How easy is it...... front wishbone mounts

[jmc330i]

I need to replace the rubber wishbone mount No.8 in the link below, but am I right that they will be a complete bitch to change??

As a thought, would it be easier to swap the complete bracket (Nos. 7 & 8 ) from my Sport rather than trying to fit a new rubber bush or how about the the whole wishbone assembly??
The bits on my Sport are in good nick and are not needed as its getting the full M3 setup sometime soon.

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?mod ... g=31&fg=05

Cheers

[Chris-W]

It's reasonably easy to do leaving the wishbone on the car.

Twist it off. Cut the rubber core out, then saw the metal outer sleeve of the old bush to remove it. Then press the new one in, lube the end of the wishbone with some dilute w/up liquid to get the bush back on. Drop the car back down so the car's settled as the lube dries.

Check your tracking as well.

[jmc330i]

So will the wishbone slide out of the rubber mount easy enough or will the rubber need cutting?

I dont want to spend any money, as the bits in question were replaced on the Sport just before I took it off the road
So I thought I could drop the complete wishbone assembly from the Sport and swap it all onto the touring - that way Im only undoing bolts instead of messing round trying to refit the rubber bush.

[Davenotouring]

If you are a dab hand at balljoint removal, do the whole arm!

[Chris-W]

Especially if all the bits on the Sport have just been fitted - replace them all complete! Just watch the gaitors on the balljoints.

[jmc330i]

Complete swap it is then.

Cheers guys

[reddevil]

I was thinking about doing these parts on my car too sometime in the near future, would it be an idea to get a lollipop (that's what people call it) and a new arm from a scrappy, then fit the rubbers and stick the whole lot on the car?, would save taking the car off the road if it all went t*ts up?.

Found these guides to doing it just in case JMC is needing tips?.

http://www.esatclear.ie/~bpurcell/318ism3cabush.html

http://zoso.no-ip.org/318i-control-arm.html

Cheers and sorry to hijack

Red D

[jmc330i]

I knew Id seen those guides somewhere

Not going to be replacing the bush though, just swap the whole lot over from my Sport and be done with it.

[Brianmoooore]

Whatever bits you decide to swap, once fitted, the rubber bush cannot be removed from the control arm without damaging it.

[Chris-W]

would it be an idea to get a lollipop (that's what people call it) and a new arm from a scrappy, then fit the rubbers and stick the whole lot on the car?, would save taking the car off the road if it all went t*ts up?.

I wouldn't want to get a wishbone from a scrapyard without changing the ball joints. And no point when you can buy a complete new wishbone for Ԛ£40.

It's unlikely to go wrong anyway!

[Brianmoooore]

I wouldn't want to get a wishbone from a scrapyard without changing the ball joints

Not neccesarily - I've found obviously almost brand new wishbones and rubbers on scrappers.

[Chris-W]

You got me, Brian. It's just another part of my evil long term plan tro dissuade the entire population from going to scrapyards so that I can get all the good stuff.

[reddevil]

You got me, Brian. It's just another part of my evil long term plan tro dissuade the entire population from going to scrapyards so that I can get all the good stuff.

lol, so Ԛ£40 for the new arm with the ball joint in place you say?.

Sounds pretty damn good, just (as you will know) I am a rookie car fiddler, like to have the option to call it off, put all 4 wheels back on the road and drive off, so if I could fanny about with the rubbers off the car it would be a blessing.

Red D

[Brianmoooore]

New control arm comes with both the ball joints, but not the rubber bush that goes in the "lollipop".

[reddevil]

Cool, thanks for answering this one for me Brian (and some of the others I've posted recently), much appreciated. Would you suggest getting the arms from BMW or are there other suppliers out there, slightly cheaper? I guess it's a case of getting what you pay for.

Red D

[Brianmoooore]

Best quality ones from GSF or ECP should be identical to the dealer ones.

[oze30]

I got the standard e30 bushes. Which ones are the eccentric ones? M3??

[gcorky]

redevil if your interested ive a set of new bmw control arm bushes.new in pkts ...got poly ones on way for mine.could drop off/meet you if interested.?

im local to you-im andys m8 you got the i.s from if your wondering...lol

[reddevil]

redevil if your interested ive a set of new bmw control arm bushes.new in pkts ...got poly ones on way for mine.could drop off/meet you if interested.?

Hi Mate, the control arm bushes as in the ones that fit into the lollipop sections?, are they eccentric ones (M3) or normal?, also how much are you after Buddy?.

Cheers

Red D

[gcorky]

10 the pair ,they are concentric aka normal bmw rubber.

[jmc330i]

Whatever bits you decide to swap, once fitted, the rubber bush cannot be removed from the control arm without damaging it.

Thats just what I wanted know, cheers Brian

Swap the whole lot it is

[jmc330i]

Well, I removed the front legs/wishbones from the Sport yesterday (I decided to change the complete front stuff so I have the 6cyl springs on the touring finally).

Turned out to be a waste of time when I started work on the touring today.....
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... 384#481384

[Pete159]

It might be too late but to change the front wishbone bushes in situ first record the positon of the bush because the orientaiton is different for each side. Remove the bolts from the housing and cut through the two rubber parts of the bush. If doing this for the first time use a hacksaw else if you are in a hurry use a jigsaw. Use a chisel to remove the inner metal part of the bush from the wishbone. Put the housing in a vice and use a chisel to remove the outer metal part of the bush. Refer to the record you made previously at least twice (I am speaking from experience here) and use the vice to press the new bush into the housing.
Now comes the difficult bit. There was an article in Car Mechanics about a similar job on the next model of the 3 series. They used rope to pull the bush onto the control arm. I tried this but did not have the strength to do it and neither did my daughter's boyfriend, the wimp. I used two pieces of threaded rod bent at 90 degrees, a short length tubing and a piece of U shaped channel. By putting the tube through one of the holes in the wish bone then putting the threaded rods in the tube you can form a clamp that will press the housing onto the wishbone.

[Demlotcrew]

Whatever bits you decide to swap, once fitted, the rubber bush cannot be removed from the control arm without damaging it.

Well thats not 100% correct. BMW has a tool for the removal of the bush which causes no damage to the rubber.

Andrew

[chief]

replaced the control arm and bushes yesterday on mine.
funny thing was i went bmw about the so called special lubricant (part number 81229407284 as described by mr. Haynes. the guy laughed and a mechanic advised me :
1. chisel out old bush, clean the inside of the lollipop with sandpaper. squeeze in new one where you can with a vice. take care to be straight. then when 30% in get the big hammer out and hit the lollipop not the bush.
2. line up lollipop and arm in correct alignment as it was when old one was on the car. then get a large socket and large hammer and washing up liquid 2 big hits and shes in no worries. i fastened to the car within 20 minutes and she's sweet as.

makes a tricky job simple.