trail arm bushes

[optima]

me again i have been talking to some one and they said that if the rear beam bushes are gone. i would have sideways movement if i push the car or go round corners and i would get a banging noise. but i have had none of this. so im back to begin will the Trailing Arm Bushes make the rear wheel sit higher than normal. im running out of ideas.......

[kam-325i]

The rear sub frame bush'es cause vertical movement, Most noticable when wheel spinning, makes a horrible banging noise in the back as the sub frame bounce's up and down.

Trailing arm bushes generaly cause a clucking noise when cornering, along with instability in the rear end on corners.

[optima]

i dont have any noise at all just looks stupid. free pics pls ignore the rust bubble on wing i will sort after this

[kam-325i]

That can be cuased by :
Sagging spring.
Knackerd Subframe Bush.

If you knew how the suspension worked, it would be easy to work out, as there are not alot of things that can cause it.

Here goes. If i am wrong, please correct me...

The Spring holds up the car and governs ride height......

[jonbuoy]

Here goes. If i am wrong, please correct me...

The Spring holds up the car and governs ride height......

Correct

Optima

It does'nt alway's mean it's the bushes, it could be as they've probably never been changed before but do you know the lowering size between the two as one look's like -40mm and the other -60mm.

[optima]

they are both 40mm fitted the spring myself noticed the problem before the car was lowered. if it is not bushes it must be twisted trail arm.

[jonbuoy]

Do you know if you have fitted the spring up side down?
May seem stupid but same thing happened to me and it did'nt sit right.

Also i would agree, saggy springs as they are both -40mm

[kam-325i]

How about the rear ARB ?

Or to really throw a spanner in to it, could the opposite front side be causing a problem ?

[optima]

i havent got a anti roll bar spring are in the right way cant be the springs sagging as i had the problem before the new spring was fitted

[kam-325i]

Ok. No change after changing springs, No ARB on rear.

Only real other culprit should be a rear sub frame bush that has allowed the sub frame to creep up towards the floor pan.

To check, get under the car, and have a look at the gaps at the top of the rear sub frame where the bush's are located.

If that does not turn out to be the problem, i would start to look at the trailing arm, possible damage ?

[optima]

yeah i think that the trail arm is twisted but there is no sign of twisting or bending but i got a spare so i will change it tomoro

[trackpig]

you can get thicker spring pads which sit on top and underneath the rear spring. you may have the thickest ones which will lift the car ride height.
thiner type avalable from bmw . check the real eom site

[optima]

i have only got the problem with one side they both have the same pads both in good condition. there is about 25mm difference between sides. good idea but unlikly thanks for your help thou trackpig.

[Hyperion]

was it the trailing arm in the end?
i think i have the same problem, with my car, the one rear side looks lower than the other

[Brianmoooore]

Unlikely that a trailing arm would get bent in such a way that just affected ride height without screwing up any of the other angles.
Get under the car, or get it up on a four post, and compare everything on the two sides. They should be identical.
Not impossible that the problem is at the front, either.

[Hyperion]

thanks Brain , i will give it a look.