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Control Arm Bushing Upgrade for XI?
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09-01-2015, 03:39 PM | #45 | |
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For absolute clarity part numbers: 31126768983 and 31126768984 are the front rear control arm and is the bushing in the pictures above that gets pressed into place and is sold by strong flex on the web site as long as you get the proper XI version. 31126768989 Is the front front control arm and has a mono ball in it, but strongflex was kind enough to update their web site that the front front control arm bushings they sell wont fix the XI part number shown here, and then to make me custom ones that replace the mono ball if I sent them a control arm set, so I dd, and they did. Reference: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=31_0740
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09-01-2015, 06:49 PM | #46 | ||
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09-01-2015, 07:06 PM | #47 | |
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09-02-2015, 01:00 PM | #48 | |
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From your description, usually grease gets sprayed around like that if its the CV boot that has failed. Another option is that our struts also have oil in them and do sometimes leak it out when they are failing, but it will be a lighter viscosity than the grease in the other boots described. To get the TS bushings out I had to buy a 20 ton press, the standard bushing puller set didnt have enough force without breaking, but some others seem to have had success without a press. The reason I replaced my TS mount was because of pull during breaking, the strongflex yellow I got completely solved the problem.
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09-02-2015, 03:14 PM | #49 | |
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Shocks are not leaking nor is there any grease near the hub or outer CV boot. Grease is thick and sticky, not typical power steering, diff fluid, or shock oil. But it could be bearing grease which is why I looked so hard at the CV joint boot. If there is a rupture in the CA bushing boot, and it had fluid in it, that would explain it. The new ones I have don't feel like there is any fluid at all in there though. I admit I am still puzzled as to where all that grease is coming from. I got a 12 ton press just arrived last night I hope it is sufficient for the TS bushings. If not a friend has a larger press at his shop. So the point is I guess, I clearly have to replace the TS bushings regardless. I also will install new CA's I bought. Once I am in there and take everything apart it will be easier to see if there is a minute break somewhere in one of the boots. I hope not, getting that axle out is difficult. I am almost certain I know which pothole I hit that blew out the TS bushing, I suppose it could have taken out other things too. Other side of the car is fine. Car has 43k miles so it is not as if one would expect rubber boots to fail due to high mileage or excessive wear, but you never know. Last edited by ajsalida; 09-02-2015 at 03:20 PM.. |
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09-02-2015, 03:57 PM | #50 |
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I used a 10 ton press without a lot of effort taking them out. They resist until corrosion breaks away with a loud pop.
I used this combination from Home Depot to drive them: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1114977 |
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09-02-2015, 04:34 PM | #51 | |
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Last edited by ajsalida; 09-02-2015 at 04:45 PM.. |
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09-02-2015, 04:58 PM | #52 |
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Question for guys who've installed the Strongflex bushings. Mine came with the metal sleeve halfway pressed into one bushing and most of the way pressed into the other one. Looks like it was done dry with no lube. Should I press them out, re-lube, press them back into the bushings, or press them out, press the bushings into the arms without the sleeves, then press the sleeves in with the lube? I suppose I should email Strongflex and ask, I don't want to mess this up.
Also do you guys lube the outside surface of the bushing before pressing into the arm? I would think you'd need to but there is not enough lube supplied to cover both. Plan on using ordinary copper grease. |
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09-02-2015, 10:12 PM | #53 | |
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09-03-2015, 01:44 PM | #54 | |
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09-08-2015, 06:25 PM | #56 |
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OK I installed the yellow Strongflex tension strut bushings today. Wow do they ever wake up the steering and tighten up feel in front.
Some notes on install: I tried several things as receivers on the hydraulic press that did not work. I went to my buddy with the welding/machine shop and he had some scrap 3" steel box tubing. So square OD 3", about 5" of it. ID was perfect, just a hiar bigger than 71mm, for good support at 4 points around the TS hole, and the bushing fit right inside when pressed out. I used the Home Depot 2" conduit thing that PhaseP mentioned as a press tool, but just with a 2" pipe cap/plug. Those suckers were in tight though, used every bit of the 12 ton press getting them out. Took multiple huge pops at full force to get them out. No way you could do this with a hand wrench type tool. Pressing in the Strongflex bushings I used a metal jack pad/cup off of a floor jack, upside down. Worked perfectly. Word of caution: when you lube up the TS outer lip, inner surface, and the bushing to press it in, be super careful to not stand in front of the press, or have anything you care about within about 50 feet of it. I knew this ahead of time so I set it up on my deck with all the cars and bikes far away, then stood well to the side while pressing. Good thing too, one of them let go while pressing and the bushing + jack cup shot out about 30 ft. That would have hurt standing in front, and would have dented the shit out of my car or bikes had I done it in the garage where the press usually sits. All good though, put the car back together and the test drive was bliss. Now I just hope that liquid squirting everywhere was from the bushing and not something else. I did not have time to replace the control arms, mainly because the ball joint tool I have sucks and I barely managed to get the TS off its ball joint using it. I need a better tool for the ball joint on the CA. Anyway highly worthwhile mod. Steering on my XI is now approaching the feel of my mildy modded E36 M3 (koni/eibach pro-kit springs and bars)which is saying something. No squeaking or harshness at all. I did make sure to carefully lube both the inner side of the TS hole + lip, outer surface of the bushings, and the inner bushing hole sleeve surface with the supplied graphite lube. Other mods on the XI are Koni Yellows + Eibach pro kit front/ZSP rear springs, UUC front bar, M3 rear bar and bushings, Powerflex yellow upper rear shock mounts, and whiteline rear subframe bushing inserts. I only drove it about 20 miles but already thinking the rear now feels a bit more compliant than the front. At some point will do real subframe bushings and some other tweaks. For now very pleased with this mod. Last edited by ajsalida; 09-08-2015 at 06:40 PM.. |
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09-08-2015, 07:13 PM | #57 | |
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09-08-2015, 07:20 PM | #58 | |
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I will wait on full rear subframe bushings until I get an LSD, probably solid or delrin, anD some M3 arms. The whiteline inserts made a big difference at first but I've progressed in other areas so now the rear is feeling a bit soft again relatively speaking. |
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09-08-2015, 10:10 PM | #59 | ||
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09-09-2015, 04:55 AM | #60 | |
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I installed most of my other susp mods prior to the UUC front bar. With the stock bar and rear M3 bar, car had far too much oversteer for my taste. It was fun for a few days but it was clear it needed more front bar to balance out. I tend to like to set up street cars with softer springs and bigger bars (relatively), and like I said earlier I have a mixed eibach/ZSP spring set. If you have stiffer springs then these comments might not apply so much. I was happy to find that the Strongflex bushings did not add any harshness, which can happen when you start going poly with bushings. It is easy to wreck a car's street manners with too much stiffness, but that does not seem to be the case with the e9x chassis, there is so much rubber and compliance built in from the factory. Still it is a fine line and I don't want to cross it. Roads where I live are terrible and the winters harsh. |
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09-09-2015, 04:08 PM | #61 | ||
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09-09-2015, 07:19 PM | #62 |
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I would def give the UUC bar a try. Stock springs are pretty tall and stock bar is weak, so you'll reduce a lot of body roll and corner weight transfer in front. McP strut susp is weird, adding a front bar often lets the tire stay more vertical and in contact with the pavement better, so you get more ultimate front grip not less. Better way to say it is with a front and rear bar, the tires are getting all the grip they can. Once that is happening you can fine tune over vs. understeer.
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09-09-2015, 07:22 PM | #63 | |
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09-10-2015, 04:51 AM | #64 | |
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It would be nice to have a transfer case upgrade if one existed, more for function than strength (like a true center diff for example that you could turn on/off or set at a %). All in all the AWD components on XI seems pretty robust if pretty simple. You read about a few TC and front diff failures but it doesn't seem correlated with higher power levels. IIRC the guy who ran 11.3 1/4 mile in his XI at 600+ AWHP broke his front driveshaft and axles on a 1.5 sec 60 ft time for example, but not the TC or diff. People break rear axles all the time too. AT is weak above 500-550 WTQ if you have one, and people have been desperately looking for a fix for that for years. TCU is heavily encrypted though. But that is an issue with RWD too. |
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09-10-2015, 04:07 PM | #65 |
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Did any of you have a slight vibration in the steering wheel or shimmy? I'm looking to replace my bushings, but thinking maybe just go with the front arms instead? Otherwise I'll order the strong flex yellow bushings. It seems like most of you are ordering only the front ones.
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09-10-2015, 05:15 PM | #66 | |
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