Suspension bush recommendation

[BHadley]

Hi, I have a 318is and am looking for a recommended suspension bush for the rear strip down and re new.

The car will be 40mm lowered and I want to avoid poly bush as have heard it's too harsh (bar front ARB )

Would these be up to the job?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/351223346628

And

http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/331634350768

Got some rear SKF bearings too so am aiming for decent parts....

Thanks....

[scallyally]

I believe the rear trailing arm bushes (according to realoem) are supplied in two pairs (different part numbers), this is to compensate for tracking geometry due to the slight lowering of the body from new.

I would like to know (and I've tried) to confirm this?

If you intend lowering by 40mm then adjustable bushes will be needed. (Approx £50.00 each). Alternatively get used to replacing tyres frequently.

[KW355]

These are the m3 rear arm bush part numbers off real oem, clearly they are two types, one eccentric.

If you fit parallel polybushes can you correct the camber with camber adjustable plates ?

09 SET RUBBER MOUNTING ECCENTRIC D=30MM 2 33329058822 $33.38
09 SET RUBBER MOUNTING D=30MM 2 33329061945 $26.77

[motormanmick]

If you are going to pull the rear cross member out for your rear strip down and renew all the bushes, this may be the way to go, it can give you a greater range of adjustment

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56391

kit from these guys

http://store.garagistic.com/e30-perform ... ction-Kits

bushes come in different hardness ratings, rubber being oem, then going up in hardness, depending on the ride comfort verses control, some poly bushes being close to oem. I went powerflex in mine in purple.

[BHadley]

Ok, is 40mm lowered that bad? I've had FWD cars and didn't notice adverse tyre wear.... Failing that directional tyres can be turned on the rim!....

I did read that 40mm lower would give the rear camber a push in by 1 degree... Would m3 eccentric lolly pop bushes help or hinder the front end?

The camber tags are weld on units, would that have to be tig or decent mig surfice?

Thanks for the info so far, don't want cheap and inferior goods for all this effort!!

[KW355]

Mine is lowered, I am not sure exactly by how much. I have about 2.5 degrees negative camber on the rear, this has not caused a problem with uneven tyre wear even with 500bhp.

This is about the maximum setting given in the e30 zone wiki (30' seconds is half a degree) ;

Camber settings: Front -1°10' to -0°10'. Rear -2°30' to -1°30'.

I believe the M3 eccentric front lollipop bushes alter the castor.

The camber tags should be o.k. mig welded, as long as there is no spatter on the adjusting face.

[HairyScreech]

Mine is lowered, I am not sure exactly by how much. I have about 2.5 degrees negative camber on the rear, this has not caused a problem with uneven tyre wear even with 500bhp.

This is about the maximum setting given in the e30 zone wiki (30' seconds is half a degree) ;

Camber settings: Front -1°10' to -0°10'. Rear -2°30' to -1°30'.

I believe the M3 eccentric front lollipop bushes alter the castor.

The camber tags should be o.k. mig welded, as long as there is no spatter on the adjusting face.

As above, mig should be fine as long as it is a tidy job.

[BHadley]

So the m3 front bushes would hammer the inside edge down quicker?

I'm reading this thinking is the adjustable camber toe overkill for a road car and worth the hassle of lowering (only really gaining 20mm over IS springs m tech etc)

Would 30mm lowering not cause the same issues?

Are the febi bushes good that I linked at the top? I'm only wanting taught OE sports feel with a slightly more modern look of the car not being on stilts....... Not into the dub stance etc gubbins for me

[KW355]

So the m3 front bushes would hammer the inside edge down quicker?

I'm reading this thinking is the adjustable camber toe overkill for a road car and worth the hassle of lowering (only really gaining 20mm over IS springs m tech etc)

Would 30mm lowering not cause the same issues?

Are the febi bushes good that I linked at the top? I'm only wanting taught OE sports feel with a slightly more modern look of the car not being on stilts....... Not into the dub stance etc gubbins for me

I don't think the m3 bushes would cause tyre wear problems because BMW fitted them as standard to a road car.

The adjustable camber kits aren't too expensive and look easy to fit if the beam is already off, at least you can adjust it back within spec after lowering it 30 or 40 mm.

I don't know anything about the febi bushes

[BHadley]

Thanks for everyone's input....

Been reading up and am still going for 40mm drop (not overly excessive) but with the power flex purple bushes as the adjustment is on the car without the need for camber tabs etc...

(Done 10s of 4 wheel alignments so the amount of "dialling back" should work with those I reckon)

Should give a good sport feel with out harshness if I keep to OE spec subframe mount bushing

If it was 60mm or more drop I'd go for the weld on tangs.

I'll try the m3 essentic lolly pop bushes when I get there eventually!

Thanks all most helpful...

[BHadley]

Bit of an update....
Looked into rear trailing arm bushes more and the power flex purple bushes alone are £150 plus trying to adjust them (c spanners!) when doing rear wheel alignment seems to be hit and miss.

Found BM conversions doing a rear beam with the toe and camber tangs welded on and powder coated for £200, on exchange basis. plus camber bolts to add to that. Rear Wheel alignment is then a doddle to adjust.

Then the OE spec trailing arm bushes and rear subframe bushes can be installed job done.

Thought it may help someone else putting this up .....

[scallyally]

Used Powerflex adjustable trailing arm bushes on my i.s. Took 3 visits to get the tracking right including a strip down to re-grease a tight bush that was bending the c-spanner (had to be replaced, mild steel crap).

What ever you decide, it can't be done on the cheap!

[BHadley]

Used Powerflex adjustable trailing arm bushes on my i.s. Took 3 visits to get the tracking right including a strip down to re-grease a tight bush that was bending the c-spanner (had to be replaced, mild steel crap).

What ever you decide, it can't be done on the cheap!

What a nightmare that must have been to sort out after all that work!.... I'm avoiding those power flex adjustable bushes, was tempted by the lifetime guarantee....

Rear beam swop it is after the rear welding is done....

Nothing is cheap on these cars outside of basic maintainance....

[HairyScreech]

Practical experience tells me that a 30rear40front drop, M3 eccentrics stock topmounts results in about 2.5 degrees of negative front and rear.

Tyre wear is bad on some tyres, others seem to cope ok, front wear about the same as rears if driven normally. Wear patterns are similar an bias to the inner edge.

Last set of tyres have about 8k on them and should have another easy 10k, maybe 15k. More than happy with that myself.

Have also destroyed the inner edges of budget tyres after about 10k.

[BHadley]

Is it the m3 eccentric bushes that causes the front negative camber?

With the beam I said about, most of that can be adjusted back to within factory tolerances right?

I get what you mean about tyres, there are horrifically bad performing and wearing budget tyres, get what you pay for there....

[HairyScreech]

Myself at 2.5 degs I am not worried. Over that and I would be looking to bring it back in.

The trouble with the E30 is it gains a lot of camber on roll/bump.

Front camber is due partly to the 40mm drop and partly due to the bushings.
My front wishbones are about parallel to the ground so wishbone length is at its longest when static, the bushes also push the struts forward which seems to add a little more static camber as well as the increase in caster.