E30 Suspension Work

[Roland Freund <rfreund@xxxxxxx>]

Rick:

Jack up the rear of your car and support it on the body (not rear
suspension crossbeam).

Pry up and down on the crossbeam to detect shot big rubber bushings through
which the crossbeam is bolted to the body.  This is right in front of each
rear wheel-well, and the point at which I usually jack the rear end.

On my E30 the big bushes let loose at about 150K miles and rattled like
crazy for years until I finally replaced them last month.  With these shot,
it handles like crap and can allow metal-to-metal contact between the
differential assembly and body which amplifies all noises from the
differential so it sounds like a coffee grinder in the cab when you run
down the road.

It's a pretty major job to replace the $40 parts.

JACK UP REAR END AND SUPPORT CAR ON VERY SECURE JACK STANDS.  USE WHEELS
ETC TO PROVIDE BACK UP SUPPORT IN CASE ANYTHING SLIPS!!!!

Remove exhaust and disconnect tailshaft and loosen spline rubber nut. Press
tailshaft forward as far as you can get it.  It might help to drain both
sides of the fuel tank and remove the connecting fuel line below the prop
shaft.

Disconnect handbrake cables and hydraulic lines to rear wheels.

Remove allen head nuts at jacking point on each side and remove 22mm (I
think) nuts below bushes.

With the support of a good big jack, drop entire rear suspension.

I cut the old bushing out of the crossbeam by cutting a vertical slit in it
with a hacksaw, being careful to do so where it's indented.  You might do
well to take it to a shop and get the old cut out and new pressed in.  I
lubricated the new with dot4 and pressed it in with a bench vice (not
clamped to a bench)!

The aluminum center of the bush will be corroded to the vertical bolt.
Mine needed lots of "gentle pursuasion" to jar them off.

Assemble in reverse order.  This might be a 3-person job to get things
lined up!

Good luck!

Roland Freund
Carlisle PA
rfreund@domain.elided

84 318i 194k
94 5301  98K

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