Sway bar front bushing brackets....
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- Posts: 1058
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:50 pm
Sway bar front bushing brackets....
The bolt that holds the bracket down is a real bitch to get out. There's little to know clearance. Once the bolt was out I could not get the bracket out as it was wedged in. I ended up forcing it out. Now with the new rubber bushing installed the part of the bracket where the bolt goes thru sits about 3/8" or more above the frame making it impossible to get the bolt started! Any ideas on how to resolve this? I tried holding the bracket down with a screwdriver but still cant get the bolt over enough to go into the hole.
1976 530i. BMW 59 Triumph TR3A(rolling resto). 67 Triumph TR4A(salvageable). 86 900S Winter car
You might try lubing up the rubber bushing so it's not fighting friction along with being compressed, but mostly I think it's perseverance and more cursing. Localized blood donation might even be involved.
Mike W.
1980 528i, 3.5 euro, 5 speed conversion
1981 528i, 3.6, Recaros and more. Project
1998 328is, quick and efficient, but not satisfying
2000 528iit, Vacation mobile/wife's grocery getter
1980 528i, 3.5 euro, 5 speed conversion
1981 528i, 3.6, Recaros and more. Project
1998 328is, quick and efficient, but not satisfying
2000 528iit, Vacation mobile/wife's grocery getter
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- Posts: 1058
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:50 pm
Bushing Bracket
Well I ordered new brackets. That might help. I may have bent the old ones out of shape? I cant see how the bracket is supposed to slide into that space with the bushing installed or is it easier to loosely install the bracket and then try to cram the lubricated bushing in?
1976 530i. BMW 59 Triumph TR3A(rolling resto). 67 Triumph TR4A(salvageable). 86 900S Winter car
- JodyStevens
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- Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
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- Posts: 1058
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:50 pm
Lowering subframe?
Is that a big job? What's involved in doing that?
1976 530i. BMW 59 Triumph TR3A(rolling resto). 67 Triumph TR4A(salvageable). 86 900S Winter car
Karl, are you sure you have the right bushings for your diameter sway bar i.e. bushing too thick and designed for smaller diam bar? Sounds like something is amiss with fitment or bracket alignment tab. IFIRC I slid the bushing under the bracket after the bracket tab was in place and before I put the bolt in. No struggle was required.
1981 Sapphire blue automatic
Hit 200k mi. on Fathers Day 2016!
250k October 2020
Family owned since new
Route 150 between Ojai and Santa Barbara
Hit 200k mi. on Fathers Day 2016!
250k October 2020
Family owned since new
Route 150 between Ojai and Santa Barbara
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- Posts: 1058
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:50 pm
Bushing bracket
I may have distorted the bracket or the tab when I got rough with it on removal. I ordered a couple of new brackets from Maximillian so I'll see how it goes when they come in.
1976 530i. BMW 59 Triumph TR3A(rolling resto). 67 Triumph TR4A(salvageable). 86 900S Winter car
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- Posts: 1058
- Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:50 pm
Sway bar bushing size...76 530i
You were right Randy. Can anyone confirm that the correct bushing size for my 76 530i is "22mm"RandyM wrote:Karl, are you sure you have the right bushings for your diameter sway bar i.e. bushing too thick and designed for smaller diam bar? Sounds like something is amiss with fitment or bracket alignment tab. IFIRC I slid the bushing under the bracket after the bracket tab was in place and before I put the bolt in. No struggle was required.
1976 530i. BMW 59 Triumph TR3A(rolling resto). 67 Triumph TR4A(salvageable). 86 900S Winter car
I suggest investing in a cheap pair of calipers to measure it. Or, use a crescent wrench like a micrometer, then measure the gap with a tape measure that has metric spacing.
To figure out how this stuff all goes together and deterine how to loosen stuff up, remember that diagrams are going to be more useful than asking questions. If diagrams like on Real OEM are not helpful, then asking for help interpreting the diagram is next. Some of the sway bar fasteners were not designed to be accessed while on the car. They were attached to the front suspension at the factory before the car body was lowered onto it.
To figure out how this stuff all goes together and deterine how to loosen stuff up, remember that diagrams are going to be more useful than asking questions. If diagrams like on Real OEM are not helpful, then asking for help interpreting the diagram is next. Some of the sway bar fasteners were not designed to be accessed while on the car. They were attached to the front suspension at the factory before the car body was lowered onto it.
Ron Dwyer
Milwaukee, Wi
14 Audi A8L TDI
03 530i
08 F150 4X4
Milwaukee, Wi
14 Audi A8L TDI
03 530i
08 F150 4X4
If the hole in the bushing is 23 and your bar is smaller it should be an easy/ slightly sloppy fit. Sounds like the problem is the bracket or your bar is bigger than 23. I used the crescent wrench method, with a precision metric crescent wrench of course, not a cheap sloppy one
1981 Sapphire blue automatic
Hit 200k mi. on Fathers Day 2016!
250k October 2020
Family owned since new
Route 150 between Ojai and Santa Barbara
Hit 200k mi. on Fathers Day 2016!
250k October 2020
Family owned since new
Route 150 between Ojai and Santa Barbara
Karl, if you haven't conquered your strut tower issue here's what worked for me on my E12/E24 Buster:
I have the style where the cross bar is tied to the mounts by bolts so, I unscrewed the cross-member and tightened only the bolt under it.
The other two I left a little loosie goosie to make sure everything else fit. Re-installed the cross-member & everything is honky-dory.
Good Luck,,,,Greg
I have the style where the cross bar is tied to the mounts by bolts so, I unscrewed the cross-member and tightened only the bolt under it.
The other two I left a little loosie goosie to make sure everything else fit. Re-installed the cross-member & everything is honky-dory.
Good Luck,,,,Greg
Rosallina/'80 528i
Buster/'82 635Euro
Hit the apex in Long Beach
Buster/'82 635Euro
Hit the apex in Long Beach