How Do I Change the Lower Control Arm Bushings in My 2003 BMW 325I?
- 1). Loosen the lug nuts for the front wheels. Raise the front of the BMW with a floor jack and place it securely on jack stands. Finish removing the wheels and set them out of the way.
- 2). Remove the control arm busing bracket from the frame with a 17-mm socket. Separate the bushing and bracket assembly from the control arm itself with a gear puller. If the inner bushing tears and is still in the control arm, use the gear puller to push it out. You can also use a torch to melt the bushing out of the control arm.
- 3). Cut through the outer ring of the bushings with a circular cutting device like an angle grinder or air-powered rotary cutting tool. Try not to cut into the actual bracket itself. Once the ring is cut, tap it with a hammer and a chisel to collapse it and knock it out of the bushing.
- 4). Place the new bushing in the bracket so that the dot on the side of the bracket is lined up with the arrow on the new bushing. Press the new bushing into the bracket with a vise or a press until the bushing is as far in as it will go. Use a hammer to position the bushing so that it sticks out of either side of the bracket an equal amount and is centered in the bracket.
- 5). Mix up a bowl of dish soap and water to lubricate the bushing and bracket for installation on the control arm. Soak the bushing in the soap and water and then press it onto the control arm in the reverse order that the old bushing was removed. Press hard to install the new bushing.
- 6). Twist the control arm to line up the holes where the bracket bolts to the chassis. Hand tighten the bolts and then finish tightening them with a socket and a ratchet or an impact wrench. Repeat the above steps for the other side of the car.
- 7). Replace the wheels on the car and lower it to the ground. Tighten the lug nuts in a cross-cross pattern. Do not drive the car for several hours to allow the bushings to stick properly to the control arms.