Crossmember/Subframe replacement

[der affe]

Inner cv and driveshaft and you should be good. If you have the chance, change out he gear oil for some synthetic at the same time. Check your CSB too while you are at it as now is an easy time to put a new one in.

If you are doing RTABs in urathane at the same time ( I recomend his over the stock) cut some diagonal grooves in the OD and install then with LOTS of anti seize. This will keep them from squeeking and the copper or aluminium powder in them will imbed itself into
the urathane so there is no contact with the metal. Urathane to metal contact is what causes the squeek.

[der affe]

here's what i'm talking about... the red ones are the ones i'm think might be ok to take out.

but i'm pretty sure i'm wrong. I'm just being lazy and looking to cut corners.

No! Take out the ones in green. If you take out the flanges you are making another mess.
grab a can of brake cleaner and a pick tool and clean out the allen bolts first before you try to remove them. If you can't completely seat the allen wrench, you can easily strip them out, then life really sucks.

[bmwmech1]

Take out the green circled ones. The red ones will do you no good until the axle is unbolted anyway, since they're behind the axle flange. Taking out the bolt at the hub and removing the axle is not necessary, but will help with the removal of the diff and the subframe, since they'll be out of your way.

Garey

[Heysüß]

well, got the exhaust off and yeah I finally found a thread where I saw that the allens are the ones you want to remove.

but I just remembered that I'm changing the trailing arm bushings so I'm just gonna take it all out as one (diff, subframe, trailing arms) while keeping the drive axles connect to the diff. Seems a lot easier to do all that with everything out as one. I'm replacing the diff mount too.

[Heysüß]

Inner cv and driveshaft and you should be good. If you have the chance, change out he gear oil for some synthetic at the same time. Check your CSB too while you are at it as now is an easy time to put a new one in.

If you are doing RTABs in urathane at the same time ( I recomend his over the stock) cut some diagonal grooves in the OD and install then with LOTS of anti seize. This will keep them from squeeking and the copper or aluminium powder in them will imbed itself into
the urathane so there is no contact with the metal. Urathane to metal contact is what causes the squeek.

few questions since I'm a noob and this is the first time I've ever done anything like this....

A) I'm assuming you mean diff oil, and what kind would you (or anyone else) recommend.

B) yep, I am doing urathane. Where do I cut diagonal grooves? And what anti-seize product do you recommend?

The ones I got (ireland engineering) come with some silicone something or other but I'm assuming you mean something in addition to this.

Thanks again!

[Heysüß]

hey guys...

got everything off (stabilizer bar links, shocks, brake lines, and diff mount), I think that's all.

and those plates by the subframe bushings that are held by allen bolts came off too. bushings are ready to start coming down but before all this...

Where the driveshaft and diff meet. Took of the 4 nuts but the bolts seem like they are permanently stuck to the driveshaft side. Am I right?

If so how do you separate these two parts so once the two bushings come out the whole rear end can come down as one?

[Heysüß]

Bentley says to "push" the driveshaft a little to the front of the car but i'm not feeling any play at all for that to be possible. Also, I'm probably being girly about it.

[Heysüß]

i'm also considering trying to disconnect the trailing arms from the subframe and pulling the diff, trailing arms, and driving axles back as one and then lowering it to the ground. that way i would also have more room to wail on the POS subframe that wont come out.

[grantlacey11]

moly grease

[bzboardz]

i'm also considering trying to disconnect the trailing arms from the subframe and pulling the diff, trailing arms, and driving axles back as one and then lowering it to the ground. that way i would also have more room to wail on the POS subframe that wont come out.

I tried to drop everything as one but it was much to clumsy to do alone. i ended up dropping the diff then trailing arms and subframe

[Heysüß]

I tried to drop everything as one but it was much to clumsy to do alone. i ended up dropping the diff then trailing arms and subframe

yeah i figured it would be so I'm gonna wait until my dad and friend can help me so each can watch one section as it comes down.

we tried to use a puller but the ie bushings that came with the car don't have metal tabs they're that hard delrin stuff so it started to bend and give way so we stopped.

[Heysüß]

Well, got the new subframe in and everything lined up perfect except for the diff mount bolt.it's a little to the left. Any ideas on how to budge it that extra bit so I can get the bolt in?

[Heysüß]

late, but as promised here is a picture showing the broken, not cracked, but broken piece of subframe that was causing the loss of power and awful racket.

[Heysüß]

oh and the second top bolt was completely missing, so that's probably why the section broke off, it had to do the job of two bolts.

[Heysüß]

and here's some shots of the old bushings being taken out, or burnt out in our case.