you've got one and can do better than $150 shipped, let me know!

[jimsutton]

The sales guy I worked with at Bavarian Motorsports suggested using Silicone RTV to lube and set the rubber bushing on the control arm. This is because you WANT the rubber bushing to BOND to or grip the LCA member after the slidey-onny-easy part evaporates. He said the original BMW stuff for this prupose is tough to find. This way it becomes a solid, fused installation and HENCE the need to set the weight of the car back on the completely assembled LCA within 30 minutes or so.

He said if another lubricant is used, It should perform fine but there will likely be a squeaking in that bushing thereafter as the LCA shifts in the rubber.

FYI.
Jim

[rams]

Do I have to install the second bushing within 30 minutes of instalation of the first one?

[rams]

...what I mean is, can I do one side at the time or I should jack up both side at the same time?

[hellrot325]

Its not the bushing that's time sensitive...its the LCAB on the LCA. The suspension needs to be loaded within 30 minutes to allow the LCAB to spin and then setup correctly on the LCA....if you wait too long then the LCAB will set up in the incorrect position, and when the suspension is loaded the bushing will be preloaded (bad) and can tear (worse)

[PrestoMB]

Thats a great writeup. Also what are the added benifits of the 95 M3 LCAB versus the 96+ M3? I know people use the 96+ because you dont need to get an alignment afterwards.

BTW- TommyR you should put links to all your writeups in your signature

[Tommy R]

Thats a great writeup. Also what are the added benifits of the 95 M3 LCAB versus the 96+ M3? I know people use the 96+ because you dont need to get an alignment afterwards.

'95 bushings are offset to increase caster. '96+ are centered like the OEM non-M bushings.

BTW- TommyR you should put links to all your writeups in your signature

That's not a bad idea. Maybe I will.... I'm about to do this swap again on the "new" car in about a week or so.

Tommy

[hellrot325]

'95 bushings are offset to increase caster. '96+ are centered like the OEM non-M bushings.

That's not a bad idea. Maybe I will.... I'm about to do this swap again on the "new" car in about a week or so.

Tommy

True, but if you are replacing LCa also then the 96+ M3 LCA have some add'l caster built in...they are a diff geometry to non-m's

Most of DIY are on www.bimmerdiy.com now

[Tommy R]

True, but if you are replacing LCa also then the 96+ M3 LCA have some add'l caster built in...they are a diff geometry to non-m's

Not possible for me. Have to keep the stock LCA's to keep legal for my racing class.

Tommy

[leedawg]

Yup hellrot beat me too saying all that. And What I did about the 30 min deal is bolted up all the ball joints and waited on bolting up the lolly pops. I just spun them arond a bit ever few minutes so they wouldent set up. Cause it took me a hell of a lot longer than 30 minutes to do both sides and drop the car back down to the ground. IT probably took me bout an hour total to get it back down. But if you keep moving the LCAB around the steel peg that its on it wont set up and it will be the same effect when you finally bolt them up and drop the car down onto the ground.

[Tommy R]

...and those subframe reinforcements...

Que?

[leedawg]

Hes saying they are not stock

[Tommy R]

Hes saying they are not stock

He'd be wrong. So exactly what's wrong with my subframe reinforcements (which don't exist)?

Tommy

EDIT: I don't take kindly to accusations of cheating so you best bring some proof.