E28 - the long slog
Discussion
Output Flange said:
T
Fitting the new RTABs without damaging the powdercoat finish is proving impossible to do at home, and difficult to find a garage who will do it. In the end I dropped them off to my local BMW dealer yesterday, who admitted they've not touched part of an E28 in more than 10 years!
Are you Poly bushing the trailing arms?Fitting the new RTABs without damaging the powdercoat finish is proving impossible to do at home, and difficult to find a garage who will do it. In the end I dropped them off to my local BMW dealer yesterday, who admitted they've not touched part of an E28 in more than 10 years!
E30M3SE said:
Are you Poly bushing the trailing arms?
Nope - as far as I know no-one makes poly bushes for the trailing arms of an E28. Not only that, but many people think that the RTABs are pretty much in for life - I don't know anyone who has replaced theirs, and I only really did mine because I didn't think they'd be up to the powdercoating process without wilting, and for £40...Very minor progress today.
In my eagerness to get the rear beam powdercoated, I failed to spot the metal outer sleeve of one subframe bush still in position. 45 minutes with a hacksaw and that was out, and the Powerflex bush in its place.
Next up was a bit of attention to the inner drive flanges:
Start:
After wire brushing:
After a lick of paint:
Having received the missing parts from my rear strut parts order yesterday, they're now built up and ready to go on (no pic at this point - oops).
Finally, spent a bit of time tidying up the garage. It really doesn't take long for it to become a bomb site, and important bits get lost or thrown away like that, so order was restored:
Hoping to pick up the trailing arms this week with the bushes fitted so that it can come down onto its wheels, ready for the next jobs.
In my eagerness to get the rear beam powdercoated, I failed to spot the metal outer sleeve of one subframe bush still in position. 45 minutes with a hacksaw and that was out, and the Powerflex bush in its place.
Next up was a bit of attention to the inner drive flanges:
Start:
After wire brushing:
After a lick of paint:
Having received the missing parts from my rear strut parts order yesterday, they're now built up and ready to go on (no pic at this point - oops).
Finally, spent a bit of time tidying up the garage. It really doesn't take long for it to become a bomb site, and important bits get lost or thrown away like that, so order was restored:
Hoping to pick up the trailing arms this week with the bushes fitted so that it can come down onto its wheels, ready for the next jobs.
Rear struts done:
One front wing off, not too crusty underneath:
Just spoken to the BMW dealer who are pressing in the RTABs - apparently they have broken two of their tools getting 3 of the bushes in, and have broken the fourth bush as well. So, a new bush needs to be ordered as well as a replacement tool. As yet, no ETA...
One front wing off, not too crusty underneath:
Just spoken to the BMW dealer who are pressing in the RTABs - apparently they have broken two of their tools getting 3 of the bushes in, and have broken the fourth bush as well. So, a new bush needs to be ordered as well as a replacement tool. As yet, no ETA...
olly22n said:
That inner wing looks super dan, you must be pleased.
What are the jacking points like?
The inner wing is pretty much spot on - there's a bit down where it meets the bottom of the door that needs a bit of love, but otherwise solid.What are the jacking points like?
Jacking points all look fine. The only bit that's causing concern is the back corner of the passenger sill, where there's a bit of an 'ole:
That's a lamp shining up from underneath the car, and the pic is taken from over the rear seat base. Not ideal, but I'd seen it already when I dropped the rear beam.
Started stripping the doors down. Even though this is an absolute poverty-spec car, it still has pre-wiring for (I assume) central locking:
I've noticed some other redundant connectors behind the dash and by the rear seat, too. Wonder what they're for...
The driver's side back door will need to come off, and a replacement bolted on. It's the only one that isn't worth re-using. I've got a replacement lined up, but can't see me collecting it for a month or so yet.
What I like about this car is how simple everything is. A few bolts or screws and everything comes off. I'm making a point of putting labels on wires as I go along, so I stand a fighting chance of getting everything reconnected. I'm also going through ziplock bags like they're going out of fashion, but it's the only way to stop myself losing stuff!
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