E46 Lower Control Arm Bushes

[AcidBurn]

Sup Guys,

Plan on replacing my lower control arm bushes on my car soon.

Is anyone here willing to assist me with doing them (ofcourse i will pay) or where would you guys recommend doing it.

It seems a pretty simple diy which i know i can do on my own only problem im missing a few tools to make the job alot easier like a bearing puller and car stands:thumbdo: hence why im asking for help.

Please let me know.

TIA:thumbs:

 

[moranor@axis]

unless you want some guy from Kazakhstan to reply i would suggest you say what area you in :rollsmile:

 

[Ram3on]

Hey Acid, are you going to replace only the 'rubber bush' at the back of the lower control arm or you looking to do the arms as well?

---

:roflol: I don't stay in Kazakhstan !!

---

:roflol: I don't stay in Kazakhstan !!

 

[328ii]

These pictures is for e36 - should be the same for e46

Sorry about the poor cell phone camera quality, but you should get the idea

I would love to assist u but i am way up north..!

1. old (oem) bushes within mountings (these can be purchaced complete = easiest but more expensive)




2. after-market heavy duty bushes (you can try powerflex)




3. special tool to press in and out of 'bracket/mounting'

top view (lip to fit inside bush) for alignment during removal of bush



bottom view (recess to space/equalize depth) for press fitting



i did this all myself with the aid of a buddy's press & a 'special' tool i made on a small lathe

8?>

 

[Philip Foglar]

I just took my car to Precision Wheel Alignment in Parow and let them do the job since I wanted them to check all rubbers and so on under the car - paid something R1600 for this which included four wheel alignment...

 

[AcidBurn]

My bad guys, im in Cape Town.

and it will only be the fronts:thumbs:

take out and replace with new unit:thumbs:

---

I just took my car to Precision Wheel Alignment in Parow and let them do the job since I wanted them to check all rubbers and so on under the car - paid something R1600 for this which included four wheel alignment...

im going to assume this is supply and fit:thumbs:

new bushes = +-R750
wheel alignment = +-R250
and the balance for labour = R600 (this is where i feel its pricey):argh:

see with the above calculation i will be saving myself R600 which i can use for other stuff on my car:argh:

 

[Sankekur]

If you plan on doing more of the work on your car yourself, I would suggest you use the money that you "save" by DIY'ing to buy tools that you need, as once you have them you can use them on other things as well, and in this way you build up a whole rage of different tools, but thats just me.

 

[AcidBurn]

If you plan on doing more of the work on your car yourself, I would suggest you use the money that you "save" by DIY'ing to buy tools that you need, as once you have them you can use them on other things as well, and in this way you build up a whole rage of different tools, but thats just me.

thats an awesome suggestion i that i should just start investing in proper tools but for some odd reason i keep loosing them

 

[Philip Foglar]

My bad guys, im in Cape Town.

and it will only be the fronts:thumbs:

take out and replace with new unit:thumbs:

---

I just took my car to Precision Wheel Alignment in Parow and let them do the job since I wanted them to check all rubbers and so on under the car - paid something R1600 for this which included four wheel alignment...

im going to assume this is supply and fit:thumbs:

new bushes = +-R750
wheel alignment = +-R250
and the balance for labour = R600 (this is where i feel its pricey):argh:

see with the above calculation i will be saving myself R600 which i can use for other stuff on my car:argh:

---

Yep, supply and fit, but I don't have my own lift to poke around underneath my car to test all bushes etc, so whatever they charged for labour was still reasonable and the car was a lot safer to drive afterwards, and still is a year and a half later. Not at all against saving money and DIY, but if you go out and buy a cordless impact wrench (cheaper than a proper air compressor and pneumatic wrenches) costing say R700 for this job and hardly using it after this, then not really a saving. But then you have hydraulic press and other tools that you would need for this including jacks and jack stands, so it does get costly to equip oneself with all of these tools for this. I recently replaced DISA flaps on my 330i's engine which involved removing the intake etc - on paper it sounds easy, and in reality there is nothing really complicated about this at all, but there is virtually no space to work and lots of delicate cables and vent hoses just waiting to get damaged. I was quoted just over a grand for this job for labour but decided to DIY - the battle of doing this really seems to out-weigh the quote IMO, but yes, far more satisfying to do oneself.

My reason for recommending this place was just an option to make life easier since alignment has to be done anyway, and I had very good service from those guys - they seem to know these cars very well and checked everything!

 

[Loom]

3. special tool to press in and out of 'bracket/mounting'

top view (lip to fit inside bush) for alignment during removal of bush



bottom view (recess to space/equalize depth) for press fitting



i did this all myself with the aid of a buddy's press & a 'special' tool i made on a small lathe

Is this to remove the RTABs without dropping the whole suspension arm? Would you consider selling the tool or making another to sell?

 

[Andy1GP]

First time I did bushes I didn't need a tool. Just lots and lots of swearing and elbow grease got them off. Fitting the new ones are a breeze. Get the meyle ones though. The fit is better overall.

To pull them off is the hard part. The actual job is quite simple. Get a G/C clamp to help you remove them.

Money saved + job done + bonded with car = good times

 

[Iceman007]

First time I did bushes I didn't need a tool. Just lots and lots of swearing and elbow grease got them off. Fitting the new ones are a breeze. Get the meyle ones though. The fit is better overall.

To pull them off is the hard part. The actual job is quite simple. Get a G/C clamp to help you remove them.

Money saved + job done + bonded with car = good times

Yip get the myle bushes, they come complete and you wont be dissapointed. I fityed them on my 325i e46 i had and what a differance. :thumbs: I did the job myself and on a friends car. oh aldo my dafs 318. alot of swearing and elbow greas and they come off.