Rear control arm hitting subframe.......Stumped

[Gossypiboma]

Long story but I removed my subframe to have a shop press in solid subframe bushings, they ended up destroying the subframe and agreed to buy a used replacement and new solid bushings and we walk away. I bought a cheap Harbor freight press and installed the bushings myself.

Because of this I had to swap everything from my old subframe to the used one they provided. Since everything was being torn down I also installed spherical trailing arm bushings.

The subframe is now back in the car and I noticed both lower control arms are angled with respect to their subframe mounting locations and I cannot figure out why.

I've loosened all the suspension connection points and I cannot get the lower control arm to meet up with the bushing without this angle.

I did install Revshift trailing arms, but they are identical in their mounting locations, so that should have no affect.

Bent subframe?
Don't think worn bushings would do this.
Could the spherical trailing arm bushings be causing a problem?

Any ideas?

[Redd]

I assume the subframe is for an M3 and not 335i? Did you install the arm reversed or upside down?

Any wider angle pic?

[Gossypiboma]

Originally Posted by Redd

I assume the subframe is for an M3 and not 335i? Did you install the arm reversed or upside down?

Any wider angle pic?

I assume the replacement subframe is from an M3, but I'm not 100% sure. I know non M-cars have different bushings but the the shop removed the OEM bushings before they called me to pick up the replacement.

Are there structural differences between the various E9x models?

The control arms are certainly on the correct side.

Here's a couple wider angle pics.

[M43S7RO]

Have you aligned it? Are you at proper rear toe? Looking at second set of pics, have you tightened down the camber arms? If not, doing so should center them on the bushing, assuming they are on correctly as you mentioned the shop took out oem bushings...

Only other thing is the camber arm mount bushings may be shot. I've got spherical trailing arm bushings but also put in powerflex black bushings at the camber arm mounts and did not have this issue.

Non m subframe has holes in the rear section that the M subframe does not:

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-1...uine-bmw-part/

[Gossypiboma]

Originally Posted by M43S7RO

Have you aligned it? Are you at proper rear toe? Looking at second set of pics, have you tightened down the camber arms? If not, doing so should center them on the bushing, assuming they are on correctly as you mentioned the shop took out oem bushings...

Only other thing is the camber arm mount bushings may be shot. I've got spherical trailing arm bushings but also put in powerflex black bushings at the camber arm mounts and did not have this issue.

Non m subframe has holes in the rear section that the M subframe does not:

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-1...uine-bmw-part/

Adjusting the camber and toe have no affect. I've cycled both adjustments and neither change the relationship of the camber arm to the mounting point.

The pic I posted is without the arm tightened down, but even when everything is torqued there is no change.

[Malek@MRF]

Looks like the inner lower control arm bushing is pressed in too far causing the binding against the control arm.

[Gossypiboma]

Originally Posted by Malek@MRF

Looks like the inner lower control arm bushing is pressed in too far causing the binding against the control arm.

Yeah, somehow I overlooked that but you are correct. Not sure why its moved inside the subframe housing though.

[leftfootbr8king]

The shop I had press in sphericals messed up the bushing depth on both ends of the camber arm as well.

I dropped the arms, grabbed a bav tool and pushed them back to center. All good now, took less than than half hour per side.