It works fine, but lets take it apart anyway! Installing BMR suspension on an S197 Mustang

I recently took on the DIY project of installing a full BMR rear suspension on my 2007 Mustang. The one I had worked just fine, but this one is better and will get the car ready to handle the (hopefully) forthcoming supercharger. I'm posting this how-to as an adendum to BMR's instructions. These notes are NOT exhaustive, use BMR's instructions and understand them thoroughly. There are some spots where I got stuck, so hopefully these additional notes and pictures help someone. As Red Green says, "If it ain't broke, you're not trying!"

Tools you'll need in addition to the usuals:
-Grease gun
-15, 18, 22 MM sockets and combo wrenches. Deep sockets will also help. I had to buy a deep 21 and 22 MM socket but I can't remember for what.
-Torque wrench
-Torx T-50 bit for installing UCA mounting bracket(make sure the Snap-On part BMR lists isn't needed for your car. See UCA section and picture below)
-Mallet
-1 1/2" combination wrench for UCA adjustment (I got mine at Harbor Freight)
-Blue Lock-Tite for adjustable UCA and Panhard Rod
-Gloves or a lot of Band-Aids
-Some sort of safety glasses are always in order under a car, especially when you're drilling out bushings

As a general rule, you'll be time ahead if you don't tighten everything down until what you are working on is completely put together. I was constantly torquing bolts then having to loosen them until I finally realized that was a dumb idea.

I did this install in my garage with the car supported on 4 concrete blocks, not the light ones, the heavy ones, around 25 pounds a piece. It would have been MUCH easier on a lift, but it can be done on the ground.

Lets get started. BMR's poly/bearing lower control arms are up first, complete with relocation brackets (my car is lowered with the FRPP lowering springs):








This install was fairly straight forward. As you can see, if you are using the poly/bearing combo LCA, the poly bushing goes toward the front of the car with the grease fitting pointed down. Compare the new LCAs to the ones you took off to see which side is which.
For the relocation brackets, again, leave all the bolts lose until you get everything fitted together. If you tighten the first bolt down, the other bolts line up. At BMR's recommendation, I started with the middle hole (that's what she said). Other than that, BMR's instructions are thorough.

Next was the adjustable poly panhard rod:

This install was also fairly straightforward and went according to the instructions. My only additional recommendations are loosening the bolt above the panhard bolt on the "car side" to make it easier to remove and install the panhard rod. Also, one set of instructions from BMR said to grease the bushings while the suspension was loaded and the other didn't specify. I waited until the car was on the ground, but with the pressure on the bushings, not much grease went in. I'd recommend greasing the bushings before installation.

Let's stop here and enjoy the solace before the pain. Installing the adjustable upper control arm, the control arm bracket, and the new poly differential bushing was one of the most painful, tedious, and discouraging projects I've had to deal with. Fear not all you stock suspension haters who dream of something better! I'll save you my pain and have you smoking tires in no time!

Now to begin. Upper control arm and bracket.
Here are a couple photos for you to appreciate the differences of stock vs. BMR:

You can hopefully see the difference in the thickness of the steel.

Adjust the adjustable arm to the length of the stock arm for starters.

If you are replacing the UCA mounting bracket (highly recommended. What's the point of all this serious suspension if you're attaching it to something flimsy??) You'll need to lower your gas tank. BMR's instructions list a Snap-On part number that you'll need to get the job done. At least for my car, this was NOT the case. After talking to a Snap-On dealer, the part BMR lists is for Torx bit that has a bump in the middle of the star so a standard Torx bit won't fit. Mine didn't have the bump and took a standard T-50 torx bit as seen in the picture.


To get to the hard to reach Torx bolts, I used every socket extension I had.

Follow BMRs instructions and take the usual safety precautions for supporting the gas tank. I didn't need to fully remove the bolts, just loosen them most of the way. Once that is done, you can un-bolt the UCA mounting bracket from inside the car and fish it out.

Now for the biggest PITA of the whole project- Replacing the bushing on the top of the rear differential. A sailor would blush at the mumblings coming from underneath my car during this (long) portion of the project. Holy balls.
BMR recommended replacing this bushing, and sold me the new $50 poly bushing (BMR part# EN001), and failed to tell me what pain would come. They didn't provide any instructions, so I had to call a bunch of times to get help. I'll try to relay the meat and potatoes of what you need to know.
First off, BMR does not make this bushing, Energy Suspension does, you can find it elsewhere online for around $30.
The stock rubber bushing on top of the rear axle does NOT come out easily. No, no, no, young bucky, this is not a "get a mallet and start swinging" job, that bushing is injection molded in.


















Some recommend burning it out with a torch, I tried that and all I got was smoke, fumes, fire way too close to the gas tank, some melted rubber, and a big sticky mess. I guess some of you might be into that kind of thing, but not me.
The effective method was going to the local big box tool center and picking up a 1 1/4" hole saw then down to Harbor Freight for a rotary rasp set:

Use the hole saw to drill out the inner metal sleeve of the bushing. Be VERY careful not to damage the outer ring of the bushing as you'll be re-using it, the hole saw will cut through it easily. Get your drill as level as possible and take your time.
Then use your rasp set to drill out the rest of the rubber. Again, take your time. It is tedious, but it works much faster and safer than the torch method or anything else I tried.
Inner metal sleeve removed:

Once the hole is cleaned out down to shiny metal like so, you're ready to fight with the poly bushing.

The install of the EN001 poly bushing itself wasn't actually that hard once I knew the way it worked. I spent HOURS hammering on that thing trying to get it in place to no avail. A phone call to BMR for the umpteenth time gave me the proper formula:
(First, vacuum all the rubber bits sitting on the top of the differential to get rid of the mess in case a piece of the greasy bushing falls into the rubber bits)
1. Grease it inside and out like its a stuck pig.
2. Insert the poly pieces into place (the side with the outer lip goes against the driver's side sleeve lip). I drove the passenger side bushing through from the driver's side, but I don't think that is necessary
3. LASTLY drive the GREASED inner sleeve through the bushing from the driver's side.
4. Squeal with glee like a schoolboy that the pain is behind you. Dancing in the garage is also optional

Now for reassembly! Install the UCA into the mounting bracket BEFORE putting the new bracket in the car. (Don't tighten it down yet!) I installed the bracket first, then the UCA wouldn't fit (D'oh!!). I had to go buy a long bolt and a couple nuts to spread the mounting bracket out. Not something you want to try underneath the car with a rear differential in your face.
According to BMR, you want to install the UCA into the top mounting bracket hole, the one that is closest to the car.

Once you get the bracket secured, re-secure your gas tank according to the torque specs in the instructions. Bolt the UCA to the differential, torque both ends after loading the suspension, and you're done with assembly!

Last step is setting the pinion angle, which I found a bit confusing and had to try a couple times. BMR recommeded an angle of -2 when I called and spoke to them. the face of my pinion (where the driveshaft meets the rear axle) was pointing downward 2 degrees (-2) and the face of the plate where the transmission and the drive shaft meet was at -4 degrees. Basically the tranny and the rear axle were on the top ends of a V. Since the overall angle is supposed to be -2, I had to lengthen my UCA so my rear axle was pointing up +2 degrees where it connects to the drive shaft. The adjustment nut on the BMR UCA is 1 1/2". Harbor Freight sells a set of giant combination wrenches but not the clown suit to go with them.
After adjusting the angle to where you need it, add some Lock-Tite and tighten the locking nuts on the UCA (use a crescent wrench or channel locks to help with this part).

Good luck, happy driving!