I replaced today with the same bushings my torn ones. I cannot thank you enough for your video as it was an easy 2 hours work which saved me lots of money! No difficulty with the Tekon grips I got on amazon: the large one for the bushing, small one for the rubber insert left on. What a difference in the ride! Thanks again!
I just bought my polyurethane bushings from Bavauto and they said to use plenty of silicone inside the bushing prior to installing onto the arm. This will prevent squeaking. Now I have to find time to install them. Seems simple enough, thanks to your instructional video.
Thank you for showing me how to check. I was told that mine were bad by the mechanic that replaced the brakes. Went out grabbed the tire, just like yours moved all over. Appointment tomorrow to get them replaced.
@edzgarage Ed, thanks for the quick response. Fyi, the poly bushings (I'm an mech engineer) probably translate more "road feel" to the car, but will probably last much longer and handle more impact. Segment suggestions for the e46: Sedan rear doors leak (bad sealant on the moisture barrier), plastic water impeller dies early, thermal cycling causes premature radiator failure (plastic sides adjoined to aluminum heat sink), and overactive abs if not flushed yearly dies early. Regards. Matt
@stiengineer They did squeak, but it stopped pretty quickly. You can apply a special grease that your auto parts store can get you that is supposed to stop the squeaking.
I love polyurethane bushings. If you have never used them before I think you will love them also. At least handeling wise. It may give you a bit of a stiffer ride though. Great idea about the nut and washer on the puller!! Thumbs up
@flubbernuget I'm keeping my set. I've been asked a couple times to sell it. It's a good set and I think I can use it for many other projects down the road. I think the 6 inch puller will work on the control arm bushing. PM should work now, I have to "friend" you first for PMs.
Wow, those new bushings sure went on easier than any of the rubber ones I've seen in other videos! Thanks for the tip. I'll be doing this job in the Spring.
Noticed any degraded braking with the poly bushings? They don't allow the same amount of toe-in during heavy braking, which does reduce stopping force. But the trade off is they last a heck of a lot longer.
@edzgarage Eurasia Parts are totally price competitive with any online parts (bought std bushings for $80 that includes shipping for the set). Very surprising. Good job Eurasia Parts, and good find on your behalf.
@liltank1222 They are Power Flex. You can do the job without the puller, but it's really hard. I did the job without the puller the first time and it took at least 2 extra hours.
Just replaced my bushings on my 03 330ci. Used OEM Bushings and soap to place the new bushings on the control arm. Easy DIY for a beginner like myself. No more rattling or sterring wheel shaking when I brake. REPLACE BUSHINGS BEFORE ROTORS AND PADS! You will save money by not changing rotors until you know its not your $100 OEM bushings. Better than$100 rotors + $65 pads and then $100 bushings after finding out that the new brakes and rotors didn't fix the shaking/were not the problem.
I read that Poly bushings are meant for flat tracks vs rough roads. I paid $107 for OEM German bushings and did not have to worry about reusing the mettle bushing holder and properly fitting the Poly bushing. It was just out with the old and in with the new.
@edzgarage Good deal. I've been on the fence, but will likely give the poly bushings a try next time they're needed. (I drive an 05 330ci). PS great channel, thanks for all the informative videos!
@taiwanmax7 Hello, I showed the play in my bushing. Jack the car up and see if any of your bushings move like mine did. My bushings are working out very well, no problems. Thanks for the comment!
I searched on bushing removal and what do you know, Ed has the same issue I do! I replaced my bushings on my Jeep a year ago and they are shot. I'm going to try the urea thane as well, great vid buddy.
I had these installed on my coupe, but ive just replaced them again back to BMW OEM (from the main dealership too). I suggest to anyone that are considering these, they buy with some warranty or assurance. Within the space of 8 months of having the polybush's fitted, the inner part of the bushes have worked their way along the control arm they sit on. Also note that all other bushes connected to the control arm will be impacted and will wear quicker as a result to having these fitted.
It could be the problem, but the way I knew my bushing were bad is when I pushed moderately hard on the brakes at 70MPH and the steering wheel would shutter back and forth. Even just a little shaking means your bushings are getting bad.
That makes some sense, I needed new tie rods, ball joint, i checked my front bushings after doing the rear and they are starting to get word, where did you buy your first bushings, I bought mine from BavAuto, hope they are reliable
Great video and filming. Do you know if replacing the rear control arm bushings is similar? Is there a way to use that puller manually also? I don't have an impact gun.
@alexdloew The auto parts store gave me a special grease to avoid squeaking. I told them my bushings were squeaking and they they ordered the correct grease for me. It cam in an unmarked contained and looks like white grease. It was pretty cheap for the tub.
@elcherri I wish I had the box or something to tell you what the part number was. I thought there were two different types, one for the M chassis and one of the non-M like mine.
@edzgarage: great video! i'm in the same boat, bought the cheap ones and lasted ~15K now wheels all over the place. How are the poly bushes going since you've installed them? Still solid or getting loose as well?
@SubZPRB My 2002 320i has the same problem, it's my CCV (Crank Case Ventilation Valve) It's a bit of a tough job, do a video search to see if you can handle it. I would suggest buying the valve and all 4 related hoses cause you will break them. You can find the kit on Ebay for $90 US. It's an aftermarket part but is just as good. Good luck!
@liltank1222 All I used was a three jaw puller. You can get it at Harbor Freight. I've tried an OEM rubber set and these Urethane ones are far superior. There are a lot different makers. I like these though.
I torqued mine with experience. I'm sure there is a spec but I don't know what it is. I did not use Lock Tite on mine. Not sure of the size. I got three in the package small, medium and large. I think that was the small one.
Hi Ed, My son and I enjoy your vids tremendously. I was watching another one of your videos where you used the HCB A1087 bushing E36/46 removal kit to remove the rear control arm bushings. Would it work for the E30 as well? and was it the same kit you used for the rear trailing arm bushing and did you also get it from Harbor Freight? Thanks heaps John
@millwrightman99 When I was getting thumping it was the struts going bad. I wasn't getting thumping with the bad bushings, but it would wandered around and would shake real bad when stopping at 60+ MPH.
Hey I think I know what may be causing the noise in the suspension. Its the anti brake rattle clip!! It may be missing. The dealership loosely put these back on, which later popped off and scratched the heck out of my wheels as it exited. Anyhow, the noise only exists when there is no braking applied while going over a bump. Push some slight pressure on the brake and run over the same bump again. If there's no noise, then the anti rattle clip is missing!
Thanks for watching Craig! The Urethane bushings are still holding up like new. They do squeak for a while until they wear in all the way, so beware of that.
Im in the process of doing the same job on my 330I ZHP and using the same bushings. I was having issues lining it up. Was hoping i did not have to remove any more parts. Gonna have to try your idea on turning the wheel to line it up. Thanks in advance.
@Needmorehorsepower You bet! It's like a totally different car now. The rear stays where it should and now the front goes where I point it! Now it's time for those tires.
@matthewstephenbrown Thanks Matt. I searched high and low for the best price and this was the best I could find. These bushings are really well made and fit perfect.
Hey Ed -- were you getting a thump when going over bumps .My wheels have no movement but it thumps over bumps ---- I suspect its the bushings on mine but I really dont see any wear like yours had.----- might just change them in the spring anyway.
Your supposed to only put new suspension parts in AFTER winter in the spring! Then you can run already bashed up suspension all during the winter so they cant get that much more worn out due to torn up roads. lol.
Hello i been watching you channel tou have some awesome videos sir btw sorry about ur e46.. Now i have a question i recently bought my self a 2003 bmw 325i with 85k miles and te steering wheel wiggles back and forth every time i reach around 30 mph but as soon as it hits 40 it stops and then it starts again at 60mph anyway i was told my wheels needed an alignment and the tire shop told me that my rims were cricked so i needed some new ones i havent purchesd the rims so then i when and took my c
I spent 58 dollars for a pair shipped free off eBay. This was my second time replacing in 8 years and this most recent pair are complete garbage. After only 4 thousand miles or so the drivers side is destroyed. I highly recommend polyurethane also. Makes a huge difference in tire wear too.
Linoge279 this is just my opinion from my personal experiences with my own car. If your control arm bushings were the only part that needed to be replaced I would say the tire wear would be even (just much quicker than normal) If you have never replaced any suspension parts or havent for a long time then chances are, your control arms and control arm bushings both likely need to be replaced. To a degree (different from most other cars makes) BMW designed these parts to be expendable and not to difficult or overly expensive to change. Worn control arms and bushings can cause inner tire wear. And collectively if your car has higher miles (like mine) then other worn suspension parts can contribute to excessive tire wear. I would say changing your control arms and CA bushings will make a big difference. You can get they parts as a kit are fairly easy to change. You can buy cheaper brands of ebay but definitely wont last as long. The brand Meyle is the most practical. Arms and CA bushings for about 300 shipped. Could be down in your driveway in an afternoon. You will likely need to align after install. I have 180K+ on my 02 330 recently changed control arms, CA bushings, end links, new struts, strut bearing mounts. These are all things that should be replaced if you have higher miles and never done so. Also rear trailing arm bushings in the rear.
@edzgarage no squeaking? I'm planning on buying polyurethane bushings for my e46 but I heard that they can squeak bad if you get the red ones. I was told to go with blue or black.
How much would a replacement of control arm/bushings cost for this E46 and an E36 at an autoshop? I just would like to know, as I'm sure others will, what kind of savings we're talking about if you DIY? Thanks!
My E36 is great to jack, E46 is dreadful! Don't even think of using the factory jack as it'll push the car to one side! Use a floor jack and axle stands on the frame rails. A good tip is not to totally remove the sump guard. Leave one bolt in very loose to hold it at the side you're not working on, then swap it. Saves having to lift the whole thing into position.
@djdonis Yes, there was a specific grease I had to order for the polyurethane bushings. I applied it days later because they were squeaking. I need to update the vid to say this. Thanks for the comment!
I'm still a bit confused. From my understanding there are 4 jack point near the 4 tires (and that's it). To me this seams impossible to place a jack stand and a jack on the same jack point. I have ordered new bushing's and have about a week to figure this out otherwise I think I'm going to use the inner frame rail with a 2x4 block of wood to distribute the weight. Any help would be appreciated.
I replaced today with the same bushings my torn ones. I cannot thank you enough for your video as it was an easy 2 hours work which saved me lots of money!
No difficulty with the Tekon grips I got on amazon: the large one for the bushing, small one for the rubber insert left on. What a difference in the ride! Thanks again!
I just bought my polyurethane bushings from Bavauto and they said to use plenty of silicone inside the bushing prior to installing onto the arm. This will prevent squeaking. Now I have to find time to install them. Seems simple enough, thanks to your instructional video.
Thank you for showing me how to check. I was told that mine were bad by the mechanic that replaced the brakes. Went out grabbed the tire, just like yours moved all over. Appointment tomorrow to get them replaced.
@edzgarage Ed, thanks for the quick response. Fyi, the poly bushings (I'm an mech engineer) probably translate more "road feel" to the car, but will probably last much longer and handle more impact. Segment suggestions for the e46: Sedan rear doors leak (bad sealant on the moisture barrier), plastic water impeller dies early, thermal cycling causes premature radiator failure (plastic sides adjoined to aluminum heat sink), and overactive abs if not flushed yearly dies early. Regards. Matt
@stiengineer They did squeak, but it stopped pretty quickly. You can apply a special grease that your auto parts store can get you that is supposed to stop the squeaking.
@warcrypt It is a 3 jaw puller. You can usually buy them in a kit that includes 3 sizes from Harbor Freight.
I love polyurethane bushings. If you have never used them before I think you will love them also. At least handeling wise. It may give you a bit of a stiffer ride though.
Great idea about the nut and washer on the puller!! Thumbs up
@flubbernuget I'm keeping my set. I've been asked a couple times to sell it. It's a good set and I think I can use it for many other projects down the road. I think the 6 inch puller will work on the control arm bushing. PM should work now, I have to "friend" you first for PMs.
I agree. If you're getting steering wheel shake during braking, check your control arm bushings.
Great video Ed!! I never seen any kind of bushing wear out that fast. That company wont stay in business very long with quality like that!!☺
Wow, those new bushings sure went on easier than any of the rubber ones I've seen in other videos! Thanks for the tip. I'll be doing this job in the Spring.
@signspinners It's either the bushing or the ball joints.
thanks for making this video. i instantly bought c.a.b. and now i can't wait to install them.
Noticed any degraded braking with the poly bushings? They don't allow the same amount of toe-in during heavy braking, which does reduce stopping force. But the trade off is they last a heck of a lot longer.
@2LateIWon Thanks! I can tell a big difference in the handling and ride is close to stock, but a little firmer. It's worth it!
@edzgarage Eurasia Parts are totally price competitive with any online parts (bought std bushings for $80 that includes shipping for the set). Very surprising. Good job Eurasia Parts, and good find on your behalf.
@liltank1222 They are Power Flex. You can do the job without the puller, but it's really hard. I did the job without the puller the first time and it took at least 2 extra hours.
@TehHonda Thanks for the comment! Good luck on the repair.
Just replaced my bushings on my 03 330ci. Used OEM Bushings and soap to place the new bushings on the control arm. Easy DIY for a beginner like myself. No more rattling or sterring wheel shaking when I brake. REPLACE BUSHINGS BEFORE ROTORS AND PADS! You will save money by not changing rotors until you know its not your $100 OEM bushings. Better than$100 rotors + $65 pads and then $100 bushings after finding out that the new brakes and rotors didn't fix the shaking/were not the problem.
I read that Poly bushings are meant for flat tracks vs rough roads. I paid $107 for OEM German bushings and did not have to worry about reusing the mettle bushing holder and properly fitting the Poly bushing. It was just out with the old and in with the new.
@signspinners Great! Thanks for getting back to me.
@edzgarage Good deal. I've been on the fence, but will likely give the poly bushings a try next time they're needed. (I drive an 05 330ci).
PS great channel, thanks for all the informative videos!
@taiwanmax7 Hello, I showed the play in my bushing. Jack the car up and see if any of your bushings move like mine did. My bushings are working out very well, no problems. Thanks for the comment!
I searched on bushing removal and what do you know, Ed has the same issue I do! I replaced my bushings on my Jeep a year ago and they are shot. I'm going to try the urea thane as well, great vid buddy.
I had these installed on my coupe, but ive just replaced them again back to BMW OEM (from the main dealership too). I suggest to anyone that are considering these, they buy with some warranty or assurance.
Within the space of 8 months of having the polybush's fitted, the inner part of the bushes have worked their way along the control arm they sit on.
Also note that all other bushes connected to the control arm will be impacted and will wear quicker as a result to having these fitted.
It could be the problem, but the way I knew my bushing were bad is when I pushed moderately hard on the brakes at 70MPH and the steering wheel would shutter back and forth. Even just a little shaking means your bushings are getting bad.
Thanks :) You made this look easy and helped me in making my next purchasing decision on my 2001 325ci coupe. Same issue. Thank you for sharing.
@gtfynest21 The control arm bushing were on sale for $79, they were normally $99 for the pair.
@ShawnCFarm I think the old ones had to be Chinese. These new ones are form the good old USA and made of superior materials! Thanks for the comment!
great job ED i bet it was a pain to do them again but at least you shouldn't have to touch them again great job buddy and take care
I do like them. They squeaked for about two weeks, but the car does handle better.
That makes some sense, I needed new tie rods, ball joint, i checked my front bushings after doing the rear and they are starting to get word, where did you buy your first bushings, I bought mine from BavAuto, hope they are reliable
@805ROADKING That's for sure, bad quality is a companies downfall. Thanks for the comment!
Great video and filming. Do you know if replacing the rear control arm bushings is similar? Is there a way to use that puller manually also? I don't have an impact gun.
@alexdloew The auto parts store gave me a special grease to avoid squeaking. I told them my bushings were squeaking and they they ordered the correct grease for me. It cam in an unmarked contained and looks like white grease. It was pretty cheap for the tub.
I just used a 3 jaw gear puller. You can get them at any auto parts store.
@elcherri I wish I had the box or something to tell you what the part number was. I thought there were two different types, one for the M chassis and one of the non-M like mine.
@01DodgeRAM1500V8 Thanks a lot buddy! I hope I'm done with those bushings now.
@silvermediastudio No, I haven't noticed any difference in the brakes. I don't race the car though, but I have had a few panic stops.
@wendileona I don't really know what they would charge. Probably at least 2-3 hours labor and mark up on the parts.
@edzgarage: great video! i'm in the same boat, bought the cheap ones and lasted ~15K now wheels all over the place.
How are the poly bushes going since you've installed them? Still solid or getting loose as well?
@vidman008 I had to use a ratchet strap when reassembling my Audi. Thanks Ron!
@SubZPRB My 2002 320i has the same problem, it's my CCV (Crank Case Ventilation Valve) It's a bit of a tough job, do a video search to see if you can handle it. I would suggest buying the valve and all 4 related hoses cause you will break them. You can find the kit on Ebay for $90 US. It's an aftermarket part but is just as good. Good luck!
@yourealiti I would. If one is bad the other can't be too far behind.
@liltank1222 All I used was a three jaw puller. You can get it at Harbor Freight. I've tried an OEM rubber set and these Urethane ones are far superior. There are a lot different makers. I like these though.
@mallydangerous lol I'll show this one. Thanks for the comment!
I torqued mine with experience. I'm sure there is a spec but I don't know what it is.
I did not use Lock Tite on mine.
Not sure of the size. I got three in the package small, medium and large. I think that was the small one.
Thanks for the Video well done too. I now feel confident enough to to this job on my car.
@rednightist I shot some WD-40 on mine a couple times to quiet them. But by the third week they were silent.
Hi Ed, My son and I enjoy your vids tremendously. I was watching another one of your videos where you used the HCB A1087 bushing E36/46 removal kit to remove the rear control arm bushings. Would it work for the E30 as well? and was it the same kit you used for the rear trailing arm bushing and did you also get it from Harbor Freight? Thanks heaps John
Thanks for the comment!
@mindgames11 Not sure, they seemed okay when I put them back on and it's still good now.
@millwrightman99 When I was getting thumping it was the struts going bad. I wasn't getting thumping with the bad bushings, but it would wandered around and would shake real bad when stopping at 60+ MPH.
great job Ed.....a much better lookin' bushing for sure!
@mbyr31 Thanks Matt! They perform every bit as good as they look too!
Hey I think I know what may be causing the noise in the suspension. Its the anti brake rattle clip!! It may be missing. The dealership loosely put these back on, which later popped off and scratched the heck out of my wheels as it exited. Anyhow, the noise only exists when there is no braking applied while going over a bump. Push some slight pressure on the brake and run over the same bump again. If there's no noise, then the anti rattle clip is missing!
good informatative video, good editing shows what we need to know, thanks
I saw those bushings at bavarian, the sell good stuff there
I'm sure that is a good car, but it appears to be maintenance-intensive. Great video!
Thanks for watching Craig! The Urethane bushings are still holding up like new. They do squeak for a while until they wear in all the way, so beware of that.
Ed, thanks for the video. Can you post the source of the urethane bushings? Was not able to find them online.
Im in the process of doing the same job on my 330I ZHP and using the same bushings. I was having issues lining it up. Was hoping i did not have to remove any more parts. Gonna have to try your idea on turning the wheel to line it up. Thanks in advance.
nice work as always ed .
being the transporter wears out bushings fast . lol
thumbs up from 500
@davedunne11 Thanks for the comment and good luck with the job!
@Needmorehorsepower You bet! It's like a totally different car now. The rear stays where it should and now the front goes where I point it! Now it's time for those tires.
I don't know if the kit will work. I'm thinking probably not since E30 was not listed on the box. I bought it off eBay.
Where did you get the part for removing the bushings? Or what is the official title so I can do a search. Thanks, nice vid!
lookin good ed,nice work.to bad you didnt find them the 1st time
@matthewstephenbrown Thanks Matt. I searched high and low for the best price and this was the best I could find. These bushings are really well made and fit perfect.
@BMWPOWERization Thanks for the info. I hope my vid was of some help to you. Thanks for watching...? I already have a K&N filter.
@jereisluke I have a video on changing the rear control arm bushings on my channel. You don't have to use an impact gun.
Hey Ed -- were you getting a thump when going over bumps .My wheels have no movement but it thumps over bumps ---- I suspect its the bushings on mine but I really dont see any wear like yours had.----- might just change them in the spring anyway.
There are no other "jack points" other than the four under the rockers. You'll have to use your best judgment when placing the stands under the car.
Your supposed to only put new suspension parts in AFTER winter in the spring! Then you can run already bashed up suspension all during the winter so they cant get that much more worn out due to torn up roads. lol.
Hello i been watching you channel tou have some awesome videos sir btw sorry about ur e46.. Now i have a question i recently bought my self a 2003 bmw 325i with 85k miles and te steering wheel wiggles back and forth every time i reach around 30 mph but as soon as it hits 40 it stops and then it starts again at 60mph anyway i was told my wheels needed an alignment and the tire shop told me that my rims were cricked so i needed some new ones i havent purchesd the rims so then i when and took my c
@kreamo225 No, I don't think so. I have a video on the rear bushings and tools needed.
@farmall1938 I hear you about working under the dash. That's really no fun! Thanks Farmall.
They did squeak for a couple months. I sprayed WD40 on them a few times and then they stopped squeaking for good.
@edzgarage - Thanks so much! I'll check it out.
I used a 3 jaw puller. I don't remember what brand of bushing or where I bought them. It was an online retailer though.
I spent 58 dollars for a pair shipped free off eBay. This was my second time replacing in 8 years and this most recent pair are complete garbage. After only 4 thousand miles or so the drivers side is destroyed. I highly recommend polyurethane also. Makes a huge difference in tire wear too.
Josh River when this thing go bad, does the tire wear out on the outside?
Linoge279 this is just my opinion from my personal experiences with my own car. If your control arm bushings were the only part that needed to be replaced I would say the tire wear would be even (just much quicker than normal)
If you have never replaced any suspension parts or havent for a long time then chances are, your control arms and control arm bushings both likely need to be replaced. To a degree (different from most other cars makes) BMW designed these parts to be expendable and not to difficult or overly expensive to change. Worn control arms and bushings can cause inner tire wear. And collectively if your car has higher miles (like mine) then other worn suspension parts can contribute to excessive tire wear. I would say changing your control arms and CA bushings will make a big difference. You can get they parts as a kit are fairly easy to change. You can buy cheaper brands of ebay but definitely wont last as long. The brand Meyle is the most practical. Arms and CA bushings for about 300 shipped. Could be down in your driveway in an afternoon. You will likely need to align after install. I have 180K+ on my 02 330 recently changed control arms, CA bushings, end links, new struts, strut bearing mounts. These are all things that should be replaced if you have higher miles and never done so. Also rear trailing arm bushings in the rear.
gotta love those cordless impacts dont ya ed?!
First. just wanted to say that your videos are great. Keep on making them
@IHcubcadet They do the job much better than the other ones. Thanks for the comment!
@edzgarage no squeaking? I'm planning on buying polyurethane bushings for my e46 but I heard that they can squeak bad if you get the red ones. I was told to go with blue or black.
How did you lift the front to accommodate the jack stands? You would think bmw would be nice and put a jack point in the front of the engine.
How much would a replacement of control arm/bushings cost for this E46 and an E36 at an autoshop?
I just would like to know, as I'm sure others will, what kind of savings we're talking about if you DIY? Thanks!
Great news! Thanks for the update.
@Thegarmendia Yep, and I have a window regulator video too.
@1968hambone Thanks HB! They perform so much better too.
My E36 is great to jack, E46 is dreadful! Don't even think of using the factory jack as it'll push the car to one side! Use a floor jack and axle stands on the frame rails.
A good tip is not to totally remove the sump guard. Leave one bolt in very loose to hold it at the side you're not working on, then swap it. Saves having to lift the whole thing into position.
@Needmorehorsepower Thanks Scott! I knew about these before, but I was too cheap! lol Now I paid even more... lesson learned!
@djdonis Yes, there was a specific grease I had to order for the polyurethane bushings. I applied it days later because they were squeaking. I need to update the vid to say this. Thanks for the comment!
do you kno any or can u do a power steering pump replacement vid?
@2024JayZ Thanks buddy!
@Operator21 Only when I applied the brakes at high speed.
@silvermediastudio Thanks for the comment!
I'm still a bit confused. From my understanding there are 4 jack point near the 4 tires (and that's it). To me this seams impossible to place a jack stand and a jack on the same jack point. I have ordered new bushing's and have about a week to figure this out otherwise I think I'm going to use the inner frame rail with a 2x4 block of wood to distribute the weight. Any help would be appreciated.
@tchepourko Thanks for the comment! The bushings are still as solid as the day I put them in.
@karimowhite No, I haven't had any problems yet.