re: E36 front control arm bushings w/ R&R tips

[JKEROUAC@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

re: E36 (and E30) front control arm bushings

     Best bushings for the front of a street E36 or 
E30 are what is listed for the //M3 Lightweight.  
These have a centered hole, miniscule sized gap, and 
according to BMW, are molded from a harder rubber.
     If your E30 or E36 is not your primary street 
car, use Delrin bushings.  These give wonderfully snug 
steering response versus even the //M3L bushings, and 
since no pullers are needed to r&r them, can be 
replaced in a fraction of the time the rubber bushings 
need.

     Btw, tip to easily remove the bushing from the 
control arm using simple hand tools as follows:
     Water Pump Pulley Puller is a standard inexpensive
puller tool available from most auto parts who cater 
to jobbers.
     Spray silicon spray liberally on the end of the 
control arm.
Put the jaws on the outside of the ring section of the 
bushing holder.  Screw the puller shaft against the 
round end stub of the control arm.

     To simply extract the bushing from the sleeve:
     Place one prong of a ball joint fork on the gap 
of the bushing's metal outer ring and the inner 
surface of the retaining sleeve. Hammer the hell out 
of the ball joint fork.  _Safety Glasses and _Leather 
Gloves_ for safety's sake.  Three pound mallets are 
just right to deliver this pounding.  The fork will 
collapse the outer ring inward.  This releases the 
tension considerably between the bushing and the 
sleeve.
     Now one hammer shot pops the bushing out of the 
holder.
     This method _will make changing front end 
bushings go much easier.
Have fun,
'jk

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