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Subframe bushings: 10 hours, halfway done
I'm not even kidding. This is the biggest bitch of a job I've ever seen. The exhaust and other component removal went well enough. Only a few hangups trying to get the subframe bolts out. The problem became that the $@#%@# subframe would NOT drop. It didn't matter how I did it -- lower the jack an inch at a time, "tap" on the subframe (more like beating the everliving piss out of it), wrestle with it side to side, it just kept getting hung up. I once succeeded in getting ONE side off, but put it back on because I figured it was making the other side bind. The real problem is, with the driveshaft hanging on the heat shielding (Yes I pulled it down) which pulls on the remainder of the exhaust (and the engine, I might add...  ), when you lower the jack, it lowers the diff and subframe WHILE TWISTING the whole thing rearwards. About the only point where the subframe was "straight" enough to tap it down, the thing was too high for the "tapping" to lower it. I finally got the other side out, but the side I got out once would not budge the remaining inch. Finally we realized you can unscrew the studs that the subframe mounts on -- they screw right into the car. Sure it's a tight fit, but after 15 mins of twisting, finally the thing dropped out. Even THEN we couldn't get the studs out of the bushings, because no matter which way you twisted the damn thing, there wasn't enough clearance to pull them all the way out. Finally ended up removing the wheel well splash guards and could just tweak it out. So at the 5-6 hour mark, I was read to pull the bushings. I've drilled the crap out of them, tried a saw many times (very difficult)... I have now used my homemade bushing puller (which is very good at getting STUCK on the subframe, and bending washers, and twisting threaded rods into worthless piles of crap) many many many times on the same bushing, to no avail. The damn thing just ISN'T moving. The rod twisting isn't even really a big deal, the problem is, I just don't have enough leverage to pull them. This tells me I have more work to do to loosen 'em up. So now, about 10 hours in, I have a dropped subframe, but cannot get the bushings out to save my life. Any suggestions for the next step? God knows I'll be working on it all day tomorrow when I'm not eating turkey, and hopefully not into friday. That would suck -- I need to have the car back together for the trip back to California on sunday. Any hints? I am very very close to burning the bushings out, but am a bit afraid of having fire right under the gas tank. If I yanked the whole subframe, my options would go up. I'm not really keen on pulling the brake calipers (Should be fairly easy) or disconnecting the driveshaft (at this point I'm so cold and sore and tired I haven't taken the time to figure out how much work this is). So where should I go from here? Yank the subframe and torch the things? How hard is it to disconnect the driveshaft, any gotchas? Not sure if I have room to get my hands and wrenches or sockets in there... Thanks for any help... and let me say it again, THIS JOB BLOWS. | | Reply » Subframe bushings: 10 hours, halfway done |
I also had no luck with a home made bushing puller. In the end, I purchased the BMW factory bushing puller tools (can also be rented). There's just way too much force needed to get those bushings out that having the correct tool (BMW/ZDMAK) makes all of the difference.
| | Reply » Subframe bushings: 10 hours, halfway done |
Wow, even with Max and Daniel working on Dwayne's car, it only took a few hours (one guy=one hour; two guys=two hours; etc.).
Well, I don't know what I could say that would help you; some cars are just easier than others!
I did a 99 Rdstr last night that the subframe literally fell completely off the studs. No prying; I didn't even have to look at it hard. But almost every time I install the bushings, I have the differential removed from the subframe. Makes a BIG difference in the balance to slide it down the studs (which I've never removed, even though I keep a new set around just in case).
As for your tool, can't help you there, as I've always used SIR's bushing tool (must've done close to twenty cars __40 bushings__ by now).
One glimmer of hope, is that regardless of the trouble you go through, it will make a marked improvement for your trip back to California.
Hang in there 
| | Reply » Subframe bushings: 10 hours, halfway done |
Reid:
I can't help you with this at all, but I can wish you good luck. Hope to see you on Dec 11th - last GGC tour of the year.
| | Reply » Subframe bushings: 10 hours, halfway done |
First thing first... 2 shots of single-malt scotch. 
Disconnecting the driveshaft is pretty much prerequisite. Should've done that early, but now you know you need to do it. If you don't, you get the binding issue. You might get that anyway on some cars, it varies. Some, it drops right down. Others, it takes a lot of work.
Not a big deal to disconnect the driveshaft. Put the car in gear, apply handbrake. Remove 2 of the nuts. Take the car out of gear and release the handbrake, rotate the driveshaft 180 degrees, put the car back in gear and put the handbrake on, remove the other 2 nuts. The trick is retorqueing them. The last two times, I haven't bothered using the funky shallow swivel-head 16mm on the torque wrench. I just pull 'em as tight as I can get 'em with a 16mm GearWrench. Gives me enough leverage to get them very snug, but not enough to trash threads. A few drops of blue Loctite if you want to be anal-retentive about it.
Assuming a good floor jack, it's not that much more work at this point to roll the whole subframe out. You can hang your calipers (any old wire will do) on the exhaust brackets. The trick here is balancing the whole thing as you roll it out. Go slow, be careful, and steady it with your hand as soon as you can. I like to put cardboard on the floor underneath the rotor backing plates, so that if it does tip to the floor, I don't scrape them along the concrete.
More of a PITA is the parking brake cables. I've gotten very good at getting mine disconnected from the hub side. Randy pulls them from the other end. Either will work. If you do the hub side, note how things go together and their orientation. Also how far out the adjuster is (the geared piece at the top between the brake shoes). I've got pictures on-line to help you too if you need them. The real trick to this job is getting the return springs back on. There's a trick to that involving two large screwdrivers or one large screwdriver and a small prybar, but I don't have a picture of it since I don't have three hands. If you do the other end, mark the nuts and count the turns to get them off so you can put them back where they were. Not a big deal to adjust afterward though. Could be left for later if you don't need your parking brake for the Sunday trip.
ABS sensors come right out with a single allen bolt. Brake pad wear sensor... well, my experience is that they tend to crumble in the rear when removing them. My front one never has trouble, but the rear does. Not a big deal to replace it later, it's a simple plug-n-chug deal.
Your frustration is why I bought the $360+ shop-grade subframe bushing removal kit. I took one look at the bushings and realized the tool was going to save me time and misery. It's saved Randy a lot more than me (I think he's over 10 cars now on the same tool, not counting his cars).
If you're at wits end on Friday, give me a jingle. I should be around. I'll PM you my phone number. I suspect you're going to end up burning them out since you're probably not going to get a good tool on a holiday weekend. Get yourself some stuff to clean the subframe afterward, and whatever you can find to recoat (any type of rust-encapsulation rattle-can plus some satin or flat black paint will do). But if you need any hints on getting the subframe rolled out so we don't read about you dying in an explosion, or just need to curse at someone, I'll be kicking around.
| | Reply » Subframe bushings: 10 hours, halfway done |
Part 2...
The hard part about putting the subframe back is getting the driveshaft flange and bolts through the hole in the subframe, aligned with the flange on the differential, while you're also trying to get the subframe onto the mounting studs. Tricks off the top of my head if working alone...
Duct tape the top of the Ireland bushings on the studs, all the way to the top. In such a way that you can pull the tape out later. Don't bother with the bottom halves at all until the subframe is in position. This gives you some wiggle room.
Note that you can move the driveshaft forward/back a little bit to get the bolts in the driveshaft flange to go into the holes in the differential flange. Don't go yanking it out, but you do have some play. This is easier with a helper manning the jack while you're under the car lining things up, but it's doable alone too. Patience is key.
Once you've got the driveshaft bolts through the differential flange, put a couple of the nuts on. No need to be tight, just so it can't come off. Pull the duct tape off the top of the Ireland bushings and let them drop into the top of the subframe. Jack the subframe up and put the differential cover bolt in and slap the nut on it (don't tighten). Now most of the weight is hanging on the differential cover bolt. Jack the subframe up snugly against the tops of the Ireland bushings, checking that the studs look close to center of the subframe receivers. Put the bottoms of the bushings in. If needed, tap them in the rest of the way using a long socket or short piece of pipe so you're tapping on the metal insert and not the urethane. Now put the subframe support brackets on, and the nuts. I don't torque those until the car is on the ground again.
You're home-free at this point but for the parking brake cables, but I can talk you through that if needed.
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Subframe bushings: 10 hours, halfway done