318is rebuild rear suspension questions

[steveinstoke]

i have finally started the rebuild of my 318is. the body work is excellent but the ride quality was a little worse for wear after 22 years on the same rubber bushes
i have completely removed the rear axle and stripped down the trailing arms drive shafts etc. the diff is suprisingly quiet although it does have an oil leak it was still wet inside and has not run bone dry, so i plan on just be re gasketing it and replacing the oil seals
I am having all the parts bead blasted and re powder coated before i re assemble the back end.
a few questions. the springs and shocks(boge) are good and have no leaks and the car sits well would it be worth changing them. or just re powder coating them ?
I want to replace all the bushes with poly not rubber but i want the car to feel as close to the original thing as possible and not be too hard or vibrating on every stone type of a ride what would you reccommend.
Can i get up rated vented discs for the rear axle ?
and can any one point me in the right direction for a stainless steel exhaust system ?
thanks in advance

[Kedge]

I want to replace all the bushes with poly not rubber but i want the car to feel as close to the original thing as possible and not be too hard or vibrating on every stone type of a ride what would you reccommend.

If you want to maintain the original ride characteristics then stick with OEM rubber bushes. My set up once the car is sorted is OEM rubber beam bushes with void fillers to make them a bit stiffer and increase their life and then poly trailing arm bushes.

Can i get up rated vented discs for the rear axle ?

Not by using the original calipers.

can any one point me in the right direction for a stainless steel exhaust system ?

When i needed to replace the exhaust on my old iS the only option i found was to go a local Powerflow center. Why is it you want a stainless system, there is pretty much no performance gain from the standard iS system.

[mwggriffiths]

I'd go for rubber bushes if I were you - if only for the improved NVH over the polybushes.

Dampers can look fine and still be shot! Especially the fronts, I'd replace them while you're there tbh - you don't want to be dismantling the front again any time soon if you can help it!

Also check the anti roll bars - mine had necked quite badly around the bushes on he front and needed replacing.

Similarly check the brake lines and fuel tank / lines now while you can get at them!

[Jhonno]

the springs and shocks(boge) are good and have no leaks and the car sits well would it be worth changing them. or just re powder coating them ?

How old/how many miles. You won't be powdercoating them tbh.

I want to replace all the bushes with poly not rubber but i want the car to feel as close to the original thing as possible and not be too hard or vibrating on every stone type of a ride what would you reccommend.

OEM bushes then.

Can i get up rated vented discs for the rear axle ?

Why do you want them?

[kilrone]

poly bushes should be lubricated on installation and periodically there after, my experience is that this seldom happens and the poly bush life span is considerably shorter than OEM rubber bushes.