Treehouse Racing - Control Arm Bushings

[m3f_PurduinaM3_5769f9ad51]

Increasing camber helps reduce understeer on this chassis, however more caster isn't necessarily a good thing. For one, you will be much more prone to rubbing up front during hard cornering now.

[m3f_284Shooter_adbe12252d]

Bushing? Looks like a solid piece of metal to me. :clueless:



They look bad, but the ride quality isn't significantly reduced. The only time I notice any additional NVH is on gravel or on a really pocked/crumbling road. I didn't notice much, if any, difference between my stock LCAB's and the Treehouse eyeballs. I went into these already having Bilstein sports/H&R sports, so the ride was already significantly stiffer then stock.



I have a '95 with reversed 96+ reversed hats and I gained .2* caster on each side. My stock LCAB'S were just starting to crack and I had to go to SPC rear arms to correct my camber, so figured I might just as well knock them out and save money on alignments.



I'd add that the roads in TN are generally pretty good. The quality of the roads and the suspension set-up are obvioulsy going to have a huge impact on how these "feel" on the car.



For one, you will be much more prone to rubbing up front during hard cornering now.



How?

[m3f_pbonsalb_ba5494e5cb]

I am curious to learn more details on the THR LCAB install on a 96-99 car with Vorshlag plates. I have a 99M3 with TCK SA Coilovers and Vorshlag plates and my Powerflex LCAB have some cracks at 40k miles.



How have you adjusted the Vorshlag plates? What camber and castor do you run? What wheels and tires are you running? What ride height?

[m3f_PurduinaM3_5769f9ad51]

How?



The additional caster pushes the front wheels too far forward in the wheel well, causing the tire to rub on either the front fender liner or the fender itself depending on tire size and how lowered the car is.



If you really want to run the TRB on your 96-99 car, the PROPER way to do it is to run the 95 LCA's with them.

[m3f_284Shooter_adbe12252d]

The additional caster pushes the front wheels too far forward in the wheel well, causing the tire to rub on either the front fender liner or the fender itself depending on tire size and how lowered the car is.



If you really want to run the TRB on your 96-99 car, the PROPER way to do it is to run the 95 LCA's with them.



Next time I see "Baltimore's" car I think I'm going to measure his wheel from center to front fender liner. I'll check one of the stock 96+ cars at Treehouse to see what their measurement is. The eyeballs doesn't appear to move the tires centerline, but I could be wrong. It's an easy thing to measure, and if he wants to jack the car back up we can check each FCAB measurement from the hub's center. Maybe I can check at the shop.



There's no way the his fronts will rub. The Dinan stage III he is running has a decent ride hight up front. The only way his tire is going to hit his fenders is if his front end is under a truck. Someone who's running H&R race springs or slammed CO's,, that might be a different story.



I'll check back with measurements.

[m3f_grke36m3]

sorry for bringing up such a old thread but i have a 98 m3 thats due for some new bushings and i wanted the thr ones i have billy hd shocks with stock springs will i be ok to run these bushings?

[m3f_das borgen_362acec4fe]

sorry for bringing up such a old thread but i have a 98 m3 thats due for some new bushings and i wanted the thr ones i have billy hd shocks with stock springs will i be ok to run these bushings?



they will be........drive on the street? if so, I don t recomment delrin bushings

[m3f_epj3_d2e882815a]

sorry for bringing up such a old thread but i have a 98 m3 thats due for some new bushings and i wanted the thr ones i have billy hd shocks with stock springs will i be ok to run these bushings?



Honestly, a lot of us have had good luck with Powerflex control arm bushings from bimmerworld. I'll be installing my second set - after 50,000 miles, my original powerflex are getting a bit hard and squeaky.

[m3f_JPoland_e17b491a3d]

Honestly, a lot of us have had good luck with Powerflex control arm bushings from bimmerworld. I'll be installing my second set - after 50,000 miles, my original powerflex are getting a bit hard and squeaky.



+1 here. I have had my powerflex FCABs on for a while now and even though I have AKGs to replace them, I just have zero reason to justify pulling the powerflex off. They have been working so well for me and they are a peach to install.

[m3f_OahuMPower_17503f01cd]

AKG FTW


http://www.akgmotorsport.com/catalog/catalog.php?page=4&category=e36%20Suspension%2FBus hings

[m3f_das borgen_362acec4fe]

+1 here. I have had my powerflex FCABs on for a while now and even though I have AKGs to replace them, I just have zero reason to justify pulling the powerflex off. They have been working so well for me and they are a peach to install.



Georgia Peach?











agreed, my powerflexes haven t squeaked yet in 30k miles.....when they do, I will be lubing them with silicone grease

[m3f_grke36m3]

The akg ones look off centered so they add some caster. is that what i want for a 95+m3 on stock suspention will it be to much caster?

[m3f_OahuMPower_17503f01cd]

95 M3 = offset bushings

96-99 = centered bushings

[m3f_pbonsalb_ba5494e5cb]

My Powerflex were cracked after 40k miles. I bought another set of Powerflex that I still have, but decided to go with Delrin instead. I used Turner's delrin bushings because my car is a 99M3 that has the centered bushing and also has 255/40/17 front tires. The Treehouse are only available in offset that would likely cause trouble with clearance up front and the the 96-99 suspension geometry. With smaller tires, I would have run the Treehouse even though my car is a 96-99.

[m3f_grke36m3]

95 M3 = offset bushings

96-99 = centered bushings



same goes for powerflex right?