Ok thanks.
Found the tool for about $170 on eBay.
Will end up buying that one if I can't find a place here to rent the tool.

Buying that seems like a good idea. I would guess you could turn around and sell it "gently used" for $140 or so. Might even be cheaper than renting.

Oopsie, sometimes I assume the OP is in US. Here's something closer to home. BMW X5 E53 REAR SUBFRAME BUSH TOOL. Rent 7 days | eBay

Can't I just lube them up with them harmless grease to make them easy to install? That ebay tool comes with everything except one piece. I was thinking of buying that but bimmertoolrental or something like that lowered the price to 50.00 and I get to use it for 30 days. I dunno.

You can use soapy water, but nothing with petroleum in it. You don't want the bushing sliding around after you install them and you don't want the lube to degrade the bushings.

Therefore, get the tool via rental or purchase...

I used to rent the tool, but now my friend Young rents it if needed (TwinTurboGTR)

No you can't just grease the bushings, they need to be tightly in place in their canister. I lubed them with glass cleaner before pressing in.

And even if you use Powerflex (why at $500 I don't know) you'll still need the special tool to remove the stock bushings. Do it right and rent the tool to get the job done.

I recommend Meyle HD or Lemforder bushings.

Back when everyone had some in the house, we used to use hairspray to help the tight rubber parts - very slippery when wet, dries to be tacky.

Just imagine the look you'd get these days if you asked your SO if she has some hairspray...

Doesn't matter what lube is used the bushings will still be a press fit to get in place. You will need "the tool" or something fabricated to do the job the proper tool does. You can cut them out if you are careful but you will need a press tool to install the new ones.

Interesting - I'll keep that in mind if I need slippery then tacky.

I don't know at all whether this would work for this application, but in other applications where I've needed to fit a rubber piece in a tight fit and then want it to stay there, ...

I've used dishwashing soap (no water) or hand-pump soap. Concept is to be slippery during installation, then easily wash away with water once it is in place, leaving nothing behind and not harming the rubber, paint, plastic, etc.

:iagree: