Doing bearings, should I drop subframe?

[theroundcow]

I’m about to do wheel bearings on my car , I’ll be disconnecting the e brake lines, cv axles, calipers etc. how much more do I need to disconnect before I can drop the whole subframe? Trying to decide if now is the time to weld in camber plates for rear....

[daveduck]

I am just finishing up doing this job. You do not need to drop the subframe to do rear wheel beaings, but if you are dropping the subframe you can follow this guide http://www.rtsauto.com/e30-rear-subf...l-and-install/

If you decide to drop the subframe I would do all of the "while you're in there" parts, because it can be a pain and you probably won't want to do it again.

When I dropped the subframe I did: poly RTAB, RSB, wheel bearings, hubs, brakes, SS brake lines, rebuilt axles, swapped diff (hopefully), parking brake cables and shoes, weld-in reinforcements, camber and toe adjustment tabs, and painted it all.

Just depends whether you want to spend the time and money to do it all now, and if it needs replacing. Hope this helps

[Zambuzan]

You don't have to drop the subframe in order to do rear wheel bearings. As long as the trialing arm is just hanging off the subframe, you should have enough clearance to apply whatever tool you're using to remove the bearings. There's been a couple of recent threads regarding rear wheel bearing jobs so check those if you have questions regarding tools...

Also, I'd be weary of rear camber plates, as they aren't ideal for all applications (track/street use, etc). Rear subframe riser bushings might be a better solution, but that depends on the application.

Good luck!

[theroundcow]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I have been planning to go all out on my subframe similar to how mr.duck did but there were a few factors I was concerned/curious about : best way to reduce camber after lowering car in the rear, reinforcement plates.....could someone plz elaborate on the shortcomings of the weld in camber/toe adjustment tabs as well as the rear subframe riser bushings?

thank you

[Zambuzan]

could someone plz elaborate on the shortcomings of the weld in camber/toe adjustment tabs as well as the rear subframe riser bushings?
thank you

There are some good threads out there detailing the pros and cons of each, but it really all depends on how the car will be used and how low the car will be driving.

Essentially, rear subframe riser bushings try to mitigate the adverse affects of lowering the rear of the e30 (crappy neg. camber and toe-in) by raising the subframe itself, effectively retaining the desirable suspension travel and handling characteristics that the e30 is known for. Here's a rough example: say you lower the ride-height of the car by 1 inch but raise the subframe by 1 inch. In theory, the rear of the car will retain the same handling characteristics (but obviously a bit less body roll). There are hundreds of other factors to consider, but this is just a rough explanation.

Depending on how much the car is lowered, riser bushings can have a lot or little effect on geometry. From what I've read, if you significantly lower the car, the riser bushings will provide more correction (increasing marginal return haha).

One negative from riser bushings is that you may experience less suspension clearance or driveline inbalances (weird driveshaft angle). For example, if you don't compensate by adding diff spacers.

Weld-in tabs are nice for their adjustability, but one obvious con to the weld-in solution is that the eccentric bolts may move over time (unlikely but possible), which will throw off your rear alignment.

IMO if you're not lowering the rear of the car more than ~1.5 inches and its just a street car, just throw some new bushings in and call it a day.

In my case, my car is lowered ~1 inch in the rear (IE3 springs + spring pads) and has ~2 degrees of camber. This is totally static and I'm not using riser bushings or weld-in tabs. The toe is decent too. All 80a poly

[theroundcow]

i've always worried about the eccentric bolts wandering over time/load...however im always astounded by how much friction a serrated flange nut can generate. anyone else want to give some feedback? well i think its best i leave the subframe in there for now. Im trying to compile all the tools i need for wheel bearings before the weekend actually arrives, i feel like i'm going to be missing something and it will be a total bummer. Which tool do i use to drive the axle in and out? i read a ford one but had trouble finding the exact product.

Thanks everyone

[daveduck]

i've always worried about the eccentric bolts wandering over time/load...however im always astounded by how much friction a serrated flange nut can generate. anyone else want to give some feedback? well i think its best i leave the subframe in there for now. Im trying to compile all the tools i need for wheel bearings before the weekend actually arrives, i feel like i'm going to be missing something and it will be a total bummer. Which tool do i use to drive the axle in and out? i read a ford one but had trouble finding the exact product.

Thanks everyone

You can use Mac Tools FHI7135M if you can find one. I bought one for $30 on eBay. Or you could use OTC 7924A M22 x 1.5 but it's more expensive.