Powerflex FCAB's Installed and Alignment Done Today

[mimalmo]

If you've ever spent some time on E46 Fanatics researching any technical stuff, there's a good chance you came across a post by Seth from JB Eurotech. Seth is one of the most knowledgeable guys in the country when it comes to the E46 (and many other BMW's). I am fortunate to have JB Eurotech as my local independent BMW repair shop.

I was experiencing a little shimmy at low speeds and some very un-BMW-like squirming during hard braking. My suspicion was that the front control arm bushings were going bad. I did a little research and found that for my needs the Powerflex bushings looked to be the best option.

I also needed an alignment (was overdue in fact) so when Seth called me to chi-chat on some other stuff a couple weeks ago I mentioned that I needed an alignment. He asked what else I wanted done and when I mentioned the FCAB's, he recommended getting those done before the alignment.

Well, I got it all done today and I am VERY pleased with the results. The car tracks straight and true & the shimmy is gone from the front. The turn-in is sharp and crisp like it was when I first bought the car. I highly recommend the Powerflex bushings.


BTW, here's a look at the sweet alignment setup that JB Eurotech uses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goSg-PUMPQs

[danewilson77]

Good deal Eli....is there a pic there?

[mimalmo]

It's a YouTube vid Dane. You surfing from behind a firewall?

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Yep. I see the YouTube video. It's titled: Touchless Alignment Equipment from JB Eurotech

[danewilson77]

Droid isn't picking it up. I'll swing by YouTube...

[Linh]

Are the Powerflex made of rubber or poly?

Been researching on fcab/rtab's and seems like there is a huge debate on using poly vs. rubber.

[mimalmo]

Polyurethane

[danewilson77]

I have heard the Powerflex are a bit of a harsher ride? What do you think Eli?

[mimalmo]

It's true that poly bushings are going to be stiffer than rubber. In this case, the poly is the best choice for my setup because of my KW coilovers and my sporting driving style versus a more relaxed drive.

I wouldn't call them harsh at all.

[Alphatek45]

Last time I replaced bushings in a car ( a fox body mustang) I was advised to go polyhraphite vs polyurethane to avoid squeaking. Any truth?

[mimalmo]

Use the correct grease and no squeaks

[Mtnman]

im thinking i may need this done too. What kind of $ are we talking about for bushings & how much labor time? (if you dont mind sharing)

[mimalmo]

Not at all. I bought the bushings that were pre-pressed into new carriers for $150 from ModBargains. Install was $90. It's basic enough that I would have done it myself but I don't have an airgun and didn't feel like working in the cold. I'm hoping to get both a heater and a compressor by this time next year.

[danewilson77]

OK....great info Eli

[murph]

Agreed with Eli's assessment.

I found the difference between powerflex and stock to be less than that of moving from 17" to 18" wheels, even on the crappy streets of Minneapolis.

After two+ years, 45,000ish miles, a lot of autocrossing, and two MN winters my powerflex bushings were not squeaking, so I'd say that's a good sign.

Powerflex FCABs FTW. =]

The only issue I ran into is that the powerflex bushing carrier was a hair bigger than stock (the metal part) and so it would contact the cross-brace when the car twisted up a driveway or similar. I don't think this is an issue for ZHPs, as the cross-brace was redesigned in 2002+ 330's.

[MasterC17]

I couldn't decide between Meyle & Powerflex FCAB's. Ended up going Meyle but kind of wish I had gone Powerflex. Not that the Meyle are bad - they've been fine.