re: E30 v. E36 arms and bushings, was E30 arem removal

[jkerouac@xxxxxxx]

re: E30 front control arm and bushings:
    Since this r&r seems to have been a major pain in the but_tocks to
many of us
and collectively there are a lot of creative methods we have tried.
here are a few tips I've learned over years:
    Best way:
    Using an air impact chisel with a tapered punch shaped tip on it,
give one vicious full blast blow straight down into the recess in the
top of the shaft.  Almost never fails.
If you don't have an air impact chisel:  Use a ball joint fork to pop
the shaft out of the hole on either the subframe or the strut holes.
If one good zets with a dead weight hammer on the end of a ball joint
fork does not drop the shaft, then:
torch the seat area until its extremely hot.  On the subframe end, torch
at the bottom side of the hole, its ok if the rubber grease seal starts
smouldering, just blow it out when that happens.  If its the strut end,
heat heavily alongside where the shaft is.
    Once hot, squirt a liberal amount of WD40 or similar into the top of
the hole below the nut threads.  Then heat the seat some more.
    Sometimes the shaft will now drop all by itself.  If not try
thwacking a center punch or drift in the depression at the top of the
shaft.  That's what that recess is there for.  Most of the rest of the
time it will only require a light hit from the fork to drop.
    Also, sometimes a hammer blow to the side of the strut outside where
the shaft runs will drop it right out too.
This method is preferred if you do not want to damage the rubber boots
with a torch such as when removing the strut but are keeping the ball
joints and tie rod ends.
    thanks to Hans for bringing the topic up:
E30 or E36 control arms:
    Yes they are virtually identical.  Once the E36 were available, I
switched to using E36 arms on E30 I serviced.  The E36 has a later style
ball joint with a threaded retainer sleeve and _may_ give more negative
camber and positive caster, particularly on partial steering lock, than
the E30 arm.  Without checking on an alignment rack I won't say for
sure.
    My preferred control arm in all cases is the arm listed for the //M3
Lightweight.  This is the E36 arm without the holes drilled in the cross
section.  It is stronger and less prone to flexing under severe
cornering loads.  It costs only minimally more than the standard arm.
    For removing bushings:
    A small standard size gear puller called an Alternator Pulley
Remover, works great for removing the bushing from the control arm.
    To remove the bushing from the holder, pull out that ball joint fork
again and hammer it into the gap between the metal outer ring of the
bushing and the inside of the bushing holder.  Continue hammering the
fork all the way through so the metal bushing ring buckles inward.  That
collapses the outward tension between bushing and holder.  Then the
bushing will pop out of the holder easily with one hammer shot.
    Freeze the new bushing solid as a hockey puck and it will hammer
right into the bushing holder.  If not frozen, then you will have to
hammer harder and need more effort to keep the new bushing centered as
it starts to go in the holder.
    To intall a new rubber bushing onto the control arm easiest, coat
the end of the control arm and the hole of the bushing liberally with
silicon spray or silicon grease.  Do _not_ use petroleum based
lubricants.  Now freeze the bushing hard as a hockey puck again.
Another dose of silicon and the bushing will pop onto the arm with just
body weight and a downward rocking motion.
    My preferred rubber bushing is what is listed for the //M3
Lightweight.  The most solid 3 series control arm bushing BMW makes.
    What about Delrin?
    For cars that are already lowered and stiffened, forget about all
this freezing and sillycone grease, save yourself a bunch of dollars and
time in the process.  Use Delrin solid bushings.  They cost half as much
as what //M3 bushings do.  The improvement in turn in response over any
rubber bushings is immediately noticeable.
Delrin, since it is solid, slides right onto the control arm, no rubber
to squish at all.  They should come with a coppery grease to lubricate
the holes with.
    While some claim Delrin wears out quickly and should not be used on
a street car, I put 40k miles on a set before selling a heavily modified
car, and there was still grease on the shaft and there was no
discernible wear in the hole.

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