You can remove the LCA without dropping the subframe. The only reason to do this is replacing the inner ball joint. There's a youtube video on this somehwere.

If you want to replace the rear LCA bushing then the best way is to drop the subframe.

 

There are press tools you can buy (fleabay for example) that perform removal and pressing the bush back in. The cheaper ones have pot luck success as the bolt threads sem to be substandard. It is possible though and save you a few hours labour.

 

 

 

On my Gen1 R53, I didn't have much success with the sawzal method. I was able to lower the sub-frame,(not remove), unbolt the inner balljoint and remove the whole LCA. I purchased the Bushing Removal tool, which made removing and installing the bushing much easier. The guy from Mini Mod, makes the sawzal method look very easy, I had problems and just purchased. the tool .

 

Mind you, these were both gen 1 cars......but I’ve replaced LCA bushings on two of my cars now. The first time I pulled the control arms off and did the sawzal/press-in method. On the second car, I dropped the subframe and installed pre-pressed bushings. After doing it by both methods, dropping the subframe was much easier IMO.

Regardless of which way you go, you have to pry the control arm out of the bushing.....I found this to be 10x easier to do when the control arm and bushing/bracket both came off the car together and could be layed on the ground so that I could do some serious prying. When they are still on the car, you are lying on the ground and prying at awkward angles.....just a lot more difficult and tedious....and after that, you have to press the new bushings in where there’s little space to work.

Just my $.02 from experience.

 

Fastlane is correct about removing the LCA from the bushing carrier. I just used at crowbar and wedged it between the housing and the bushing, came right out. Now, if you are putting them in with the carrier in place, that was a MAJOR PITA, until I figured out a simple way to get them in. Push the LCA in as far as you can by hand, there is a lip on the bushing and carrier, grab a pair of water pump pliers and grip the lips and just close the pliers, LCA slid right into the Bushing carrier. You could do as Fastline stated and just remove the carrier as well, but I don't know if you have enough room to maneuver the LCA and the inner balljoint back in place? As I stated earlier, I used the Bushing removal tool to remove and install the bushings while on the car, this was done without removing the sub-frame.