Thread: rumatt's E46
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Old 04-23-2017, 08:07 AM   #141
John V
No more BMWs
 
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Carmudgeonly Ride: Ram, MS3, CX-5, RX-8
Location: Glenwood, MD
Posts: 14,753
Matt insisted that we replace the subframe bushings since we were doing everything else. I tried to talk him out of it, because it's a horrible job even with the right tool and I thought his stock bushings should still be fine. Well, we were both right as it turns out. It is a horrible job (last time I did this I had the subframe out of my car to replace the exploded rear diff mount and it was pretty easy) but he was right that the bushings were toast.

Hard to see in these pics but you can see the crack in this rear bushing and the stress cracks on the underside.





The new bushings are, obviously, new.





I got the rears done yesterday, fronts will go in today. The rears are pretty easy as you only have to lower the rear subframe a couple inches. The fronts are a bear, you have to lower the subframe six full inches which necessitates disconnecting the e-brake cables as the handle as they route through the subframe. I'll try to get some pictures today if I'm not too annoyed with the process.
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