Changed my RTABs, WOW what a difference!

My 2003 M3 has a little under 70k on it. I've had it for a little over a year and I love it except for the fact that it had a unquenchable appitite for rear tires. I wnet through two sets in the time I've had it. It's had two alignments and the dealer even looked at it and said it all looks good.

On tha advice of this forum I decided to replace the RTABs with OEM bushings and add travel limiters. I got both from Vorshlag Motorsports for about $100 and rented the install press from a board member. Well I just got done installing them. First side took about 2 hours and the second side took under an hour. The Travel limiters I bought from Vorshlag are not acurately named. With them installed I tried to move the trailing arm with a pry bar and it would NOTmove side to side at all. The car used to have a habit of rear steering midcorner if I made a significant throttle change, this is totally gone and rear end is solid as can be. I LOVE MY M3 AGAIN.

I rented the tool from Eric Luky AKA LUKY. It was very reasonably priced and came with some extras I would have needed anyway. He is also mad fast about shipping it to you, you gotta love good service. I just could not see buying a one time use tool adn this fit the bill for me. For anyone interested, he should have it back late this comming week.

Here are some pics:

THese are the bushings I pulled out. They have nearly seperated in the center.



Here is a supprise. On the inside of the trailing arm mount bracket I found polish marks where the bushing had been making contact with the shell of the bracket. It's kinda of hard to see in the pics but it was clearly obvious. The last pic shows that the trailing arm would have to move about 1/4" in either direction just to make contact.




These are some other misc pics of the install.




Well there you go. If your E46 has more than 50-70k on it. I almost gaurentee it needs RTABs. My 2 cents with is to go with OEM bushings and limiters. Some other things I learned it to disconnect the shock and remove the bracket holding the brake hose to the trailing arm. It will make it a ton easier. ALso I hear others say you have to disconnect the ABS and brake wear indicator harnesses, this is not true. Just unclip them from the trailing arm and you will have plenty of slack to drop the trailing arm.

Thanx
Re'

Very nice job man. And where do you get the bushing press tool? It looks like a well made piece of tooling, I may have to do the same in the near future. Thank you for sharing.

Originally Posted by botaman

Very nice job man. And where do you get the bushing press tool? It looks like a well made piece of tooling, I may have to do the same in the near future. Thank you for sharing.

I rented the tool from Eric Luky AKA LUKY. It was very reasonably priced and came with some extras I would have needed anyway. He is also mad fast about shipping it to you, you gotta love good service. I just could not see buying a one time use tool adn this fit the bill for me. He has a thread in the suspension forum offering to rent it.

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remeber to get an alignment when your done , since youre messing with the alignment

Originally Posted by Pir4t

remeber to get an alignment when your done , since youre messing with the alignment

Fo rright now it is set with a tape measure and is near dead on. In the next few weeks I'll get it over to have it checked. But first I want to install my adjustable lower control arms.

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It's a great maintenance item. Just a pain in the ass to do.

Originally Posted by Whammy

It's a great maintenance item. Just a pain in the ass to do.

Actually it's not... There are several great DIY write ups on here. I would call it only slightly harder than a oil change and easier than doing a 4 wheel brake job if you have any mechanical ability at all... If you have access to an air compressor and impact wrench, the proper RTAB press tool (like I will rent to you), a floor jack and a pair of jack stands you can probably do it in under two hours, start to finish. I used the Powerflex RTABs which made the install even easier than pressing in new Meyle bushings and adding the travel limiters... The Powerflex RTAB design incorporates a "shoulder" that does the same thing as the "travel limiters". Without air tools I would give it another hour. Just have a cheater pipe handy to break the bolts loose as needed.

I too agree that this DIY isn't hard at all

Originally Posted by Luky

Actually it's not... There are several great DIY write ups on here. I would call it only slightly harder than a oil change and easier than doing a 4 wheel brake job if you have any mechanical ability at all... If you have access to an air compressor and impact wrench, the proper RTAB press tool (like I will rent to you), a floor jack and a pair of jack stands you can probably do it in under two hours, start to finish. I used the Powerflex RTABs which made the install even easier than pressing in new Meyle bushings and adding the travel limiters... The Powerflex RTAB design incorporates a "shoulder" that does the same thing as the "travel limiters". Without air tools I would give it another hour. Just have a cheater pipe handy to break the bolts loose as needed.

I know of the DIY. I read it. I did not feel comfortable doing it, nor do I have the RTAB tool, air compressor or impact wrench.

Originally Posted by Whammy

I know of the DIY. I read it. I did not feel comfortable doing it, nor do I have the RTAB tool, air compressor or impact wrench.

I rented the tool from a forum member and only used my impact to remove the wheel. If you feel comfortable doing a basic tune up or replacing your brakes, you can do this. Although I am an experienced mechanic, the hardest part of the job was finding time in my insane schedule.

Hi there Eric. Your tool is boxed up and ready to go back tomorrow.

Re'

Great write up, how much do you think you saved doing this yourself instead of paying the dealer or an indy mechanic?

^ Dealers like to charge 3-4 hours for this, so that's somewhere between 300 and 500 depending on where you go.

Originally Posted by Whammy

I know of the DIY. I read it. I did not feel comfortable doing it, nor do I have the RTAB tool, air compressor or impact wrench.

Air tools aren't necessary at all and you can buy or rent the RTAB tool for far less than paying a shop to do it. Being comfortable doing it is another story and I never recommend people tackle a DIY they aren't comfortable with. Honestly though, it really is an easy job if you have the RTAB tool.

Originally Posted by SaaDiesel

Great write up, how much do you think you saved doing this yourself instead of paying the dealer or an indy mechanic?

Not sure what the dealer wants but the OEM bushings and limiters cost $110 shipped and the press was cheap to rent (can't remember), probably $25-$30 or so. So figure under $150 including tool rental. Dealer would have been between 3 and 4 times as much and would not have installed the limiters for me.

THis is not a difficult job and you do not need power tools to do it at all, just the press.

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I just finished this job without using the rtab tool and it was extremely frustrating. If I ever need to do this job again I will have that tool...

Originally Posted by juno001

I just finished this job without using the rtab tool and it was extremely frustrating. If I ever need to do this job again I will have that tool...

Getting the bushings out isn't too bad as they can be drilled out then using large screwdriver and a hammer, the metal shell can be collapsed and it comes out.

How did you press it in without doing the tool?
I never used pro tool, but had my home made $10 one