Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 10:17:18 -0800 (PST) From: James Muskopf Subject: [uuc] Re: Thunk in trunk The diff mount is relatively easy. You'll need a 19mm 1/2" drive socket, a 6" 1/2" drive extension, and a breaker bar. The bolt that goes into the center of the mount is really hard to get out! You may/will have to remove the rear muffler to gain enough room. The other 4 bolts are put in with a threadlock (at least they were on 2 M5's I've done), and they're 15mm heads I think. Support the diff with a floor jack, unbolt the mount, lower the diff about an inch or so, remove the old mount, replace, jack up, torque. Easy. The subframe bushings are a pain! If the subframe moves up and down easily, they're toast. You'll either have to rent the special tools from Brett Anderson's Koalamotorsport or make your own. Even with the tools it helps to cook the old bushings with a blowtorch. Get a standard propane torch, some aluminum flashing (from the hardware store) and leather gloves. Support the subframe, remove rear seat bottom, remove the reinforcement pieces, drive out the stud. Slip in sheets of flashing to create a heat shield. Heat the subframe metal surrounding the bushing until you hear it crackle. Careful not to light the rubber on fire too much, and keep a BIG extingusher handy. It takes about 10 mins per bushing. Let cool, then use the tools as directed. I used liquid hand soap to press the bushings back in, and they slid in with no problems. They haven't shifted, either. Let the car sit for a few hours to make sure the soap dries, or else the engine torque will slip the bushings out of place a bit. No big deal, but it messes with the alignment. The squirmy rear end can be attributed to bad bushings (diff and SF), but also the dogbones (incorrectly called Pitman Arms) that bolt the rear semi-trailing arm to the subframe. They help locate the arm laterally and have a say in the toe characteristics, too. These are about $70-80 each, need 2. I'd get OE Lemforder or Febi-Bilstein. It helps to jack up the suspension so the bolts in the dogbone are parallel. This aids in removal and installation. It requires a 22mm socket and 22mm wrench, both available from Sears, et al. You can do this at any time, no need to do it all at once. Requires jacking up the rear and taking off the wheel--that's all. I'd stay away from the urethane filled ones unless you like noise! I took out my urethane diff bushing, and the urethane subframe bushings are soon to go, too. Just too much knocking, gear whine, and tire noise transmitted to the passenger compartment. Good Luck!! James james_535@yahoo.com 88 M5 88 M3 > Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 20:30:03 -0600 > From: "Brian W." > Subject: Re: [uuc] re: thunk in trunk > > [cut] > It only happens when letting out on the clutch at a regular > or abrupt rate. and it appears to be coming from the center. > I do know that the subframe bushings or something else is bad > back there because I've got sway in turns. Is that a tough job? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/