E85 - rear link replacement

[RobFo]

2003 Z4 E83 3.0 with sport suspension – replacing the rear lower link arms/bushes

Although my car has only 64k on the clock the rear ARB link bushes were identified as perishing/cracking at its recent MOT test. So, as an enthusiastic 69 yr old amateur I did my research, and decided to have a go at sorting the job myself. Here is how it went in case you are like minded with your E85.
Firstly, didn’t fancy trying to remove the old arms intact and press in new bushes, so bought a pair of new arms with bushes pre-fitted from Autodoc (Lemforder 271302 total cost £33 delivered)
Car jacked up 1 side at a time, put on axle stands, rear wheels off.
Top of link arms -13mm top nut/bolts removed, a bit fiddly, but ok using ratchet spanners (not enough room for sockets)
Bottom of link arms – angle grinder cut them off without issues, and old links/bushes removed.
New links bottom bush dosed with fairy liquid, also the ARB arm… then tried to push/lever/pry the new lower bush onto the ARB, but no chance, the new bush’s hole diameter is much smaller than the ARB bars diameter.
Much head scratching, so decided to undo the two 13mm nut/bolt ARB mounts, to allow the ARB to hang loose so as to get a better angle of attack to force each new link lower bush on. The ARB;s central mount bolts (13MM) were fiddly and awkward bolts to undo/remove, but just about doable. ARB was now in much better position to attack now – but still resisted me trying to push or lever the new link/bush on. Grrrr.
Then soaked the lower arm/bush in boiling water to soften the rubber bush – more Fairy liquid, but still no success.
My final move was to put a 12mm round iron bar (same diameter as ARB) in my workshop bench vice, and vigorously work the new bush over the bar, with load of fairy liquid, for several minutes, to slightly open the new bush’s rubber hole. Then quickly back under the car and with some force manually pushed the new link bushes on to the ARB – with success, phew, much relief.
On the home stretch now, just needed to reattach/bolt the ARB’s central bush mountings then with the help of a trolley jack under each wheel hub in turn to help line up the new link arms top bolt holes. But, whilst manoeuvring the ARB to its central bush points, one of the new link bushes slipped off the ARB – so please watch out for this, it made me nearly cry with frustration. Without this annoying glitch reassembly would have gone well, as indeed it did second time round.
Job done, much satisfaction, some bruised knuckles, and the odd forehead dent, but new links/bushes installed for £33, which I guess would have been £200+ if done by a local garage.