Re: <e28> Control arm bushings

[Mike Bargas <bargasm@xxxxxxxxx>]

> Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 09:08:50 -0600
> From: "Michael Stano"<mstano@domain.elided>
> Subject: <e28> Control arm bushings
>
> My 85 528e needs control arm bushings (again).  I remember
> postings that
> suggested an upgrade, but the details didn't stick with
> me.  Was the upgrade to
> 7 series bushings?  If so, what do I tell the parts desk?
> Bavarian Autosport
> offers an upgrade for 5ers.  Does anyone have experience
> with their upgrade?
>
> TIA for any assistance you provide.
>
> Mike Stano
> 85 528
> 95 M3
>

I am replacing my control are bushing on my 88 535is as we
speak. I bought standard 7 series bushings from a local BMW
parts place here in Houston at a cost of $45 dollars each.
The problem that I have had before I started the work was
that there is no reliable data on what dimensions the 7
series bushing need to modified to. What I did find out from
people on the Digest is that the length of the bushing needs
to be shortened and the center bolt retainer also needs to
be shortened. I did not have an old bushing to work with and
the place that I bought the new ones from would not let me
borough an old style bushing to have a friend of mine
machine down to the proper length. In fact the place I
bought the new bushing from told me all I had to do was
spread the bushing carrier with a wrench and the new one
would go right in. Yea right! I know there are people out
there that have done this but the carriers are made of a
very hearty stamped steel that would be very difficult to
bend if it was sitting in a vice on a work bench. But the
clearance under the car is very tight and I thing it would
be impossible to do it in a home garage laying on your back
with a 3000 lb. car in your face. The place I bought the
bushings from at least let me look at a new 535 bushing so
sort of shadow marked the bushing dimensions on a piece of
paper and did the best I could. I had a friend machine the
new bushings from my paper marks and boy did he butcher
them. Rough edges and bad surface finish, I knew I should
have insisted that he wait to drink that case of Bud until
after he finished the bushings. All of the above was a three
three week odyssey, but I pressed on. After spending from
7:00 am to 11:00 pm under my car on Saturday I finally got
all the parts off my car. I could not get the bushings out
of the thrust arms over the weekend so I contacted a local
BMW shop on Monday and they agreed to remove the old
bearings and press in the new bearings for $50.00. But when
I went to have the bushing pressed into the thrust arms the
mechanic said that they where still to wide and that they
would not fit into the thrust retainers. I asked if he knew
of anyone that could complete the work for me and he could
not thing of anybody, god have I had a streak of bad luck.
Well with some divine intervention I noticed a machine shop
two buildings down from the supposed independent BMW shop.
Well I waked into this place and it was clean, it was
organized, and all the guys has nice uniforms on. Well I
looked no further this was going to be the machine shop to
complete the modifications to the bushings. They quoted me
$75.00 to machine and press the bushings into the thrust
arms. So now I have $165.00 dollars invested in thrust arm
parts. Well tttttthat's not all folks. If you are going to
do the job yourself make sure that you have 19 to 22 mm box
end wrenches and you will need two 22 mm wrenches for the
thrust arm, because of the tight fit at the thrust arm
retainers, it is very difficult to get a good socket in
there. I bought 20 to 24 mm (two 22 mm) box ends for $65.00
dollars at Sears. You will also need some type of gear
puller, $38.00 dollars at Sears, to separate the thrust
control arm, the lower control arm, and the steering linkage
from the mounting bracket that holds all the arms, steering
linkage and strut. I never did get my thrust arm off of the
mounting bracket for the passenger side. So I left it on the
thrust arm. My steering linkage was good, but my drivers
side lower control arm's bearing boot was ripped and a lot
the lubrication was gone. Soooo, I purchased two new  lower
control arm for $189.00 and I still need to buy sway bar
linkage. Well I'm not done yet,  I still have to pick-up the
bushings/control arms on Friday and re-install everything on
Saturday. If I was drawing a moral from this story it would
be; purchase the control arms with the modified bushings
from Steve D, make sure you know what parts need to
replaced, make sure you have all the tools, and have lots of
bear on hand and let the knuckle banging commence. I can't
wait, either can my wife, to up-grade my suspension.

Mike B.

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