Hi all,

I’m in a bit of a pickle. I’m installing new rear upper control arms (also called the rear wishbones?) on my e61, and the inward bushing holes won’t line up with the subframe bolt holes. I can’t even get the stock ones back into place. There is zero play in the suspension…I tried jacking up the knuckle towards ride height but it only made the problem worse - it’s like the control arms are now too long by half a centimeter. My intuition says that I should just loosen all trailing arm / integral link connections to see if that does anything, but I don’t have the hardware replacements handy. Any guidance would be appreciated

 

What are you looking at (pic). Are you using a long pry bar to assist with lining it up

 

This is the stock arm with the outward end installed loosely and unsupported underneath. Jacking it up to ride height only exacerbates the problem

 

I wouldn’t even know how to use the pry bar. Not sure which direction things have to go.

 

Is that the only part you took loose? Working on the rear can be hard if the correct parts are not taken out but you should be able to push down on the suspension with a pry bar to line it up. That pic doesn't look like it's too far off. I can't see the rest of the area

 

That’s the only part I took off so far - the service manual only says to deflate the air suspension, but I didn’t do that because I didn’t think it would have any effect in holding the suspension up. The sway bar link might, and I’ll loosen other items tomorrow morning to see if it does anything.

 

any hints on how to use the pry bar? It’s such a complicated mechanism, I have no idea how to place it without risk of damaging components.

 

@seanjordan20 stated "you should be able to push down on the suspension with a pry bar to line it up.".

 

I’ve been jumping up and down on the wheel hub but it doesn’t drop any further. It seems like the knuckle is bottoming out on the axle.