Rear Window Shatter While Removing Subframe

[cobraken]

Noted back glass.

[FredK]

Yeah, sliding those dog bones on can be a pain. I use a large c-clamp and some turpentine to lube things up (but dry up eventually).

While they're still able to slide, you can snake it into position with the subframe still in place. There's only one orientation that will work, pretty much, so once you find it, it's easy. Later, it takes a little coaxing to get the links to move if you need to remove the rear sway, but it really isn't that bad.

[DJB]

Was your statement above stating that this damage had been done by using the rear defrost over a period of time?

The battery was disconnected because I am also in the middle of an e to i engine swap.

No, I didn't mean that. The thermal stress from the rear defroster is greatly reduced when the heat is removed. There will be a little residual stress added, but it should be much less than the stress created from the glass tempering process.

I don't know what caused this, but it wasn't the defogger grid that is the typical problem. It's a bit of a mystery -- I just didn't expect it was pressure from a twisted body.

[Gerta]

Anyone know of a nice write up on how to on the rear subframe? I've searched the forum here and not found anything ... I'd like to leverage the collective wisdom of some of the forum members ... swaybar endlinks noted.

Thanks, Gerta

[lonestar22]

the sunroofs on the e90 chassis cars have been known to do this. its an issue bmw has still yet to do right. the e90 ones are believed to have to do with pressure buildup in the cabin on the highway.

[cobraken]

sway bar end links are just dog bone shaped pieces with bushings in them. 1 bolt per end for a total of 2 bolts.

Ya, that what we thought. Just two bolts and dog bones slide right no. haha, my dog bones did not slide right on. Even with grease. We ended up having to use a pair of needle nose pliers to stretch the rubber before hand in a fisting motion. After stretching the rubber a few times and with great pain we finally were able to get the new dog bones to slide on.

Installation of new dog bones on the rear sway bar is no joke. It would have been much easier to have installed them off the car or while the rear subframe was removed.

[NC325iC]

wtf was so hard about undoing 2 bolts? hu?

sway bar end links are just dog bone shaped pieces with bushings in them. 1 bolt per end for a total of 2 bolts.

[Burnera]

Time for polycarb rear windows!

[cobraken]

^ wtf was so hard about undoing 2 bolts?

usually they blow from bad defroster traces right?

wtf was so hard about undoing 2 bolts? hu?

[NC325iC]

^ wtf was so hard about undoing 2 bolts?

usually they blow from bad defroster traces right?

[cobraken]

Note to self. Make sure you install the new rear sway bar endlinks while the rear subframe is out of the car.

What a joke. It took more time to install rear sway bar endlinks than to drop the hole rear subframe!!

Save your self heartache. Its really not worth it!

[cobraken]

I've had two of 'em blow for no apparent reason...

Ya, that looks about right but because my windows are tinted its still in one piece. Im sure removing it is going to fun.

[DRTSRFR]

I've had two of 'em blow for no apparent reason...

[cobraken]

how much you talkin?

Sent you a PM JoeyBones.

[cobraken]

The usual reason for the rear window breaking is a hot spot while the defogger grid is on -- perhaps combined with the defogger switch jamming on.

Otherwise the rubber gasket should be isolating the rear window much better than the rigid adhesive on more modern cars. (By the time the e30 was designed most unibody designs had already switched to bonded-in windows to increase rigidity.)

Was your statement above stating that this damage had been done by using the rear defrost over a period of time?

The battery was disconnected because I am also in the middle of an e to i engine swap.