E36 Rear Bearings?

[Peter Rossato <rossato@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Not surprisingly, I have once again reached the limit of my ability and
need help.  My efforts to restore my '94 325is to near new state have
left me with one uncorrected problem.

Before I replaced all major suspension components, I had been
experiencing a metal on metal squealing noise that I believe comes from
the rear wheels, as best as I can tell from the car while driving it.
The noise is clearly vehicle speed dependent and it actually seems to
only manifest itself when coasting.  At steady load or accelerating it
goes away.  I thought the problem might have been the parking brake
shoes inside the rotor assembly.  I cleaned that up, but still have the
noise.  The shoes looked kind of glazed, so I bought new shoes and
installed them last night (a 2 hour job, which would be starvation for a
professional mechanic but it was the equivalent of a Le Mans pit stop
for me).  Well, the noise, she is back.

I suspect bearings, but the wheels feel firm and I thought the tell tale
bearing noise is more of a groan than a finger nails on the chalkboard
squeak.  I have run out of ideas.  The rest of the rear suspension looks
fine, but my eye is far from being clinically trained and I'm probably
missing something.  What other possibilities are there?  Rear control
arm bushings?  Sub frame bushings (God, I hope not! That would require a
total tear down of the rear drive train.  Could I get a limited slip
diff past the wife as a necessary "repair"?)

Peter Rossato
'94 325 is "VDERZEN"
BMW CCA National Capital Chapter

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