E30 Zone

guys ive just had my car down at my mechanics

he said the subframe must be replaced

is the subframe the same for all e30s ??

Not sure but why does it need changed?!

think it's the same for all, maybe M3 is different
look on www.gsfcarparts.co.uk or could be .com think it will be described as rear axle, see if it's the same part number for all.

The E30 subframe is the same part used in all e30's bar the 325iX 4 wheel drive model iirc.

Cheers,

Iain T

Are you sure its the whole subframe not just the bushes? I am about to do the bushes on my car, they should be a real pain in the arse!!!

mechanic just said

the subframe is fooked bascically and is ringing around looking for one
im not exactly sure there was noises coming out of it whel driving under aggressive acceleration..

he said the diff is fine and the axel theres only rubber bushings or something holding it in place .. reckons the car was abused doing donuts or something

i know where theres a316 4dr lying up so the subframe from that would work yeah ?

Sorry dude, but the diagnosis seems totally wrong.

what are the issues you have with the car ?

the rear beam is a huuuuuge structure and would be almost impossible to damage short of a massive side impact.

before you hand over any £Â£, ask the mechanic to give you a full rundown of what is actually fooked, the bushes are easily replaced with the beam in situ.

I fear a fast one is being pulled here fellow zoners !

Ant could you please let me know how to change the sub bushes in situ, maybe a pm, dont want to hijack the thread!

ItalianM3 wrote:Ant could you please let me know how to change the sub bushes in situ, maybe a pm, dont want to hijack the thread!

You need a special puller tool, £200 +

OK, in brief.... ish

remove back seat sqaub, look into the "corners" where the seatbelt rail attatches, you'll see two 20mm ish "holes", make sure they are clear, sometimes they're filled with sealer, this must be removed before proceeding.

remove 24mm nut on lowers, remove the two samll hex head and remove the plates from both sides......

jack up the rear so the subframe just starts to move away from the body

now the fun part....

the stud hanging from the subframe bush needs to be knocked into the car floor, either use large hammer , or , if you're lucky a trolley jack, they are held captive on splines in the body, you'll not be able to rotate them, up and down only for these puppies.

once they are history , raise the rear end so that the subframe is 150mm clear of the floor.

the next bit is the fukker.. either

make a tool and draw the bushes out from below using a 12mm stud, big washer and some 4x4 timbers

or use the 4x4 above the bushes and let the car weight push them out( lower jacks)

I recommend heating the subframe around the bush cups with a blow lamp, it must be hot to the touch, not on fire ! dont go mad here, the heat will expand the metal, melt the bushes and allow the to be easily withdrawn.

refitting is easier, use some tyre soap/wahing up liquid/window cleaner to lubricate the cups and bushings, then use the jack+ spacer method to push them fully home.

they only fit one way, so this is simple enough.

drop car down , replce studs etc and do the fizings/plates back up.

job done

sounds bad? it can be a cnut, heat is the trick as always.

I actually have the proper tool, its not much easier with that TBH, saves a few minutes at best.

if you need a subframe i got one complete with trailing arms, bushes are all tidy

The only reason a rear subframe should be replaced is if it was bent, and it takes a collision or some some hard "agricultural" driving to cause that. The mounting bushings however, can and will wear out eventually requiring replacement. They can start to make noises and cause a mushy, unplanted feeling in the rear end upon hard corners. What exactly was your complaint when you took your car to your mechanic?

under acceleration it felt like the diff was loose

example accelerating and all of a sudden theres this bang feels like the diff has just moved forward almost like it being left behind and then all of a sudden catches up with ya a smacks off somthing under the car happens every time you change gear or if you were to accel let of and accel again which is really bad !! its like the prop or something spins for a sec then catches or something hard to explain !!

Doc-Dori wrote:under acceleration it felt like the diff was loose

example accelerating and all of a sudden theres this bang feels like the diff has just moved forward almost like it being left behind and then all of a sudden catches up with ya a smacks off somthing under the car happens every time you change gear or if you were to accel let of and accel again which is really bad !! its like the prop or something spins for a sec then catches or something hard to explain !!

AXEL TRAMP !!!!

Thats a classic sign of worn subframe bushes......easy to fix. Just have the two bushes replaced, no need for a new subfram/Rear Axle.

I used to get it on mine, under heavy acceleration/wheelspin, the wheels would bounce around really bad, causing an almighty clatter. solved with new sub frame bushes !

The garage may well be right - the diff mounting points on the rear beam can fracture.

It's usually the rear, upper two holes which go, resulting in on/off throttle knocking like you describe.

^^^ legend!

hows the IS coming along mate? mine should be gone tomorrow

MOT is booked for 4pm tomorrow, that little bit of welding being done just prior.

I'll give you a call at 5 when the MOT is over.

Sorry for the thread hijack!