Trailing Arm Bushing Replacement

[Machtig]

Let's talk trailing arms and bushing replacement. How many here have done it and what prompted the replacement? I currently have no symptoms mine are bad, but I have records on the car from day one and I'm 99% certain they are the originals, which makes them 30 yrs old; mileage is just over 130k. I'm doing a suspension refresh front and rear and I keep trying to talk myself out of doing these because based on all my research they are 1. the strongest bushings on the entire vehicle, and 2. they are a huge PITA to replace, even if you have the special tools or a press. I have access to a press, but the later model arms (like mine) have the cross bar which I've read makes using a press problematic. If anyone has any tips or tricks, I'm all ears.

[Machtig]

I've got the drivers side arm off. Bushings look fine to me, there is even most of the zinc plating on the inner sleeve. Maybe they have been replaced? Thoughts?

[tig]

I've got the drivers side arm off. Bushings look fine to me, there is even most of the zinc plating on the inner sleeve. Maybe they have been replaced? Thoughts?

I recently pulled two sets of these. It wasn't clear if they needed to be replaced in my case either. Nothing obvious.

Getting them out without a press was a bitch. In the process of using the sawzall it was clear the rubber WAS shot.

I say do it.

[Machtig]

I recently pulled two sets of these. It wasn't clear if they needed to be replaced in my case either. Nothing obvious.

Getting them out without a press was a bitch. In the process of using the sawzall it was clear the rubber WAS shot.

I say do it.

Did you have any handling or other symptoms before hand? I've looked at these pretty hard and they "look" perfect. I will probably just do them. I feel like it will be all for naught though.

[ElGuappo]

Why not just replace with the entire trailing arm from an E32 V8 car, they h ave slide bearings. I did this on my E23, easier than doing just the bushings.

[tig]

Why not just replace with the entire trailing arm from an E32 V8 car, they h ave slide bearings. I did this on my E23, easier than doing just the bushings.

I'm doing that on Minerva. But you have to change out the drive flanges because they are different between E32 & E28.

You still might have to replace the slide bearings...

[BRRV]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, and I'm certainly not taking a position, but a certain BMW tech guru we all know (google it) when asked directly said this: " It is highly unlikely that you need to replace your trailing arm bushings. If you did, they’d be falling out of the trailing arms. You probably see the visible part of the bushing rubber has cracked. However, the part of the bushing that actually does the work is not visible in the installed position and most likely it is in fine condition regardless of age or mileage."

Further: "...replacing rear trailing arm bushings requires removing the trailing arms, which usually means removing the whole carrier, which is okay because it too needs mount bushings. You have to make your own tool and essentially burn the old bushings out with a torch [true statement, right Sam??]. The homemade tool is used primarily for pressing the new bushings into the trailing arms, using turpentine as a lubricant and working as quickly as possible to get the suspension back in normal operating position before the new trailing arm bushings glue themselves into a position askew to normal operating position... It’s doubtful you will find anyone to do this job outside of a BMW restoration shop. It’s like asking someone to change your kid’s diaper. And the factory tool? I’ve only seen it in the manuals. In my entire BMW life I’ve never known anyone who has one, dealerships included."

Submitted in the interest of the community. No, I'm not replacing mine anytime soon... Best of luck, Rick

[Machtig]

Good stuff. And mine aren't even cracked or showing age on the visible parts

[BDKawey]

so what is the inspection procedure? give your trailing arm a good shimmy and a shake to check for play?

[tig]

Not to rain on anyone's parade, and I'm certainly not taking a position, but a certain BMW tech guru we all know (google it) when asked directly said this: " It is highly unlikely that you need to replace your trailing arm bushings. If you did, they’d be falling out of the trailing arms. You probably see the visible part of the bushing rubber has cracked. However, the part of the bushing that actually does the work is not visible in the installed position and most likely it is in fine condition regardless of age or mileage."

Further: "...replacing rear trailing arm bushings requires removing the trailing arms, which usually means removing the whole carrier, which is okay because it too needs mount bushings. You have to make your own tool and essentially burn the old bushings out with a torch [true statement, right Sam??]. The homemade tool is used primarily for pressing the new bushings into the trailing arms, using turpentine as a lubricant and working as quickly as possible to get the suspension back in normal operating position before the new trailing arm bushings glue themselves into a position askew to normal operating position... It’s doubtful you will find anyone to do this job outside of a BMW restoration shop. It’s like asking someone to change your kid’s diaper. And the factory tool? I’ve only seen it in the manuals. In my entire BMW life I’ve never known anyone who has one, dealerships included."

Submitted in the interest of the community. No, I'm not replacing mine anytime soon... Best of luck, Rick

Appreciate you posting this. It's a perspective we didn't have before.

However, I call BS on two points based on my own personal (yet very limited) experience:

1) When I cut my bushings out, from a set of TAs that had ~350k miles on them, it was clear the 'hidden rubber' on the insides was torn/deteriorated. Clear. That said, your guy did say "most likely".

2) Installing was easy as pie. It's a metal on metal fit. There's no "glue themselves into position". In my experience, using both the standard E28 hard bushings and the E32/M5 sliding bushings, the edges of the bushings were flush with the edges of the TAs. You couldn't do it wrong if you tried.

[BRRV]

I'll tell you, I can't get mine to move or show any obvious movement using a pry bar. Granted, I am not Charles Atlas, but you'd think wear would show as movement.

[davintosh]

I replaced them on my e32 735i. The left TA definitely had something goofy going on because the camber was different on that side than the right. I ended up getting a whole rear axle assembly from a junkyard car and refurbished it so I could minimize downtime for the car. I replaced all the rubber on the rear axle, including the TA bushings. I don't know how many miles were on the donor car, but the rubber on those bushings was definitely shot. I also did an autopsy on the ones that came off of my car, and they were worse; one center pulled out with a pair of pliers.

The bushings were a bear to get out, even with a 12 ton hydraulic press, but the new ones slid in pretty easily. If I were going to do it again, I'd aim for Jay's idea and source some TAs from a V8 or V12 e32, but wouldn't be afraid of replacing the bushings for Plan B.

[BRRV]

I got to thinking that all of us here, we E28/E24/E12/etc. owners, with our high mileage cars, may simply be experiencing maintenance needs and requirements that go well beyond anyone's idea of normal. What might seem outside the realm of possibility for some (like certain tech gurus) might be the reality for others, like us.

But, I still think the factory never intended for these bushings to be replaced as a maintenance item - the fact that no one that I've ever talked to has the tools to remove them bears that out (when I asked my local dealership that question, they said they'd get back to me). Your point about camber differences is a good one though, something I'll keep my eye on. I'd like to ask: has anyone experienced movement of the trailing arm itself, when flexed with a pry bar, or, how else would a trailing arm bushing exhibit failure? I personally am just going to watch and wait, and I don't have any symptoms of a problem at 314,000 miles.

[Machtig]

I got to thinking that all of us here, we E28/E24/E12/etc. owners, with our high mileage cars, may simply be experiencing maintenance needs and requirements that go well beyond anyone's idea of normal. What might seem outside the realm of possibility for some (like certain tech gurus) might be the reality for others, like us.

But, I still think the factory never intended for these bushings to be replaced as a maintenance item - the fact that no one that I've ever talked to has the tools to remove them bears that out (when I asked my local dealership that question, they said they'd get back to me). Your point about camber differences is a good one though, something I'll keep my eye on. I'd like to ask: has anyone experienced movement of the trailing arm itself, when flexed with a pry bar, or, how else would a trailing arm bushing exhibit failure? I personally am just going to watch and wait, and I don't have any symptoms of a problem at 314,000 miles.

I'm not messing with mine. 130k on mine, no symptoms. I would suspect you would get symptoms similar to subframe bushings going, where the car changes direction slightly when you go from on to off throttle. That or alignment issues or both. Everywhere I've read from sources I trust state they are the most bombproof bushing on the car.

[NightOfLemons]

I changed the bushings on our lemons car. It required fire, lots of it. We burned out the old bushings. Then we had to saw a few of the outer sleeves to get them out. Built a tool using a 7/16 fine pitch all rod and it required torquing the puller to the limit and using the 12 ton press. Old bushings were probably just fine, but the new ones were in hand. It was a character builder. It is possible to get at them with the 12 ton harbor freight press, but it would not budge them until we notched the sleeves.

[Dionk]

Used a 1 1/2 hole drill bit to drill out the bushings and then I used a sawzall to cut the races. I’ve been told you need a powerful press 20 ton press to get them in. I’ve placed the bushings in the freezer and will try pressing them in or maybe I’ll just take them to a shop - tbd

[gwb72tii]

You do not need a 20 ton press
Look on this blog
Page 14, Feb 9th and a few before

https://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?f=2 ... rt=325#top