Installed Ireland Engineering Subframe Bushings...

[CirrusSR22]

...and new OEM trailing arm bushings

Wow, what a job, it took forever. I decided to remove the entire subframe beacuase I was doing the trailing arm bushings as well. The subframe is actually not too hard to remove, but it's quite involed.

The old subframe bushings were a pain to get out, but the new ones were simple to get in.

Then came the OEM trailing arm bushings.... They weren't too bad to get out. I drilled a bunch of the rubber away, then pressed them out with a c-clamp. Getting them in was riduculous I assumed they would be fairly easy, being so small, but no way. I got them most of the way in with a c-clamp, but getting them to press in the the exact depth is almost impossible. I guess you really need a dedicated press to do them right, or just more brains than I have

Looking back, I would definitely get urethane trailing arm bushings just because they would install much easier.

Oh yeah, the car feels great. More solid, but is a bit louder.

[marcus2116]

good job man thanks for the info

[cali-ti]

are the ireland subframe bushings hard rubber or urethane?

[1996 328ti]

I'm picking up my car tomorrow after getting the Ireland bushings installed.
Along with transmission seals, t-stat, parking brake, VANOS hose. I had a long conversation with RRT last night and they recommended me sticking with stock trailing arm and sub frame bushings. Too late now. I think the theory is that polyurethane will not last as long, need to be lubricated properly and can deform under loads whereas rubber will go back to it's natural shape. At least that is how I perceived it.

[cali-ti]

the rear camber kit i'm looking at (which replaces the trailing arm bushings if i understand it correctly) uses urethane. i'm not aware of any others that don't.

my shop recommended the e30 m3 control arm bushings for the same reason steven (they said they've seen urethane bushings come out on the track ... ouch!).

[1996 328ti]

Originally Posted by cali-ti

the rear camber kit i'm looking at (which replaces the trailing arm bushings if i understand it correctly) uses urethane. i'm not aware of any others that don't.

That might be the next thing. I have too much neg camber in the rear. I'm going through tires faster than I care too.

[cali-ti]

the exact reason i'm looking at them now ... just got new tires last summer after lowering it in the spring. used my winter tires for the last time this winter and now have the summers back on. i don't want to wear them too quickly so i'm really thinking i need to get a camber kit soon.

i was nicely given notice as to when to switch back to my summer tires by a high-pitched whistle ... took a screw in the driver's side rear snow tire, doh! luckily, i was parked in my garage when i noticed and it hadn't lost much air.

[CirrusSR22]

I was looking at getting adjustable rear bushings, but they're fairly expensive at $200+. And I still don't know if I'm gonna lower this thing.

But, Ireland Engineering sells non-adjustable, urethane, trailing arm bushings for pretty cheap. $52. They're listed as E30's, but I think the 318ti and the E30 use the same trailing arm bushings, unlike the subframe bushings.

I didn't get them because I heard they can squeak. Urethane in general that is. (but now, squeaking sounds just fine compared to what I went through to get the OEM ones in)

[1996 328ti]

Picked up my car today with the new subframe and trailing arm bushings.
The wheel hop I had is gone as far as I can tell. I haven't noticed anything different about the handling yet. The test will be next month at Mid-Ohio.

BTW- It cost me $300 in labor to have the subframe bushings replaced and $300 for the trailing arm bushings. I supplies the parts.

Plus transmission seals, t-stat, vanos hose and clean up the parking brake. Total $982.50. Ouch! I'll be set for another 200K miles now.

[CirrusSR22]

Originally Posted by 1996 328ti

Picked up my car today with the new subframe and trailing arm bushings.

Did you get (poly)urethane trailing arm bushings? I'm thinking of buying the Ireland non-adjustable ones and having someone else install them.

--------------

I just went out and drove this thing hard, and the Ireland Subframe bushings make the rear end feel MUCH more "planted" when cornering hard.

[1996 328ti]

Originally Posted by CirrusSR22

Did you get (poly)urethane trailing arm bushings?

Yes I did. The car seems noticably stiffer and I feel vibration on the gas pedal. Could be my imagination too. I've been driving my +200K mile Mazda with original suspension all week.

[cali-ti]

i've been wondering how well urethane subframe and trailing arm bushings would do at tightening up the rear suspension (vs the butt strut and/or shock tower bar). of course, as steven found out, having subframe and trailing arm bushings installed ain't cheap. be interesting to see how they are over time (squeaking, etc). keep us updated steven

[1996 328ti]

I went for a nice 2 hour drive in the country on Saturday.
A few observations on the new trailing arm and subframe bushings.
The car is a little buzzier. I also have sold tranny mounts with TMEs and solid LCA bushings. I can feel a vibration through the gas pedal.

The car feels better planted. There is this one small hill where the road goes to the left that I was on. The car gets light at any speed there so I was prepared. The car really jumped out more than the last time I was there. Could be I was going 10 mph faster, I don't know. But the stiffer rear may be good at times but I see that I need to react to the car quicker.

Madness at Mid-Ohio will be the real test. It is am uphill left tight left hander that goes straight back down. My right rear wheel usually comes off the ground. Should be interesting.

[cali-ti]

ok, i'll bite ... what the hell are "TMEs"?

i remember reading that the addition of the "butt strut" helped to eliminate rear end "squiggle" from the z3 variants, do the urethane subframe and trailing arms bushings help to do that as well?

thanks for the continued updates and info. when is mid-ohio?

[mohaughn]

Hey guys.. Sorry to bring up an old thread but I've run into an interesting issue.. For those of you that put the IE rear subframe bushings in did you get the green ones or the red ones? One the IE website they don't make it clear but you can't buy the red racing subframe bushings for the Ti/Z3. The description makes it seem like they will work, but they don't.

The z3/ti subframe bushings need a shorter inner metal sleave and they also have a 1/4 inch deep round recess cut into the top to fit the bushing so that the hex head at the bottom of the chasis fits down into the bushing...

So my issue came about because I ordered the red ones and whomever processed the order didn't catch that it was for a Ti, not an E30. The shop that is installing them just thought the bar was to long and cut it, so IE won't take them back, and they are already installed on the car... The shop didn't tell me that they had to cut the center metal insert until today after the car is 90% put back together. So tomorrow I get to go pick it up and see if they somehow did get the bushings flat against the chasis or if there is a 1/4 inch gap where the hex head on the bolt is, meaning it may not be giving the proper amount of support.... What fun...