check the bushings. (archive)

Re-check those bushings. If you have the time, jack up the rear, place the car on good solid stands, disconnect the strut/scocks, and rock the rear trailing arms laterally while looking for play. There should be none. Make absolutely sure the car is on solid jack stands first before "rocking" the rears.

As far as I know, the bushings are the same for an E21 320 vs. and E21 323

Could also be rear bearings, but I would suspect catastrophic failure within 3000 miles and a lot of grinding noise.

If you are absolutely convinced that the bushings and bearing are not sloppy, I would suspect the unibody is bent.

Noise over bumps could be a lot of things, but bushings is the first that comes to mind.

The rear alignment on my '81 323i(e21) is out of whack, wearing out a set of tires in 3,000 miles. I took it to be measured and the toe on the rear driver is .37", while the toe on the rear passenger is .08". I was told to take it to a frame shop, as the toe is non-adjustable. I've looked at the bushings where the swing-arm mounts to the crossmember, and they look good on both sides. Is this bushing the same as the one on a 320i? Do the cars share the same rear suspension set-up? The only thing I've noticed which is out of the ordinary about the car is a tendency to settle unevenly when parked, the driver's side being about an inch lower than the passenger side. Also a creaking sound can be heard from the rear when going over bumps. Any ideas?
thanks in advance.
stephen

Follow Ups:

[ Follow Ups ] [ 3-series (E21) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.