Rear subframe removal

[drutt23]

Ok so I have been working away for the last 6 and a half hours to remove my rear subframe. For the life of me, I cannot get it to drop! The pins are out, differential is dropped, trailing arms are dropped, and everything else is off of it. But it still won't drop!!! I've been prying on it with a 6 foot pry-bar for the last couple hours and it still won't budge!!! Am I missing something here???? :curse:

[MattM]

the metal sleeve that is part of the bushing is Rusted inside the little hole it fits into... for my car i used an air chisel and basically destroyed the bushing all around the sleeve, once the subframe is out a few taps side to side gets the sleeve out.... I have also heard people screwing large lag bolts into the soft aluminium sleeve, and hammering it down from inside the car where the pins poped out.

There is a third method i have used... works great as well, but do so at your own risk :p

[BlackSpeed66]

For my original OE bushings, I used the lag bolt method with a BFH. Still took longer than I thought but the subframe did drop!

[george graves]

I leave everything attached. I find the weight helps. This is easier said then done, but you have to out-smart that fucker. It's not always about brute force.

[KenC]

Tie the trailing arms up so you aren't working against the torque they're applying to the subframe by just hanging.

[BUDNUNTA]

I made up a super deep hole saw to just cut the bushing away from the stud, leave the sleeve, then cut it with a dremel and split it, ive done it 4 times now only once did the subframe come out no hassle

[Jean]

West coast FTW, no rust helps! :)

[Cracker Red]

I just removed the rear subframe on a 87' donor/swap car. Took me about an hour or so, but I've got no idea what I'm doing. I pulled the ebrake cables, brake lines, shocks off the body. Next I put a floor jack under the diff. Removed the diff mount, then removed the 22mm subframe mounts. While still supported by the jack, I removed the subframe lower plates (???) with an allen key/driver. When I lowered it down, the left side came off right away, but the right side bound up. I had to jack it back up, and pry on the right side as I lowered it. Came right on down.

Sounds like it might be bound up on one end.

It's pretty heavy btw :)

[drutt23]

the metal sleeve that is part of the bushing is Rusted inside the little hole it fits into... for my car i used an air chisel and basically destroyed the bushing all around the sleeve, once the subframe is out a few taps side to side gets the sleeve out.... I have also heard people screwing large lag bolts into the soft aluminium sleeve, and hammering it down from inside the car where the pins poped out.

There is a third method i have used... works great as well, but do so at your own risk :p

I guess that could be. Everything under the car doesn't seem like it's been touched since the factory put it all in. Thanks

For my original OE bushings, I used the lag bolt method with a BFH. Still took longer than I thought but the subframe did drop!

Thanks

I leave everything attached. I find the weight helps. This is easier said then done, but you have to out-smart that fucker. It's not always about brute force.

I tried to take everything out in one piece and it didn't work for me at any angles. So now the only left under the car is the rear sub

Tie the trailing arms up so you aren't working against the torque they're applying to the subframe by just hanging.

They are already off and there's is no sense in putting them back on. Thanks though.

I made up a super deep hole saw to just cut the bushing away from the stud, leave the sleeve, then cut it with a dremel and split it, ive done it 4 times now only once did the subframe come out no hassle

Hmmm. This idea sounds promising. I didn't think of using the dremel.

West coast FTW, no rust helps! :)

Well records show that it's a Texas car originally, but I think it wasn't taken care of the best it could have been.

I just removed the rear subframe on a 87' donor/swap car. Took me about an hour or so, but I've got no idea what I'm doing. I pulled the ebrake cables, brake lines, shocks off the body. Next I put a floor jack under the diff. Removed the diff mount, then removed the 22mm subframe mounts. While still supported by the jack, I removed the subframe lower plates (???) with an allen key/driver. When I lowered it down, the left side came off right away, but the right side bound up. I had to jack it back up, and pry on the right side as I lowered it. Came right on down.

Sounds like it might be bound up on one end.

It's pretty heavy btw :)

Yeah it's heavy, but it still doesn't weigh that much with all the hardware and such off of it. I have to wait to do anymore on it for a few days due to the fact that I had a large red hot nail go through my right foot....:curse:

[Earendil]

You made it one step further than me. I can't get the fracking subframe bolts to pop up. I just bought an even larger BFH and intend to burn a few more calories tonight wailing on it.

[mightywhitey]

wish me luck im diving in tonight.

[george graves]

You made it one step further than me. I can't get the fracking subframe bolts to pop up. I just bought an even larger BFH and intend to burn a few more calories tonight wailing on it.

Don't forget you can PB blaster the bolt from the top.

[caffeinatedsoap]

Lag bolt method is the easiest. First hammer out the retaining bolts. Screw that bad boy in to the bushing from the bottom, get an extra 3/8 extension that you don't like and a hammer and hammer it out from the top. I've dropped two in the past month and it was like butter both times.

[straight6pwr]

Lag bolt method is the easiest. First hammer out the retaining bolts. Screw that bad boy in to the bushing from the bottom, get an extra 3/8 extension that you don't like and a hammer and hammer it out from the top. I've dropped two in the past month and it was like butter both times.

this. the metal sleeve is the stuck part. pulling on the whole subframe looses its power as the rubber of the bushings flexes. for me, lag bolt + 3/8 extension + tapped a sledge on the top of it popped it right out.

[bmwmech1]

^^^^^^ This is the best way to do it. Rusted in or not, a BFH from the top will win every time, Lol!

Garey