Offical RTAB DIY (WIthout SPecial TOOLS!!)

[EEEEeeee36]

Does anybody make aftermarket RTAB bushings, like PUR?

At what mileage point do these usually 'give'? I do some "Spirited" driving usually - at 130k miles should I replace mine already?

[leedawg]

Does anybody make aftermarket RTAB bushings, like PUR?

At what mileage point do these usually 'give'? I do some "Spirited" driving usually - at 130k miles should I replace mine already?

yeah there are lots of after market bushings for the RTA, but most of them are poly urethan which is way to harsh for street use and cost a crap load more than the stock bushings do. So the cheapest and most comfortable are the stock m3 ones, but if your tracking you might want to go with the poly's.

OH yeah if yours have never been done and you have 130k on your car your long since over due. Im sur they are shot to hell and you should do it ASAP.

Most ppls go around 70k so your a long ways past that get on it pronto. Does the back of your car seem a bit lose, are you gettin bad tire wear in the back, are you making minor steering corrections every time you hit the thorrtle in a straight line?

These are all symptoms of bad RTAB's

Just change them they need it.

Good luck

[EEEEeeee36]

yeah there are lots of after market bushings for the RTA, but most of them are poly urethan which is way to harsh for street use and cost a crap load more than the stock bushings do. So the cheapest and most comfortable are the stock m3 ones, but if your tracking you might want to go with the poly's.

OH yeah if yours have never been done and you have 130k on your car your long since over due. Im sur they are shot to hell and you should do it ASAP.

Most ppls go around 70k so your a long ways past that get on it pronto. Does the back of your car seem a bit lose, are you gettin bad tire wear in the back, are you making minor steering corrections every time you hit the thorrtle in a straight line?

These are all symptoms of bad RTAB's

Just change them they need it.

Good luck

Oh, okay! Thanks. Yeah the car will eventually be for occasional track use, but I'm sure the M3 bushings will be a lot more solid than my stock 328i bushings (especially ones with 130k miles!). I'll do this when I drop the rear for my coilovers in a month or so. Thanks again!

[geoffm3]

Thanks for the info guys... guess I'll do the tool-less approach instead. I'm all for using special tools to save time, but at $100+, I'd rather save the bucks. If it was more like $50 I'd be inclined to do it.

[///Mik]

Just replaced mine on my e46 using this howto. It was very helpful, but I have a couple things to add.

When removing the bushing, I used a holesaw and a very torquey drill and centered it on the aluminum center of the bushing. Pushed it on threw and the aluminum came right out. Then I used an airchisel to destroy the bushing shell. I can't imagine having to do that with a hammer and screwdriver.

As for the tool, so simple! Loved it. Instead of using 7/16 nuts I used a 7/16 coupler. It's for connecting two sections of threaded rod together. It has a lot more thread contact area than a nut (since it's taller) so less chance of stripping. I also found I needed 8" of threaded rod when I used couplings, 6" simply wasn't sufficient when using the couplings and I don't see how it would work with regular nuts either. That's just my experience.

Total expenditure for the tool: $10.50. That was 24" of threaded rod, two 2" caps, two heavy duty 3/8" washers (so it fit closer around the 7/16" rod) and a coupling (which I cut in half).

My bushings weren't in horrible condition at 108k miles. I could see some cracking, but they weren't falling apart. They were very pliant, however, and easier to articulate by hand than the new (m3) bushings I got from MPACT Motorsports. I also put in GC shims. The difference was immediately noticeable on my test drive. I decided to finally put these in since I'm going for an alignment this week anyway.

Thanks once again for the howto, it was quite helpful.

edit: had the name for Mpact wrong

[NASAg03]

o'reilly has a suspension bushing repair kit you can borrow.

anyone use something like this? looks like this might be useful to push and the old bushing and press in the new one. i have all the other tools necessary, but figure this might work better than the end cap method.

Also, couldn't you get a 1.75" or 1.5" end cap in addition to the 2 ea 2" end caps to press out the bushing?

[JonF]

leedawg,
I used your endcap tool method for installing my RTAB's recently, however, i made a slight modification to one of them to better locate the cap on the bushing to avoid mangling the rubber protrusion on that end and ensure a straight alignment when forcing them in. I used a grinder (i used a bench grinder, however an angle grinder would work also) to notch portions of the perimiter of the cap so that it meshes with the rubber protrusions leaving two tabs as the only metal in contact with the bushing housing to apply the pushing force during installation. I just marked the area on the cap by lining it up with the bushing, marking the width of the rubber protrusions, then measuring thier depth and scribed that through the area to be removed and went at it on the grinder. It took a bit of grinding, however, it made the tool easier to use since i didn't worrk about it either mangling the protruding rubber or becoming misaligned and jamming the bushing (if those are even an actual concern).

Jon.

Pics:

[stupenal]

just wanted to bump this thread up. Leedawg - your thread and diy inspired me and gave me the confidence to tackle the job. I had powerflex bushings so I didn't need a press tool to get the new ones in.

I used your method, in conjunction with a hacksaw to make easy work of the bushing. Well not easy, but definitely not the PITA as everyone makes it out to be. Maybe i just got lucky.

Anyways thanks for the help!

[essejM3]

just wanted to bump this thread up. Leedawg - your thread and diy inspired me and gave me the confidence to tackle the job. I had powerflex bushings so I didn't need a press tool to get the new ones in.

I used your method, in conjunction with a hacksaw to make easy work of the bushing. Well not easy, but definitely not the PITA as everyone makes it out to be. Maybe i just got lucky.

Anyways thanks for the help!

Great write up! I used it today to remove the stock bushings, and install Powerflex RTAB's.

I just used a drill for the center part, and a hammer/screwdriver to remove the rest. Not bad at all. Worst part for me was removing one of the 3 bolts on the driver side that was frozen. Not a bad DIY, and this is coming from someone who is pretty useless w/tools.

[Tefal]

Good write up on how to change the rear trailing arm bushes but either u get ripped off alot in America by garages to do this simple job or some of u dont like spending money. I did my mates car in less than 1 hour 15 minutes to replace both sides and that was slow. For all the hassle and time of messing around trying this i would buy the tool and charge people to replace them! Not criticisizing but shop around and save urself 3 or more hours of hassle! Its easy.

[DEFKON99]

yea we did it will a drill , aka ghetto mode

[leedawg]

leedawg,
I used your endcap tool method for installing my RTAB's recently, however, i made a slight modification to one of them to better locate the cap on the bushing to avoid mangling the rubber protrusion on that end and ensure a straight alignment when forcing them in. I used a grinder (i used a bench grinder, however an angle grinder would work also) to notch portions of the perimiter of the cap so that it meshes with the rubber protrusions leaving two tabs as the only metal in contact with the bushing housing to apply the pushing force during installation. I just marked the area on the cap by lining it up with the bushing, marking the width of the rubber protrusions, then measuring thier depth and scribed that through the area to be removed and went at it on the grinder. It took a bit of grinding, however, it made the tool easier to use since i didn't worrk about it either mangling the protruding rubber or becoming misaligned and jamming the bushing (if those are even an actual concern).

Jon.

Pics:

Im really likin this idea, never really thought about it I just squished down on these rubber ears and pressed it right in, but does fit perfectly here in these pictures and cant hurt I really like it and thanks for postin up the pics of how you modified it a bit more....

just wanted to bump this thread up. Leedawg - your thread and diy inspired me and gave me the confidence to tackle the job. I had powerflex bushings so I didn't need a press tool to get the new ones in.

I used your method, in conjunction with a hacksaw to make easy work of the bushing. Well not easy, but definitely not the PITA as everyone makes it out to be. Maybe i just got lucky.

Anyways thanks for the help!

IM glad I could help inspire you and you did it... Its really not as bad as everybody says it is or makes it out to be, again the hardest part is getting the old bushing out, but after you have done that a few times I can pop one out in about 5 min doing it the ghetto way so goes pretty quick....


Congrats and dosent it feel way better with the fixed bushings...

Good write up on how to change the rear trailing arm bushes but either u get ripped off alot in America by garages to do this simple job or some of u dont like spending money. I did my mates car in less than 1 hour 15 minutes to replace both sides and that was slow. For all the hassle and time of messing around trying this i would buy the tool and charge people to replace them! Not criticisizing but shop around and save urself 3 or more hours of hassle! Its easy.

Um I dont think its to huge a rip off, lot of places would probably do it for 3 or 400 dollars, but the parts are like 40 bucks...

Honestly Im a poor dental student so not spending money is what im all about, I know what your going to say why are you driving a BMW then...

Well I do love them and will be afford it fully when i graduate but for right now I drive one cause I can afford it if I work on it myself and my time is not worth very much money right now hence the reason for trying to do everything myself... Its saved me thousands of dollars and honestly some sick part of me kinda enjoys it.

The best part is I know how it was done and have nobody to blame buy myself if something falls apart. i have seen stuff that ive paid to have done on my car that I could have done a better job if I had done it myself and have just decided I really dont trust other peoples work. Im every bit as capable of doing it as some garage tech, im in grad school.... So thats my reason for doing stuff myself and I dont feel like buyin all the special tools when common tools will work fine for the most part....

[Wildo2003]

I need to do this job really badly, and the only thing that concerns me is the part where I'm supposed to align the notches in the flange of the new bushing. Perhaps it's because it's not right in front of me where I can see for myself how it should be done, I'm probably over-thinking it.

Here's the link to the problems I'm experiencing, http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=696889, ahh I need to do this job badly, the passenger side RTAB has deteriorated a lot and pieces are torn up and falling off. (109k miles) Do you guys think this could attribute to squeaking over bumps, and a loud vibrational/sometimes rubbing noise?

[leedawg]

Um the flanges dont stress bout too much... ITs easy just put them back the way you pulled out the old ones... Make a little mark if you have to on the control arm the way the old one is pressed in there and then just put the new one in the same way.. Presto your all set...


Your way overthinkin this part its super easy compared to the rest of the job...

[partyufone]

To everyone who has tried this method -- has anyone done it successfully on an e46 M3?

I just embarked on this project yesterday with a goal of doing both sides. Looking at where the trailing arm attaches to the car body, I assumed that I would be able to undo the three bolts holding the carriage to the body and then the whole thing would drop down far enough below the car that I would be able to easily drill out the RTAB as this post suggests. WRONG!

I don't know if the suspension on other models is that different, but on the M3 the actual RTAB carriage/holder thing DOES NOT drop down very far when it's unbolted from the car body. This means that you only have a few inches of clearance on either side so using a drill is nearly impossible unless you have one of those right-angle ones. In fact, after doing this project and looking at the photos posted here, I have to say that it would be impossible to take the same photos of an M3 -- you just can't get the front end of the trailing arm to drop down more than a few inches below the body, so it's going to be blocked on both sides by other things below the car (gas tank on one side and part of the car body on the other side).

I've done many, many DIY projects over my 15+ years of BMW ownership, but in the end this one was one of the more frustrating ones. I eventually did get the bushing out and the new one in, but I'd say the whole thing took about 5+ hours to do one side. This was solely because there was so little clearance that it was nearly impossible to get at the bushing with either a drill or a screwdriver/hammer.

Not sure if anyone has some better suggestions on how to complete this on an M3, but I just wanted to warn people that this DIY isn't quite as simple as this post explains.

NOTE -- in an effort to get the arm to drop down lower, I tried unbolting other stuff from the back of the trailing arm (shock absorber, upper link, etc.), but none of that helped. Based on my experience, I think it would have been faster to simply remove the entire trailing arm from the car. Yes, that would have required a ton of extra work, but at least then the actual removal of the bushing would take only a few minutes rather than hours and hours.

UGH!

[leedawg]

Im sorry to hear you had such a miserable experience. I do not own an #46 M3 so really could not say what type of suspension it has in the back. I will say I have done this on an E36, E36 M3, and E46 3 series all went fine. I guess the RTA of the E46 M3 must be quite different. You may be right in that the faster way is to just remove both of the rear trailing arms completely. SO thanks for sharing that this does not really work as well for the E46 M3. Glad to hear you got it all done though. Does the car feel a lot better? I miss driving a 3 series some days, I now drive a 540 so don't spend to much time in these pages any more but happened to see this post. Merry Christmas and good luck.

To everyone who has tried this method -- has anyone done it successfully on an e46 M3?

I just embarked on this project yesterday with a goal of doing both sides. Looking at where the trailing arm attaches to the car body, I assumed that I would be able to undo the three bolts holding the carriage to the body and then the whole thing would drop down far enough below the car that I would be able to easily drill out the RTAB as this post suggests. WRONG!

I don't know if the suspension on other models is that different, but on the M3 the actual RTAB carriage/holder thing DOES NOT drop down very far when it's unbolted from the car body. This means that you only have a few inches of clearance on either side so using a drill is nearly impossible unless you have one of those right-angle ones. In fact, after doing this project and looking at the photos posted here, I have to say that it would be impossible to take the same photos of an M3 -- you just can't get the front end of the trailing arm to drop down more than a few inches below the body, so it's going to be blocked on both sides by other things below the car (gas tank on one side and part of the car body on the other side).

I've done many, many DIY projects over my 15+ years of BMW ownership, but in the end this one was one of the more frustrating ones. I eventually did get the bushing out and the new one in, but I'd say the whole thing took about 5+ hours to do one side. This was solely because there was so little clearance that it was nearly impossible to get at the bushing with either a drill or a screwdriver/hammer.

Not sure if anyone has some better suggestions on how to complete this on an M3, but I just wanted to warn people that this DIY isn't quite as simple as this post explains.

NOTE -- in an effort to get the arm to drop down lower, I tried unbolting other stuff from the back of the trailing arm (shock absorber, upper link, etc.), but none of that helped. Based on my experience, I think it would have been faster to simply remove the entire trailing arm from the car. Yes, that would have required a ton of extra work, but at least then the actual removal of the bushing would take only a few minutes rather than hours and hours.

UGH!

[eb28]

If you have an E46 M3, to lower the trailing arm low enough you'll need to disconnect the rear sway at two places along the center of it there are two bushings with 2 hex nuts - take those off and the trailing arm will come down.

Believe me, this eluded me also - to the point of having the entire rear end disassembled by the time i figured out what was holding it up still.

Also, Autozone has bushing removal tools - i rented a ball joint tool from them which is basically a big clamp with fittings - took the new bushings in and checked out the ball joint tool that had areceiving tube big enough to go around the new bushing and a ring the same size as the bushing to put it back in.

Even at this - plan on spending 5-6hours to do this job if its your first time. I almost wish i'd have spent the $700 the dealer wanted to do the job.

FYI - i installed set of bushing limiters from vorshlag as well. Ride is greatly improved - now for an alignment and we'll see how long the new tires last! hopefully more than 2 months the last set lasted.....

Erik

[94325IPA]

Great write-up.
Most of the DYI's on here are better then the Chiltons/Hayes Repair Manuals.

[Isolatos]

Thanks. I just installed akg's. Took about 1 hour with air tools. Great write-up!

[Isolatos]

Thanks. I just installed akg's. Took about 1 hour with air tools. Great write-up!

[leedawg]

Awsome I'm glad it went well for you! Thanks for the feedback.

LEE

[wbarfels]

Is it true the poly-urethane ones will go in without the need for such extreme "pressing"?

[ZeGerman]

Yes, it's true. No press needed. I was able to get the outside halves in on each side of my car using my hands, but the inner halves needed a little more persuasion. I ended up tapping them in with a rubber mallet. Even easier would have been to use a large c-clamp with some sort of protective shims to prevent the clamp from marring the bushings. Doing it that way will have them in the trailing arms in less than a minute. I would have done it that way, but I didn't have a c-clamp handy at the time.

[wbarfels]

Which ones did you get, and What did they cost? oh yeah, and where from... =)

[bmw2nv]

Hate to bump this thread back up from the dead but...

Im confused about "measuring the gap to flange" bit

There is no flange on my current RTABs and there is NO flange on the new ones im pressing in. I dont want to remove them adn be SOL!

In this case, do I just center them in the housing so each edge is flush?