Xoutpost.com - View Single Post - COVID-19 Quarantined or Stay At Home X5 Projects

blackknight530i · #**200** 04-27-2020, 09:41 AM

So, this weekend, my buddy and I practiced social distancing while replacing every bushing and arm on the rear end of my X5 4.8is, except for the subframe bushings and shocks. I also had purchased the Lemforder swing arm bushings, so we got a chance to do those for the first time ever. I've done rear suspension on at least 5 e39s, so I was quite familiar with the process, but this was the first time changing the swing arm bushings and those were quite a pain. We even went and bought a new 20 ton press as my 12 ton wasn't really doing the job.

Tips we learned:

-You can press out the bushings with the larger center (less rubber) fairly easily with a 36mm impact socket (Morello or something like that bought from Amazon for removing a rear output flange on a M5 transmission)

-To remove the other bushing, we found that drilling out the rubber first, then pressing the center out, then using an air chisel made quick work of removing them. Every time we tried a socket to press them out, the socket went in crooked and mangled the bushing, which then made it near impossible to remove.

-Pressing in the new bushing with the larger center goes pretty easy with a flat plate on the bottom and a flat plate on top applying even pressure. The outer shell will kind of find its way into the hole and start squeezing in, but you can also use some large channel locks to push in any edge that doesn't go in easily. I highly suggest putting a decent amount of grease on the edge of the bushing and the hole in the swing arm.

-For the bushing with the large split, this was a decent bit more difficult, but mainly because of the clamps we tried to use. You can get by with a normal 2" hose clamp, but make sure it is a quality one and preferably a t-bolt style clamp if you can order one ahead of time (none in stock around here on a weekend). Clamp at the middle of the bushing until the rubber on either side of the wedge cutout is touching. You won't be able to get it to compress enough to close the metal together, so don't try (ask me how I know, LOL). Once you have it compressed, just press it in using the same method as the other bushing, using the channel locks to squeeze in edges that try to poke out. Once it's started in the hole, you can remove the clamp.

-With both bushings, when you get them started in most of the way, add a cup type receiver to the bottom that fits the ring of the swing arm hole. This will make sure that the center, which protrudes out of both ends, has the space to allow you to push the bushing in fully. I used the large receiver cup from my rear ball joint tool, which fit perfectly.

So, new swing arm bushings, ball joints, integral links, upper control arms, sway bar bushings and endlinks. I had already done the front end suspension rebuild, but hadn't done the front sway bar bushings yet, so knocked those out as well. The X5 was then dropped off at my buddy's shop for valve stem seal repair, gaskets, spark plugs, front tie rod ends (ran out of time), and alignment. A very productive quarantine weekend.

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