Front bushing kits for E30 320i... Help needed

[Falamon]

Hi all, hope everyone's well.

Not posted for a while, but needing a bit of advice, as the BM has been off the road for a while, and i've finally got off my ar5e and decided to do something with it!

So...

Need to replace the front bushings on my 320i, but I was about to purchase them before I realised a few things...

The link is here - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-E30-3-Ser ... 5647de1eeb

Firstly, do I need eccentric or concentric? Any advice greatly received...

Secondly, does anyone know what size anti-roll bars I need? Got a choice of:18MM, 19MM, 20MM, 22MM, 23MM, 24MM but I've no idea!

Thanks all!

Falamon

[Brianmoooore]

First, I wouldn't recommend using any of that plastic rubbish. BMW know how to design cars, and if they thought that plastic was superior to rubber, then they would have used plastic.
Your original control arm bushes are concentric, but it's usually considered an improvement to use E30 eccentric M3 versions - order direct from BMW.
There's also an upgrade you can use for the ARB links: http://www.carparts4less.co.uk/cp4l/c/F ... 414&000016 These are intended for the back end of a Modeo estate, but fit the front of an E30 perfectly, and eliminate the rubber bush.
As for the size of your ARB; get under and measure it! If you don't have callipers, then use a selection of open ended spanners, until you find one that fits.

[Grrrmachine]

Copied verbatim from a post I made on Tuesday:

Are you tracking the car? Many will tell you not to bother with Poly.

For OEM bushes, order the parts listed in the Wiki:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.php/Bushes

For your ARB, you can check the Wiki chart:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... i-Roll_Bar

or you can identify the size yourself using this guide (which talks about Rear ARB but the principle is the same):

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... tification

As for Eccentric vs Concentric - the Eccentrics change the caster angle of the front wheel, which is usually set for self-correcting steering but, in track applications, has an affect on cambering when cornering, so you get better cornering behaviour:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_angle

[Silverfang]

Echoing above, I put polybushing in mine but i do occasionally trackday my car.

Regular running about, go with BMW / Lemforder rubber components, and the M3 eccentric bushes to give better caster / camber angles which improve the steering feel a lot.

Coupled with a E36/ 46 rack conversion, it really transforms the feel of an E30.

[Falamon]

Thanks for all your help, putting it through an MOT tomorrow, should be ok, there's a bit of play in the nearside drop link so I might order them tonight in preparation for the possible.

Are they the same size? Part no 31351091764 is for the M3, but does it fit the 320?

Also I appear to have an 18.5mm ARB, so need to contact BMW to see what's best, as it's only 18mm or 20mm on http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.php/Bushes

The car's not being tracked, just a weekend drive/ongoing project

[Brianmoooore]

31351091764 is for non M3 E30s, and the M3 uses completely different (much longer) ones.
Use the Mondeo ones in my post above. Both cheaper and much longer lasting.
ARB bushes must be tight on the bar, so if you measure the bar at 18.5mm, you will need the 18 mm ones.
Rubber bushes distort to allow movement, so have zero friction and no hysteresis, unlike the plastic rubbish, which has both. OK on a competition car, where it's serviced and lubricated before every use, but to be avoided on road cars.

[Falamon]

Cheers Brian, just ordered the Mondeo parts you advised, should be with me before 12 today - result!

Now - should they be reasonably quick to fit? As in, get it all done in an evening? MOT is booked for tomorrow so am hoping to get them done tonight.

I'm going to replace the ARB bushings in the next few weeks, there's no play at present, but will buy lemforder ones to fit, 18mm it is!

[Falamon]

Moreover, what I should ask, is, are the ARB links possible to just remove/replace?

Currently reading this - http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techart ... Suspen.htm which advises removing the calipers and tie rods?

Thanks again - still learning!

[Rtaylor2208]

The drop links are easily done, The way I did mine was remove the nuts on the drop links with the car still on the groud, then raise the whole front end, remove the exisitng links, fit the new ones, then with the car back on the ground bolt them back up to the wishbones.

There is probably other ways to do this, but I found it pretty easy this way.

[Falamon]

Legend. Thanks dude - gorgeous Cab btw ;)

[Brianmoooore]

Drop links are easy, as long as you remember what an anti roll bar does! - tries to keep both sides of the front suspension at the same height. One wheel on the ground, and the other in the air, and you will be fighting the roll bar.

[Falamon]

OK so both wheels on the ground to undo, then bring both wheels up at the same time to remove, and should be plain sailing?

One hopes so anyways...

[Rtaylor2208]

Yes, it should be that simple, the only headache sometimes is getting the nuts off the drop links as they have a tendancy to rust on.

You can always take an angle grider to them if they are well and trully stuck as the new drop links will be supplied with new fittings.

[Falamon]

Just working on it now, Brian you mention that these Lemforder ones will do away with the housing bracket/bush, but the car sits a bit lower with the bushing, and with the new ones I will have to pull up the wishbone a bit, maybe 5mm...

Will it affect the angles if I have to pull the wishbone up to attach the nut?

Sorry if that makes not much sense...

[Brianmoooore]

Anti roll bars do not affect ride height in any way, although the ball joints on the Mondeo links may reach the limits of their movement and limit the full droop of the suspension very slightly.

[Falamon]

Yeah that seems to be the case, the droop was affected but not an issue. ARB Bushings looked ok, will do them next week as they're on backorder currently...

Thanks for your help ;)

[Falamon]

Went straight through the MOT, not even an advisory - Happy days.