318IS Rear subframe bushes

[lhd220turbo]

Gents;

So what's your top tips for doing the rear subframe bushes? i'm going to tackle it on Monday as ive got my mates ramp for the day

ive got genuine bmw bushes as i didnt want to buy pattern parts

Cheers

[PG325]

My top tip would be to let someone else do it!

Failing that make sure you start early as you may find it's still sitting on the ramp on Tuesday.

Plenty of how to guides on this forum.

[lhd220turbo]

i'm debating wether to take the subframe off the car completely or leave in situ

[kurtG]

I dropped the lot when I did mine, not bad to do when it's all off just time consuming.

[Brianmoooore]

Important tip: Use a non permanent lubricant (washing up liquid or tyre lubricant) to lubricate the bushes when installing them, NOT something that remains a lubricant.

[Grrrmachine]

Have a good read of this guide:

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

and then pay someone else to do it.

[capri_rob]

If you're taking the beam off changing the bushes is the easy bit - its all the other shoite that will either break or you will discover is worn out whilst you're taking it apart thats the problem if you have no proof that things like handbrake cables, exhaust brackets, brake pipes, trailing arm bushes etc etc have been replaced in the past.

Speaking from personal experience this can very easily turn into a very expensive and time consuming job.

If you have access to the special tool to change the bushes in-situ without dropping the beam this is the way to go if its a daily fixer-upper.

If you want to do it properly get underneath it, make a list of all the stuff thats fooked get your credit card out and buy the lot before you pick up a spanner.

Good luck.

[lhd220turbo]

as it happens i didnt get to use the ramp today, so i stayed at home and fixed the lawn mower instead!

[baggimodo]

Took me with the beam off the car and various threaded roads and washers the best part of a day to replace the trailing arm bushes and beam bushes. A frustratingly time-consuming job, but one that is worth doing properly once.