I got the driver's side TAB in OK.....started doing the passenger side in and I wasn't paying attention to the 'down' arrow on the bushing and started forcing it in. Busted the bushing!! I feel like such an idiot for not paying better attention. I thought someone here said that these are not perfectly round, but oblong in shape? Yes, the metal on these bishungs are soft. Anyhow, I ordered a new one from FCP this morning along with two rubber spring spacers. By the way, if you order the rear suspension kit, which I did, the TAB's are Scantech and not Boge's. Does anyone here have experience with scantech bushing?

By the way, the homebrew TAB tool works, but even with this, it's a PITA job!

Thanks all for your help,
Raj
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90 BMW 325is, 98 BMW 528i, 90 Volvo 240DL

Sometimes we all do dumb things...anyhow, hopefully I have learned my lesson. I need to finish it this weekend an get it outta my garage, since it is blocking the lawnmower....and the damn grass has grown like weeds the past two weeks!!

Thanks all,
Raj
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90 BMW 325is, 98 BMW 528i, 90 Volvo 240DL

If it's any comfort in your moment of pain, many of us amateur mechanics have had similar experiences. When I replaced my first TAB, I placed the pusher part of the tool on the old TAB in such a way that it mushroomed the metal part. There was no way it was going to come through those rings on the axle. It took me about two very tiring hours with a hammer and punch to get the old TAB back in shape to finish pulling it through the rings.

Tghe passenger side TAB came out like a charm after my hard lesson!

Get the Boge's they may last longer than a year.

Man, that's a bummer indeed....all I can say is that I've been there on the idiot moves. Try breaking your "new" A cam by overtightening only the middle bearing. I could continue but I won't. Anyways, I replaced my TABs a few years ago with scantech ones (at the time I didn't know better) and, up to this point, they've held up well through various rallycrosses and very rough terrain. I somehow doubt they'll last as long as the boge ones, but they are ok for a while. Next time I do it, I'm going with superpro poly ones though....then you don't even have to take the metal sheath out, and they almost never wear out. Well, best of luck on that, and hang in there! it is a super sucky job indeed.

Nate Gundy
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'86 240DL sedan, 260K miles, M46, K cam, 25/23mm sways, 260 front and wagon rear springs; http://valvespringcompressor.weblogs.us/

I can only imagine what happened to your cam....and it's not a wonderful picture either. That must have been a very expensive mistake!

By the way, about the poly ones, I thought you had to use the sheath from the old one. At least that is what IPD says in the catalogs. Where do you get the ones where you don't have to use the sheath?

Cheers,
Raj
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90 BMW 325is, 98 BMW 528i, 90 Volvo 240DL

You do have to use the sheath from the old one, but that means no horrible pushing with the bushing tool to get it out. Reusing the sheath is a bonus in my opinion.....
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'86 240DL sedan, 260K miles, M46, K cam, 25/23mm sways, 260 front and wagon rear springs; http://valvespringcompressor.weblogs.us/