Author Topic: Rear Subframe removal (Read 3975 times)

littleboyblues · « **on:** February 22, 2011, 11:18:59 AM »

Is it totally necessary to remove the half shafts from the wheels hubs. I have the car up on jacks without a front suspension and i dont feels totally confident that the car will stay upright with me reefing on a breaker bar trying to get the half shafts off. Plus is there some reason why i would want them off?

It definitely looks like the whole thing can come off as an entire assembly but maybe i'm missing something.

Thanks in advance

colin86325 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2011, 12:11:18 PM »

Nope, just disconnect the half shafts at the diff flange. No need to remove them from the wheel hub.

DesktopDave · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2011, 04:05:37 PM »

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to do. If you're pulling the whole rear subframe to redo it, you only need to remove the four nuts on the driveshaft flange, the four little hex bolts in front of the rear wheel (or bend the plates out of the way), the two big nuts that grab the outer subframe studs and the rear diff ear mount nut & bolt. Oh yeah, and the rear shock mounts, parking brake cables, calipers or brake hoses, anti-lock & brake sensor wires.

Why not get two more jack stands? It'd be pretty hard to pull the rear frame with the car sitting on it.

littleboyblues · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2011, 11:00:44 PM »

Thanks. Ill leave the half shafts attached to the wheel hubs and get them undone when its off the car if i really need to.

Basically my car has the front suspension off and i'm gonna do the rear hopefully this week. Stupid mistake cause i should have done the back before the front. I'm trying to get it off is all. There are bushings and rust that has to be looked after under there.

Slick92GS-R · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2011, 11:24:36 PM »

ahh Dave .. you make it sound sooo easy ..

DesktopDave · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2011, 06:35:01 AM »

It definitely isn't as easy as it sounds...it took me a few hours to do it. But I cheated & just cut the brake lines & cables. I'm still not sure how to remove the brake cables without destroying them. Mine were totally rusted into the sockets.

littleboyblues · « **Reply #6 on:** February 24, 2011, 03:31:28 AM »

haha...ya. Definitely gonna take longer than i thought. I dont really wana bend the metal plates that attached infront of the rear wheels but those are 6mm hex bolts and i dont think its will come off without snaping tools...6mm is pretty small. How do you get the handbrake cable off?

DesktopDave · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2011, 07:24:16 AM »

It's just a drum brake, happily it doesn't have a hydraulic cylinder to make it more complicated. I'd loosen the cables at the brake handle, then pull the wheels, calipers & rotors.

I don't recall exactly how it comes apart (because I just cut mine

) but I'd pull the main spring out (I think it's on the top side, opposite from where the cable goes in) to give enough slack to pull the shoe connected to the cable out from under the hub flange. I don't think that the shoes are retained on the backing plate, and I believe it's a thick pin that holds the cable bracket onto the brake shoe lever. The brake cable can be unhooked from the parking brake shoes.

littleboyblues · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2011, 08:48:07 PM »

Thanks dave,

see if i can figure it out.

Kinda off topic but kinda on. If i were to change to braided lines at the back...do i need two sets because there seems to be two per wheel. However, maybe i'm cheap or maybe i like changing stuff...could i just not relocate all the brake lines so the car only need one braided line per wheel. All my lines are coming out and i have to redo it all anyways. Am i missing something? I have heard that the brake lines at the back of the 318ti and z3 are located differently then our cars, any idea how its done on those cars?