Removing the CABs without removing CAs

[beamR X]

K. I l'm new to BMWs, but not new to suspension tech. So I looked under the car and quickly noticed my CABs are shot. I also noticed that they are really easy to do.
So I got some M3 CABs, popped the wheels, popped the 2 nuts holding the CABs to the frame and....
I cannot get the damn things off the arms. I just finished searching for 2 hours and learned about a dozen tricks to get the bushings on, but noone's saying how to get them off.

I do not feel like removing the arms completly. I heard most people do the bushings with the arms still on the car?
What am I missing?

[Van Westervelt]

I heated a pair up with a torch and then cut them out. Maybe it was over kill. I couldn't get the metal part out though. Had to take the brackets to a machine shop. They pushed out the old and in with the new.

[IS]

Here is another option - ratcheting tie downs. Im sure you can pick up a set for dirt cheap. You can use these for both installation or removal.

To remove, strap it around the bushing in such a way so that you dont just apply a force on one end. I had my car on a lift when I did mine, so I just hooked it onto one of the support arms. Hook the ends to something solid - say a subframe, and ratchet so that the force is linear with the control arm.

For installation, you can use the same method and attach the ends of the tie downs to the holes on the control arm.

You may need to use a block of wood or something else as a lever against the "stick" of the lollipop to get the bushings going in straight.

Remember - USE GREASE!

As for actually removing the old bushings out of the the lollipops, nothing works better than a torch. You can use a hydraulic press (works beautifully) or even a vise, but you have to make sure you get it started evenly, otherwise youll just tweak the bushing since the outer metal rim is very soft material.

[beamR X]

I heated a pair up with a torch and then cut them out. Maybe it was over kill. I couldn't get the metal part out though. Had to take the brackets to a machine shop. They pushed out the old and in with the new.

See, that's the thing. It involves taking arms off. Got too many projects on the go to invest this much time into a bushing...

[Van Westervelt]

See, that's the thing. It involves taking arms off. Got too many projects on the go to invest this much time into a bushing...

No, I didnt have to take the arms off. I got the bushings off the arms. I just had to take the bracket with thte bushing in it to get pushed out. I did the rest all under the car.

[beamR X]

Here is another option - ratcheting tie downs. Im sure you can pick up a set for dirt cheap. You can use these for both installation or removal.

To remove, strap it around the bushing in such a way so that you dont just apply a force on one end. I had my car on a lift when I did mine, so I just hooked it onto one of the support arms. Hook the ends to something solid - say a subframe, and ratchet so that the force is linear with the control arm.

For installation, you can use the same method and attach the ends of the tie downs to the holes on the control arm.

You may need to use a block of wood or something else as a lever against the "stick" of the lollipop to get the bushings going in straight.

Remember - USE GREASE!

As for actually removing the old bushings out of the the lollipops, nothing works better than a torch. You can use a hydraulic press (works beautifully) or even a vise, but you have to make sure you get it started evenly, otherwise youll just tweak the bushing since the outer metal rim is very soft material.

This involves pulling on the bushing and I imagine the inner "sleeve" that goes around the hole would be hard to catch...



So I concieved a couple solutions. I am pretty certain they would work and one is less messy and quicker then the other. Lemme know if you see any issues with this as I repeat, I never touched these particular bushings before and only going on what I see physically.

1. OK solution.
Remove the 2 17mm bolts. Let the arm hang.
Cut the bushing around the inner sleeve so most of the rubber and the bracket comes off.
Slide a small socket onto the end of the arm to serve as a centering device.
Take a puller (ie: bearing race puller) and jig it up so it rests against the end of the arm.
Pull the sleeve. If it doesn't budge, heat slowly untill it slides off.


After concieving this I realised that if I already cut the ruber bushing off and I am only dealing with the sleeve I migth as well just...


(Solution 2. Easier, quicker)
...cut it lengthwise with a cut off wheel and pry it off. No heat, no burning ruber, no mess.

Does this make sense?

[beamR X]

No, I didnt have to take the arms off. I got the bushings off the arms. I just had to take the bracket with thte bushing in it to get pushed out. I did the rest all under the car.

Got ya. My mistake re-reading your post. Machine shop just pressed the bushing out of the bushing bracket.

[IS]

(Solution 2. Easier, quicker)
...cut it lengthwise with a cut off wheel and pry it off. No heat, no burning ruber, no mess.

Does this make sense?

BINGO!

[beamR X]

Update:

I set out to do this job yesterday morning.
Worked like a charm.

1. I poped the 17mm bolts.

2. Sawzall did a trick on the bushing rubber. (took about 20 secs to cut through each section of rubber). Only a very little smoke ;)

3. Cut off wheel worked like a charm on the sleeves remaining on the arms. I was able to "twist off" the sleeves off the arm with my hand after they were sliced.

4. I clamped the brackets into a vice and used sawzall to cut a grove into the bushing's metal in order to "shrink" the overal O/D of the ring.

5. With a chizel i broke the rest of the metal left in the grove and with one pop of a BFH the ring poped rigth out of the bracket.

6. I then took my new bushings out of the freezer and used a ball joint press tool to install them into brckets.
They went in like butter.

7. I found about 50/50 watter/dish sope mix was the best ratio for glide to slip the mounted bushings back on the arms.

:)
SO it may not be a 15 min job like I thougth first but at least I got it down to about an hour...