Any alternative to special tools??

[Penngwyne]

This job is replacing the rubber bushing between the body and the rear axle carrier on a 1989 e34 525i

A puller with lots of extra bits is specified in the various manuals and instructions

Any home made or alternate ideas would be welcome as I don't believe anyone around here would have them.

[Jack Dabsy]

Hammer and sockets might do the trick ! ;-)

[Vard66]

Possibly, if you've got something solid the other side of it to drive against, could do what I've done in the past to pull bushes out of... something on the front of a 205, I think it was, can't remember exactly what.

Use a long threaded bar (or an old head bolt or similar), a suitably sized washer, and three nuts.

Drill through the bush, run the rod through, put the washer on, put a nut behind it, and then turn the bar, holding the nut behind the bush in place.

The two other nuts, if you're using simply a long threaded bar, lock one against the other on the end of the rod, and then use a socket to turn the rod.

[Penngwyne]

Pics will follow.

The alternative to get the mountings out It is not easy (but it can be done)

1: A friend with a hoist in his shed
2 A right angled air powered drill (also belong friend)
3, A hacksaw blade in a handle (from another friend)
4 A small cold chisel (mine)
5 A big hammer (also mine. that's the kind of mechanic I am)

Drill out as much of the rubber as possible on one side
Cut out the remaining with a coarse hacksaw (join the holes together)
Cut down the aluminium casing with the hacksaw (this is the frustrating bit)
use the small chisel and big hammer to bend the casing away from the housing of the axle carrier
Pull out the mangled bit

Also made a tool to pull the mount back in. More on that later

[Penngwyne]

This is the link to the job

BMW E34 Website

You also need to take off the rear seat belt mounts or you can't get the bolt out past the plastic surround

The centres fell out of the mounts after we got them unstuck from the body

We also did the pitman arms and replaced the rear brake shoes

This was spread over a number of days as it was done between work and off days. On the hoist Sunday pm, Started Monday, worked Tuesday finished all jobs Wednesday.

A goodly couple of hours were spent Monday making a tool to push the mounts back in Pics later. Using this only took about ten minutes to set up and screw the mounts in using a couple of drops of detergent in 500 mils of water for lubrication.

The mounts have external grooves which correspond to a couple of (almost) unseen dimples in the housing

The car now does not clunk and does not self steer on rough bits of road (of which there are plenty down here)

Next job is front control arms (next week)

[Penngwyne]

Bottom control arms done.Quite straight forward.Especially on a hoist.
Easy job compared to the last one.
NOW I know what a pickle fork is for.