What a job! It's a easy job as far as steps, but logistically it was difficult and time consuming. Definitely something you only want to do every 100,000 miles.

Just to add to the internet knowledge base, here are some updated details for 2018 on this job.

-Jase007 still rents his tool, hit him up if you need it. Cost me $50 renting fee + $40 shipping both ways. This job is quoted to be $750 for just labor at the shop so I saved a chunk of change. I used the Lemforder bushings at $50 each.

-https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...ng-replacement . <-----This is still the best DIY written on the internet for this tool specifically, I followed this write up and the instructions that Jase007 sent me.

-The extractor puck will get stuck on the threaded rod occasionally. It will be stuck real good to the point where you have to take a carpenters hammer on it, gripping it on a vice bench and using a channel lock on the unthreaded part of the rod to unscrew the two pieces, to start on the next bushing.

-During the installation phase, just crank on the tool until the bushing is flush with the subframe. The moment that it's flush, stop cranking the tool or else the installation puck will get stuck on top of the subframe. If that's the case then you're in some trouble because, unlike the extractor puck, the installation puck is larger than the subframe bushing hole and will not fall through. This happened to me once while installing and i had to bang on the top of the installation puck in order to free it.

-After installing the bushings, I had a lot of trouble raising the subframe with the long threaded rods in place, the subframe would go all the way up, but due to them rubbing against the rods, the rods wouldn't budge or twist off. Even when my friend wiggled the subframe to make it not rub up against the rods as the subframe went up, the rods would not come off after the subframe was pressed against body. I decided to just remove the long rods and jack up the subframe bare. I jacked it up slowly making sure that the nipples from the body went directly into the holes in the bushings.

-The subframe bushing plates that go on the bottom of the retaining bolts will not be flushed against the bushing after the install, don't worry about that. There will be about a 1/2 inch gap between the bushing and bottom plate even after the bolt is fully in. That is normal. That space will be filled after the bushing settles on the plate and full weight of the car comes down on the subframe and bushing.

-Let the car sit for 5-6 hours before you take it off the jackstands and let the full weight of the car comes down on those bushings. Reason for that is the lube you use (included in the subframe rental) to lube up the bushing needs to completely dry before the weight of the car can be resting on the bushings.

Overal impressions for me after the DIY. Not a day and night difference as most people say, but definitely an improvement. Of course, my touring has 147,000 miles on it with all original suspension so this is the first item refreshed (figured i'd get the hardest thing done first). Car does not bounce so much over bumps now (still bounces a little bit, but it's a very soft bounce that is clearly from the rear shocks) and much more planted on bad roads. On really smooth roads, the difference isn't felt as much, but car buts power down more directly to the rear and also much stiffer in the corners.

Next on the list are shocks, and some control arms in the front and rear. Looking at the rear suspension when the wheels were off showed that all the small boots on the control arms were torn and pretty much gone.

What a great community this is!!