Drop link replacement

[bmw_325i]

Hi all

I am going to replace the front drop links, and was looking for advice on whether i really should replace the ARB bushings at the same time.

I will be doing the ARB bushings at some point in the next couple of months, but i have a young family so only have small windows of opportunity, and doing both at the same time probably isn't going to happen.

Can i stagger this, or should find the time to do it all at once.

Cheers

[maggspower]

Doing the bushes at the same time will take an extra 10 minutes. How small is your window of opportunity

[scallyally]

Just done my drop links and bushes on my is and once the a/r bar is free it's a pita to locate both bush clips without a second pair of hands. A bottle jack came in very handy to locate one clip whilst struggling with the other one! An extra 10 min. It certainly wasn't!!!

[bmw_325i]

Nothing on these cars takes 10 minutes

I realise it doesn't seem like much extra but but i have read of dramas with installing the ARB bushings and the extra steps involving jacking up the bar seem time consuming.

I will figure on 20-30, given i haven't done it before.

[bmw_325i]

Ended up taking more than an hour longer because of the bushes. The second was so difficult to get the bolt hole lined up.

Ideally this job requires 3 jacks, but i only have two. Ended up putting the car down on its wheels, and then using a trolley jack to lift a control arm on one side just enough in order to remove that side wheel, which left the bottle jack spare to crank up the bushing bracket. Then a pair of vise grips to adjust the bracket into position.

Also discovered that the dish soap i used as a lubricant dried out a lot faster than expected.

Just need to take her around the block and see i anything falls off

[scallyally]

Perhaps in hindsight it might be easier to leave one old bush in situ but loose on the bolt, change the other one (leaving it loose on the bolt) and then replace the other one (saving supporting the bar)?

Make any sense?

[bmw_325i]

Actually I think that would make it harder for both, because aligning the first is easier because the other side isn't restricting its movement.

The first was quite simple compared to the second, my transmission cover plate thingy was supporting it from dropping more than an inch, otherwise you are right

[tha881]

Think you made this job a lot harder for yourself! Easiest way is to leave car on the ground, reach under and unbolt the drop links from the control arm on both sides. Jack the front of the car up and place on axle stands, then remove the wheels. You can now unbolt the more central rubber bushings where they bolt to the chassis and replace with new. Then bolt them back up, replace the drop links on the arb, lower the car back on its wheels and tighten the drop link to the control arm. Provided your car isnt really low this method should work fine. Putting the car back on the ground allows the drop link to line up with the control arm again

[bmw_325i]

Yep, i agree. I was following a DIY from one of the forums so it wasn't like i made the informed decision to do it the hard way.