The EASIEST BMW Rear Differential Bushing FIX! Rear End Clunk

[@Bowtie12oclock]

Good job partnering with FCP. Hands down the only place to get euro parts.

[@DayOffDIY]

iim stoked you agree! I am super happy to be working with them

[@Bowtie12oclock]

I use them all the time. They’ll get my business because they have exactly what I need.

[@Frankysbeemer]

Dang man i remember when you were just at 10k subs and here you are at 30! Keep it up man, don’t get discouraged and you will prosper ✌️🤙🤘

[@DayOffDIY]

Yo Frankie! Slowly but surely we are growing! Appreciate the words of encouragement as always my friend

[@FLTL714]

This is the best method for Rear diff bushing any% speedrun

[@genepenna8549]

Eccellente video! Your expertise in tear-down, step-by-step analysis of the challenges, and making repairs accessible to us DIYers (I mean who would know sway bar bushings had those little tabs?) is great. Plus, your amusing commentary and sweet doggie bring it all home. Grazie mille!

[@landuXD]

Never seen someone pull the rear cover but thats a good idea actually! I recommend some grease or assembly lube on your all-thread might make the threads last a bit longer

[@DayOffDIY]

i am totally going to grease the threads in the future. learn from my mistakes ppl! lol Yeah it worked really well, wedging that socket in there was more challenging than it looks but overall a good different method that doesnt require removal of driveshaft

[@LeverPhile]

​@@DayOffDIY Grease the threads AND use a hardened threaded rod (grade 8.8 or 10.8) instead of the grade 5 that Home Depot has.

[@robsweekendgarage]

Great tips on keeping your rear end feeling nice and tight 😂 Def a lil quicker way of doing it and getting the bonus diff service in I like to use air tool oil, or even dawn dish soap, as lube to help those metal on metal bushings slide in place. PS the diff drain is on the right side of the diff housing, not on the cover. Awesome vid as always Alec!

[@DayOffDIY]

thanks to you on the idea in the first place! good call on the lube, I went in DRY as a bone lol and good looks on the diff drain, completely missed it!!!

[@robsweekendgarage]

Yah never stuff anything into your rear dry lol.

[@rossparkes]

Thanks do much for posting this video man, I've been wanting to do this job for ages! I have thought about trying it this way but there aren't any good guides online...until now!! Keep it up bro

[@WilliamBurdine]

THIS IS BRILLIANT... I was just going through this same issue with my e46 and wondering... Do I rent a garage with a lift, pay a shop... which of course they don't like it when you bring your parts or ???? So Glad you showed up JUST IN TIME to Share this. THANKS!

[@DayOffDIY]

Hey william! depends on your comfortability level with repairs, its a somewhat challenging repair that requires purchase of the puller tool, all thread, and having a decent lift or tall jack stands really helps. Id get a quote and weigh your options then i think

[@diegoaranda3692]

Perfect timing im doing this job the next week

[@DayOffDIY]

hope this helps diego!

[@jutto64]

Well done!

[@DayOffDIY]

thank you!!!

[@herrerafoto]

Great video as always!

[@CohnWolfeFitness]

Love seeing you partnered with FCP Euro man 👏 Out of curiosity, what would you charge for doing this repair with this method? I’m thinking most shops do it the harder way you described.

[@DayOffDIY]

theyve been SO GREAT to work with! Really helping me keep momentum on the channel with them behind me. Hopefully we keep working together for a long time. IIRC, we used to charge 5-6 hours of labor for this job, however, for a ZHP like yours it might be best to drop the entire diff professionally and replace the 2 smaller bushings in the front of the diff as well, they can go bad too but usually not as severe as the big rear one. Also gives you a good chance to rebuild driveshaft while it is out for labor offset costs if going the shop route. Id just confirm that they indeed are replacing the small front ones too.

[@Insane98]

Great seeing Sage back in the shop, how is she doing?

[@DayOffDIY]

she is doing soooo much better! right now were working trhrough a big limp that she gets on her front left arm, might have to take her in for xrays soon, trying my best with supplements at the moment but spirit and personality wise she is doing WORLDS BETTER, thanks for asking :)

[@wishfulbuy]

wonder if use a torch to heat up the frame would help ... nice job!

[@bogusienombre355]

Nice way of changing out the diff. Will this work on a 325i? Your trip model is what again? 330? Happy Holidays Alec, keep 'em coming. Your doing a great job!

[@DayOffDIY]

hey bogs! it will totally work on a 325i, this is a 330i but they have the same rear end i believe! always good to see you

[@weswest8666]

I usually just window weld hard to get bushings. Worked perfect on my buddy’s e90 control arm bushings that were smoked.

[@weswest8666]

And window weld held big power on the carrier bearing on my CTS-V

[@DayOffDIY]

whats window weld? never heard of it

[@weswest8666]

@@DayOffDIY it’s liquid polyurethane that stiffens think of it as rubber glue, what is used to install auto or commercial glass windows. It’s an old hot rodder trick to fix or upgrade rubber bushings. You can make your own poly engine mounts with the stuff if you make a mold or have a mold, it’s awesome stuff especially when it’s difficult to replace a blown bushing.

[@DayOffDIY]

I gotta start experimenting with that stuff! Sounds awesome! you inject it into the cracks? is it easy to work with?

[@weswest8666]

@@DayOffDIY it’s legit, saves tons of time and money imo. I think it would be more effective to drill out or bore out the old bushing material then goober in the poly, it’s stiffer than stock though but sometimes that’s a good thing. I just remembered I window welded my transfer case mount on my e46 too, before it would clank/bang when I’d put it in gear from zero mph. 4 years later still looks and feels good. You don’t have to worry about it running out it holds its shape thick like peanut butter.

[@93_caddy_boy35]

Hey Alec, love the video bro 😎. Whoever did your editing did a fantastic job . Did you get that earthquake in the redwoods last week? I thought about you when I heard about it . Take care man! Peace ✌🏽

[@GarageItYourself]

The all thread needs to be 12.9 high tensile as well as the nuts so they can stand up to the torque of bush replacement. They're also a coarser thread to handle the torque.

[@elihnyc]

Just finishing off this job except I dropped the exhaust, disconnected the drive shaft, removed the sway bar, upper wish bones , differential, emergency brake lines and subframe. Removed the 7 bushings from the subframe, had the subframe sandblasted ($75, a steal in my opinion), painted the subframe with POR15 and pressed back in the bushings. That rear differential bushing is by far the hardest. The last 5 mm needed my air wrench. The metal sleeve surrounding the bushing sucks. My warning to everyone is to be careful with orientation. Nothing worse than pushing in these things only to have to remove them. Double check the work.

[@DayOffDIY]

you went absolutely above and beyond on that repair! kudos to you, my fleet is too junky to go that big on a restoration unless I had like an E39 M5 or something else lower mileage that deserved preserving. WELL DONE!

[@serhanarslanturk6426]

Thanks for this great video Alec! Good job on that one. Thanks to fcp europe. Great Partner u have there man! Keep up the good work mate 🫡

[@seanneeley1723]

I was just researching rear diff swaps and a notification for this video popped up. I want to replace the bushing at the same time. Do you know if it is possible to swap in a different input flange on the diff? Then I could use whatever ratio diff I like.

[@DayOffDIY]

never swapped input flanges on differentials personally, ive only removed and reinstalled for input seals. maybe someone who knows will see your comment and chime in!

[@jame358]

oh perfect, my car is doing this.

[@DayOffDIY]

hope it helps!!!

[@FreeKanal]

I was wondering why u did not lubricate threads and new bushing before installing it :) anyway great job !

[@DayOffDIY]

I totally should have! lesson learned! :)

[@FreeKanal]

​@@DayOffDIYI learned this when using a spring compressor, without lubrication, the force of the spring damaged the threads. I had a poor quality compressor(welded one), which I replaced with a forged type. At least it ended well and I'm still alive :)

[@Vas_Haus]

Btw the e46 does have a drain plug on the side of the diff. This method works only if you plan on replacing the rear mount but if the front mounts are original they should be replaced.

[@DayOffDIY]

i totally missed the drain! and youre right, this is the time saving method that doesnt adress those bushings, but if you want to do it right and all the way, pulling and replacing all bushings is best

[@aldenbrom4085]

Puller tools of all kinds, lube the threads on them so they last longer 🛢

[@DayOffDIY]

i will 100% do this in the future!