Subframe Bushing R&R Tool Rental

davintosh · #1 10-18-2012, 12:21 AM

July 16, 2013 Update: The tool is no longer available for rent. Sorry!

When I bought my X5, the subframe bushings were toast. I'd replaced the subframe bushings on my e32 before, and tried using my home-built puller on the X5 (after making some modifications) but found it just wasn't up to the task. So I broke down and bought the Baum Tools B334140X5 REAR AXLE CARRIER SUBFRAME BUSHING R&R tool set.

It's an awesome collection of machined metal bits that work together to make the job of replacing the subframe bushings relatively fast and easy. The tool is very heavy-duty, very easy to use, and no doubt will last through many, many subframe bushing removal/installs. Of course, replacing the subframe bushings is typically an every 100,000 mile deal, so it's unlikely I'll ever replace them again on this particular X5. Rather than selling it or letting it collect dust, I thought I'd make it available for rent & save you the expense of buying your own or worse, paying through the nose to have someone else do the work for you.

I'm trying to keep the rental terms pretty relaxed, but my desire to keep the the puller in serviceable condition, and to minimize my risk in sending it out requires some conditions...

The rental fee is $50 for the first week of use. If you need to keep it for more than a week, it's $10 for each subsequent day until the tool is returned.
The clock starts the day you receive the package and stops the day you ship it back & send me a tracking number.
Before I ship the tool to you, I ask that you send a deposit payment to me via PayPal of $300 (which is the replacement cost of the tool.) If PayPal doesn't work for you, let me know and we can discuss alternatives.
I'll send it out via USPS Priority Mail (insured, with delivery confirmation) at my cost at my earliest convenience; I'll shoot for the same day, but sometimes life gets in the way.
Once you receive it, you use it and care for it as if it were your own; when you're done, you clean it up, put it back in the provided packaging, and return the kit by the same method (you'll need to get a fresh box Priority Mail box from the Post Office for the return trip; they're free.)
When I receive the tool and verify its condition, I refund your deposit minus the rental fee.
For now, rental is limited to members residing in the US only. I have no idea what kind of hassles or delays would be involved in shipping to another country, so... I might change my mind later, but for now... Sorry!

One of the things that was a little lacking was a wrench to turn the bottom nut when removing or installing a bushing; I used a 15/16" open end wrench, but something with a ratcheting action would've made it far easier. So I purchased a 15/16" GearWrench ratcheting combination wrench to go with the kit. I sure wish I had bought it before doing mine! And this is probably as good a place to mention it as any; this puller is not designed to be used with power tools. It really doesn't take much effort to turn the wrench to get the old bushings out, so there's really no need for power tools anyway. An impact wrench, air or electric, will likely damage something, and if there's damage... I'd rather not have to find out how expensive replacement parts are for this thing, and I don't think you'd want to have to pay for them.

So that's pretty much it. If you're interested in renting this tool, pm me or email me at david dot g dot thornton at gmail dot com , and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able.

Here's a time-lapse video of me using the tool for the first time. Even with the trial and error of figuring out how it works, it only took about an hour to remove & replace the bushing on that corner. The others took less time. Hopefully watching this video will help you avoid some of the mistakes I made. I'm in the process of putting together step-by-step instructions; I'll probably include it in this thread. I'll include a printed copy of the minimal instructions that came with the tool, along with a photocopy of the page in the Bentley manual that covers the job.

2013-02-13 Update: I just finished adding a detailed instruction set for using this tool to remove and install the subframe bushings; click here to make the jump.