Replacing Subframe

[KenC]

So my bushings are starting to creak a lot lately.

I want to replace all of the bushings (subframe, trailing arm, diff) soon.

I don't have access to a press where I would be changing the bushings.

If I were able to get ahold of a bare rear subframe with the trailing arms, would it be easy for me to put fresh bushings in it and then swap the whole thing onto the car?

[PiercedE30]

If you put poly bushings in, you can get them in no problem with a hammer at the most. If you are just replacing with OEM bushings, then you need a press or something.

[KenC]

Yeah, I'm going to do poly bushings.

I guess the latter portion of the question was the one I was more interested in.

Is it feasible to just swap another subframe+trailing arms in that already has the bushings (sf and ta) loaded in?

[1991 318is]

Homemade sin!

Swapping subframes would work but getting the whole subframe assembly in and out of the car is the hard part. I used these "special tools" to R&I the bushings.

[KenC]

^^^
That's just for the bushings though, right?

I can get a bare subframe to pop urethane bushings in.

[PiercedE30]

Shit, that's what I'm doing tomorrow. I've got a subframe+trailing arm assembly sitting next to my car at work and at like 1 or so I am going to drop the current frame+ta's and lift the new one in.

[KenC]

Shit, that's what I'm doing tomorrow. I've got a subframe+trailing arm assembly sitting next to my car at work and at like 1 or so I am going to drop the current frame+ta's and lift the new one in.

Awesome. You think you could update this thread when you're done and give some pointers, etc?

[einstein57]

If your useing urethane bushings they slide right in. no hamer needed. just a little grease for the trailing arms. The hardest part was getting the old ones out. some heat and that tool above should make it pretty straight forward. or you could take the pieces to a shop and just have them press out the old stuff. And remember your supposed to tighten up the trailing arms on the ground under load. meaning a trunk full of crap. Pacific BMW used to make their techs torque it down with a couple hundred pounds of sandbags in the car.

[PiercedE30]

Awesome. You think you could update this thread when you're done and give some pointers, etc?

I'm done. Hardest part was taking it all out. Took me about 4 1/2 hours to pull it all apart and put the new(ish) subframe and trailing arms on sans the cv axles and rear end, that is for tomorrow. I'll have pictures up in the 5-lug conversion subforum later tonight.

[PiercedE30]

Ok, posted pictures of everything, click the link in my sig to see them.