Rear trailing arms

[RobertRO]

Sorry, this is long and annoying

I need to replace the right trailing arm, so I decided to replace both of them, with the late ("braced") model - fitted on car built after sep. 1986.

The late model is p/n 33321133393 (left) and 33321133394 (right) and it was used on post 09/1986 E28 535i, then on E34 535i, 530i, 540i, also on E32 735i, 730i, 740i.
All have the same bearing: p/n 33411134549 (42x80x42 mm).

Two big surprises, on my quest for trailing arms:

1. E34 M5 and E32 750i use different trailing arms (p/n 33321137837 and 33321137838). Same bearing, though. The only major difference from the other E34 and E32 models is the self leveling system.
For example, the p/n for the E28 M5 trailing arm is also different from the p/n of E28 535i arm, but I never heard of E28 M5 guys that they need to replace the trailing arms, when they drop the self leveling system for the conventional E28 rear suspension. Or do they?
Question 1: Do E34 M4 and E32 750i trailing arms fit E28 535i?

2. Low models of E28 (post 09/1986) and E34: 520i, 525i, 528i, etc, also use a different trailing arm: p/n 33322225949 (left) 33322225950 (right). Even more strange, they have a smaller bearing: p/n 33411123415 (37x74x45 mm). I suppose that this trailing arm has the same geometry, but it's cut internally to accommodate the smaller bearing.
Question 2: What would be the technical reason for BMW, to use a smaller bearing for low power models, with the expense of tackling the logistics of more parts?

[Jimmie G]

we would cut off part of the lower offset of the non sls shock when converting e23 745i sls systems. When you have the sls shocks its easy to measure them and whack off the needed amount. I hope thet helps with some of it good luck with the rest. I will be watching this because I will be upgrading my subframe to adjust rear camber Ireland engineering bound.

Jimbeaux

[cgraff]

Sorry, this is long and annoying

Don't worry, the post isn't annoying...just blame BMW...

I need to replace the right trailing arm, so I decided to replace both of them, with the late ("braced") model - fitted on car built after sep. 1986.

The late model is p/n 33321133393 (left) and 33321133394 (right) and it was used on post 09/1986 E28 535i, then on E34 535i, 530i, 540i, also on E32 735i, 730i, 740i.
All have the same bearing: p/n 33411134549 (42x80x42 mm).

Two big surprises, on my quest for trailing arms:

1. E34 M5 and E32 750i use different trailing arms (p/n 33321137837 and 33321137838). Same bearing, though. The only major difference from the other E34 and E32 models is the self leveling system.
For example, the p/n for the E28 M5 trailing arm is also different from the p/n of E28 535i arm, but I never heard of E28 M5 guys that they need to replace the trailing arms, when they drop the self leveling system for the conventional E28 rear suspension. Or do they?
Question 1: Do E34 M4 and E32 750i trailing arms fit E28 535i?

It *should*. The bushings are different. The E34 M5 and 750 don't use a normal bushing like the other trailing arms. It's called a 'sliding bearing' or something like that...effectively a spherical bearing or similar, I'm guessing. The bolt diameter is the same E34 M5 to others, and the width *should* work (b/c the 750 subframe is the same as the other E32 subframes). Therefore, logically, your interface dimensions should be identical. I've not personally tried it, but my guess is that it should work.

2. Low models of E28 (post 09/1986) and E34: 520i, 525i, 528i, etc, also use a different trailing arm: p/n 33322225949 (left) 33322225950 (right). Even more strange, they have a smaller bearing: p/n 33411123415 (37x74x45 mm). I suppose that this trailing arm has the same geometry, but it's cut internally to accommodate the smaller bearing.
Question 2: What would be the technical reason for BMW, to use a smaller bearing for low power models, with the expense of tackling the logistics of more parts?

That's a good find. I didn't check lower power post 9/86 models. My guess is pretty much that.

Honestly it's anyone's guess why they'd use a different bearing. Did you check where those bearings are uesd? pre-86? E30s? etc? You'll probably need to do more digging around before you come to a conclusion on this.

More importantly, though, is the hub flanges. E32 and E34 use different flanges, and thus if you get *I believe* it's E32 trailing arms, you'll need to press in E28/E34 flanges with new bearings. Check the ETK b/c my memory is fading, but I do remember that the later non-E28 arms (even though the trailing arm itself is the same) the hub flange is different.

Also, you will need new post 9/86 ABS wheel speed sensors if you have ABS. These are unique left/right as opposed to the universal ones in pre 9/86.

-Chris

[RobertRO]

More importantly, though, is the hub flanges. [...] Also, you will need new post 9/86 ABS wheel speed sensors if you have ABS

Chris, your feedback was very useful. It help me clear some of the mess I had in my brain, after spending many late hours this week, trying to figure out what rear suspension parts can be match, across E28, E34 and E32 BMW models.

For those interested in this subject, here are my conclusions so far (below the picture):



Trailing arms:
The late trailing arm model ("braced") that fit E28 535i (p/n: 33321133393 left, 33321133394 right) must accommodate the bearing p/n 33411134549: 42x80x42 mm (item #4 in the picture above).
Such trailing arms can be sourced from E34 530i, E34 535i, E34 540i, any E34 touring (interesting surprise), or any E32 (730i, 735i, 740i).
Note that E34 sedans with M20 or M50 engine use a trailing arm that has a smaller bearing. These arms have different p/n and will not accommodate big wheel bearing.
Although the E34 M5 and E32 750i have the same "big" bearing, the trailing arm p/n is different. These arms may fit, but it must be confirmed by real life testing.

Side shaft (hub flange)
This is item# 1 in the picture above. You need p/n 33411134883, which can be sourced from any E28 or E34 (530i, 535i, 540i, M5, all touring) which uses a trailing arm with the big bearing.
The side shaft from any E32 does not fit (actually, this is the reason for which E32 rear brake rotors don't fit E28 / E34).

Drive flange
Item# 5 in the picture above.
Most likely, you must use the part from your E28 535i / 533i (ABS model), p/n 33411129859. The p/n is the same for both early and late type of trailing arms.
E34 and E32 models use a drive flange of different p/n. I don't know if they fit or not. Searching through the Web archives, I bumped into the information that the E34 535i drive flange fits. But this needs further investigation.

ABS sensors
The late ("braced") trailing arms need other ABS sensors than the early model. They are different from left (p/n 34521155709) to right (p/n 34521155710).
Interesting, the E32 and E34 sensors are same p/n (34521181490) for both left and right.
This is another mystery. E28 with old-style trailing arm has the same kind of ABS sensor for both left and right. If you put late-style trailing arms on E28, you need different ABS sensors, for left and right. But, same late-style trailing arms on E34 and E32 don't request left-to-right ABS sensor differentiation anymore... Could it be because of particularities in the drive flange, which is E28 specific? If that's the case, and if the E34 (= E32) drive flange fits, then maybe an universal ABS sensor for left and right, on late-style trailing arm, would work on the E28, too.

Question: Can anyone tell if E34 / E32 ABS sensors fit the E28 electrical harness?

[RobertRO]

Some fresh information, for those interested in the trailing arm story.

It is known that the E32 7 Series / E34 5 Series "braced" rear trailing arms are the same as the late (post 9/86) E28 ones. It is popular for E28 owners to fit E32 / E34 trailing arms to their cars, when the arms get distorted or the rear bearings fail.

Still, as you can read in my above post in this thread, the E32 / E34 trailing arms are different between models.

These days I collected a set of E32 735i rear trailing arms, plus a set of E34 520i ones, and figured out the differences, in order to prepare retrofitting one of these sets to my 6/86 E28 535i.

This posts only highlights the differences between E32 and E34 trailing arms and their components; further information will follow when the project is over (several months from now on).

E34 and E32 trailing arms:
For E34 and E32 models, BMW has fitted 3 types of trailing arm sets.
They all have the same geometry and fit the E28 / E34 / E32 rear subframe. But they accomodate different bearings sizes, drive flanges and side shafts - and these components must be considered, when retrofitting E32 / E34 trailing arms to an E28.
1. "1st" set (p/n: 33321133393 left, 33321133394 right) on all M30, M60 E34 sedans and E32, plus all E34 touring (including M20 / M50 powered). These trailing arms use the large model of rear bearings (p/n: 33411134549), 42x80x42 mm.
2. "2nd" set (p/n: 33321132329 left, 33321132330 right) on all M20 / M50 / M40 / M43 / M21 / M51 powered E34 sedan (NOT touring!). These trailing arms use the small model of rear bearings (p/n: 33411123415), 37X74X45 mm.
3. Finally, "3rd" set (p/n: 33321137837 left, 33321137838 right) for S38 powered E34 M5 and M70 powered E32 750i. They use the large model of bearing and a different kind of trailing arm to subframe bushings. I don't have further information of this set of trailings arms, so far.

Late (post 9/86) E28 trailing arms:
Starting with 9/86, the sets "1" and "2" mentioned above were used on E28 models with ABS, as follows:
- set "1" (with the large bearing) on all M30 powered models, S38 powered US M5, plus M20 powered 528e and 525e;
- set "2" (with the small bearing) on most M20 / M21 powered models;
- strange, the Euro M88 powered M5 has a trailing arm set of its own.
- it seems that most non-ABS E28 models continued to use the old type (non-braced) of trailing arm, that was fitted before 09/86.
Important note: please use the information regarding the E28 types of trailing arms with much care. Check the exact p/n used on your E28, before starting any trailing arm related actions.

(CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST)

[RobertRO]

(CONTINUED FROM MY PREVIOUS POST)

This first (composed) picture shows an E32 735i trailing arm, side-by-side with an E34 520i one, as viewed from the halfshaft. Please note that the large nut is identical (36 mm).

The second picture shows the E32 735i drive flange (right) next to the E34 520i one (left), after being removed. Observe that the top metal collars, which fit on the bearing protection rings, is larger on the E32 flange, because that trailing arm uses a larger bearing that the E34 520i trailing arm.

The third picture compares the height of the same drive flanges. The ABS toothed wheels have the same position, relative to the trailing arms.

This picture holds the key information. The metal collars can easily be removed. It must be done very careful, because they bend easily and are usually highly rusted. I guess that they cannot be individually purchased from BMW, but bundled with the drive flange.
The inside diameter of the collars is the same, so they can be swapped from one flange to another. Also, please note that the splines are identical, on both models of drive flanges.
This means that you can use either the "1st" set of trailing arms (with the large bearings), or the "2nd" set of trailing arms (holding the small bearing), as long as the drive flange model is correct for your application - as long as you use the metal collar that fits the bearing (small collar for the small bearing, large collar for the large bearing).

OK, there's another discussion, why would somebody want to fit a set of trailing arms with the small bearing, when the E28 535i / 528e only used the large bearing.
Well, I just presented what's possible. Considering that, for example, the E34 525i sedan worked fine with the small bearing trailing arms, these arms could work fine in an E28, should you not find a good set with the large bearing.

One last note: so far, based on part number, I think that you must use the E28 drive flange and an E34 or E28 side shaft (which fits the trailing arm bearing, be it large or small). You cannot use an E32 side shaft on an E28 or E34, because they are longer, and the rear track will be wider.

Note: To be continued and completed after I finish the revision of the rear axle on my E28.

[edited May 2010 for restoring broken links due to Web server relocation]

[M535 E28]

E34 M5 trailing arms fit perfect in E28.
I have them in my M5
Also no problem with the e28 harness.I use E34 abs sensors all around

[cgraff]

E34 M5 trailing arms fit perfect in E28.
I have them in my M5
Also no problem with the e28 harness.I use E34 abs sensors all around

E34 ABS sensors are a fitment only for E32 and E34s, according to the ETK (PN: 34 52 1 181 490 cross reference). Are the connectors the same to plug into the E28 wiring harness at the rear? Are the ABS sensor wires pigtails longer/shorter? Do you know what are the differences are exactly? According to the ETK the late E28 ABS Sensors are left/right specific, the E34 ones are not left/right specific, but universal.

TIA

-Chris

[M535 E28]

E34 M5 trailing arms fit perfect in E28.
I have them in my M5
Also no problem with the e28 harness.I use E34 abs sensors all around

E34 ABS sensors are a fitment only for E32 and E34s, according to the ETK (PN: 34 52 1 181 490 cross reference). Are the connectors the same to plug into the E28 wiring harness at the rear? Are the ABS sensor wires pigtails longer/shorter? Do you know what are the differences are exactly? According to the ETK the late E28 ABS Sensors are left/right specific, the E34 ones are not left/right specific, but universal.

TIA

-Chris

I know what the ETK says but i had a complete E34 M5 for parts.So i thought i should try.Finally, the rear trailing arms and the front struts from the E34 rest in my E28 without any mods.The abs sensors have the same connectors and their length is almost the same.
The most important is that my ABS works perfect

[RobertRO]

I would appreciate some feedback regarding the removal of the handbrake cable from the rear trailing arms, without damaging the cable.
Please check the image below.




When I stripped down the E32 trailing arms I intend to fit on my E28, I noticed that the handbrake cable end sleeve (part #3 in the picture below) was very rusted and stuck in its trailing arm socket.
It is very likely that I will encounter a similar problem when I remove the trailing arms on my E28.




The next picture shows from the inner side of the trailing arm. As you can see, the socket is recessed, making it difficult to firmly grab the cable end sleeve from this side.
On the other hand, when pushing the sleeve from the outer side (as in the first picture of this post), any tool I could figure out would eventually slip and damage the cable.



Anyone has some practical experience on this subject?

[Rich Euro M5]

Drive flange
Item# 5 in the picture above.
Most likely, you must use the part from your E28 535i / 533i (ABS model), p/n 33411129859. The p/n is the same for both early and late type of trailing arms.
E34 and E32 models use a drive flange of different p/n. I don't know if they fit or not. Searching through the Web archives, I bumped into the information that the E34 535i drive flange fits. But this needs further investigation.

RobertRO,

I happen to have a set of E32 750i Trailing Arm (TA) assembly which will find a new home in my Euro M5 along with a slotted rear subframe. I too was wondering about the fitment of the drive axles from the E28 to the E32 TA's inner drive flanges. Since I also happen to have the drive axles from my deceased '83 533i I gave them a try. They bolted right up !!! So I believe as long as the drive axles are from a typical US/NA E28 or larger displacement Euro E28, there shouldn't be a fitment issue with the drive axles.

E34 ABS sensors are a fitment only for E32 and E34s, according to the ETK (PN: 34 52 1 181 490 cross reference). Are the connectors the same to plug into the E28 wiring harness at the rear? Are the ABS sensor wires pigtails longer/shorter? Do you know what are the differences are exactly? According to the ETK the late E28 ABS Sensors are left/right specific, the E34 ones are not left/right specific, but universal.

Chris,

While examining the E32 TAs, I took a look at the ABS sensors. The E32 750i ABS sensors have two drilled mounting ears ears spaced about 60 degrees apart, each hole being ~ 30 degrees off the vertical plane. This makes the ABS sensor a universal fit, ie; for both Left / Right fitment . So if we can figure out which PN of E32 750i ABS sensor to use, we have that issue knocked out.

Rich

[RobertRO]

[...] the rear trailing arms and the front struts from the E34 rest in my E28 without any mods. The abs sensors have the same connectors and their length is almost the same.
The most important is that my ABS works perfect

Following the feedback above I investigated today (I know, it's a couple of months later) the possibility of using the complete E34 rear trailing arms, including the drive flanges and the ABS sensors, and still have the ABS system work.

The picture below raises A LOT of doubts, with respect to the feedback of user M535 E28, quoted above:


Note: the E32 and E34 rear drive flanges are identical.

The problem is that the E28 drive flange has an ABS toothed wheel with 96 teeth, while the E32/E34 flange has half of that: 48 teeth. The position of the ABS wheel on the drive flange is the same for E28 and for E32/E34. Consequently one can use any flange and still have the ABS wheel correctly positioned in relation with the ABS sensor socket in the trailing arm.

But the fact that E32/E34 flange has only 48 teeth, versus 96 teeth of the E28 flange means that installing an E34 trailing arm on an E28, without swapping the E34 drive flange with the E28 one, AND the E34 ABS sensor with the late E28 ones, will render the ABS system malfunctioning.
Which means that the above feedback of user M535 E28 should be wrong.

Does anyone have some experience in this issue?

Additional info: For reference, check the following link for a picture of E28 versus E32/E34 ABS sensors, installed in the trailing arms (.jpg file, 128KB).

[edited May 2010 for restoring broken links due to Web server relocation]

[RobertRO]

Here's another one on the same topic: rear trailing arms.

Take a look at the picture below. What you see is a lineup of a few rear drive flanges (for the record, the 2 flanges on the left are E32, the two one on the right are E28).

As you can see, I pointed out to a few paint dots. It is obvious that the dots were put there by the manufacturer.
Should the dots mean some sort of machining tolerances of the drive flange splines? Which then means that the drive flanges must be matched with the side shafts, spline-wise?

If so, arghhhhh!



[edited May 2010 for restoring broken links due to Web server relocation]

[RobertRO]

FYI, the last two interesting pictures from the last weekend's garage session.

1. This link points to a picture (.jpg, 91KB) of E28 rear side shaft (p/n 33411134883, used on E28, E24 and E34 with large rear wheel bearing), side by side with the E32 rear side shaft (p/n 33411134877, also used on E23).
The conclusion is that by installing E32 side shafts in the rear trailing arms, instead of the E28 shafts, the rear wheels of an E28 will sit 8mm closer to the fender.
It is a similar effect as having 8mm spacers.
Of course, with the E32 side shafts one must use the E32 rear rotors, and the correct calipers to match them.

2. This picture (.jpg, 66KB) shows side by side the E28 Bilstein Sport versus Bilstein HD shock absorbers. They are aligned at the low mounting bushing, so you can compare their length, and also the relative position of the possible spring perch settings. The distance between two grooves is 10mm.

[edited May 2010 for restoring broken links due to Web server relocation]

[vance]

(p/n 33411134877, also used on E23).
The conclusion is that by installing E32 side shafts in the rear trailing arms, instead of the E28 shafts, the rear wheels of an E28 will sit 8mm closer to the fender.
It is a similar effect as having 8mm spacers.

So i guess if you used e28 side shafts in an e23 it would move the wheel 8mm away from the fender allowing you to run a larger tire. Right?

Vance

[cgraff]

(p/n 33411134877, also used on E23).
The conclusion is that by installing E32 side shafts in the rear trailing arms, instead of the E28 shafts, the rear wheels of an E28 will sit 8mm closer to the fender.
It is a similar effect as having 8mm spacers.

So i guess if you used e28 side shafts in an e23 it would move the wheel 8mm away from the fender allowing you to run a larger tire. Right?

Vance

You're still limited by the shape of the inner wheel well, and the trailing arm.

For instance, on an E28, You can use 17x10 Alpinas in the rear. They fit, due to correct offset, with 255 tires (and mild fender rolling). But you need to notch the trailing arm to clear them.

On an E23, I do not know off-hand what is the limiting factor on the inner side.

-Chris

[RobertRO]

]So i guess if you used e28 side shafts in an e23 it would move the wheel 8mm away from the fender allowing you to run a larger tire.

I think that it will raise another issue: is there any brake rotor for the E23 that matches the E28 side shaft?

[Frybrid 524td]

Finally... for S38 powered E34 M5 and M70 powered E32 750i. They use the large model of bearing and a different kind of trailing arm to subframe bushings. I don't have further information of this set of trailings arms, so far.

I'll be using E34 M5 "Rotary Slide Bearings" (trailing arm bearings, PN 33321135808) on the subframe I'm modifying for camber and toe adjustability. I just received them in my last order from Brian. They didn't come packed with much grease so I'll have to add some after pressing them into the trailing arms. The rubber boots have the Lemforder owl logo on them.

The shells on these bearings have to be machined down a bit for them to fit into E28 trailing arms. They are slightly too large to be press fit into the trailing arms. I'm using trailing arms off of an '88 Super ETA. WIthout machining, you risk breaking/mushrooming the press cup on the hydraulic press. BTDT. I also tried a 12-point socket as an alternative cup since it wouldn't pinch the rubber boots but, unfortunately, the socket couldn't take the force of the press.

[euro635gas]

Great info.
I am running 1990 535i arms on my 533i. They fit perfect.
I'm a Kamac user because the used arms I sourced already had them installed. They are a b'itch to mess with.

[iamcreepingdeath]

I happen to have a set of E32 750i Trailing Arm (TA) assembly which will find a new home in my Euro M5 along with a slotted rear subframe. I too was wondering about the fitment of the drive axles from the E28 to the E32 TA's inner drive flanges. Since I also happen to have the drive axles from my deceased '83 533i I gave them a try. They bolted right up !!! So I believe as long as the drive axles are from a typical US/NA E28 or larger displacement Euro E28, there shouldn't be a fitment issue with the drive axles.

Ok, I have an '84 E28 520i euro spec, and I just put E32 740i trailing arms on, only to discover the axle flanges on the E32 TAs are too big for the axles. So what you are saying is if I pick up some US spec E28 axles, they will bolt right up to the larger E32 axle flanges? Will they still bolt to the (smaller) diff axle flanges?

Also, can I actually use the E32 740i axles on the E28 by swapping over the diff axle flanges from the E32?

[freetoride]

Here's another one on the same topic: rear trailing arms.

Take a look at the picture below. What you see is a lineup of a few rear drive flanges (for the record, the 2 flanges on the left are E32, the two one on the right are E28).

As you can see, I pointed out to a few paint dots. It is obvious that the dots were put there by the manufacturer.
Should the dots mean some sort of machining tolerances of the drive flange splines? Which then means that the drive flanges must be matched with the side shafts, spline-wise?

If so, arghhhhh!



[edited May 2010 for restoring broken links due to Web server relocation]

Its possible that the dots are just part of quality control from the manufacturer. I used to do something similar when I worked for Dana Corp. Different colors denoted different shifts and machine operators, it helped to point out the guilty party when an order was out of tolerance.

[test5]

Based on my cross-referencing in realoem, it seems that the e28 rear side shaft (p/n 33411134883) is also being used with e34 drive flanges (specifically 530i/535i/540i/M5 p/n 33411131063).

Since you've established earlier that e32 and e34 drive flanges are equivalent, the e32/e34 drive flanges match the e28 rear side shaft spline-wise.

The implication is that, unless you have ABS, you don't have to swap e32/e34 drive flanges with your e28 drive flange when using the e32/e34 trailing arm with a large bearing. It's extra weight in the right place though negligible. Lol.

And just to be complete and unambiguous: if you have ABS, you have to swap in the e28 drive flange OR use e28 ABS tone rings. Either way, you will NOT want to use the E32 side shafts (the wheel hub) unless you're ok with a +8mm offset.

This was confirmed here (see quoted excerpt below) with "inner flange" as drive flange and "outer/output flange" as side shaft:

I installed the full trailing arm from an E32 740 onto my E23.
The trailing arm is the same part as all late E28 and E32/34.
The differences start with the flanges, inner and outer are different and pose different problems.
If you have a non ABS car then you are actually in luck, as the E32 inner flanges have the wrong tone ring to work with E28 ABS.
The output flange has different stack heights and change effective offset depending which one you use: E32 output shaft pushes the wheel 8mm closer to the fender.

Here's a pic of what ElGuappo was talking about c/o RobertRO's pic:


and a pic of the side shafts and the drive flanges together c/o cek from his Minerva build thread:

The spindles from the 740i are bigger, have the wrong ABS sensor teeth, and won't fit an E28:

It's been established that the e32/e34 drive flange will mate with the e28/e34 side shaft and therefore the e28/e32/e34 axles will mate with them too - it's just that e32 and e34 axles are too long to be used in an e28.

[Grapedude]

Sorry to drag up an old topic, but I'm currently rebuilding a early e24 based on e12. The engine modifications have led me to want to replace the side loading diff with a large case diff and I have an e28 m535 subframe. I have been offered a set of e32 750i rear swing arms including large hubs and drive shafts. Am I correct in thinking that, body mounting of diff aside, I can get this to all fit together? I don't have any need for ABS so that's not an issue. Should I get the breaker to include the calipers and hats as 750i runs 300x20 and the e12 does not.....new duel brake circuit being run so brake upgrade is desirable. Thanks.

[Hupa]

[...] the rear trailing arms and the front struts from the E34 rest in my E28 without any mods. The abs sensors have the same connectors and their length is almost the same.
The most important is that my ABS works perfect

Following the feedback above I investigated today (I know, it's a couple of months later) the possibility of using the complete E34 rear trailing arms, including the drive flanges and the ABS sensors, and still have the ABS system work.

The picture below raises A LOT of doubts, with respect to the feedback of user M535 E28, quoted above:


Note: the E32 and E34 rear drive flanges are identical.

The problem is that the E28 drive flange has an ABS toothed wheel with 96 teeth, while the E32/E34 flange has half of that: 48 teeth. The position of the ABS wheel on the drive flange is the same for E28 and for E32/E34. Consequently one can use any flange and still have the ABS wheel correctly positioned in relation with the ABS sensor socket in the trailing arm.

But the fact that E32/E34 flange has only 48 teeth, versus 96 teeth of the E28 flange means that installing an E34 trailing arm on an E28, without swapping the E34 drive flange with the E28 one, AND the E34 ABS sensor with the late E28 ones, will render the ABS system malfunctioning.
Which means that the above feedback of user M535 E28 should be wrong.

Does anyone have some experience in this issue?

Additional info: For reference, check the following link for a picture of E28 versus E32/E34 ABS sensors, installed in the trailing arms (.jpg file, 128KB).

[edited May 2010 for restoring broken links due to Web server relocation]

Interesting stuff, old but never out of date with these cars.
I myself understood that user M535 E28 had swapped EVERYTHING front and back, including abs-sensors, from an E34. Then, if the sensor connectors fit the e28 side, the abs-ecu should receive similar signals from all four corners. Does it then matter that the number of teeth is 48 instead of 96, if it is so in all corners? Maybe not.
If anyone else has since done this job (front & rear from e34 to e28) it would be really interesting to hear their experience!

[MrZ]

Revival of an old thread, but given some conflicting info posted here I wanted to provide first-hand experience pressing E34 M5 / E32 750i slide bearings (33321135808) in my E23 rear trailing arms (should also apply to E28).

Took the arms to a competent machine shop and they had no trouble pressing out the old bushings and pressing in the slide bearings without any sort of modification.



Hopefully this helps anyone considering this route.

-Keith

[Kink]

I recently replaced the subframe on my euro 520i with an adjustable subframe, and installed e34 trailing arms, but one came came in with a different hub flange. Apparently the 525i and the bigger models have a different flange, something to watch out for. The one without the ABS ring is the original from the 520i.

[Nebraska_e28]

Good stuff, thank you!