Thrust arm (upper control arm) r&r on '88 528e

["Richard Bergen" <bergens@xxxxxxx>]

I need to replace the thrust arms (upper control arms) on my '88 528e - -
the car has 180k miles on it and the thrust arm bushings and ball joints are
shot.  Bavarian Auto sells the arms with the bushings pre-installed, so it
would appear to be a relatively simple bolt-on installation with no need for
special tools or presses.  Are there any tricks/peculiararities I should be
aware of?  The Bentley Manual provides torque values for the ball joint nut
and the bushing thru bolt.  The Manual says that the bushing bolt should be
torqued down with the car on the ground and loaded with a normal load (150
lbs in ea front seat, full fuel tank, etc.).  Is this step really necessary?
I haven't tried, but is it possible to get a torque wrench on the bushing
bolt while the car is on the ground?

Thanks for any advice/tips you can give me.

Dick Bergen
bergens@domain.elided

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