The Most Overlooked Part Of Your BMW | E90 Diff Bushing DIY
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2020
- In this video I show you how to replace your differential bushings on your BMW. This process would be similar on all models. I am doing this on my 2008 BMW E90 335i.
I had to do this due to them bushings failing with time. I was getting a clunking sounds under load.
I upgraded to M3 bushings for a little more performance.
My detailed differential install and removal video can be found here:
• It's Time To Swap My D...
If you would like to purchase the upgrade M3 bushings you can do so here (affiliate):
bit.ly/3dB5ehf
Two are needed
The rear stock bushing can be purchased here (affiliate):
bit.ly/347ASQ8
The differential tool set can be purchased here (affiliate):
amzn.to/3kbCxdc
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Grease on the bushings is unfavorable because most petroleum based greases can swell up rubber on the bushing. Use silicone grease or spray or just plain dish detergent. I had a brake problem with slides on a floating caliper back in the days because someone put lithium grease, rubber sleeves swell up and the caliper was seized right off the bat as it was put on.
Yeah I used a synthetic grease that says it's compatible with rubber but would have been good to mention that only silicone based greases should be used in the video. I'll pin this comment for future viewers.
Solid reasoning and true. Petroleum based greases do degrade natural rubber products.
@@VehicularDIY can you tell me which obd diagnostic app are you using?
Wondering if you recommend any for coding
Energy suspension makes a good, tacky silicone based grease. There are a number of products out there, but worth mentioning the difference.
@@VehicularDIY how come silicone grease ? I only ask because I've used silicone oil to expand an o ring before and it actually expanded it to much , also is it OK to jack the rear of the 335i on the diff? And the front has a bolt under the engine just ahead of the sump ( oil pan ) its not covered so I assume its there to jack it up is that right ? Thanks for all your great videos.👍🇬🇧
Crazy how your 10+ year old E90 with 200k miles is almost certainly in better mechanical condition than most 3 year old 40k mile cars out there.
My 2011 e90 m3 with 29k miles just decided to destroy one of its bushings lol
Edit: It was a diff bolt lol
a BMW in the hands of a capable DIY mechanic will outlast just about every car out there. the older the better. E3x E4x etc.
Soo truee.
Crazy how if u take care of your car it will be perfectly healthy crazy how that works right?
Sometimes it’s like you read my mind I wonder about some of these jobs on my car and before I know it you’ve uploaded a video!
As always, insightful useful content! My favorite YT channel for E90 how-to.
Man, I had to do my differential due to a failed input bearing. I was planning on replacing all three of these while I had it out and almost forgot after having a bunch of trouble removing the drive shaft.
It was pretty tricky pulling them out even with the puller/press tool. Keep in mind you really need to compress the new bushings as they are larger than the diameter of the housing they go in. Use a hose clamp, even so, it was difficult to squeeze them down enough.
The top and bottom squeeze down while the rubber there folds out at the gaps so you need to guide that into the lip while installing. After having so much trouble with the two smaller ones, I decided to not replace the larger bushing as it didn't look bad and to clamp that down to squeeze it into the hole in the subframe, mighty tricky. You made it look really easy haha. Thanks for the video.
I love RUclips! Especially channels like yours here that make the lives of diy people easier 🙏🏼. Thanks for the video.
I HAVE PUT THIS OFF FOR SO LONG. THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS
As always very informative. Greatings from land down under
I'm still watching all of your videos, and still don't have a....... wait I DO! I finally bought my 2010 n54 335i! Thanks for all the inspiration
Congrats man!! Enjoy it!
Thank you so much for the work you put into making these videos. I am sure that many of your viewers dont even think about how much it takes to make those.
Is there any chance that one day you will make a Video or even better
just a pdf document in which you list:
- Maintanence Plan (when to do/ look for what)
- Upgrade Suggestions/Recommendations
- Parts & Tools Recommendations for all of this
- further Tips from your personal experience with the N54
Man I would pay for this document! And I am sure, many others would do so too!
Or maybe an own website with a members section, which includes all of those things. You could always update the content.
Greetings from Germany, Bavaria
You're right it's hard to translate how long it takes to make some of these videos. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll see what I can do.
Whenever I've replaced the stock rear end bushings in all of my BMWs I used dish soap. It allows the bushing to seat properly once it dries out. I've seen others use actual lubricants and the bushings have slipped out.
Thanks for the tip.
@@VehicularDIY and thank you for the video.
Soap can interact chemically with rubber and dry it out and lead to premature failure if much is used. Much better to use something neutral like KY.
@@machtschnell7452 KY?
@@banny123456 Industry secret.
I asked for it and you finally done it! Thanks but I've done it already
bmw ultimate repair and update experience
Great video man! Great trick with the pvc and 2x4. For anyone getting ready to do this in your driveway or garage, beware. This is a big job.
Thanks ! Super helpful ! Extraordinary detail !!
Never thought of this if I keep mine I'll consider this.
For my install, I used 2 hose clamps wrapped around it tightly bit more than 1/2 way to compress the 2 halves together to guide it in.
Thanks for the video! Will definitely be replacing these bad boys.
Thank you for the DIY. Let us know how it feels.
Thanks for showing it can be done on jack stands! I've had a set of poly diff bushings rolling around in my boot 🇬🇧(trunk 🇺🇸) for ages waiting until i can hire a car lift. Might give it a go on the ground now. Mine are cracked so the diff thumps when i'm doing aggressive gear changes.
I hope they aren't too noisy with my Quaiffe LSD equipped diff 😥
Bro i have an e90 M3, and you sir have saved me time and time again. I have a problem, i search it up on google you pop up. I have wanna mod something or fix something, you pop up. I appreciate you brotha and if u still produce e90 content plzzz do you help me and so many more out!!!
when i first started working on cars, i bought a generic set of bearing pullers, and a generic set of balljoint cups. i find that they work for just about every application. no need for special tools if you have a good set that covers every size
You can use a silicone based grease, and it won’t deteriorate the rubber on the new bushing
My '09 135i (only 82K mi on the clock) is hemorrhaging grease from the driveshaft u-joint. So, I'm in the process of replacing the whole damn driveshaft - shout out to Driveshaft Specialist in San Antonio. I decided to replace all 3 diiff mounts, since I'm basically already there. Tried following your vid here, but pressing-in that rear mount is a helluva lot trickier than it appears. I have the exact same toolkit and even got myself a section of 3" PVC pipe + 2x4. I simply could NOT get the new mount started back into the hole. To give credit where due, this vid was very helpful, just need the right tools. I ended up having to spend some serious change on a Baum Tools Diff Bushing R&I Kit (B334460KIT).
I made alone this toll last year for my E34 Big Front silents😉
Recently did the ECS poly with billet inserts. Loving them.
How is the nvh with poly?
@@MakeItRayne minimal. Honestly I can’t tell the difference. I got more going to M3 front control arms than I did from the diff bushings.
That's pretty sweet. Its a mixed bag with poly. Some say the nvh is more noticable and some say they don't really notice. Or maybe they do and they don't care 🤷♂️
I have solid subframe and diff bushings and the solid subframe bushings help a lot and don't add any nvh. The solid diff bushings are nice too and the diff whine is not bad at all with the solid diff bushings.
Good to know, thanks for the feedback.
I need to do mine soon as it is 1/3 of the way pushed out on diff. I opted for the Power Pro bushings with minimal NVH and just purchased the Schwaben Diff tool so hopefully all goes well. I have a jerk when it shifts from R to D as well as shifting through gears in my auto hopefully this fixes the issue.
Hell yeah! This video is critical! Diff Mount bushings are KEY!!! #KeepConnected
Again a perfect Video. Only concern might be little hard to understand for no native speakers :-)
For what it's worth I use a small bit dielectric grease when I press in bushings or give them a quick spary of silicone lube. Depending on what I got on hand.
that explains my sloppy clunky noise thanks
Thank you I always got a clank when I started moving or stopped and reversed, now I know why
Hey. Did you get the noise while cruising or only when accelerating? Cause i get noise even while cruising down the slope and cannot find the problem. I have inspected the car and everything looks solid under the car
@@BeZzeMa sorry I didn't replace the piece however I'm getting the clank when I accelerate
Wow!!! Amazing work. There are so many videos out there that too much talking and less working... but this guy does the “hard” work!
What is/are the symptom(s) of the car anyway?
Thanks! Mostly just a heavy clunk sound under load.
I started getting some clunking when I shift after installing rear subframe inserts. Why didn't I change the diff bushings when I did my lsd!? Why?? 😭
More videos!!!
I use soap or very small silicone based grease on bushing
Oooooohhhhh thats why I'm getting a weird clunking sound smh.... thanks!!!
I’d also recommend the Burger diff lock brace. Really keeps things planted.
Good to know, thanks.
I'm thinking of doing this for my next mod. Might make my.own brace because there really isn't much to it.
I have that too, honestly can’t tell if it does anything lol
(The what? Googling now!!)
KY jelly is one of the best non-interactive disappearing lubricants with rubber.
The moral of the story is do this when you take your differential out to put the limited slip in.
The other note to make is get the later manual differential case as it is larger for more lubricant capacity.
Planning on going with the larger pumpkin, I'm wondering if I should stick with the 3.46 gears.
You could also toss the bushing in the freezer to shrink it instead of greasing it.
Dish washing liquid is best DIY lube for Bush insertion. It's rubber safe and when dry it's not lubricant anymore
After doing bushings, I noticed that driverside front was badly damaged. But the passengerside front was barely damaged and was in good shape. The larger rear was also badly damaged. My point is if you want to go with M3 route in the front, just buy one for the driverside.
Just as an FIY update. To anyone that may be interested in attempting this DIY - BE CAREFUL! My Baum Tools Diff Bushing R&I Kit arrived over the weekend and I made another attempt at installing the rear diff bushing. I honestly believed that having the right tool would make this job significantly easier. I'll just say it looks WAY easier than it really is. Aligning the bushing precisely up with the big doughnut hole in the subframe is critical. If not perfectly aligned, the pressure exerted by the tool on the two halves of the subframe is enough to literally buckle/fracture the steel along the seam. Ask me how I know. Spoiler, I just had to buy a new rear subframe today. I have no doubt that with a bit more practice this job could be done successfully - just don't use your own car to practice on. Also I would discourage anyone from attempting this without a proper lift. Working from below, on your back makes it nearly impossible to accurately judge the position of the bushing/tool. IMO, just don't do this unless you're able to drop the subframe entirely and take it to a shop with a proper hydraulic press.
That is one clean 328i.
I have an 08 it was beautiful until I got rear-ended three times on separate occasions.
I don't have any dents or anything its just paint damage, but the damage just takes away from the character of the car.
35i
Great video, my diff bushings are starting to go on our '09 328i, overall, with the right tools, this looks fairly straightforward. How hard would you rate this for a DIY project? I have 30 years of home wrenching but luckily have never had to do this before....was it hard to drop the diff? That looks like the most time spent.....Thanks in advance.
GREAT VIDEO!!! Thank you! How long did it take you from start to finish?
You can use soggy bath soap too (if you dont want to use grease) 👍 edit- oops a few comments aleady mention this
In my E92 i put power flex bushings in front and its perfect.
Nice, I've heard good things about them.
Pretty sure I need to do this
Just did whiteline on mine. Night and day difference in throttle response and tq to the ground. Didn't notice an increase in NVH
From the feedback in the comments poly bushings wouldn't have been harsh at all. Thanks for the info.
Great vid. Can diff bushings cause heavy vibration at medium high speed? Diff oil too?
Hello mate, can I use this same kit to remove rose mount bush on E90 2008? Thanks for the vids. Cheers
What body style would this tool cover ? Would it be able to work with an 2015 BMW F80 M3???
You can just swap in m3 rear subframe along with rear bushings. Rear toe arms will have to be aftermarket adjustable
Thanks for another great piece of content, my 335i e91 has a clunk sometimes (can be avoided by rev-matching carefully) when engaging/disengaging the clutch (manual). You think this could also be the diff bushings? its on ca. 80.000 miles
If it sounds like it's coming from the rear of the vehicle I'd say it's a possibility.
Can anyone help me i have a 2009 335i and I replaced my jbe which fixed my electrical issues but now the brske light is on red, saying the e brake is on when its actually not, is there a way I can disconnect the e brske sensor ?
can i use this tool for pressing a solid bushing or its only made for the oem and the poly ones.. thank you
Do you have any tips on getting the rear bush insertion started? I can't get it to start square, it always scock as soon as I start applying pressure. Thanks!
The m3 front mounts didn't fit on my 135i. Old stock ones went back in..
Hey brother i really need your help, my e90 started making some noise when pressing the pedal a lil or when shift from first and second... a mechanic told me it was the drive shaft bushing another told me it was the the transfer case going bad... but the noise feels like the car os lose from the back.. all the bushings are good and i cant find someone to fix the problem
great video man...at what mileage did u change the bushings.
Excellent video as always is this upgrade worth considering for all e90/91/92! Models regardless the variant?
I would say so yeah
what is your opinion on polyurethane bushings? any experience with those?
Look into powerflex polyurethane bushings
what problems or symptoms would you say this repair can address?
Very informative video thank you, question were you getting a clunk when placing your transmission in drive or reverse? Course am getting a clunk as well and it sounds like is coming from the differential.
I was getting a clunk coming off and on throttle not really when going from drive to reverse.
Soapy water is recommended when changing rubber bushings.
"Soapy Wooder"
glass cleaner, works wonders at work
I learned a long time ago petroleum base products eat up rubber bushings use soap or silicone grease. I would have used urethane
Yeah I should have clarified that I used a synthetic grease that is compatible with rubber.
Did you do the subframe inserts or bushings at all? thats another big one on E90s, and between the diff and subframe bushings, can lead to a lot of vagueness from the rear end.
I want to, future video likely.
Love the vids 👍❤👍
what spoiler do you have?
Thanks I got it on Amazon, I believe I linked it on my LCI taillight video.
How are you satisfied with lsd conversion at the end?
I would use spray silicone on the bushings. Shouldn’t degrade the rubber.
I need one on the Pinon seal
I'm surprised you're not using soapy water changing out those bushings removing and installing as well as a Pneumatic or electric impact which would make it much faster
Not enough room to get my impact in there.
@@VehicularDIY what?? Surprised you don’t have a 36” x1/2” impact extension with a wobble socket! (Kidding). I guess that could work though.
How did you know it was time to replace it? I am getting a clunking noise when shifting lower gears (1-2, 2-3) especially when the car is cold and I am wondering if it has anything to do with the diff bushings.
Yeah I was getting a clunk sound on shifts and when getting on and of the throttle.
How do you replace a head gasket?
Recently i hear a growling noise coming from the back once i close the windows it increase is that has anything to do with the diff bushing and what is the symptoms of bad diff bushings
Mostly a clunk on shifts, if you're getting a growling noise it's more likely to be a wheel bearing. If it was your differential it would be more of a whine.
Hope you have now more grip and stability with over 500 hp mainly at corners
Are rear suspensions factory stock?
BimmerN53
Yeah the shocks were replaced with new OEM equipment just before I got the car. A suspension upgrade is something I need to look into.
When you say the rear bushing was causing the clunk, when was the clunk happening?
I get sort of a clunk when I push in the clutch pedal when there is some load and I wonder if this is the clunk you mean
You'd hear it when you let off the gas.
Did it vibrate when they were bad
I'm getting a clunk when giving it gas then letting off. You can feel it like there is play in the drivetrain. Replaced clutch, dmfw, trans mounts, guibo, rear lower ball joint. The ball joint and trans mounts made a big difference, and it doesn't audibly clunk anymore but you can still feel a decent amount of play. When I had the trans out I could feel the play in the output shaft. Do you think trans is bad or possibly diff mounts? 110k miles on it
You could check the diff mounts by jacking up the car and engaging the clutch and watch how much movement you get out of the diff.
@@VehicularDIY will do. Thanks
what kind of noice? can you describe when it happens? my 325i has a "clonc" like sound whenever i switch from P to D or R or when i accelerate sundently, the cloc its not continuously, just once
Yeah if you're cruising in gear and abruptly accelerate you'd get a single clutch sound from the rear of the car.
@@VehicularDIY thx!, im going to check these buahings too
Nothing rusted underneath! How do you keep it rust free? I am sick and tired to fight the corrosion on the bottom of my both BMWs here in Canada.
I'm in Texas but am originally from Canada as well. Yeah seems like after 12 years cars up there become problematic strictly due to rust alone.
Very seldom snows in Houston. Never salt on the roads unless you go 50 miles to the coast.
I recommend the poly bushes instead. Noise and vibration is minimal.
Do you have any diff whine?
@@VehicularDIY No whine. E82 135i
Any idea on why my o2 sensor monitoring wont complete . i did the drive cycles and i have drove for about 800 miles and nothing i used to get mixture codes befor i replaced my valvecover and fixxed all my vacuum leaks car ia upto date on all maintanece . index 12 and new o2 sensors al that i saw my map sensor on the intake manifold was really dirty and gunked up so i tried cleaning it
You put the car back to a stock map?
@@VehicularDIY yes and still wouldnt set so i am tying the stage 1 map for non modified car even tho the car is fbo to see if it wil do anything i even reset all adaptations
Yeah monitors would only go ready on a stock map. Map 0 on MHD.
what's usually the life span on these bushings i honestly wouldn't know exactly if these are the problem
It would depend a lot on your climate and how you drive but I'd say 100K miles as a manual and 150K+ miles as an auto.
How many miles do you have on the LSD now? Kicking around slapping one in my e39 540i
7k miles or so.
What's the best LSD to get for 08 E90 335i on a budget ?
Probably Wavetrac, the solution I have installed is decent for the money also, made by racing diffs.
Wish I could just drop the differential on my E38 , but no I have to drop the exhaust before anything.... Smh
glad i like hondas never need to make a video fixing or changing anything.
Hate to burst your bubble Honda's break down just like any other car! I know it because I've had to work on my friend's Honda too many times
Yeah, you said it....most Honda owners never do needed maintenance 🤣
No car lasts longer because maintenance is deferred. Quite the opposite.
Interestingly (considering the comments so far), the BMW service manual says to lubricate the subframe *and* the bushing. They specify a particular lube, which I'm sure is why - never heard of it, though. Circo Light, it's apparently called. This is the only info I could find about it: www.sunoilespana.com/media/productos/102/C.L.R.P.O%20-%20CIRCO%20LIGHT%20RUBBER%20PROCESS%20OIL%20(English).pdf
Thanks, good to know. Sadly newtis is down so couldn't easily pull up the info.
@@VehicularDIY Yeah, broke my heart when I found that out. Having friends with indie shops turns out to be handy!
How do you like those ecs m3 bushings?
I'm happy with them, the car loads up nicely under load.
Diff Brace next??
Yeah I'll look into it. I'd like to upgrade to the larger manual diff first.
I was under the impression you don’t use petroleum products on rubber. You should use silicone grease.
I used synthetic grease and a light coat in the subframe only.
I’m surprised you didn’t do the subframe bushings (M3)
Have you done them on your car? If so how they feel?
Great. Much more predictable linear response under higher deflection loads. I actually have wondered if I should have gone stiffer as M3 bushings do not affect comfort at all.
Nice, thanks for the feedback.
I have M3 control arms in front & back. I also have M3 differential bushings & M3 subframe bushings. When I did mine, in the rear I had to pull the entire subframe out. Being that I live in Michigan, the salt we use on the roads in the winter is extremely corrosive. So, you need room to work. As far as feel goes, definitely stiffer than OEM, but not too stiff that you regret it. The rear end is definitely more planted. I love the steering feel for the M3 control arms In the front . A really good “while you are in there”, when you pull the subframe in the rear is to do SS brake lines.
Not sure if m3 bushings are worthy upgrade. M3 kills them in 40k miles (to the point diff starts touching subfeame). 335i has alot of torque and power (especially stage 1 and 2). PU bushings are needed in there locations
I am trying to eliminate my elsd. What did u do to your differential
Have you seen my coding video on that and my lsd retrofit video?
@@VehicularDIY no I am looking for it now. I have a idiot light that I need to code out referring to my elsd
I am under the suspicion that using petroleum products such as Grease or other petroleum products should never be used on rubber or neoprene objects. It can deteriorate the rubber or neoprene very rapidly. The correct lube to use is a silicone based lubricant, which comes with or without Teflon.
with Rubber products or neoprene products can cause premature failure of those products
To avoid swelling yes, I used a synthetic grease that is compatible with rubber.
U didn't remove the muffler
Are you still using the auto driveshaft?
I am yeah, I will transition to the manual driveshaft once I get a manual diff and convert it to LSD. I'm debating if I want to stick with the 3.46 gears.
@@VehicularDIY Nice, about to do my manual swap and plan on using my auto diff and driveshaft until I can put together the Ford 8.8 setup. Thanks for the reply, you have the best N54/E90 content period.