E30 rear axle bushes

[cotty]

My 325i touring is in the garage having a service, MOT and a couple of other jobs done and they have just rung to say the rear axle bushes are shot (along with the suspention top mounts) and they need replacing. The parts are cheap but they are quoting 8 hours labour , does this sound about right, I assume they have to remove quite a few bits to get to the mounts.

They have told me these are the large downward facing bushes on the rear axle. Ill look them up on my parts CD when I get home.

Even with an independent garage 8 hours labour is going to hurt

[cheburator]

I am afraid they are about right. My cabrio needed these done for its first UK MOT and I remember that the bushes were cheap at around £8 a pop, but the labor involved was murder... The mechanic has to press them out using a hydrolic press, so deffo not a DIY job 'm afraid

[cotty]

I have been talking to a couple of guys on the E30Zone and they advise that this is a three hour job with the correct tools.

One of the guys has even offered to do the job as he works for an independant BMW dealers. Got to be better than paying for 8 hour labour

[cheburator]

If you are looking at changing suspension top mounts too its deffo not a 3hr job, but glad you have found a mechanic anyway

[cotty]

I have got it booked in for the axle bushes and top mounts for £350 so well chuffed

[Broccers]

The top mounts are just one of those things apparently. Had mine done last week and to be quite honest my car is transformed. She now goes round corners like a sports car should.

[thesilverfox]

these axle beam bushes are not a 8 hour job. we do loads of that at work, we charge 3 hours tops, you dont remove the axle beam to press them out, you heat them up with a hot air gun and push them out with a large socket, if all the bolts come undone its quite easy I have done a pair in 1 hour once, you can do them yourself but it just takes time

[cotty]

thesilverfox said:

these axle beam bushes are not a 8 hour job. we do loads of that at work, we charge 3 hours tops,

That’s what I agreed with another garage so am transferring the car to them

thesilverfox said:

you can do them yourself but it just takes time

I understood there is a special tool which would not make it a DIY job

[thesilverfox]

There is a special tool for the job but it can be done without,it Ive done about 100 so far just using a large socket and a hot airgun to warm the bush up.I think you will find only BMW dealers have the tool due to its cost. when I inquired about the cost it was about £300 from Klann so we just use a socket and a heat gun. You can do it the same way on the 3/5/7 series, also on the Jags and Mercedes which same type of bushes. never had a problem yet.

[cotty]

thesilverfox said:

I think you will find only BMW dealers have the tool due to its cost.

These are the people who are going to do the job.
www.lillyandconstable.com/ Never used them before but the guy I spoke to knows his stuff.

Their claim "Specialise in the sale, servicing and maintenance of high quality pre-owned cars
BMW - Mercedes - Executive Diesels" so I assume they will have the tool.