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Thread: Rear control arm upper bush (spring arm) - help

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    171
    My Cars
    Martini BMW E36

    Rear control arm upper bush (spring arm) - help

    Anyone here know the correct answer how to fit the control arm upper bush? In case you don't care for the lingo it's the arms that hold the rear springs and it's the bushing inside the subframe. Pic 1 vs Pic 2!
    picture 1
    https://i.imgur.com/4BKgB3p.jpg
    picture 2
    https://i.imgur.com/lMi3uxz.jpg
    I can't risk it because I know it makes a difference, even the arms are left and right marked specifically as they sit at an angle. I'm looking at the bolt shank and I feel like it makes sense for picture 1 to be the right answer but it's probably irrelevant observation. I would really appreciate if somebody can help as I can't find any info and I really want to slide the sleeve through in the next couple of days.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    BKLYN, NY
    Posts
    8,514
    My Cars
    98 M3/4/6, 16 M3/6
    The longer side of the bushing faces the rear.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    171
    My Cars
    Martini BMW E36
    Excellent hc1001, thanks very much for the help. Just to confirm you are saying picture 2 is correct, where the thicker side is pointing towards the rear and and thinner part is facing engine! The reason I'm questioning is because I found some random photo (the only photo on the internet) that shows the opposite of what you just said.
    https://i.imgur.com/PGTgdLq.jpg
    Then again this makes no sense because after translating, the arrows says "direction of travel>>>" and even though it's not E36, the subframe has to be mounted backwards for this photo to be logical. Unless
    a) direction of travel means something else
    b) the arrow was photoshopped the wrong way

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Søborg, Denmark
    Posts
    189
    My Cars
    2001 E46 325ti Compact

    Rear control arm upper bush (spring arm) - help

    This is how I have installed mine (left is the rear of the car and right is front). It’s an E46 but the bushing faces the same way.






    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by KlausH79; 10-08-2019 at 11:01 AM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    171
    My Cars
    Martini BMW E36
    Hey thanks I appreciate the help. I've done it like in pic 2 with the thicker side pointing towards the back. Looks good from above. Definitely saved me the hassle finding the hard way and having to drop the subframe again. Those spring arms need to be attached before it goes in otherwise it's impossible to get a wrench in there.

    https://i.imgur.com/1QExkk0.jpg
    Last edited by S1Driver; 10-10-2019 at 07:36 AM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Søborg, Denmark
    Posts
    189
    My Cars
    2001 E46 325ti Compact
    Tell me about it

    I attached it like this before mounting the subframe



    Upper and lower control arms on....


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    metairie, la
    Posts
    224
    My Cars
    1999 e36 M3
    Where are you guys buying these bushings? I looked on AKG's website, but didn't see anything listed for the rear upper control arm

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    metairie, la
    Posts
    224
    My Cars
    1999 e36 M3
    FYI, Turner has these inner control arm bushings in monoball form. That's what I plan to use as I refresh the rear suspension. I also plan to use their monoball RTABs. If anyone has any firsthand experience with either of these, I'd appreciate any feedback, good or bad.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Central, MD
    Posts
    3,845
    My Cars
    1995 M3
    I have no experience with them, but I've been researching the RTABs and narrowed it down to the TMS bushing and BW's bushing. In short:
    - BW, $200. Presses in and has a cap that's screwed on. (Good if the hole diameter isn't perfectly in spec?) I've read the replaceable bushing is from an E9x.
    - TMS, $310. Presses in "only". (Better, if the width of the hole isn't perfectly in spec?) I like that TMS tells you up front which bushing is used, and it's cheap replacement.

    Is the TMS $100 'better' than the BW?

    FYI, FCPEuro carries the syncro design works version for $265. Lifetime free replacement makes it a consideration.

    Honestly, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to tell the difference on track. But I like that I'll be able to yank on the RTA and know if the bearing is worn out or not. With the rubber bushings, they kinda degrade and for me it's hard to know when they've started to allow toe changes.

    https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-5...shings-street/
    https://www.bimmerworld.com/E46-E36-...aring-Kit.html
    https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...ign-works-rtab

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    metairie, la
    Posts
    224
    My Cars
    1999 e36 M3
    Quote Originally Posted by aeronaut View Post
    I have no experience with them, but I've been researching the RTABs and narrowed it down to the TMS bushing and BW's bushing. In short:
    - BW, $200. Presses in and has a cap that's screwed on. (Good if the hole diameter isn't perfectly in spec?) I've read the replaceable bushing is from an E9x.
    - TMS, $310. Presses in "only". (Better, if the width of the hole isn't perfectly in spec?) I like that TMS tells you up front which bushing is used, and it's cheap replacement.

    Is the TMS $100 'better' than the BW?

    FYI, FCPEuro carries the syncro design works version for $265. Lifetime free replacement makes it a consideration.

    Honestly, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to tell the difference on track. But I like that I'll be able to yank on the RTA and know if the bearing is worn out or not. With the rubber bushings, they kinda degrade and for me it's hard to know when they've started to allow toe changes.

    https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-5...shings-street/
    https://www.bimmerworld.com/E46-E36-...aring-Kit.html
    https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...ign-works-rtab
    Thanks for the info! I hadn't seen the FCP option. I've seen the Bimmerworld/Ground Control RTABs and they look like a well made part. I went with the TMS RTABs and inner control arm monoballs just to keep it all on one order. I'll let you know how it goes once I get them in.

    My cars rear handling has gotten progressively worse over the past couple years. I spent so much effort fighting an ABS issue that I couldn't get enough good track time to really get to the bottom of handling issue. Basically the rear end steps out -sometimes quite erratically - under power out of turns.

    BTW, can anyone tell me if it's necessary to drop the rear subframe to change the inner control arm bushings?

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    metairie, la
    Posts
    224
    My Cars
    1999 e36 M3
    Today my mechanic friend came over and helped me install new spherical joint RTABs and inner joints for the upper control arms, both Turner products. Also replaced all four ball joints for the outer ends of the upper control arm and camber arm (Lemforder/OEM).

    Ball joints by F birch, on Flickr

    The inner bushings on the upper control arms were by far the hardest to get out - had to use a shop press. Very surprisingly, the 21 year old rubber appeared to be in good condition. Also installed two single adjustable MCS shocks in the rear. Such a small batch of parts to change, and it pretty much took all day. I'm anxious to see if this cures my tail happy rear suspension. It's basically all new now and all of it metal ball joints, not even poly back there now.

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