SUBFRAME!!!!

[Mo13]

Just been trying to take the subframe off my cabby after trying for the past 8 hours I've called it a day taken all of the stuff connected to it the piece of **** still won't come off! Has anyone got pictures vids of how it's done?

Need some help urgently! Better still anyone around east London willing to give me a hand today pls pls pls pls

[gareth]

Front or rear?

[Mo13]

Rear

[Tedswagon]

Try pelican parts web site for how to DIY if you can't find anything in wiki.

Sub frame is fairly straightforward iirc, if all the bolts are not rusted away completely!!!

[Tedswagon]

Just had a look on pelican parts but nothing obvious there. Here's a link all the same. http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techart ... h_main.htm

[magpie]

sent you a pm mo

[Grrrmachine]

I struggled with doing mine too, but it really does come down to rocking and wiggling it:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ame_Bushes

[Martinaston]

just cut through the rubber in the bushes and remove it, then you can wiggle the tube free from the chassie without breaking the end off.

[andyp]

ive got a rear beam here with bushes already fitted should you need one and in east london

[Mo13]

Cheers all - I already have a rear sub frame which Ive cleaned and and stone chipped, with poly flex sub frame and trailing arm bushes ready to go in...

Thanks to Mick (magpie) I was heading in the right direction until one of the drive shaft alen-key bolts decided to go round due to the rust.....just my luck! so ive decided to call it a day and put it all back together until I get a set of new bolts....anyone know the sizes or where I can pick them up from?

[andyp]

ive got loads here if you want a few

[clarko74]

iirc if you get new ones from BMW they have a torx head which should be less likely to round off if you ever have to remove them again.

[Mo13]

ive got loads here if you want a few

yes please if they are in good nick

[Mo13]

iirc if you get new ones from BMW they have a torx head which should be less likely to round off if you ever have to remove them again.

Any idea what they are called or a part number?

[BenHar]

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=33&fg=25

Ben

[Mo13]

Thanks Ben

[magpie]

grind the head off the fooked ones then undo the stud with molegrips or stillsons .

you may need to put x2 bolts back in the diff flange to lock off any movement with a screw driver/pry bar while undoing the knackered bolts .

[Mo13]

grind the head off the fooked ones then undo the stud with molegrips or stillsons .

you may need to put x2 bolts back in the diff flange to lock off any movement with a screw driver/pry bar while undoing the knackered bolts .

Thanks Mick, got a few molegrips ready to do it with just waiting to get my hands on some torx screws to replace then with then will be ready to tackle it again

[Grrrmachine]

Remember to support the shafts when you do get the diff off - you don't want them to drop to the floor as you stand a good chance of damaging the CV joints.

I didn't realise earlier that you were trying to remove the beam with the diff still attached. Doing it this way makes the beam twist due to the load, making it a lot harder for the alloy tips of the subframe bushes to drop out of their locating positions. Getting the beam as light as possible will have to drop it, so if you can, get that diff off ASAP.

It's also a lot easier to refit the beam without the diff, so get on with the job And if you want nuts and bolts, check the Wiki:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... riveshafts

[Mo13]

a second atempt still no joy took every thing off and the subframe will not come off tried heating it and forceing it witha crowbar no joy!

considering to pay somone to do the swap for me

how much will somone charge to do this?

[Jhonno]

a second atempt still no joy took every thing off and the subframe will not come off tried heating it and forceing it witha crowbar no joy!

considering to pay somone to do the swap for me

how much will somone charge to do this?

If it is stuck.. Lots.

[Mo13]

was going to use an angle grinder on it but didnt due to the tank being right next to it!

[Grrrmachine]

If you look under the car, you should see two almost-chassis rails running above the beam, heading towards the rear of the car. I used wooden beams, wedging them in between the chassis rails and the top of the beam. Then, with a crowbar, prise each side down in turn, a centimetre at a time. It's a massive ballache doing it on jackstands, but with patience and the right lever point, you should slowly be able to prise the beam away from the car.

Have you still got the trailing arms and diff attached?

[Mo13]

If you look under the car, you should see two almost-chassis rails running above the beam, heading towards the rear of the car. I used wooden beams, wedging them in between the chassis rails and the top of the beam. Then, with a crowbar, prise each side down in turn, a centimetre at a time. It's a massive ballache doing it on jackstands, but with patience and the right lever point, you should slowly be able to prise the beam away from the car.

Have you still got the trailing arms and diff attached?

trailing arms still attached removed the diff

[Grrrmachine]

Try to get the trailing arms off first then. It's only four bolts, and it'll make prising the beam down a lot easier.

You have to take them off anyway...

[bmw9818]

damn im gonna be doing this soon, bloody dreading it! do you have a really long bar? my ol mans got a big ass crowbar type thing, great for applying force and leverage, thats my tool of choice when im gonna be attacking this next month,

have you pushed the pins into the car btw?

[Dezzy]

It can only be stuck on the alloy bushes.

Screw the large nut on the end of bolts that hold the beam up. Only a few threads though. Hit them up into the car (remove rear seat first). Once they are out you'll be able to snap the alloy bushes off the bush by pushing down on the trailing arms. The beam will drop off. Then get a 4mm drill and dill the bit left in the body in a few places and it will come out easy.

[Mo13]

Removed the pins....I will try it once more and this time I will take a fire blanket and a angle grinder just in case

[Dezzy]

It will come down. Stop being gay, get angry on its ass!

[Brianmoooore]

Once the bolts are out, push a steel bar up from underneath in as far as the full length of the bush, not up into the body, as tap the bottom end of the bar from side to side with a large hammer.
The bar I use is usually a long extension bar from a 1/2" socket set.

[Jhonno]

3/8 extension up the now vacated bolt hole in the centre and get wiggling. Hard.

[Mo13]

3/8 extension up the now vacated bolt hole in the centre and get wiggling. Hard.

aahh not a bad idea!

Cheers

[Mo13]

Finaly got the SON OF A *$%&%&$* off! (after a litthe help from the mechanic )



Offending article....previous owner decided to weld the subframe! B3LL END! Now in need to a trailing arm bolt.





Where all the movement has eaten away the bolt...









Fitted with powerflex bushes allround



Managed to squeeze my hand inbetween the triling arm and the subframe when lifting it on to a transmission jack OUCH!!!!

[iceox]

i had the same problem with mine mate, in the end it took a 6 foot 2 inch solid pole and stuck in so i could get some leverage and i had to jump up and down of the fucking thing eventualy it cam out THEN the metal part of the pushes had snapped up inside the car, so had to get a punch and a sledge hammer (YES A FUCKING SLEDGE) to smash them out from the inside. serious pain in the ass. TBH i dont think a garage would touch it, and if they did they would probably do more damage.

[Mo13]

Our mechanic laughed at me after telling me it was a small job (I had 2 previous attempts at it with no luck lol) he had it down, swapped the sub frame over in a couple of hours. Putting it back on was a different story altogether took 3 of us and 2 transmission jacks! Thankfully we didn't have to fook around with the bushes powerflex ones slip in nicely