Earl Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 If you need to borrow tools for doing the rear wheel bearings or need a hand let me know=) m42b32 and andyhundley 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyhundley Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 If you need to borrow tools for doing the rear wheel bearings or need a hand let me know=) Same. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk m42b32 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris3 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Make it a party? I've done fronts but not rears and would be interested in learning. m42b32 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted March 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2017 Thanks Earl/Andy! Ill reach out when the time comes, probably in a week or two. I probably won't be pulling and replacing them in the same day as I will be cleaning and painting the trailing arms, so I don't know if it would be worth doing as a group for learning, but if you're interested you are more than welcome to swing by the shop when I give it a go! I continued work on the remaining damage to the front end after work today. I started stripping the excess parts off my salvaged core support and came to the conclusion that I can't use it. I am pretty convinced it is bent a bit. There are a few small kinks I found that I hadn't noticed before that I'm pretty sure shouldn't be there: From the top down it looks straight, but I just don't want to take a chance and have problems down the road so I won't be using it anymore. I'll likely order a new one from the dealer. I turned my attention to the headlight mount area: Removed this piece from the core support cutout, thankfully it and the frame rail end are definitely good and straight: Chopped the damaged sheet metal out: I started by just roughly hacking out the majority of the damage and leaving an overlap with the new panel. Then I carefully trimmed it back until the new part fit right where it needed to go. The top is within a millimeter of where it needs to be, ran out of time with the bottom but it is only long by a few mm. With some minor adjustments it will be spot on: The gaps are looking really good for welding, less than a mm max! The areas where it looks like there are gaps it is actually just a shadow, it is pretty much touching the whole way down. Now I just need to line it up as best I can and weld it in without ruining it... i_love_cars 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 Got some things done over the weekend, didn't get any pictures though. Cut the replacement piece of frame rail out of the spare core support and cleaned it up, started taking measurements on where to cut the damaged section out. This will be the trickiest part of the whole repair by far, hopefully I can get it right. I also fab'd up a puller for the rear subframe bushings similar to this DIY: https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1389953-A-better-subframe-bushing-puller Instead of modifying a pitman arm puller, I just welded some 5/8" steel square tube in a U with the correct spacing to fit in the bushing cutouts. With the help of a little heat from a torch I had them both out in 10 minutes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straight6pwr Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 want to do my core support next year also, how much to rent your bushing tool? nice progress! m42b32 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris3 Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 I still have the wandering modified pitman arm / pipe cap subframe bushing puller setup if anyone needs. m42b32 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted March 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 2 hours ago, straight6pwr said: want to do my core support next year also, how much to rent your bushing tool? nice progress! It would cost a lot to get me to do it again haha, Is yours damaged? You can borrow the bushing tool for free if you want it, it's ugly but it worked. I didn't use thick enough tubing and the puller started to crush the tube in the center, so I can't promise that it will make it through another two bushings.... Sounds like Boris3 has a more durable setup haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris3 Posted March 20, 2017 Report Share Posted March 20, 2017 The one I've got was used for removing the bushings with the subframe not fully dropped. The Pitman arms go on the edges of the bushing housing, cap goes against the bushing and puller arms go on the bottom edges of the bushing. You provide your own puller with the puller screw bracing against the Pitman unit, and hope the edges of the stock bushing hold up. Heat helps, and when all else fails drills and air chisel...or drop the subframe and burn em. Much easier if not dealing with the original bushings! m42b32 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straight6pwr Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 On 3/20/2017 at 2:32 PM, m42b32 said: It would cost a lot to get me to do it again haha, Is yours damaged? You can borrow the bushing tool for free if you want it, it's ugly but it worked. I didn't use thick enough tubing and the puller started to crush the tube in the center, so I can't promise that it will make it through another two bushings.... Sounds like Boris3 has a more durable setup haha damaged, yes. hoping a shop can just pull it close to straight and deal with a full replacement way down the line. sounds like your tool was a one time use! On 3/20/2017 at 6:54 PM, Boris3 said: The one I've got was used for removing the bushings with the subframe not fully dropped. The Pitman arms go on the edges of the bushing housing, cap goes against the bushing and puller arms go on the bottom edges of the bushing. You provide your own puller with the puller screw bracing against the Pitman unit, and hope the edges of the stock bushing hold up. Heat helps, and when all else fails drills and air chisel...or drop the subframe and burn em. Much easier if not dealing with the original bushings! i think i've seen that homemade version before, sounds familiar. but yeah probably will borrow it at some time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted March 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 10 hours ago, straight6pwr said: damaged, yes. hoping a shop can just pull it close to straight and deal with a full replacement way down the line. sounds like your tool was a one time use! Thats a bummer... It's really not that bad to remove though. It would probably cost you the same (maybe even less) to have a shop straighten it as it would be to replace it yourself. The difficult/time consuming part on my car has been dealing with the additional damage, If it was just a core support I'd be done already. And most likely, the hope was to make a reusable one but Lowes didn't stock anything with a decent wall thickness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassboy3313 Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 5 minutes ago, m42b32 said: And most likely, the hope was to make a reusable one but Lowes didn't stock anything with a decent wall thickness Speedy Metals in New Berlin is your friend! m42b32 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted March 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 Made more progress: Struts are assembled! The KBS came out kinda crappy, but I'm not going for a pebble beach level of perfection on the underside. I plan to drive this car as much as possible, so it'll get buried in dirt anyway. One wheel bearing needs to be replaced so I'll be doing both soon. While I had the driveshaft out, I figured it would be a good time to rebuild the shift linkage and install a short shifter. I didn't want a z3/etc shifter as they tend drop the shift knob into the console further, and shifters that raise the knob height (akg stage 2, bimmerworld race, etc) are $350+, so I decided to make my own DTM style floor mounted shifter. How hard could it be, right? There really isn't much for information on building your own shift lever on the internet, so I just started measuring things and formulating a plan. I got all my parts in last week and started putting it together over the weekend. The pivot point is a spherical bearing typically used in off-road suspension, with high misalignment spacers from tie-rod ends. Typically, high misalignment spacers don't fit in plain spherical bearings, but I needed the additional angle capability. As you can see, the spacers stick out and won't allow the bearing to rotate beyond it's normal limit. As I don't have access to a lathe, I made a jig to chuck the spacer in a drill and then used a bench grinder to trim the excess material off the spacer. The surface finish is rough so I went a little past the edge of the bearing so it wouldn't chew up the bearing liner. I then welded the parts of the upper and lower halves of the shift lever together (I ground off any zinc plating prior to welding, don't worry). I left the lengths long on each so that I can fine tune the knob height and shift throw once it's all mounted up in the car. I worked on calculating a desired throw and planning the dimensions ahead of time, but ultimately I don't know what I want so I'm just starting at too short of a throw, and too tall of a lever, and trimming each till I'm happy. I got some bronze bushings and pressed them into the bottom half of the shift lever to mate with the selector rod. The fit is super tight and there is absolutely zero play. Here is where I'm at, with everything assembled to start test fitting. The actual mounting to the car is still in progress and I am attempting to key off of features already existing in the sheet metal to avoid drilling new holes in case I ever want to return to stock, but what I have so far is a round steel plate with a bearing weld cup in the center. This holds the bearing tightly with a circlip, which is awesome because it has allowed me to design this to be serviceable. The lower half passes through the bearing and threads into the socket on the upper half (loctite so it doesn't come loose on accident), then a nut on the lower half (again, loctite) clamps the whole assembly to the spherical bearing. I'm hoping to have it finished up by the end of the week. Its a bit heavy, but it should be nice and strong. While I was under the car, I figured out why my reverse lights weren't working, looks like it snagged the driveshaft at some point. I also popped in an antenna plug that I got from a guy on r3v (http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=371625). Most of the plugs I have seen are plastic and require silicone, this one is a more pliable material and it fits nice and tight so it shouldn't leak. I have all the parts for the z3/318ti mast antenna conversion, but this was cheap and easy and got it done sooner haha. i_love_cars and B C 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaiserRolls Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 In all serious, I want to see how that turns out! m42b32 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted March 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 I should mention, the KBS came out kinda crappy because I rushed it and applied it a little too heavy, not because KBS rustseal is crappy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdesign Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 Now that's creative. Nice work. Care to share where you ordered the materials and part cost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted March 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2017 19 hours ago, Jdesign said: Now that's creative. Nice work. Care to share where you ordered the materials and part cost? Depending on how it works out I can make a diy/write-up on it. I think overall I have less than $80 into the whole thing, with over half of the cost being the bearing and weld cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted April 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2017 Couldn't start testing the shifter setup with the engine hanging free so... E21 trans mounts with AKG cups installed Put in the front subframe with a z3 steering rack and Revshift poly motor mounts. I haven't modified the firewall yet so I held off on installing the sway bar for a bit more access. While I was at it: new control arms, condor offset eyeball arms, ground control adjustable sway bar links, and the rebuilt m3 struts with yogurtland springs, bilsteins, and e90 drop hats. With the engine finally bolted down nice and solid I was able to test the shifter. The initial setup was insanely short, I think it was like a 1" throw from 1st to 2nd. I ended up trimming things down and ended up with a 3" throw from 1st to 2nd and the knob is at a comfortable height. It feels super solid, no flex anywhere and it should be really tight with new washers and rod joint. I tore it apart for paint and I'll get some pics of the final result this week. On Sunday I turned my attention to the frame rail...and chopped it out Its a bit hard to see but the internal support for the bumper shock is pretty mangled. Replacing it will require totally dissecting the frame rail so I am going to try renting a slide hammer and massaging it back into shape, hopefully that works and then I can start fitting the new frame rail piece. I ordered a new OEM core support from Umansky and should have it next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B C Posted April 4, 2017 Report Share Posted April 4, 2017 1" throw[emoji38] wow Im also running the AKG E21 mounts. Its a good way to go. Make sure the rubber bumper that rams into the back of the subframe and bolts to the lower flywheel cover is intact while you are in there. m42b32 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted April 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2017 On 4/3/2017 at 10:01 PM, Snap said: Make sure the rubber bumper that rams into the back of the subframe and bolts to the lower flywheel cover is intact while you are in there. Do m42 cars have one of those? I'll have to look, I can't remember haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B C Posted April 5, 2017 Report Share Posted April 5, 2017 Ah they might not since you have a more generous amount of space for the fan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted April 6, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 Was at the garage after work, forgot to look for the bumper, next time haha. Over the last few days I finished the mounting setup, painted everything textured black, and I did the final assembly today. Shift lever painted and assembled: This was my solution for mounting the shifter base to the chassis without drilling holes: There are notches cut to fit on the flange around the edge of the hole the rubber boot usually sits in. Then they bolt to the upper half with the bearing cup via studs, sandwiching the body in-between: I put an adhesive backed foam gasket around the edge to seal the hole, and secured everything with some stainless lock nuts/washers. Top view of bearing cup with everything assembled: While I had everything apart, I replaced the shift shaft seal (what a pain in the ass...), shift rod joint, and the yellow plastic washers. Final touch: BMW Motorsport golfball shift knob! Really pleased with how it came out. There is next to zero play and everything is super solid, the shifts are pretty short but don't take too much force to get into gear, and the knob height is really comfortable. I can write up a DIY and post a parts list if people are interested. Jdesign 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoungCR Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 What a great looking set up! I'd be interested in making one. m42b32 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc43089 Posted April 7, 2017 Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Me too, I get the idea from the pictures, where did you buy the bearing, and now that you see the travel amount would you have still needed to do the grinding you did? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m42b32 Posted April 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2017 Sure! I'll make a separate thread with all the info so it doesn't get lost in this one. I took a video when it was finished that I can post too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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