Powerflex urethane bushing install - Update

[Charlie]

Okay gruppe,

Got a bit of a problem here. Replacing the control arms on the e30, using regular steel e30 arms, decided to go with a set of Powerflex urethane offset bushings from bimmerworld. Got them pressed on at a shop, they said there was a good bit of work to it, and now I'm trying to get them to mount on to the car. Problem is this: I now can't get the bracket for the CAB's to line up with the holes once I have the main control arm joint set into the subframe, there is about 1/3~1/2 of an inch of a space difference. Do these not work with the standard e30 steel arms, or is there a trick to getting these things mounted on?

Thanks in advance

-Charlie

[Brian 89 325i]

The standard e30 (steel) arms and the M3 (alum) arms are the same, they might not be situated right in the lolly pop. Good luck

Brian

[nando]

you might have to shift the bushigns around a little bit to get it to fit. I had to do this when I put my non-offset CAB in, it made me wish I had used more lubricant :P

[Bill 84 318i]

How far is the bushing pressed onto the control arm? Mine were all the way on the mounting 'peg' (for lack of a better term) right to the stop and everything bolted up perfectly.

Got pics?

[Charlie]

There's a few, I'm gonna try and rotate the bushing slightly in the "lollipop".

-Charlie

[e9nine]

With the e30 M3 CABs, I encountered a smiliar problem. I then decided to mount the lollipop end guided with the two pins and hand tighten them, positioned the subframe piece and used a floor jack to push it in then did the strut assy. as the last nut.

I dunno what order you are doing this in but hopefully this might help.

[Charlie]

Eric, that's actually what I was trying to do this afternoon before work, I just ran out of time. I'm going to try doing that again tommorow morning.

-Charlie

[nando]

what is the big blue thing in front of the bushing, is that a spacer?

here's a pic of my CAB (regular M3 offset, but same geometry) to compare yours to

http://www.325ix.com/pics/M3%20bushings/MVC-373F.JPG

so where is the gap at?

AFAIK there is no geometry difference in the aluminom control arms, so that's not your problem..

[Charlie]

The blue thing is an anchor for the urethane bush, it actually wraps around the back of the Control arm. My issue is once I put the main CA joint into the subframe, I cannot for the life of me get the two mounting holes on the "lollipop" to line up.

-Charlie

[nando]

is it possible that the lollypops are on the wrong sides or flipped over? (not to insult your intelligence or anything, but they're easy to confuse)

you should be able to move it around enough to line it up and put it onto the pegs.

[Charlie]

No, the lollipops are on the right way, my problem is that it seems like they just won't press down far enough on the C-arm. I took it back to the shop and bitched at the guy, he's gonna try and get them to push down a little further on the arm. Barring that, I'm thinking of removing a little material on the bushing anchor to let it slide a little further down.

-Charlie

[Charlie]

Update

Victory is mine. Took the "lollipop' off the end of the urethane anchor and mounted them up loosely to the frame. Began to work the uretheane anchor back into the bushing, and then BFH'd the main joint into the subframe mount.

-Charlie