E30 front suspension repair questions...

[Jeff Pharr <pharr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

To all digesters with E30 front suspension experience:

I am in the process of re-assembling an E30 front suspension and I am
looking for some advice.  I have hit a snag with the rear support
bushings for the front, lower control arms.  I have done my fair share
of suspension work but this is my first E30 job.  I read the Bently
manual which described the 'tight fit', the use of special BMW
lubricants, and having < 30 minutes to complete the job and reload the
suspension before the stuff sets up and your bushings are shot and your
car will only drive in tight left hand circles.  

At the time I thought that it couldn't be that much of a PITA or I would
have read people complaining about it in this digest.  Well after using
my usual 'special lubricant' (wheel bearing grease) and applying the
customary quantities of elbow grease augmented liberally with creative
cursing, I was not able to get the control arms in to the support
bushings.  

Question 1:
So what's the secret?  Am I just not cursing loudly enough?  More
special tools?  I will call a dealer to see if I can get my hands on
some of this BMW special lubricant ( P/N 81 22 9 407 284 ) today but I
just have this image of the parts guys laughing at me after I hang up
the phone.  "We got another shade-tree mechanic trying to work on E30
control arms! Snicker, snicker."  At which point they fill up a little
tube with wheel bearing grease, and slap the BMW special lubricant part
number on it and try not to laugh when I walk in to pick it up.

Question 2:
One of my new wheel bearings seems to be bad.  When spun quickly it is
nice and smooth, no kinks or binding.  If I stop, and then back it up
about 1/4 inch and stop again, it develops a kink in that spot.  If I
move it quickly back and forth across the kink, it will smooth out and
then go away.  The other new bearing does not have this quirk.  So, is
this just a lubricant quirk of new E30 wheel bearings that will go away
once it has a chance to heat up a couple of times?  If I need to replace
the bearing, I would much rather do it now while everything is in
pieces.  Any advice?

Thanks,

- --Jeff

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