MINI Cooper R50 - R53 Control Arm Bushing and Ball Joint Replacement

Описание: The MINI uses control arms in the front suspension that integrate three joints: two ball joints, and one rear rubber bushing contained in an outer bracket.

Many suspension problems can be traced back to worn out control arm ball joints or bushings. Shaking of the steering wheel at high speeds is a good indicator that the control arm bushings are worn, the ball joints are worn, or the control arm itself has become bent. If you are replacing the wishbone bushings and are upgrading to stiffer shocks and springs, you may want to replace the stock rubber bushings with a set of polyurethane ones. These bushings are more heavy duty than the stock ones and will help in keeping the suspension settings of the car more precise under heavy cornering.

One of the principle components of the front suspension on the MINI are the ball joints. These joints, located at the front inner and outer points of the control arm, help the entire assembly pivot and rotate as the control arm turns and pivots, and the suspension rides up and down. Needless to say, these critical components can wear out over time, and should be replaced every 100,000 miles or so or if the front suspension is beginning to feel a little wobbly.

In this article, we will focus on how to remove the control arms and replace both the bushings and the ball joints. The first step in replacing the control arm bushings and ball joints is to jack up the front of the car and place it on jack stands. Next, remove the wheels and locate the outer ball joints. These are bolted up underneath the wheel carrier with two 13mm bolts and one large nut. Remove the large nut first and then loosen and remove the two 13mm bolts (See Figure 1). This will give you a little more clearance to slide the ball joint removal tool over the control arm.

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