Rogue Engineering Front Control Arm Bushings

[Caddyshk]

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

Have the RTABs sitting on the bench.

Source?

[Shipkiller]

Originally Posted by Caddyshk

Source?

If you are talking about the RTABs:

http://store.bimmerworld.com/powerfl...-rtab-p91.aspx

[Caddyshk]

Originally Posted by Shipkiller

If you are talking about the RTABs:

http://store.bimmerworld.com/powerfl...-rtab-p91.aspx

Is Ian using the same? Looking for options here... the FCAB's are rich...

[inTgr8r]

I went with the R.Eng. That have silicone added to the compound formula.

[Caddyshk]

Which compound?

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by Caddyshk

Which compound?

Black.
Thought about the race but thought they may be too stiff.


On the RTAB topic....
I often wonder how many lowered cars there are on OE RTABs that have never adjusted their preload.

[Caddyshk]

Ordered from RE. Expensive evening

[Shipkiller]

It's only money. You will make more....

[Finnegan]

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by Shipkiller

It's only money. You will make more....

Says the guy bragging about his $14 bushings.

[O-cha]

The reinforcement plate tightening on the ground thing is just in case there's any flex in the air. It's meant to be tightened down so the load on it are neutral, that way it does it;s job the best.

If there's some load on it and the chassis flexes the opposite way... not as effective. It's an engineers theoretic, no very important in practice.

[Shipkiller]

Well, I attempted (operative word) to replace my OEM FCABs with poly units.

I started Sat, and ended up putting the original bushing back in on Sunday. I even had to manufacture a 'special tool' to do this but no go. Started early Saturday, stopped at 10:30PM. Back at it at 0800 on Sunday. By 0900 I made the decision this would not work so pull the new bushing and put the old on back in.

I could not get the new FCAB to rotate enough to allow the two countersunk holes to line up with the chassis... they were just too stiff. The OEM unit took 5 minutes to reattach.... I may pay someone to do this.

All this and I did not even start on the other maintenance I needed to do.. new power steering hose (non-pressure) and Nordlocks on my right side engine mount arm. Both are now finished.

[inTgr8r]

If they are THAT stiff, what is the result going to be on the suspension.
Maybe I'm not seeing it, but I cant understand why that axial load should be there at all, never mnd making it stiffer.

[Shipkiller]

The main issue (after I figured out how to do this whole thing) was once the FCAB was on the A-arm, and you push it up to the chassis, the mount point "ear" was rotated to the right or up about 20'. I could not rotate it back so the lower hole would line up so both would seat.

I had to make tool, very similar to the BMW tool, that jacks the FCAB onto the A-arm. I bought some 3/16 bar stock and 5/16' all-thread from Home Depot, cut the bar into two 6" sections, drilled two holes in each and then cut the all-thread into two 12" lengths. This jacks the FCAB onto the A-Arm very nicely.. This gave me an excuse to use my new chop saw I bought at Harbor Freight....

[inTgr8r]

what if you take off the strut, then the A arm can rotate freely through the whole range of travel to pop it onto the chassis.

[Shipkiller]

Yea, that might work.

If I feel froggy tomorrow, I may do that.

[pal]

Shipkiller- I had the same experience when unsuccessfully trying to install Tree FCABs on a friends' e30 a few years ago so am sticking to stock unless someone makes an offset bushing specifically for our car.

Top tip for poly RTABs install is to throw them in the freezer for an hour before install and they will slide right in with enough space for silicone lube. 2 years later they still dont squeak.

[Shipkiller]

Pal,

After manufacturing a tool like the BMW one, this one goes on slicker than snot. It is just getting the bushing mount, mounting holes to line up. PITA.
Manufacturing that 'special tool' took all of 45min..

I talked to my local shop today. I have a few more avenues open to me. I need to get these done this weekend because I have an alignment scheduled for Tuesday, then I am at NCCAR on Saturday.

But of course, this may all come to naught. I may have to travel to CT. this Sunday for three weeks. Well, I was told I was going, but I am going to balk since my daughter is due (baby) any time after Thursday....

[Shipkiller]

Well, now both are on the car. The one piece units need two persons to get them on.

Oh, Pal, these were offset bushings.

[pal]

Originally Posted by Shipkiller

Well, now both are on the car. The one piece units need two persons to get them on.

Oh, Pal, these were offset bushings.

Glad you got them on. Any pictures of the offset bushing installed in the FCAB before install? I have a spare set of FCABs (original set) that I want to use for replacement bushings.

[Shipkiller]

I have a few pictures but when it started to get really hard, I just forgot to take any.

I think these are actually Whiteline N52606 bushings. These are very stout.




The bushings on the car before removal.


I have a three jaw puller. Pulls the bushing right off..


Pressing out the bushing.




Cleaning up the carrier. Removing burrs and such.


Placing and aligning the new bushing to be pressed back into the carrier. The alignment mark on the bushing must be aligned with the alignment mark on the carrier.


Because the bushing fits rather snug on the end of the control arm (worse than a virgin on prom night), you need a tool to get them on the arm. A HAMMER is not enough and you risk damaging the ball joints on the control arm.

I manufactured a tool similar to the $200 BMW tool for $8.00 in parts from HomeDepot. It only took around 45 minutes to make.

[inTgr8r]

Putting the bushing back on the control arm was one thing that was very easy with the Super-Flex bushings.
The inner part of the bsh was shaped exactly like the control arm where it makes the transition from hex.
They were very snug, but I was able to push them on by hand.