Problems with BMW's new Trailing Arm Bushings for Early 02s

[Slavs]

As some of you already found out, BMW's new replacement bushings for the older metal sleeved trailing arm bushings used on early 02s with longneck diffs, don't fit.

They are slightly smaller in diameter (perhaps 1 or 2mm) and fall right through the trailing arm. They are useless. The original metal sleeved bushings are 27mm in diameter and 54mm in length. Somebody at BMW screwed up. The replacement bushings aren't cheap, and those of us who purchased them are left clamoring to return them, if possible.

Both the old and new part # for the bushings is the same: 33323055506.

 

I should have researched this board before purchasing them.

 

I've noticed the fit and finish on some of BMWs parts is inferior to the NOS parts. This includes body panels such as fenders.

 

New replacement bushing pictured at left, original metal sleeved bushing at right.

 

Slavs

Edited January 8, 2019 by Slavs

[Simeon]

While we have every right to expect replacement parts that fit, I suspect BMW’s response will be to make them NLA while they ditch that supplier and then drag their feet about making new ones that fit. 

 

Could you find (or make from sheet steel) a sleeve to go around the outside and take up the slack?

[VWJake]

is this really what I just paid for last week?... ugh

[arminyack]

When I redid my rear end a few years back, I wound up leaving the old bushings in...simply because I couldn't find the new bushings, period! It seems now the only solution as of now is to look into sleeving the the trailing arms so the new BMW bushings can be pressed in! 

[kbmb02]

 

On 1/7/2019 at 8:30 PM, Slavs said:

As some of you already found out, BMW's new replacement bushings for the older metal sleeved trailing arm bushings used on early 02s with longneck diffs, don't fit.

 

They are slightly smaller in diameter (perhaps 1 or 2mm) and fall right through the trailing arm. They are useless. The original metal sleeved bushings are 27mm in diameter and 54mm in length. Somebody at BMW screwed up.

 

 

Question on these 1600 rear trailing arm bushing issues:

For those who removed the original bushings, did you remove the metal sleeve from the trailing arm?

[Slavs]

The metal sleeve on the early bushings is part of the bushings, and in most cases comes out with the rest of the bushing when you press it out. BMWs new replacement bushings exclude the outer metal sleeve. They are rubber. Its just that BMW screwed up and made them about 1mm too small in diameter. Since they are rubber, perhaps they are 2mm too small, as they were meant to be pressed in to the trailing arm opening. I imagine I can make a thin 1mm thick metal sleeve and wrap it around the bushing, then press it in all together. But, that may be tricky.

 

Another possibility is to take  bushings for the post 69 02s and have them modified and cut to the specified length.  imagine this would be easier to accomplish with the urethane versions, but those are probably too stiff for the street.

 

BMW increased the width of the mounting ears on the newer version subframe, but retained the same dimensions for the trailing arm. So, in the newer bushing design they added a rubber lip to the bushing. From my experience, the newer bushings eventually walk or shift just as much, if not more than the older design. Although, they widened the spacing on the subframe ears for the trailing arm probably in an effort to make it stronger. One would think that the logical thing to have done would have been to make the  the trailing arm rail also wider. But, they took the less expensive route.

 

Another argument is why in the world did they get rid of the more robust long neck diff ? It holds more oil and seems like a more sound design. You can remove the front flange and replace the seal without affecting the crush collar. That is not the case with the short neck. I don't think all of their changes were improvements.

 

Slavs

[kbmb02]

Q: If the sleeve is not removed from the 1600 trailing arms, would the new replacement bushings fit within the still-installed sleeve? (I have a set of trailing arms with bushings removed and sleeves present ... the old bushings were burned out.) 

[Slavs]

The quoted the dimensions incorrectly.

 

The old metal sleeved bushings are 27mm in diameter and 59mm in length.

 

Slavs

[uai]

I also needed some as I wanted to mount later trailing arms to a longneck axle and checked where I can find corrrect ones

https://www.bts-autoteile.de has correct ones in stock.

https://www.bts-autoteile.de/index.php/shop/1502-2002-turbo2013-04-23-12-02-57/hinterachse2013-04-23-12-02-57/silentbloc-detail

 

 

Edited January 15, 2019 by uai
added pic & link

[Flamingo 5]

On 1/10/2019 at 12:59 PM, Slavs said:

The metal sleeve on the early bushings is part of the bushings, and in most cases comes out with the rest of the bushing when you press it out. BMWs new replacement bushings exclude the outer metal sleeve. They are rubber. Its just that BMW screwed up and made them about 1mm too small in diameter. Since they are rubber, perhaps they are 2mm too small, as they were meant to be pressed in to the trailing arm opening. I imagine I can make a thin 1mm thick metal sleeve and wrap it around the bushing, then press it in all together. But, that may be tricky.

 

Another possibility is to take  bushings for the post 69 02s and have them modified and cut to the specified length.  imagine this would be easier to accomplish with the urethane versions, but those are probably too stiff for the street.

 

BMW increased the width of the mounting ears on the newer version subframe, but retained the same dimensions for the trailing arm. So, in the newer bushing design they added a rubber lip to the bushing. From my experience, the newer bushings eventually walk or shift just as much, if not more than the older design. Although, they widened the spacing on the subframe ears for the trailing arm probably in an effort to make it stronger. One would think that the logical thing to have done would have been to make the  the trailing arm rail also wider. But, they took the less expensive route.

 

Another argument is why in the world did they get rid of the more robust long neck diff ? It holds more oil and seems like a more sound design. You can remove the front flange and replace the seal without affecting the crush collar. That is not the case with the short neck. I don't think all of their changes were improvements.

 

Slavs

I also own and are restoring a

1968. I have come to the conclusion that many of the changes that occurred when bmw

went from long to short neck

were to cut costs

this included the elimination of

many chrome parts , 3 piece dash to 1 piece 

i could go on and on..

[uai]

1 hour ago, West Palm 2002 said:

many chrome parts , 3 piece dash to 1 piece 

 

ahem that was another time ....(or better said never. It went from 3 to two to one and all that was after longneck to shortneck)

[TobyB]

Quote

I've noticed the fit and finish on some of BMWs parts is inferior to the NOS parts. This includes body panels such as fenders.

 

Often, even inferior to third party parts.  'Mobile Tradition' or whatever they call it now

is NOT NOS quality, hasn' been for 20 years, and I personally don't trust them any more than any other third party

manufacturer.  

 

This is one of the very few bushings on the 2002 that I think can stand to be harder-

as in, UHMW, urethane, steel, a spherical bearing, whatever.  It is still isolated 

from the body by the subframe bushings, and stiffening those points means that the rear wheels

toe less, dynamically.

So I wouldn't hesitate to solve this particular problem with a urethane bushing.  

 

As to 'why?'

 

easy.

 

Cost.  The 2002 was the 'trainer' car to get BMW into the 1960's.  So at the beginning, 

I suspect they weren't sure how successful it was going to be, and raided the NK parts

bin.  When sales numbers justified, THEN they re- engineered so they could pop them

together faster.  All the time, making running changes that later showed up in the whole

BMW line.  That it sold well was a gamble that paid off...

Datsun did a lot of the same things with the Roadster, and then rolled the lessons into the 240z-

which itself had a series of rolling updates as it became a surprisingly- high volume seller.

And the Jag E-type... which DIDN'T get updated, and so on, and so on...

 

t

Edited January 15, 2019 by TobyB

[Flamingo 5]

Don’t give up they can be found

try w&b ?

[Slavs]

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

Slavs

[VWJake]

I just found some 27mm/ 1mm wall tubes in my scrap pile. They came from an Audi 4000s. They were parts of the original front strut dampers. I’ll try cutting them down to sleeves and see how it fits with the new bushings.

 

I’ll try to get to them this week.