The rear camber problem

[themoog]

Ive just finished the job. All new links/ bushes at the rear. I'll take it for alignment tomorrow. It took me about 8 hrs start to finish on the driveway.
If anyone is considering this task a few things to bear in mind- have good tools, have the correct lower bush removal/ installation tool, spray wd40 on all the bolts a few times several weeks before.
One bolt is screwed directly into the aluminium bearing carrier. One of mine picked up on the thread when trying to undo it so I had to tap it out and clean up the thread on the bolt. Luckily that sorted it- a bit of a sweaty moment.  The tightest bolts on mine were the shock absorber bolts- had a hell of a time getting those undone, even my impact gun wouldn't budge them.
After removing all the old stuff the condition was more apparent- totally worn and loose/perished. I've just got to do our other X5 now...

[henrym3]

Just the other X5 to do, some people are just soo lucky. I have nothing like that to look forward to do. Interesting the bolt you mentioned that picked up the thread, mine did exactly the same. Well done though on getting it all sorted. Presumably just an alignment to finish it off

[themoog]

I'm not looking forward to doing the other one... Probably wait for a few months until the weather improves. Mind you- I should do it quicker having been there before.

[themoog]

Right. I've had it on a Hunter machine today. Before readings were all red. All the front are green now but the camber couldn't be adjusted at the rear as the bolts were stuck solid. I told them to leave it and Ive ordered some new bolts. I'll try and hammer them loose at some point and if they break it won't matter and I won't be stuck.
The garage manager said that if I get them undone or put new bolts in they will re do it for free so that's not bad.
At least the toe at the rear is ok now and it goes down the road in a straight line.
I recon I could get the camber at the rear right myself with an angle phone app but adjusting the lower bolts alters the toe slightly also so hmmm...
Right, where is my 4lb lump hammer..

[themoog]

I thought I would keep anyone who is reading this updated.
I've managed to undo the eccentric bolt and adjust the camber on the rear offside. The nearside is proving to be a tad stubborn.. It rotates very slightly so that means the bolt isn't frozen in the bush, however, the nut will not spin on the bolt. Yet.
I have some new bolts on the way so I may have to split the nut. I have noticed tho that the cam washer is on top of one of the edges that it should be pushing against. Someone may have tightened it up that way. I may have to weld a new strip on metal on the subframe to allow for correct adjustment.
If I get chance tomorrow I may deflate the airbag to unload it and it may move, who knows.
Watch this space..

[Dimsum]

I've thought about this recently.  Mine has never had negative camber. The wheels have always looked straight and true from behind. I was sat behind another E53 of similar year to mine the other day and the rear wheels were massively "out" compared to mine. I've often wondered if there was something wrong with mine??!!

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[Horizon]

[quote="Dimsum"]
I've thought about this recently.  Mine has never had negative camber. The wheels have always looked straight and true from behind. I was sat behind another E53 of similar year to mine the other day and the rear wheels were massively "out" compared to mine. I've often wondered if there was something wrong with mine??!!

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[/quote]
Yours probably hasn't got massively worn bottom ball joints

[Dimsum]

Ah! I was digging through some of the paperwork for it earlier and found that about 30k miles ago (4/5 years) the previous owner spent over £1200 on "Rear suspension arms and bushes", so perhaps that sorted it out!

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