Keith Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Thought I’d write up my recent upgrade to Powerflex front control arm rear bushes, as by all account the OEM bushes seem to be a weak point on the E46. Mine still had some life left, but at only 43k it was brought to my attention they would need doing at some point soon. BMW quoted me about £230 to do the work (replaced them like for like) and I felt that was way too much for a job that can’t be that hard. After hearing so many good things about polybushes it seemed obvious to go down this route. Most of the cost BMW quoted for the work is labour; BMW offer the OEM bushes including their mounting brackets for about £100; for new, uprated Powerflex bushes (you will have to use your old brackets) you are looking at about £40. It’s obvious why BMW just replace the entire unit (as you will see)... getting the old OE bushes out of the bracket is the hardest, most time consuming part. All in all, you can do the replacement/upgrade for £40, saving about £190 of main dealer price and in turn, upgrade your bushes to ones that will last 10x longer (as claimed) and offer tighter handling. TOOLS Trolley Jack Axle stands 16mm socket and ratchet with short extension Posidrive screwdriver Large vice and possibly G-clamp Hacksaw Rubber mallet Hub Puller PROCEDURE 1. Ensure handbrake is pulled tight. Crack the front wheel bolts. Jack the front of the car up and get in on axles stands. Early cars (up to 2000) I believe there is a central jack point around the centre/rear of the dust panel. Mine had no such point (2003) so I laid a study plank of hardwood (in order to offer a greater surface area for safe load distribution) on the solid frame, next to the side of the stock jack points. I then used the trolley jack on this plank to raise the car up. Place the axle stands underneath the jack points, and slowly lower the car onto them. Repeat on the other side. Remove wheel bolts and remove the alloys.. 2. Next step is to gain access to the bushes. You need to first remove the dust panel/engine cover. I believe some models have different numbers/location of screws but it’s easy to see what you have to do. Mine required 3 plastic, push-in trim pins to be pulled out from the front (achieved using long-nosed pliers), and then 6 half-turn screws to be undone. 3. Once that is done, you need to remove the stock chassis brace. This requires a ratchet with a short extension and a 16mm hex socket to remove the 8 bolts that secure it. Each opposing ‘corner’ of the brace has 2 bolts next to each other holding in on to the frame. If your car isn't raised that high of the ground (like mine!) you will need to do a lot of shuffling underneath the car in order to get into a good enough position in which to exert maximum force on these bolts, as mine were on quite tight. Hold the brace in position with the trolley jack (so it doesn’t fall on you) and undo all the bolts. 4. Now you have access to unbolt and remove the bracket containing the bush. Undo the two bolts. It’ll now look like this; 5: To remove the stock bushings I used a hub puller. Rather conveniently I made one of these at college, and put it to good use for the first time! I think you can rent these if you don’t have one. I placed the jaws on the bracket and wound the thread against the end of the control arm. I found the best way to get the entire bush off, was to tighten it up (the rubber bush will distort and stretch), leave for 30 seconds or so and continue to tighten up again. By repeating like this, the rubber bush slowly came away from the control arm cleanly – no need to cut or hack the bushes up. This is one removed, they contain oil so if you're laying underneath one, have some overalls on! 6. I cleaned up the control arm up with some sandpaper, ready for the new bushes to pop straight on. 7. Next – the hard part. Getting the stock sleeve containing the rubber bush out of the bracket was a ballache. I hastily went in all guns blazing on the first bush, hacking away and beating with a chisel. It took ages and was a lot of bother, stressing me out in the process. DO NOT DO IT THIS WAY! Second one I calmed down, and did it quite easily. I clamped the bracket in a vice and cut down each side of the protruding sleeve, parallel to the bracket to create a thin piece of sleeve the same width as the bracket (the pictures may explain this better). I simply then loosened one end of the hacksaw blade, fed it through the sleeve, reattached the blade and slowly cut through the sleeve, being careful not to rock (and possibly cut into the bracket). When I was 95% of the way through, I stopped, removed the blade and turned the bracket 90° in the vice; but only clamping the sleeve, leaving the bracket above the jaws of the vice. As I tightened it split the remaining metal and crushed the sleeve, allowing me to slide the bracket off the top. Done. 7. As you can see above, the brackets are perfectly reusable. The Powerflex ones initially seem impossible to fit into the bracket, but I simply just used a bit of washing up liquid on the edge for lubrication (as instructed by Powerflex) and then used the vice to press them inside the bracket. I also used a G-clamp to squeeze it all in evenly, as the vice was only really doing the bottom half. Needless to say, check which way they go in before doing so... I dread to think of the mission involved to remove one once it's in. Once they were as pressed in as can be, I used a ‘spike’ tool (not sure what it’s called, it’s just a spike with a handle on used to create a pilot hole for nails or screws into wood) to dig in to the not-quite-protruding edge of the bush, and pop the edges out completely. Next you have to use some grease (some is supplied with the bushes) to lube up between the black part of the bush and the inner purple component. I used spray-on white lithium grease and pushed the two parts together. 8. These completed bushes, mounted in the brackets, are ready to just push on! They slip on quite easy (as long as they are lined up correctly) and then you have to get back under the car to tug and align them with the bracket mount holes. Replace bolts tightly. 9. Replace chassis brace and do the bolts up nice and tight, as these are exerted to stress as the car tries to flex under fast cornering. Screw the engine cover back in the reverse manner as before, and remove axle stands in the same way. All done and looking like this; 10. Replace wheels. Open beer. I've taken the car for an 'enthused' drive since and can say it does feel tighter up front. Its a well worthwhile mod, especially as I'll probably never even have to do them again now. I intend to polybush the rest of the car in the summer, when the weather is a little nicer (getting to them rtab looks a bit of a pain...)! I hope you have found this helpful and thanks for reading. EDIT: Just seen that MattBMW has done a write up for this... Didn't mean to step on your toes or anything (sorry!), but I did this a while ago in another forum and thought I'd post it up for reference. Theres always a couple of ways to do something, so having two just gives another way to tackle it sive s 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicky Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Excellent write up mate On my list to do soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
///Marty Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Great right up and pics Keith! Always satisfying doing these sort of jobs yourself, especially when the stealers want silly money to do it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staddly Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Excellent write up and great mod I did the same on my old e36 and the difference was amazing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duffman Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 well done mate, great diy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithS Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Nice DIY Keith A job that ive been thinking of getting done just wished i had the tools and space to do it myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Great write up mate. Does anyone knnow if PowerFlex do the pre-pressed bushes like these cheapo ebay ones, as this would save about half the time taken in the above DIY as there would be no messing with trying to get old bushes out the carrier part?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBMW Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Marsden my was just a rough guide really and did not get the chance to do pics.....so well done for the quality DIY!!! Unfortunately SI they don't. BTW not seen you do a DIY in a while..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonlpearce Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Dont worry i have something up my sleeve! Been far to busy lately though with new job, they really are making me work for my money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muly Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Great write up mate, this is on my "to do list" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mintimperial Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Just had this done today and upon first impressionits definitely tighter up front with the powerflex bushes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_the_hat Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 Before I start this is a great write up - really helped me out with this work at the weekend..... Hi Guys, I Did this at the weekend and my car ended up on jacks for the whole weekend - needless to say it did not go well! I got to the brackets okay, took them off the chassis, checked the new bush slid onto the arm well before I took the old bush out of the bracket etc etc Then found that the new bush would not fit into the bracket - an I mean it really would not! actaully broke a clamp trying to get it in. I ended up taking it to a friendly indy who put it in a 20 tonne press and they managed to get them in........ but when I got back I found that they were that distored because they were clearly the wrong size for the bracket that they wouldn't go back on the control arm!!!! NIGHTMARE had to wait for Monday before I could get new parts then found that no one could get me powerflex bushes in less than a week so went to the stealers and bought the OEM part. As soon as I got them it took me an hour at most to get them fitted and all back together - I noticed at this point that the bracket I had been supplied with was noticably larger than the one that had come off. All in all I am pleased because it still cost me less that if I had taken it into a garage, but the moral of the story is make sure you have the right parts I used realoem.com and my chassis number to check the part numbers before ordering from powerflex which you would have thought was enough protection but obviously not! Rant over! Good luck to anyone who tries this work, as long as you have the right bits it is a satisfying and relatively easy job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted October 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 As soon as I got them it took me an hour at most to get them fitted and all back together - I noticed at this point that the bracket I had been supplied with was noticably larger than the one that had come off. Oh man, what a ballache! Sounds like you had the earlier design 60mm ones on the car originally, and bought the 66mm powerflex ones to squeeze in! There are two types, you see... Maybe I should make that clear at the beginning of the guide. Glad it's all sorted now though mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autosri Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 I did this and also gotthe wrong bushes but realised bfore I took e cr to bits I think there are 4 different types 66 mm hex. Pff5-4601 60 mm hex. Pff-4601 66mm roundpff5- 4601 xi 60mm hex m3 pff5- 4601 m3 don't quote those numbers as I was told them buy the company I bought them from so can't garantee them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_the_hat Posted October 28, 2009 Report Share Posted October 28, 2009 Oh man, what a ballache! Sounds like you had the earlier design 60mm ones on the car originally, and bought the 66mm powerflex ones to squeeze in! There are two types, you see... Maybe I should make that clear at the beginning of the guide. Glad it's all sorted now though mate The thing is I knew that there were the two part numbers so I checked realoem with my VIN and that said the ones that were on were 66 - so I got the 66 powerflex ones - simple I thought! I think your guide is plenty clear enough though mate - very good write up and like I said, once I had the right parts the guide made this an easy piece of work to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozza Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Keith... Excellent write up mate. Did mine today, only swapped like 4 like so very straight forward with your guide. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil S Posted January 11, 2010 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 Keith Thanks for the above, took me about 4 hours all in, had some issues removing the first one, after that all good. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam_Burns Posted January 11, 2010 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 I thought from keiths DIY that this was going to be a ten minute jobbie when i did mine.... however i didnt have a puller thingy, so spent half an hour on each digging away at the rubber inner until it was loose and off, but the inner has a metal ring that secures the bush, this was a bastard to get off....no way was it coming off with a screw driver and a hammer, i ghad to grind the metal inner off with a grinder...not best pleased... but the difference in the drive is blatently worth it (mine arent powerflex though)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben. Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Excellent work. This is an upgrade I have planned for my M3 in the coming weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob- Posted February 11, 2010 Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 Just been and bought these bushes already in the brackets, hopefully this should make things a bit easier when i swap them over the weekend. I rang a garage up for a quote to do the job and they said it would take a while because you have to loosen the ball joint on the control arm to get the rear bush off?? Think theyre trying to shaft me because ive not heard of this having to be done before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam_Burns Posted February 11, 2010 Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 Your being shafted, i just took the bush bolts off, and loosened the bolt which i presummed was the lower strut?? and then that was it....didnt have to touch the ball joint at all.... Why not try a DIY on it mate? Jack it up and you can see what needs to be moved in order to get it off... Must admit it is ****in freezin at the minute... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob- Posted February 11, 2010 Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 What a cheeky bastard, knew he was trying it on! Will be doing this over the weekend then. Just didnt really fancy shuffling round on the floor in the cold but could do with saving a few quid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam_Burns Posted February 11, 2010 Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 Just make sure youve got a gear puller as they ae hard to get off without it....i also had to grind the metal inners off too. Took a while but got it done. Keiths DIY is perfect by the looks of things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob- Posted February 11, 2010 Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 Will they not just knock off with a hammer when theyre un-bolted? The ones ive got are pre assembled as per these so would it be just a case of old ones off, new ones on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay. Posted February 11, 2010 Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 Are you doing this because the steering wobbles a bit when braking? mine need doing i think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
