Need to replace front control arm bushings

hello people
I am new here.....
I have a 02 330i and need to replace the front control arm bushings....
I have been looking into the bimmerworld powerflex bushings...any opinions on those?
Also, I live in burbank,ca....any one local or near that know a cheap place to get them done? Also looking to do a muffler delete..any ideas or advice...thank you very much any info will help

I have the powerflex and love them. huge difference much firmer. European Auto Source sells them.

Powerflex FTW.

^^^ what they said.

Check out Valencia European (see YELP ---> HERE ) I checked out his shop and I was delighted. His prices on parts and labor are awesome and he gave me a great feeling/impression. Bjorn is a really cool guy and his shop is worth checking out!

Really?

OE bushings...lemforder...or you'll be back.

Read some more, a lot more about bushings. Unless you're planning on replacing a lot of more stuff to have a smooth ride, OE.

Maybe you can search to see if there's an M bushing that will fit your car.

But what do I know? I'm not really a bmw engineer; you probably could just toss any type of bushing on, even Delrin or solid aluminum (yes, somewhere they make these!).

Ours are made the way they are for a reason. If you want to drive a bmw and know how one is supposed to handle, go OE, and wash your car for even thinking about Poly!

Srs, though. I think you should seriously consider ignoring popular wisdom and just trust me!

Read about 100 of my posts and 100 of the posts from others here and then decide. BTW, some of those posts you see that make you wonder? My 15 year old got on my PC and did those...especially the ones on Furries.

I havent been back yet with poly.

Originally Posted by dmax

Really?

OE bushings...lemforder...or you'll be back.

Read some more, a lot more about bushings. Unless you're planning on replacing a lot of more stuff to have a smooth ride, OE.

Maybe you can search to see if. there's an M bushing that will fit. your car.

But what do I know? I'm not really a bmw engineer; you probably could just toss any type of bushing on, even Delrin or solid aluminum (yes, somewhere they make these!).

Ours are made the way they are for a reason. If you want to drive a bmw and know how one is supposed to handle, go OE, and wash your car for even thinking about Poly!

Srs, though. I think you should seriously consider ignoring popular wisdom and just trust me!

Read about 100 of my posts and 100 of the posts from others here and then decide. BTW, some of those posts you see that make you wonder? My 15 year old got on my PC and did those...especially the ones on Furries.

What's wrong with poly? I understand that it creates somewhat of a firmer ride, but its hardly noticeable. Thanks!

Sent from my HERO200 using Bimmer App

Powerflex last longer..

Originally Posted by louie586

What's wrong with poly? I understand that it creates somewhat of a firmer ride, but its hardly noticeable. Thanks!

Sent from my HERO200 using Bimmer App

You make it stiffer there, and that translates into less forgiveness down the line.

Unless you're racing, my thinking is oe is fine for tracking and much better for the road.

Many poly fans seem to live where it's warm, and that might have something to do with them liking them too. The roads are smoother and the bushing would be naturally softer from the temp...I'd think (to some small extent).

These bushings, in my mind, are one of the first lines of defense between the road and the car's other parts. There is a reason the bushing is designed the way it is, and designed out of what it is. If you don't understand why, then either become an engineer and work for BMW, or just trust what they say.

Bushings, wherever they are, are usually to insulate the car from the road...sway bar, motor/trans mounts, guibo, real axle/diff...ball joints have bushings hiding in them too.

I think they're there for a reason.

Okay, that's enough of my minority view. I make a lot of sense, but I know it's unrecognized here.

Anyone know a nice place to take a random drive today in NJ, around NYC?

to on AVERAGE driver, its unnoticeable. I feel like every bump I hit with the powerflex bushings, I feel it pretty hard.

Good to know. I live in MI (potholes galore) and need to change my FCAB's...looks like I'll be going OE.

Sent from my HERO200 using Bimmer App

thank you everyone for the advice....
I use my car as a daily drive, but do plan on doing some modifications to it.
I will try the powerflex bushings out...I was hoping to hear from those who have them on their car...short term and long term reviews.....
Also, how much would it cost for a muffler delete...any shops in the los angeles county area....and advice on best setup for that...
I know there are 3 seperate mufflers....thanks guys I am new to this whole thing and am thankful for your replies

3 seperate mufflers? From what I know, I have 1 huge one just before the tail pipe

Originally Posted by dmax

You make it stiffer there, and that translates into less forgiveness down the line.

Unless you're racing, my thinking is oe is fine for tracking and much better for the road.

Many poly fans seem to live where it's warm, and that might have something to do with them liking them too. The roads are smoother and the bushing would be naturally softer from the temp...I'd think (to some small extent).

These bushings, in my mind, are one of the first lines of defense between the road and the car's other parts. There is a reason the bushing is designed the way it is, and designed out of what it is. If you don't understand why, then either become an engineer and work for BMW, or just trust what they say.

Bushings, wherever they are, are usually to insulate the car from the road...sway bar, motor/trans mounts, guibo, real axle/diff...ball joints have bushings hiding in them too.

I think they're there for a reason.

Okay, that's enough of my minority view. I make a lot of sense, but I know it's unrecognized here....

And your passengers will appreciate it even if you don't.

Originally Posted by dmax

....a nice place to take a random drive today in NJ, around NYC?

That's an oxymoron

I think the simple way of looking at it is f=kx. Where k is the spring constant and x is the amount of compression of the bushing when hitting a bump in the road. By using a poly based bushing as oppose to the OEM rubber the spring constant is higher for the poly's. If the force from the bump is the same with a larger k the less the compression of the bushing, resulting in more force transfer from the bump to the rest of the car. I wondering though what failure would look like in a poly based bushing... it could get real ugly. Rubber wears and is less brittle. if a poly based could crack somehow that would be bad. Im replacing the RCAB on my m3 soon. I need a shop i can fix it myself to save money! Jeez

I have power flex bushings and love em. They are a little stiffer than stock,but I think you feel the road better.. Good luck

My lemforder cabs failed after 14 mo. Because I live in Wisc, and drive on bad roads, and have a lowered car, should I just expect to replace that part yearly? Obviously, BMW didn't take into account that someone MIGHT change their suspension geometry, so they MUST be all-knowing. So yeah, I should just keep putting on lemforder rubber every year instead of looking for another solution. But hey, what do I know. I make a lot of sense, but it might go unrecognized.

But seriously, from what I have read, you want to look at two variables: geometry and road conditions. If you are at stock height and your roads are smooth, go with OEM. If you are lowered and rough roads, consider poly.

I am looking for a low cost shop that can change my front control arm bushings...thank you guys for all the advice...I live in burbank,ca....how much should it cost to get them replaced? I am going with the powerflex bushings...I found them cheap on bimmerworld.com...does anyone know of local retailers?

thank you!