Before rebuilding the rear suspension on my e46 Compact, I went out and did some research on parts, tools, difficulty, time, etc… and I realized that there were some informational gaps. This video is an attempt to fill those gaps, providing a real insight into the struggles of a job like this and information about the parts and part numbers.
The video isn’t the best quality, I know. But it’s the result of making it all by myself on a tight time frame, stressed out, working on someone else's driveway, with below-zero temperature. In total, it took me about 20 hours of wrenching to complete + an hour in the alignment shop. The biggest challenges were: releasing the handbrake, removing/installing the axles, and removing/installing the control arms. I wasn’t entirely sure if it’d be possible to do this job without removing the rear subframe from the car, because in every video I watched before starting this, the subframe was always out. But, as you can tell from the video - it is 100% possible. I was also curious if I’d be able to do this in one day, working nonstop. And with the knowledge that I have now, I’d say it’s feasible, but I’d highly recommend doing this with a friend. There are certain jobs, like removing the spindles for example, that would have been infinitely easier if someone assisted me.
To press out the old bushings, I’d recommend buying something like this:
www.wiltec.de/en/Wiltec-26pc-...
I’m not sponsored by this brand, it’s just to give you an idea. Luckily, I didn’t have to use a kit like this because a friend helped me out with some Mercedes brake pistons, shims, and old ball joints, that happened to be exactly the size that I needed. In the video, I provide you with the dimensions of the bushing so you can prepare the tooling before tackling this job.
Detailed explanation about the parking brake:
• BMW E46 Parking Brake ...
Realoem website:
www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/select
0:00 Wheels off
0:26 Suspension strut off
0:43 Brake caliper off
1:06 Spring off
1:17 Unbolting suspension arms
3:03 Axles off
4:09 Hand brake release
4:43 Spidle off
5:43 Tips for removing control arms
7:57 Part numbers and dimensions
11:43 Reassembly
20:37 Wheel alignment