Rear Axle Rebuild

[Simon Parlin]

Hi guys,

After nearly five years trouble free motoring from my Z3, the time has come for the first major project. One of the back plates on the rear brakes has rusted through, causing the handbrake shoe retaining pin to come adrift.

The garage has quoted me £££ to do this work because the rear wheel bearings need to come off to properly replace the back plates.

So I'm thinking while I'm at it I'll take the whole rear axle out, strip it, have the subframe blasted and repainted, replace all the bushes etc. This will also hopefully solve the annoying squeak from the rear suspension.

Could someone suggest a good workshop manual giving details of this work and particularly the torque settings? The E36 Haynes manual apparently includes the Z3 but it's quite expensive and since the E36 has a different rear axle I'm not sure how well this will be covered.

Any other advice on this job such as best bushes to use etc. gratefully received. I will also of course look back through relevant threads on this forum.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Simon

 

[mrscalex]

They are spinning you one there unless it's that rusted.

It's not obligatory to use the factory pin. You can improvise very satisfactorily with washers and a bolt. Thanks @t-tony for that one

Or you can replace the backplate without removing the wheel bearing although it does require making a snip in it to locate it and ideally a quick weld to stitch it back. Thanks @Sean d for that one

Refurbing the whole rear end is a major job - I would say roughly equivalent to an engine in/out. And it's definitely a sledge hammer to crack a walnut with respect to your handbrake issue. But if you want to do it anyway that's different.

However it's perfectly do-able and is one of the popular jobs often related on the forum. So if you search you will find plenty of information including some very recent threads, there has been one very recently.

https://zroadster.org/threads/rear-end-removal-how-to.23447/

With the greatest of respect people may not be prepared to relate it all again here when it's been discussed so recently.

 

[Simon Parlin]

That's great, thanks very much for the advice which is much appreciated. I'll go and read that thread about rebuilding the rear axle!

Simon

 

[Mazza]

Simon,
This book is for the USA market, but seems to have pretty much everything in it. Albeit, based on LHD cars !!!!

If you get stuck on anything let me know via PM, and I can photocopy any relevant pages/ sections you require and post them to you.

 

[Jack Ratt]

https://workshop-manuals.com/bmw/3_...ta/1_si__modified_change_intervals_e9x-m3-us/

Have a look at this link, you can navigate to most parts of the car

 

[Simon Parlin]

That's brilliant, thanks very much both!

Simon

 

[Sean d]

Been there put the car back on its wheels today

 

[Simon Parlin]

Wow, that looks like a great job! Incredibly thorough and immaculately finished, exactly what I have in mind. Well done and thanks for the photos which I'm sure will be really useful.

Did you go for standard bushes and other components or anything special?

And if you don't mind me asking roughly how much should I expect a job like that to cost (not allowing for all the time of course!)?

Simon

 

[Sean d]

Wow, that looks like a great job! Incredibly thorough and immaculately finished, exactly what I have in mind. Well done and thanks for the photos which I'm sure will be really useful.

Did you go for standard bushes and other components or anything special?

And if you don't mind me asking roughly how much should I expect a job like that to cost (not allowing for all the time of course!)?

Simon

Poly bushed it as for cost
all bushes £75
brake shoes and fitting kit £25
one new hand brake cable as one was new £16
Powder coated beam, beam brackets, tank straps and ARB £70
POR 15 for diff and trailing arms £30
Back plate £30 for both
Braided hose kit £70
Hose clips from BMW £0.70p each
Thats about it I think

 

[mrscalex]

That’s interesting you painted the face of the hub. I though that and the mating surface on the rear of the wheel had to be metal to metal? Perhaps that’s an old wives’ tale?

 

[Sean d]

That’s interesting you painted the face of the hub. I though that and the mating surface on the rear of the wheel had to be metal to metal? Perhaps that’s an old wives’ tale?

Its cold galv pal, brilliant stuff for a quick fix and very thin and can be welded through

 

[Simon Parlin]

Thanks Sean, that's great, not too expensive then (other than in time!). I've managed to cobble my car back together for now to make the most of this weather! But I'll follow your lead and rebuild the rear axle in due course. Your thread on that will be really useful too.

Simon

 

[Lee]

Another options is to look in the Zedshed section on the forum, there's countless sub frame rebuilds in there. The earlier build threads go into more detail with the how to. My first build thread has a through step by step, although it was to remove the fuel tank you have to drop the subframe first to get to it. I'll add the link.

https://zroadster.org/articles/bmw-z3-petrol-tank-rattle-solved.78/
Note: this was on my old Z3M, you will have to disconnect the brake lines on Non M cars.