Removing rear subframe

[klu99apm]

I'm trying to remove the rear subframe from my touring and I've got a bit stuck.

I've loosened all the nuts I need to except the four 6mm hex bolts holding the rear bushes on. They seem stuck fast, I've used lots of WD40 and an impact driver. I haven't deformed them yet but much more force will do. Should I try some heat or just grind/drill them off?

Any tips much appreciated!

[smithy318i]

Try heating them 1st

Be carefull as the fuel tank hoses are quite close.

if that doesn't work...
Grind them off and replace with some nuts when replacing them.

[klu99apm]

Thanks for the advice smithy - I ground them off in the end.

Now they're off what do I need to do next to get the whole lot on the ground - do I need to undo the next nut I've uncovered on the rear bushes? The diff is loose and lowers a bit but the rear beam is still fairly immobile! Any advice welcome!!

[smithy318i]

remove the two 22mm nuts,
remove the lower section of the back seat, then hammer the bolts upwards.
to remove the bushes from the body you will need to insert a bolt upward through the bush and hammer it from side to side and forward and back. then lever the corner of the mount against the bush once you see signs of the bush moving. ( dont expect it to come out easilly )

unbolt the diff mount and rest the whole assembly on a trolley jack.
unbolt the handbrake lines and brake pipes

[Andy325i]

Your diff bush looks a litttttttle worn there smithy

Back on topic - I got mine out by a bit of gentle persuasion - namely adding a little weight to the rear trailing arms (all 18 stone of me )

Andy

[klu99apm]

Thanks for the reply Smithy.

The next piece of fun is going to be trying to remove the nut shown in your first picture - I don't think its been undone for 20 years and isn't nut shaped any more as its corroded really badly. Maybe time for the grinder again?!

I'm trying to avoid replacing the bushes this time round (on a tight budget) - I'm only removing the assembly to get at some very corroded brake lines!

[klu99apm]

Ok between the rain showers I've removed the bolt from the centre of the bushes and I'm trying to release these from the car. I'm a bit confused about what is part of the chassis and what is part of the bush!

In the picture below am I right in thinking the space between the rear beam and the round collar is the bush splitting? (Not what I want?) Do I want to lever the space above this to release the rear beam?

I'm a bit confused as I don't really see whats holding the rear beam to the car still!! Is it just rust? Please can someone explain a bit more?! (Sorry for all the thick questions - I've never seen a rear beam off the car so can't pitcure what I'm trying to pry apart!)

[wildeian]

Yes mate, 20 years of rust holding that baby in there!!

If you look in Smithys pic at the bushes, you should get an idea of what is coming off.

That flat round bit is a big washer, and not actually part of the bush itself.

If you have taken the big nut off, and the long bolt out, if you look down through the bolt hole from the top, the bottom 3rd of the bolt hole is part of the bush and 'should' come away!!

To get mine off I had to put the wheel back on and kick the tyre back and forth (and down)

Out of the 2 beams I have taken off, 2 out of 4 of the bushes have snapped in the car

Had to cut the broken piece out with a dremel!!

[wildeian]

Oh, and bushes are about £10 - £15 each, so well worth replacing now if you have the time

[e30bmlover]

now i know what the poor bastard who is doing mine has in store for him on the 4th of june!

[Martinaston]

klu99apm, you need to do the bushes

[klu99apm]

Yeah I'm definitely going to do the bushes - didn't realise how bad they were!

Thanks 'wildeian' for the tips - I'll give these a try. Hopefully they won't snap in place - I haven't got a dremel (yet!)

[wildeian]

Once you have the beam off, there's no need to splash out on loadsa tools to get the bushes out.

I cut the centre out of the bush with a leathermans utility knife, then stuffed the hole with cardboard, added petrol and a spark, and allowed nature to do it's thing.

Once hot (and still flaming) I used an old cambelt tensioner (exact size as hole in beam) as a drift and knocked the remaining bush out.

Little bit of lube, a big socket and a vice to get the new one in.

[klu99apm]

Finally got the bushes loose and got the rear beam off! Thanks everyone for the help! I can start doing my brake lines now which is why I started 3 days ago!

Do you like my £9.99 Argos 'garage' - it kept some of the rain off over the last few days