replacing control arm bushings

My daughter and I did this on her 2004 R50.

We replaced the original ones with the Powerflex bushings.

Yes, the easiest way is to drop the subframe out, and the front has to come off. I think the Bentley manual calls this Maintenance Mode.

While we were in there, we replaced the worn ball joints, etc. since it was easy to get to everything. I bought Moog parts from Amazon for about 2/3 the cost of the local parts stores.

I’d originally ordered stock type bushings, Delphi brand from Amazon. One came, and it was defective. Sent it back, cancelled the other one and got the Powerflex parts.

You’ll need access to a hydraulic press to get the old bushings out of the brackets, mine were in there TIGHT!

I’d ordered a removal / installation tool, and promptly destroyed the threaded shaft when the tool slipped off the bushing insert, cocked sideways and I didn’t notice it until it was too late. This happened during our first try, and I was trying to pull the bushings with the subframe in the car, and couldn’t see the back of the bushing.

Once the subframe was out, we removed the brackets and used the tool inserts in a hydraulic press to push them out. Once again, they were in there TIGHT!

There are YouTube videos showing guys cutting the bushings out with a Saws All, but I’d be leery of damaging the brackets myself.

You can buy new brackets with bushings installed, personally I liked putting in the Powerflex bushings myself.

I bought both powerflex and superpro for my R56 while I was purchasing I bought both powerflex and an off brand lower engine mount bushing as well. I also bought another upper engine mount bushing and a new set of control arms with the ball joints already on them.
The control arm bushing tool is one of the only R53 tools I own. It works with the R56. Lowering the subframe on that 05 Cooper might be necessary. It was not on mine. But the TOOL R53-R56 A-arm bushing tool worked flawlessly.
BMW Mini R50 R52 R53 R56 to R59 Front Axle Control Arm Bushing Bush Service Tool | eBay

It in fact did what it was suppose to. I also bought a A-arm extractor tool which I did not need that ran me 400 dollars U.S.
Hardest part for me was getting the old A-arms off the sub frame bolt that runs through the center of the A-arm. I used a torch to heat it up. fought it did everything I could the first day. Only reason I could think it was hung up was the fact the car came with standard rotors and brakes.
When I purchased the car it had standard brakes. The cooper s is real swift as far as performance. When you go to stop the car with standard brake package with about 50 percent brakes from a faster in town speed like 35mph or 40kilometers an hour it tends to pull to the left. there by putting stress on that A-Arm. Yours should not be that hard. but either way there is a trick to getting those off. using a floor jack and a crowbar wedged in between the arm and sub frame until you hear it POP!L or a jack on the a arm it self can't really remember, but there is a tutorial on it somewhere how to remove stubborn a arms on a smaller car of course.

In your case you are lowering the subframe an inch or 2. That's what I had to do to get my front sway bar in.