Straight to the point, no annoying music, no nonsense, great job! All others could learn from you...

Your first indication of a control arm bushing problem is a "thump" heard when you stop the car and release the brake pedal. One bushing will go before the other, of course. Check your shocks and struts too. They may be shot but you don't realize it because the car is so tightly sprung.

You're the man, what a great guide. Like others I was told this was a 3 hour job and labour alone £200+. I know businesses need to make money but give a fair deal and don't treat me a like a mug and you'll my business. Needless to say I will be fitting them myself, thanks again for taking the time to make this video and help others.

I found that the crucial part is getting sufficient amounts of penetrating oil under the bushing. It wont get there easily cause the rubber is a very tight fit. So you have to help it by stabbing a bladed screw driver deep in between rubber and metal and then put the WD40 on it, then wiggle the screw driver around while putting more WD40 on it. Doing this on different points around the crontrol arm pin helps greasing the whole thing to a point where you can easily turn the bushing around the pin and pull it off. Dont rely on your popeye arms, rely on the grease! Same with getting the new bushings on the pin. I used silicone spray and they went on just by hand force.

I've done this before on my old '99 E46 and now my '04 needs it done. Having the car 6' in air is much different than 18" off the ground. If I had a 6' lift, yeah, it would be that easy but this guy didn't consider his audience and didn't demo it 18" off the ground instead. Much much more challenging. This video doesn't cut it for the 99.9% of us who don't have a 6' lift. Way to go Shupe! Not!

Great video. We had a real stubborn one on mine and managed to get the housing off by drilling throught the rubber at multiple points then get the last bit off with an angle grinder! Worked a treat!

I love the little suction noise it made when it popped off.

fantastic! I need to do this, this weekend. Amazing how simple it is, considering it is, arguably, the most amazing suspension system E V E R. cheers man

Thank you for video, I have been doing all of my own repairs could not afford BMW otherwise. I will soon have more money in car than it will ever be worth. Bottom line I like my car and driving is not so boring.

All I need is the lift! Great vid, so quick and simple, yet sounds like a mare job on forums.

Awesome video! I have a 2002 325i. I don't know if i need to do this, but when i do, i will use this vid. Dishwashing soap! That's AWESOME!

Need to do this job next week on my 2001 E46. Thanks for this awesome tutorial.

this video really helped, i just did this to my 2004 bmw 330Ci

I tried the method in the video today and while im sure I could of eventually got them off with force its alot of work to do it that way. What I did was take a punch tool to the front of the arm and then used a 3 jaw puller and impact gun. Came right off. As mentioned in one of the comments penetrating fluid does not easily get in there as I noticed when mine came off not the you prob need if using an impact gun. I do think that if you use silicone spray and get it lubed up im sure you can get the bushing off fairly easily. I thought I had silicone spray for the install but didnt so used the dishsoap method. while I did get it on it wasnt easy. I would think silicone spray would work better so best to get some. BTW I did this on jackstands so the people complaning they dont have a lift you can do this in your driveway. Local mechanic wanted $792 with parts and labor. I paid $72 for OE quality replacments from Rockauto but I see other brands selling for as low as $35.00 if on a budget. GL.

Sir, you are THE MAN!!!! Thank you so much!!!!

Thank you for the video, just what I was looking for. I was trying to figure out if the tire should be off the ground or not. Apparently it should be.

Ive done this job several times already and currently doing it again. Your best best is to invest in some gear puller. Takes 30 seconds and no effeort to take them off. Im having a harder time squizing new ones one

A mechanic next to my place quoted me $400 for this job, labor only, saying it's a 4 hour job.

I read in the manufacture manual that you have to let the car rest for 20 minutes before driving off so the bush can stay in the right position.

Great video. Would it be better to use a puller to remove the bushings?

Soap is crucial. I messed around for an hour before lubing the cab up easily sliding it on by hand.

I did mind exactly like you did it, but I use silicone to spray in the old bushing to help get it off. Came off very easily with the silicone. Used dish soap on the new ones and they popped right on, too easy.

Thanks for the help

Awesome show 👏..

Give you a like 👍for wearing eye safety or protection

Excellent job and video!!!

Well done

Big help! Thanks for posting.

Superclean underbody 👍

Great video man, you just saved me sub $300! Actually 300- 50= ~$250

Great video. Thanks for the help

Thanks!

Also the dish soap worked the best

well dont forget to do your wheel alignment after installing new bushes!

Cheers man, nice Vid.

Thanks. Nice work.

I'm about to do the same job and shoot a video for my channel. I would guess the reason the driver side was more difficult was the passenger side is usually worn the worst ergo easiest to remove :)

Made it look easy

Why dish soap and not silicone spray?

Nice way to do it.

Done this on my 330 ci yesterday and I advise anyone to do this on a ramp... nightmare doing it on the ground.. just makes it soo hard to get old one off and new one on... needless to say there were a few F's and Jeffs.... I wold also suggest getting wheel alignment checked after too as mine was out alot due to bush being so out..

I did this and when done my transition control doesn't work anymore, any suggestions?

hey what type of torque wrench is that and does that one also do inch lbs?? pls let me know. since i will be tackling my valve cover seals and gasket soon. thanks

Good job

That's fine if you buy the pre-pressed bushings, why not show how without them?

Can someone tell me if is a difference between the right one or left one or they are same? Because i have a bmw e46 and i need to know, someone just tell me that i need to change it and i dont know who it is the right one or the left and i dont want to buy the wrong one......

+shupe03a4, May I ask, why did you use dishsoap instead of grease? Isn't dishsoap corrosive? Plz advise.

Thanks for the video- they wanted $265 for that!?!?! I'll try it over the weekend save me $165 if I just buy some stands or a nice jack

... you know you can use a puller for that bushing instead of wrestling with it for so long.

A little water with the dish soap worked better for me. Slides easier

Every E46 I've done has a crossmember underneath where the car in the video has nothing. Did you remove something or are my cars different?? With the crossmember in place the whole control arm HAS to come out. :(

The dishwashing soap seems a little bizarre. Why not use a silicone lubricant or something else. Soap is not really designed to be a lubricant. Also, the hardest part of this by far, is getting the things off of the control arm. I thought about doing this job, but you need some good leverage it looks like.

you are a god

Mine were way tighter that’s that, had to have them pressed on by a shop

Nice! Thanks

@shupe03e4 can You write what value of force have you set on torque wrench ?

Hi Im wondering if its genuine BMW parts you installed ? If not could you tell me what brand it is ? thanks!

HI, Can you remember what level of torque you put into your torque wrench?

Is this work in 2005 BMW 325i?

is this work in bmw 320i 2002

I purchased mood Lower control arm bushings and this is my 3rd time changing them in about a few months any suggestions on anything else that I could possibly replace. I was considering buying a suspension kit that included new controls arms and bushings to see if that would help.

I could do air filter in 5 min!

They will come off without too much hassle he said .....

use grease it wont start squeaking after a week

I'm starting to feel it...gonna try these which come with bracket replacement as well: www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/Bushing/ES2642674/ $82. Where did you buy "rubber" only?

oh caddozzu senza guanti!

without a car lift, this job becomes a major p.i.t.a.!

Dear bonehead, 1. most people don't have a lift at home which precludes them from grabbing and yanking the LCAB like you did. 2. Also a simple claw puller usually does the trick for removal.

get to the gym dude lol