E30 Zone

Oh my goodness,

Is this possibly one of the worst jobs ever? I've managed to change my exhaust manifold gaskets without breaking any studs. So why can't i do this?!

spent a good 2 hours of almost constant swearing trying to get the new bar in. Just cannot seem to get the bar up and fixed in either side, not the drop link ends the 2 middle ones. Seems the rubber bushes for these hartge bars are massive and too big for the clips?

I am lost on this one.

Rear one should be fun too

I'm now driving with no front bar and it's sh!te, really crashy and the dreaded understeer is back!

cheers!

I had load of hassle when I fitted Powerflex ARB bushes once. They just would not fit into the space under the clips. On that occasion I cut the bushes down using a knife to make it fit.

Looks like i'm due for some fun then as i've got these bush's on order, also new drop links

Did the bush's come with the anti-roll bars ?

Is there a chance that they might be the wronge ones e.g. for a smaller diameter ARB ?

Can't get the nuts on Simon?

I used a G-clamp to force the brackets into position, then you can twiddle the nut on by hand

i had loads of trouble with my eibach from arb with the poly bushes, did it in a similar way to turbo-brown - two man job, one with pry bar holding the clamp in place, t'other putting the nut in.

Self locking mole-grips are the weapon of choice, use the grips to force the clamp as far home as you can get it then use a screwdriver to line the bolt holes up.

A complete pig of a job

Cheers,

Iain T

Where is everyone getting these Hartge items from???

tomstickland wrote:I had load of hassle when I fitted Powerflex ARB bushes once. They just would not fit into the space under the clips. On that occasion I cut the bushes down using a knife to make it fit.

mine fitted fine when i did the touring arb bushes
used powerflex on those

I had the same troubles SImon when fitting my Eibach ARB's. The poly bushes were a very tight fit in the brackets.

I used mole grips to force the brackets closed and then span a nut on the thread to hold them there before tightening with a ratchet.

The back is easier you'll be pleased to hear!

well thats just great i was going to do mine weekend but now i think ill leave them

the bushes could do with a little trimming - i fitted polybushes about a year ago, last month one side burst the bush clamp/bracket out of the slot - not BMWs best design, but must keep off those kerbs. Angle grinder works fine to trim a few mm off the bush, it's not loose just less pressure on the clamp.
Best way to push the clamp up tight is to press up with a trolley jack and use mole grips to secure it as mentioned above, assuming that you have the car up on jack stands.

well now i've calmed down i can post some sense!

Andy the drop links are easy mate bolt in and out! Rear drops links are a bit more tricky but vasiline is the key

The hartge bars came with their own purple bushes which have a bigger hole in them. They clash badly with the blue bar, which now has a few chips in the paint where i threw it

I've tried trolly jack

g-cramp

boiling the bushes in hot water



when using the g-cramp the holes didn't line up at all, sounds like i was on the right lines but did not try hard enough! But u can't hold the cramp, use the screw driver at the same time?! i have big hands!

I like the idea of a slight trimming with a knife etc, but bodge but it might just work

I really really really don't want to have to this all over again but the car drives all crashy and i hate it so i must

Cheers guys

Simon13 wrote:They clash badly with the blue bar, which now has a few chips in the paint where i threw it

LMFAO.... sorry!

You sound just like me when things aren't going my way. At one point my car nearly got a lump hammer through the windscreen, it was a narrow miss and if my aim hadn't been so bad, my car would have suffered some nasty damage!!

It might be adviseable to get a frend to help, while you cramp the bracket together, get a friend to spin the nut on. Many hands make light work said the chinaman.

WELL IF ITS ANY CONSOLATION , I BOUGHT TWO NEW ONES FROM EUROCAR PARTS AND I COULDNT GET THEM TO FIT AND HAD TO REVERT BACK TO THE OLD WORN IN ONES.

MULE

i didn't even bother trying to put the old one back on! this new one is going on it just doesn't know it yet!

Adam i did consider at one point kicking the front wing or something, and that would of been satisfying but not so good in the morning

hmmm this isnt filling me with hope for my h&r rollbars... it was a bit of a bastard to fit the standard ones iirc

hmmmm as i have the same ones as u simon.... what i did was jack the clamp into position with a trolley jack using the weight of the car tpo push it on.....dont trim anything,....they are meant to be WELL tight

we might have to have a fitting session on monday at aces me thinks!

it's on! mofo didn't beat me today

****ing thing.

Now tips on the rear?!

How'd you get it on in the end mate?

a bit more patience just did the same things as said here, except it wasn't getting dark and raining like last sunday mate!

going to start the rear now, and if i'm lucky the car might be washed for ace's! it's minging with a capital M

Simon13 wrote:a bit more patience just did the same things as said here, except it wasn't getting dark and raining like last sunday mate!

going to start the rear now, and if i'm lucky the car might be washed for ace's! it's minging with a capital M

Rear shouldn't give too much trouble... MUCH easier than the front one!

fitted new arb bushes on weekend, used trolley jack and vise grips. Problem is my arb seems to b putting alot of strain on the bushes, pushing them forward. is that normal?

my front one was a shit to do also

havent tried the rear yet... might do 2mo if i have a spare min..