1984 E30. Old SOB! (car and owner)<G> I need to replace the rubber lolipop bushing (the non-ball-joint suspension pivot on front a-arm on these cars--a rubber doo-dad restrained by the a-arn shaft and the bracket.) I have the M3 solid bushings to put in there. I also have the complete a-arm with ball joints and steering/sway bar links as well. The car is likely a short timer...iow, if it last about 50,000 miles (roughly 5-6 years) I'll be quite happy. it has maybe 250M on it now. compression good, but the oil presure light is staying on for 5 sec or so when I crank it up. (another thread) So...give than I am not able to put the car on a lift, I'm 65+ yrs old, and all that fun stuff...would replacing the whole assembly be overall better than just the bushings (I know...I can't tell you how the ball joints are...I've not looked yet) What does a knackered ball joint look like or do? what is the best tool to press on/in the bushing from other the car (not on the bench)?
To test ball joints just jack up the car. You can either squeeze the joint with big channellocks or grab the wheel and see if you can move the bottom of the wheel in and out. You would see the play between the steering knuckle and the arm. For the center joint, you can once again squeeze with big channel locks or put a jack under the center joint and see if it move up when you put a little pressure on it. To test wear at the tie rods, you grab the back or front of the wheel and shake it side to side. You need a special tool or a clever mind to get the bushings off and back on the arms without removing them from the car. Some people find that if you use just the right size piece of pipe, lots of spray silicone lube, and a well placed hammer blow that you can drive the bushing/lolli back on without special tools. Where do you live and what grade of oil are you using? Are you a Brit/Brit colony ex-pat?
For what its worth, I just rebuilt the suspension/steering on my 1991 318i (new tie-rods, control arms, lollipops etc etc). One of the few things I paid a shop to do was press the control arm bushings into the lollipop brackets and onto the control arms. Its not for the weak of heart. I did it all myself on my 1987 325ic a couple of years ago, and I vowed I wouldn't do it again.
With the parts already in hand and paid for, I'd be inclined to install them, particularly if you don't know the maintenance history of the car. I think we have threads on here somewhere already discussing how to tackle separating the control arms from the front subframe. That's a job that I've struggled mightily with, the experts like Paul undoubtedly have some time-saving suggestions & experience. The easiest way to put the M3 offset bushings into the brackets is with a press. I'd hate to try the job of extracting the bushings and installing new ones without a press, but there might be a way to do it otherwise. A mechanic friend of mine pulled the bushings off the control-arms by locking them in a bench vise, and wrestling the control-arm free, re-installed in same fashion. Takes some muscle, and lubrication. It's easy to mix it up and put the wrong bushing on the control arm and/or in the wrong position, so make sure you have it correct if you tackle it.
Huh. You write like a Brit (knackered, I've not, etc.) Well, that is the correct oil weight. Anyhow, let us know how things are going.
