BMW E30 Rear Subframe Removal & Rear Beam Bushing Removal | 007

BMW E30 Rear Subframe Removal & Rear Beam Bushing Removal | 007
In this video, we take on the notoriously difficult task of BMW E30 rear subframe removal.
Here's what I used for the job:
Sealey low entry jack: ebay.us/jgKUw0
Big Dewalt Impact Gun (950nm of torque): ebay.us/Uo79qv​
Dewalt Battery: ebay.us/aaS9GY
Impact socket set: ebay.us/Ilr9qt​
Angle grinder: ebay.us/Hi2slE
Plus gas: ebay.us/OTCi3X
12 Ton Press: ebay.us/waMGUl
Blasting Cabinet: ebay.us/vcr3kY​
Iron Silicate Blast Media: ebay.us/njGttg
This is commonly referred to as the BMW E30 rear beam depending on who you ask. It's located at the rear of the car and bolts to the chassis just in front of the rear wheel arches.
Attached to it are the rear trailing arms and differential which many people choose to remove first to get the e30 rear beam out more easily.
We decided to have a go at dropping the whole rear subframe complete with the diff, rear trailing arms and driveshafts still in place.
We were initially thwarted by the rear section of the exhaust not being removable but found a way to lower the silencer down to give us just enough room to take the complete rear end out sideways.
The biggest problem we had was the e30 rear subframe bushings. These original rubber beam bushings have a metal central part, I suppose it could be described as a spacer. This metal spacer has a tendency to weld itself to the chassis over time, and sadly this had happened to mine.
We ended up cutting the rubber between the inner and outer of the bushing and leaving the central portion in place to deal with at a later date.
Once the BMW e30 rear subframe was removed, the next task was pressing out those e30 rear beam bushings, which we did with relative ease using a bearing press kit and our new 12-ton press.
With the beam now de-rusted and all painted up in black, it'll have some time to cure before being paired up with the newly reinforced rear trailing arms from my previous video.
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[@rienkhoek4169]

Try the torch. Did this job as well and it's a struggle especially with cars that are corroded. Do remove the rear seat and stuff beforehand :) Eventually I made a thread in the underside of the aluminium subframe bushing. ( Like for 2 cm) and put in a bolt that fits that thread from the underside. Then, from above put in the old bolt and take a big hammer. Good luck.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Sounds like a clever technique to remove them, thanks for sharing :) I got them out in the end with the help of an angle grinder: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m36QY3qwna-AnKM

[@CooCuMbEr]

done this today... absolute ballache of a job

[@SPANNERRASH]

Did you have the same trauma with the rear beam bushes being stuck to the chassis too? What a pain!

[@CooCuMbEr]

@@SPANNERRASH yeh the centres came away Not got the centres off yet but apparently its easier to wind a coach bolt in underneath the punch from the top We will see when the time comes Keep making vids mate cos your helping others 👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@CooCuMbEr Thanks for the kind words mate. Mine are still stuck on the car too, one of the next jobs to do. I had a look under the rear bench from the top side, but there doesn't seem to be any access to the top of the stud on my car strangely. I think I'll apply some heat and an angle grinder to whats left of the centres on mine and see how far I get. I'm sure I'll get the sods off one way or another! :)

[@CooCuMbEr]

@@SPANNERRASH ignorance is key to a lot of things ;)

[@alexbakke8885]

For everyone dealing with this now! Here’s how!!! 1. Remove subframe nuts. 2. Remove the grommets under the rear seat. 3. Take an m16 bolt and drive it in the bushing from underneath with and impact in to the aluminum center part. 4. Get a metal rod and a small sledge and tap it out from the top. 5. Success Just it this way and it worked brilliant 😄

[@SPANNERRASH]

Nice that's a good method! When I removed my rear seat there seemed to be no access to the rear subframe bolts from the top, and I was really reluctant to start chopping stuff in there. I might have been a bit braver knowing what I know now. Plus lots of others have said the access is open on theirs. Thanks for sharing.

[@alexbakke8885]

@@SPANNERRASH the subrame bolt is just a splined bolt, just a small whack with a hammer and it pops right up trough that grommet hole. i wish for a better forum with instruction and how to,s for us home wrenchers.. they all seem a bit outdated.

[@rienkhoek4169]

This. Or make thread first and then put in the bolt.

[@DiegoHernandez-po2it]

How did you loosen the parking brake cable?

[@SPANNERRASH]

Hi Diego, sorry I didn't get any footage of that, but if I recall, I unhooked the hand brake cables from the drum side, I left them routed in place above the fuel tank to the handle in the cab. To release them from the drum side, you need to release the hand brake lever so there is no tension, then you can remove the drums after taking out the little allen head screw that holds it onto the hub to reveal the drum brake mechanism. Inside there, there is a nipple on the end of the brand brake cable, holding it in to the mechanism. You can release this and then pull the hand brake cable out of the back side of the rear arm and let it hang loose. I hope that makes sense! I have a later video with more information on the hand brake which might also be useful. Cheers!