Front Control Arms - Load Suspension?

[cory58]

Good morning fellow E12 fans.

I plan to replace the front control arms on my 530i this weekend. Do I need to load the front suspension before tightening the inner bushing bolt? If so, has anyone using a 2-post lift loaded a front corner with a screw jack while also supporting the rear? I'm totally spoiled since having the lift for 4 years and getting too old to crawl up under cars on jack stands, but want to be safe.

Thanks!

Cory

[Mike W.]

Good morning fellow E12 fans.

I plan to replace the front control arms on my 530i this weekend. Do I need to load the front suspension before tightening the inner bushing bolt?
Thanks!

Cory

Yes.

[cory58]

Thank you.

[garyinwestoz]

If you watch M539 Restorations, Streten often torques up the suspension bushes with a preload, and he does this by first measuring the wheel height - relative to the wheel arch with car on the ground, then once car is in the air, Jacks up the wheel to that measurement, then torques the bolts/nuts.

Quite a smart way of doing it - kinda better than using ramps and thus having limit torque arm movement which is how Ive had to do it!

[cory58]

If you watch M539 Restorations, Streten often torques up the suspension bushes with a preload, and he does this by first measuring the wheel height - relative to the wheel arch with car on the ground, then once car is in the air, Jacks up the wheel to that measurement, then torques the bolts/nuts.

Quite a smart way of doing it - kinda better than using ramps and thus having limit torque arm movement which is how Ive had to do it!

Love M539 Restorations! Quit your day job and make videos working on BMWs all day - heaven.

Doesn't Streten perform the procedure you described with the car on his 4-post lift? I have a 2-post lift and am scared that loading a single corner enough will dangerously change the balance of the car on the lift. I put a screw jack under the rear of the car earlier this week and tried to load the LF with another screw jack. Applied as much pressure as I was comfortable with and barely moved the LF suspension. Since that was a fail, I just let it down, put the front on ramps and crawled under it. Barely enough room to swing the torque wrench and couldn't get enough force on it to apply the required torque. Torqued it as much as I could and called it a day.

Cory

[Mike W.]

Barely enough room to swing the torque wrench and couldn't get enough force on it to apply the required torque. Torqued it as much as I could and called it a day.

Cory

As long as you can get it tight enough not to slip once in the air, you can fully torque it in the air as you locked it in position already.

[cory58]

As long as you can get it tight enough not to slip once in the air, you can fully torque it in the air as you locked it in position already.

Excellent. Thank you.