Page 716 of 1002
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Rear Suspension
4 Models with coil springs: Working at top of spring, press cen-
ter cap down or pry upward to remove. If pushed down, re-
move from inside coil spring from under car.
4 Working from underneath, position BMW special tool 33 2
301
between 2nd and 3rd spring coil from bottom.
Make sure tool recess faces upward.
Working in cargo compartment, guide BMW special tool 33
2 304
from above and thread into special tool 33 2 301.
Working in cargo compartment, attach BMW special tools 33
2
302,33 2 303 and 33 2 305 to special tool 33 2 304.
Use special tool 33 2 306 to compress spring.
Tighten until lower spring coil lifts off spring seat on wheel
bearing carrier.
- - -
-
Page 719 of 1002

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330-23
Rear Suspension
Remove rear control arm:
Remove inner control arm bolt
(A).
Detach plastic wiring harness support (B).
* Remove outer control arm ball joint nut (C). Press ball joint
out of rear wheel bearing carrier.
Installation is reverse of removal, noting the following:
Always use new self-locking nuts.
Malte sure all threaded bolts, nuts and mating surfaces are
clean.
Inner control arm mounting bolt must thread to rear (bolt
head at front).
Tighten fasteners to final torque only afler vehicle has
been lowered and suspension has settled.
Have car professionally aligned when job is complete.
Tightening
torques
Control arm to subframe (M12) 110 Nm (81 ft-ib)
Control arm
ball joint to wheel bearing 142 Nm (105 ft-lb)
carrier
(M14)
Quick coupling screw to air shock absorber
2 Nm (18 in-lb)
Road wheel
to hub 120-flONm
(89 i7 ft-lb)
Upper rear control arm, removing and
installing (Sport Wagon models)
CAUTIOG
Disable air supply pump by disconnecting electrical plug be-
fore
perlorming any repairs. Pump is located beneath a cover
under the spare tire in the floor of the
carqo compartment.
- Raise rear end of car and remove wheel.
WARNING -
Make sure the car is firmly supported on jaclc stands de-
signed for the purpose.
Place jaclc stands underneath struc-
tural chassis points. Do not place jack stands under
suspension parts.
Models with rear coil springs: Remove cargo compartment
floor carpet.
Worlting at top of coil spring, press center cap down or pry
upward to remove. If pushed down, remove from inside coil
spring from under car.
Page 720 of 1002

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330-24
Rear Suspension
4 Working from underneath, position BMW special tool 33 2
301 between 2nd and 3rd spring coil from bottom.
Make sure tool recess faces upward.
Working in cargo compartment, guide BMW special tool 33
2 304 from above and thread into special tool 33 2 301.
4 Working in cargo compartment, attach BMW special tools 33
2 302, 33 2 303 and 33 2 305 to special tool 33 2 304.
Use special tool 33
2 306 to compress spring.
Tighten until lower spring coil lifts off spring seat on wheel
bearing carrier.
4 Models with air springs: Loosen compressed air pipes (ar-
rows) at air distribution assembly to release system pres-
sure.
WARNING -
Vehicle will lower when the air pipes are opened. 1
- Support wheel bearing carrier from below.
CAUTION-
The shock absorber prevents the drive axle and wheel bear-
ing carrier from dropping too far. Supporting the wheel bear-
ing carrier before disconnecting the shock absorber
mounting iastenerprevents damage to the brake hose,
parl-
ino brake cable and drive axle CV ioints.
- Models with air shock absorbers: Detach air supply line from
shock absorber. Plug ports and lines to keep out dirt.
- Remove shoclc absorber lower mounting bolt
Page 724 of 1002

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330-28
Rear Suspension
4 To install, jack subframe into position. Install and tighten sub-
frame mounting bolts. Note that on each bolt, rubber-coat-
ed detent plate
(arrow) must be installed at rear in driving
direction.
Tightening torques
Rear
subframe to body (M12) 163 Nm (120 ft-lb)
- Remainder of installation is reverse of removal, noting the fol-
lowing.
Make sure long lower strut bushing fits in hole in wheel
bearing carrier.
111 0 Tighten suspension arm and shoclc absorber fasteners to
502330036 final torque only afler vehicle has been lowered and sus-
pension has settled.
Have car professionally aligned when job is complete
Tightening torques
ABS pulse sensor to wheel bearing carrier 8 Nrn (6 ft-lb)
Brake rotor to hub
16 Nm (12 ft-lb)
Driveshaft
CV joint to final drive flange
- MI0 (Tow bolts) 70 Nm (51 ft-lb)
MB (compression nut) 32
Nm (24 ft-lb)
Rear brake pad
carrler (caliper) to wheel 65 Nm (48 ft-lb)
bear~ng carrler
Rear strut to
wheel bearlng carrler 127 Nm (94 ft-lb)
Road wheel to hub
120210Nrn
(89 57 ft-lb)
Rear axle assembly, removing and
installing (Sport Wagon models)
Incaseof damage to thesubframe, or if apressed-in bushing is
worn, remove
subframe by removing complete axle assembly.
In Sport Wagon models with conventional coil spring, lower
subframe slowly, making sure rear springs stay on spring
seats.
In models with air suspension
(EHC), disable the air supply
pump, deflate the air springs and disconnect them from the
wheel carriers before lowering the subframe.
- Raise car and remove rear wheels.
WARNING-
Page 726 of 1002
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330-30
I Rear Suspension
Remove right and left lower strut mount bolts (arrow).
Remove rear suspension subframe by removing 4 mounting
bolts
(arrows).
Carefully lower rear suspension subframe away from body to
remove.
To install, jack
subframe into position. Install and t~ghten sub-
frame mounting bolts. Note that on each bolt, rubber-coat-
ed detent plate
(arrow) must be installed at rear in driving
direction.
Models
w~th coil springs: Fit springs correctly in lower
spring seats.
Models with air suspension: Fit eccentric lug at bottom of
air
sprlng in recess of wheel carrier spring seat.
Tightening torques
-
Air spring to wheel bearing carrier 20 Nm (1 5 ft-lb)
Rear subframe to body (M12) 163 Nm (120 ft-lb)
-
Page 730 of 1002
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(Rear Suspension
< Remove upper front control arm (traction strut) ball joint
mounting nut
(arrow). Press control arm ball joint out of
wheel bearing carrier.
- Repeat above process on upper rear control arm.
- Remove wheel bearing carrier assembly.
4 When reinstalling, pull axle shaft through wheel bearing car-
rier using
BMW special tools 33 2 115, 33 2 116 and 33 2
118.
- Lightly oil bearing surface of axle collar nut and install. T~ght-
en collar nut firmly, but do not fully tighten it at this time.
WARNING-
For safety reasons, the ale collar nut should only be tight-
ened to its final torque with the wheel installed and the car
lowered to
the ground. However, loading the bearing without
the nut tightened sufficiently may damage tlie bearing.
Page 732 of 1002
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330-36
l~ear Suspension
- Working underneath rear suspension, lift wheel bearing car-
rier to relieve rear spring tension. Then unbolt air spring
mounting bolt from seat on wheel bearing carrier.
- Models with rear coil springs: Remove cargo compartment
floor carpet.
Working at top of coil spring, press center cap down or pry
upward to remove. If pushed down, remove from inside
coii
spring from under car.
< Working from underneath, position BMW special tool 33 2
301
between 2nd and 3rd spring coii from bottom.
Make sure tooi recess faces upward.
Working in cargo compartment, guide
BMW special tooi 33
2 304
from above and thread into special tool 33 2 301.
4 Working in cargo compartment, attach BMW special tools 33
2
302,33 2 303 and 33 2 305 to special tool 33 2 304.
Use special tool 33 2 306 to compress spring.
Tighten until lower spring coil
lifts off sprrng seat on wheel
bearing carrier.
Page 734 of 1002
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I Rear Suspension
4 Press out axle shaft using BMW special tools 33 2 117. 33 2
116and332111.
4 Remove upper front control arm (traction strut) ball joint
mounting nut (arrow). Press control arm ball joint out of
wheel bearing carrier.
- Repeat above process on upper rear control arm.
- Remove wheel bearing carrier assembly.
4 When reinstalling, pull axle shafl through wheel bearing car-
rier using BMW special tools 33
2 115, 33 2 116 and 33 2
118.
- Lightly oil bearing surface of axle collar nut and install. Tight-
en collar nut firmly, but do not fully tighten it at this time.
WARNING-
For safety reasons, the axle collar nut should only be tight-
ened to its final torque with the wheel installed and the car
lowered to the ground. However, loading the bearing without
the nut tiqhtened
suificiently may darnaqe the bearina.