Sway Bar Link/Sway Bar bushing/Control Arm Bushing/Bilstein Susp Kit

[Maluco]

I am rebuilding my PS Pump and Steering rack. Pump is done, have yet to start the steering rack. While I was under there I noticed one of my control arm bushing was cracked and torn, the sway bar links were also busted along with the sway bar bushings being hard and deformed. I changed all three today and admit I am excited to feel the difference. Not to mention my steering rack being rebuilt. (I was getting a noise and also a feeling in the steering wheel when turning it through mid-point) Hoping this was something in the rack.

Has anyone changed these three components all at once and if so how was the change? I won't be able to drive my car for another week or two. I'm thinking about getting the Bilstein BTS-7511 Suspension kit installed. Any insight on this kit is also appreciated. I've done some searching but nothing came back from R3V.

[Maluco]

Ok, well, all I can say is, if you are under your car, doing whatever, make sure to at least check, if not change, your control arm bushings (20.86 pair), sway bar bushings (3.23 ea) and the sway bar links (21.95 ea). So for around $75 you can make a huge difference in your front suspension.

Struts and strut mounts are also a factor of course but the above three components make a huge diff. They sure did for me.

[jrobie79]

how hard is it to change the control arm bushings?

[Maluco]

how hard is it to change the control arm bushings?

it is fairly easy and simple "if" you have a hydraulic press. without one, I don't even see how it would be possible to get the bushing/housing in and out of the support. (NOTE: prior to removing old bushing/housing from suuport, make some kind of reference mark as to the orientation of the control arm entering the bushing housing then entering the support) This way the bushing will not be/sit forced.

Now the sway bar bushings are a pain, I had to have my cousin use two different crow bars in order to push the bar up enough (new bushings make it a pain to get the bar up enough to thread the bolts back through; bolts are short. BMW tripped out on making these bolts that short!) for me to be able to thread the bolts back through, and even then barely back through enough to do the rest with a ratchet.... Sway bar bushings = two people for sure.

Sway bar links were very easy of course..