How much of a job is it to replace the control arm bushings on an R50 Justa? My steering/front end feels good right now, but I want to change out the OEM rubber bushings for Powerflex replacements in the near future. Coop has approx 46000 on the clock.
If you are at the Dragon this year Helix and Detroit and the other vendor can do this for you. I forget the cost but if you put OEM in or have OEM ones still in they have most likely failed already. At 46 K I bet the ones you are on have already failed. ***UPDATE *** I looked up the bushing on the helix site and they are only $86.13. Not sure about install cost but you could call them. 267-335-4337 http://store.helix13.com/powerflex-lower-control-arm-street-bushings/
Dave.O Thanks for that. Unfortunately, I will not be at the Dragon. I am scheduled to work every other weekend (tool & die maker at an OEM supplier), and I usually work at least one of the days that I am scheduled off. Family to support. MINI, Wife, Kids, Pets, you know:wink: I was thinking of buying from someone like WMW,or Detroit, and buying the bushings already pressed in, on a core/exchange basis.
Its a lot of work but not hard. The easiest way is to drop the subframe. It sounds hard but its the easiest way to get to the bushings. Also you can order them from Detroit Tuned pre pressed. Thats what I did. I would say this takes a little above average skills. Maybe just average skills.
I had Blue Mohawk from Helix do mine at the dragon a couple of years ago. I didn't watch that close, but I'm sure he did not drop the sub-frame. You are close to Detroit Tuned. You might want to head up there & have Chad install them for you.
The Blue Mohawk guy is Mike from Helix and Mike and Eric do all the work on my car. Mike has the replacement of the LCB's down to a science and can do it without dropping the sub-frame. He did mine a few years ago at Helix.
You don't have to pull the subframe down, but you can't access one of the bolts to get the bracket off. So you have to take the control arm off then press the bushing out with it on the car. Or use a torch and air hammer to get the old one out of the bracket and press the new one in. I do not need to be on my back with a torch and air hammer. That would lead to a trip to the emergency room. :frown2: I wish I had the Blue Mohawk guy here but all I have is my 21 year old daughter. She did die her hair blue but she does not do control arm bushings.
I know Eric, but Mike's name escaped my memory. :crazy: Great folks, I highly recommend them. Two arthritic thumbs up.
I changed the bushings on my R53. Here are some threads I posted when I was doing it. Hopefully, something will be useful for you. http://www.motoringalliance.com/forums/cooper-s/19434-got-subframe-out-now-what.html#axzz32xso8d2m http://www.motoringalliance.com/forums/cooper-s/19487-subframes-goin-back.html#axzz32xso8d2m
Anyone care to describe the symptoms of bad bushings? Black Top has 93K on her and I would bet the original bushings are still all she has.
At that mileage you bushing are dust. I had a few clunks in the front end at odd times. What I really noticed was how much tighter the front end was with the new Powerflex bushings in there. Night & day difference.
On mine, when the bushings were worn, I noticed that it tended to dart quickly in some direction on acceleration, and dart the other way when I lifted off the throttle. Look on youtube for videos on how to literally kick the front tire to see the looseness in the front suspension. Also, the MINI tends to self straighten after turning. With worn bushings, I had to straighten the wheel manually after making a turn. At 93K miles, I'd bet your bushings are completely worn out. I had my bushings replaced under warranty at about 40K miles. I put in a set of Powerflex polyurethane bushings last September at 96K miles. I dropped my subframe, removed my bushing housings, took them to Way Motor Works and they pressed out the old worn bushings and pressed in a set of the Powerflex bushings. While I had it apart, I replaced both sets of ball joints, and the difference was amazing. I live about only 90 miles from Way's Shop, so I took a Friday off and drove down to buy my parts. You can read up on the procedure in the Library and in my threads to decide if you want to tackle it yourself. Except for warranty work, I've done my own maintenance, repairs, and mods since '85 on all of my cars. The job is a little tedious, and a lot has to come apart, but all of it is pretty straightforward. You can do this with the car up on jackstands, but I have an EZ Car Lift which can raise the car 26". It's steady as a rock and very easy to use. If you're space constrained and have a low ceiling, it's a great thing to have in your shop. My shop is a little small, and I'm a packrat, so I don't have space for a hydraulic shop press. Any shop with a press should be able to press out the old bushings and press in the new ones for a small fee. You can cut the old bushings out with a Sawzall and press the new ones in with a homemade rig with threaded rod and washers if you really want to save $40. Read the articles in the Library (which are great), but if you decide to do this job, get the Bentley manual. It's easily worth every penny. This CAN be done without dropping the subframe, but in my opinion, it's easier to just drop the subframe, and while you're in there, put in a new steering rack bushing, a set of ball joints, sway bar bushings, and change your transmission oil while you're under there. A new O-ring for the crank position sensor is also a good idea while you have the front end in Service Mode. It's about $2 and five minutes while the car is apart.
Thanks Rawhyde! A very thorough answer. I'm not noticing much of the symptoms you mention, though I do notice that there's a little pull or twitch of the wheel if I have it in gear, let off the gas and then put the gas back on without clutching. Alas, I'm not 1/10th the mechanic you are, so I'm very likely looking at putting Black Top in the shop to do this. And I'm not anywhere near any of the big name Mini shops, so I'll be relying on my regular mechanic. Man, I wish I had complete service records for the car! I'm not noticing much of the symptoms you mention, though I do notice that there's a little pull or twitch of the wheel if I have it in gear, let off the gas and then put the gas back on without clutching. On the plus side, I know the transmission was disassembled & checked less than 3000 miles ago when the clutch was replaced, so that fluid doesn't need changing.
Thanks for the kind words. I usually ramble on a bit too much... If you're not experiencing the symptoms I described and you're not really failing the "kick the tire" test, it makes me think that the bushings might have been replaced while the subframe was out for your transmission work. If you can get under the car safely with a good light, try to get a good look at the bushings. When they are deteriorated, it's usually easy to see. Here are some pics of mine, and they were in pretty sad shape.
If you don't mind more novice questions: What should I look for on the exterior, with the whole suspension still in place? There is a chance I'll end up putting Black Top up on jack stands Sunday afternoon and take the tires off to apply sound deadening in the wheel wells. But seriously, I've changed <12 spark plugs in my life so I'm not going to start tearing down my suspension on a daily driver.
Look for torn rubber parts, oil or grease leaking on anything, and look for signs of any of the rubber dry rotting. Grab everything and give it a good strong shake to see if anything is loose.