Rear suspension troubleshooting

[IllinoisZ3]

I have a 96 1.9 roadster I recently bought. The passenger side rear wheel isn’t sitting properly. I’ll try to include a pic. But the wheel is pushed forward about an inch or less, and the camber is a little off. The camber is off on the driver side as well but the wheel is sitting in the proper position. I took it to the shop in town and they said it’s the trailing arm bushings and worn out shocks/ springs. The trailing arm doesn’t look bent or creased like it got hit. Anyone else have this issue? Thanks

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0Ekz...dqWg#Pekin,_IL

[Muzz258]

If its a trailing arm bushing, then you will feel the car pulling to one side when hard braking and hard acceleration. In your photo the wheel does look off center and my first thought was a bent trailing arm. Does it go back into the central position when you drive forward?

On to the fix. To change the trailing arm and sub-frame bushings you need to drop the rear sub-frame complete with diff. The trailing arm bushings are relatively easy to change with the use of some 12 mm threaded rod, nuts, washers and sockets as spacers etc. The sub-frame bushings are harder to change, needing some pulling tools and a bit of heat. You can always remove the parts and take them to a shop with a press and get them to change the bushings.

[zellamay]

Trailing arm bushings, subframe bushings, and shocks all need replacement at some point. I've done them on my car, but it was never as bad as you describe. Others know more than I do, but I'd guess if the bushings were bad enough, you could get that kind of wheel displacement. In an older car, which presumably you got for low $, paying to have all that done can be cost-prohibitive. If you have a place to work, can operate wrenches and are willing, you can do it yourself. There are sufficient tutorials on this site. How many miles on the car? How does it drive?

[IllinoisZ3]

I’ve only drove it about 3 blocks. Just to the shop. I seen it on the lift. I agree it doesn’t look bent or creased anywhere like it was bent. I didn’t know if bad shocks/ springs and bushings that were shot could cause the wheel being so off center and camber. Or if the trailing arm is for sure bent. I only ask because the camber is off on the driver side as well. I’m just trying not to spend the obnoxious amount of money on a trailing arm that they charge online if I don’t have to.

[zellamay]

What makes you think the trailing arm is bent? You didn't say the shop said so. That would not be the first thing to suspect. The shop said bushings. Why do you question that?

[me77]

Is the wheel in question pointing perfectly straight ahead or not? Lots of negative camber is completely normal on the rear wheels of a Z3.

If not, inspect the trailing arm from underneath the car and look for any waviness on the curved surface on the bottom. Measure different points going from the middle of the car to different points on the trailing arm and compare them side by side. Also, if for example the weld parallel to the wheel (remove the wheel and look from above) looks squished then the diagnosis is clear. If the trailing arm carrier is bent, oh my...

My car had a bent trailing arm*, and I didn't notice it before I bought the car. Replaced it a little bit after, did it without dropping the trailing arm carrier but it was a bear. Space is limited and the nuts are very tight. Order new bolts and nuts that hold the trailing arm to the trailing arm carrier, BMW says they're one-time-use. The used replacement trailing arm came with the accessories (parking brake cable, wheel bearing, ...) and was around 300$ from prussianmotors on eBay, I think the owner is a member here.

* (previous owner crashed it, bent the control arm, blew passenger side door air bag, glued the door panel back on, took the airbag bulb out of the cluster, got rid of the car, then I bought it and later fixed that stuff)