Supplementary Article for control arm bushing options: https://www.rtsauto.com/e30-control-arm-bushing-upgrades-also-applicable-to-e36-comprehensive-guide-on-control-arm-bushings/   Recently picked up a E30/E36/E46 control arm bushing specialty tool which made the job extremely easy as far as getting the finished bushing carrier with bushing onto the control arm shaft. This article only really applies to OEM rubber bushings as poly and solid bushings...
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It is not always justifiable to spend the money on a specialty tool, however in the case of rear axles a little investment goes a long way.   The problem with many german cars and particularly E30’s is that the tolerance between the hub splines and the axles splines is VERY small causing a...
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Wheel bearings can be deceiving since they can often only be heard when the wheel is spinning in excess of 30mph; they produce a howling, growning, sometimes grinding sounds that increases frequency with speed. The problem: You drive around and around and try to figure which bearing it actually is, and thinking to yourself if...
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Supplementary Article for specialty tools and bushing install: https://www.rtsauto.com/control-arm-bushing-specialty-tools-and-tips/     When talking about control arm bushings, there are two ways to “upgrade” and I use that word loosely because upgrade is relative. The first way is to add rigidity to the bushing to prevent deflection under steering and braking, the second being the positioning of...
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One essential part of the M60B40 swap into an E30 or otherwise is to eliminate EWS if you got an engine from an EWS car. EWS is a security system meant to prevent your car from being stolen and subsequently started. The reason the 404 DME (0261200404) is used is because it does not...
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I had been looking for OEM esque rubber floormats for my E30 and after years of searching have come across something that truly looks OEM, and is OEM (except that these are made for an E82 by BMW). OEM BMW part number: Black – 51472239697 Grey – 51470439165 Beige – 51470439166 The best part...
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Only a couple of years ago boosterless brake (manual brakes) setups were considered impractical because the available designs offered by vendors were single master cylinder brackets that protruded the MC into the engine bay. The problem was that one master cylinder cannot provide leg pedal pressure that is soft enough for daily driving, or...
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Making a harness to adapt the X20 connector found on the M60 engine harness (and OBD 1 M62 swaps) to connect to the body C101 wiring harness is a major component of the M60/2 swap that people are usually unclear or have anxiety about. Unfortunately there are no main stream suppliers that make and...
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I often hear people referring to the alignment, removal and installation of the hood as a two person job. Its easy to understand why people have this misconception. One would assume you open the hood while one person holds it and the other unscrews the mounting bolts. However, all three should be done with...
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BMW (including E30’s) and some Mercedes drive-shafts particularly of the 80’s-90’s vintage have what are called non-serviceable staked in u-joints. Over-time the grease inside the u-joints drys out, get pasty or otherwise stops performing its job; this causes the u-joint needle bearings to bind. Binding u-joints will cause vibrations to be felt at a...
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