RTAB's with, or without tabs???

[NAZ1998BMWM3]

Edit: RTAB's installed. The torque is 81 ft. lbs. on the bolt that goes through the bushing (trailing arm to front bracket). My torque rench only goes up to 70 ft. lbs. So what I did was torque the bushings to 70 then gave it an extra 10-15 degrees, or 3-5" of a turn with the torque rench. Meaning I moved the handle of the torque rench about 3-5" from stop to stop if that explanes it better. Now I'm worried I may have overtorqued the bolts. I did use new grade 10.0 self locking bolts.

My question is, what do you think the actual torque is on the bolts based off my description?

[dano670]

The good thing about the tabs is that you know when the bushing is perfectly installed.

[marc1119]

Is there a huge difference between rtab's with tabs, and without? I ordered the rtab's without the tabs. They have a split outer casing design. I also ordered the reinforcement shims.
Should I have ordered the rtabs with tabs? If so, why?


Also, is it possible to replace a rear ball joint on the car? I can't get the e-brake cables out of the trailing arms.

I am not sure anyone can still get the "earlier style" Rear toe arm bushings..at Turner we only sell the "split style" bushings.....We have tried to acquire the earlier style and cannot any longer....The thing with "split Style" is they are not easy to install...You need to be creative or have the correct $600 BMW tool to install them.....we install several sets of rear toe arm bushings every week...

You can replace ball joints on the car. with the correct tools....
If it is a lower ball joint, it seems once in a while, that the outer adjusting bolt of the camber arm that goes through the ball joint, doesn't like to come out.....:(
Torches and destruction of the old ball joint and bolt become neccesary....if you are doing a lower ball joint, hopefully your camber adjusting bolt slides right out of the ball joint....

Marco

[realjones]

I'm pretty sure the ones with tabs are no longer made, but I guess someone might have old stock.

The split style ones have superseded them, i.e. if you go to a BMW dealership to have it done they will put in the split style.

[realjones]

I'm pretty sure the ones with tabs are no longer made, but I guess someone might have old stock.

The split style ones have superseded them, i.e. if you go to a BMW dealership to have it done they will put in the split style.

[DBVille]

I helped a friend replace RTABs about a month ago. He tried to find the old style, and couldn't. No one had any in stock. We did manage to install them with the pipe cap threaded rod tool. Just make sure they don't fold and go inside the pipe cap.

[NAZ1998BMWM3]

I got one of my eccentric/camber bolts out but had to cut through the other.

Will that giant C-clamp looking tool work for the rtab's and the ball joint? I'm going to see if advanced auto rents those out right now.

Can someone give me a list of things needed to make the rtab tool? Right now I think I need 2x 2" pipe end caps, 14" grade ten bolt, grade ten nuts, and washers.

[MasterKwan]

I use a drill and a large bit to drill through the rubber around the rtab center pin. Then pried the center pin out. Then a hammer and screwdriver to fold the edge of the rtab in. Continued bending the bushing in on one side and then the other till it folded in on itself. At that point I was able push it out with my fingers. Basically I treated it like a tin can and crushed the bushing in until it wasn't pressing on the control arm any more.

One caveat was that I had the arms off the car. Not sure I could have done this if the arms was still attached. Still, if I got the pin out of the center I could have easily used a hack saw and simply sliced the bushing outer which would have released the tension too.

[marc1119]

I use a drill and a large bit to drill through the rubber around the rtab center pin. Then pried the center pin out. Then a hammer and screwdriver to fold the edge of the rtab in. Continued bending the bushing in on one side and then the other till it folded in on itself. At that point I was able push it out with my fingers. Basically I treated it like a tin can and crushed the bushing in until it wasn't pressing on the control arm any more.

One caveat was that I had the arms off the car. Not sure I could have done this if the arms was still attached. Still, if I got the pin out of the center I could have easily used a hack saw and simply sliced the bushing outer which would have released the tension too.



The problem is not going to be with getting the old one out, it is going to be getting the new split style IN.......

[MasterKwan]

Yeah, makes sense. I'm not there yet. Got to get the arms powder coated first.

[ThreeD]

I'm interested in seeing pictures comparing the old style vs the new style

Found the new style on the Turner website:

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/image/suspension/suspension_rcab_lg.jpg

Thankfully I didn't have to deal with these when doing my suspension overhaul in March

[marc1119]

I'm interested in seeing pictures comparing the old style vs the new style

Found the new style on the Turner website:

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/image/suspension/suspension_rcab_lg.jpg

Thankfully I didn't have to deal with these when doing my suspension overhaul in March

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-3656-e36e46-rear-control-arm-bushings-trailing-arm-bushings-pair.aspx

the new ones are pictured here..and the illustration of the older style is below it...

[MasterKwan]

What keeps them in place? Just the pressure of the rubber inside the bushing? They seem to have alot more rubber in them than the ones I had in my control arms.

[Hova]

I use a drill and a large bit to drill through the rubber around the rtab center pin. Then pried the center pin out. Then a hammer and screwdriver to fold the edge of the rtab in. Continued bending the bushing in on one side and then the other till it folded in on itself. At that point I was able push it out with my fingers. Basically I treated it like a tin can and crushed the bushing in until it wasn't pressing on the control arm any more.

One caveat was that I had the arms off the car. Not sure I could have done this if the arms was still attached. Still, if I got the pin out of the center I could have easily used a hack saw and simply sliced the bushing outer which would have released the tension too.


Skip the screw driver, use a big flat head, and a 5lb dead blow hammer. I can pop our RTAB's in under 30 seconds this way.

Putting them in is going to be the issue now. I am sure you could put something together with a local trip to the hardware store.

[NAZ1998BMWM3]

I rented a ball joint/bushing tool from advanced auto. It works well. I used a c-clamp to push the two sides of the new bushing together while pressing it in with the bushing/ball joint tool to get it started into the trailing arm. It worked very well.

To get the old bushings out I just blasted through the center with the bushing tool and impact ratchet ripping out the middle. I then cut the bushing housing with a saws all and hammered the housing out.

Im worried about trailing arm bushing bracket possition for the torque town. Whats the best way to do this? I read the Bently manual and it isn't to clear on proper alignment. I was thinking if you messed this up it would slowly destroy the bushing over time.

[NAZ1998BMWM3]

I would like some feedback on edited post #1.