W123 rear subframe bushing orientation.
 

Which way are they supposed to be orientated upon replacement? Also, I can figure out why they don't have rubber on the top of the subframe. What keeps the subframe from slipping off the bushing and hitting the unibody? Sure seems like a strange design to me. Are the small rubber tipped brackets just a safety measure if the bushing fails or do they actually serve a purpose?

It isn't quite a DIY but I've done a fair amount here:-

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=276507

Good place to start?

So....how are they supposed to be orientated? I'm putting them in this weekend.

On older models there was rubber in between. That was deleted and the rubber stop was installed. That's what you describe as a "rubber tipped bracket." There's an adjustment spec of 2-3 mm between the rubber and the sub-frame.

This install can be a real hassle to get the bearing in there correctly. You may want to read up on the full bag of tricks: special compression contraptions (a la Army's write up, among others - I made one out of angle iron and bolts), Sylglide (it looks like NAPA sells small tubes) and maybe freezing the new bearings overnight to shrink and harden them so they don't simply compress on installation.

The orientation should be as shown in pics for the 123.

I already have the blocks all machined up to press them in with. The bushings are in the freezer until tomorrow afternoon.

Huh? Where are you talking about? I can't find anything here or in my manual. And if I recall that gap setting is 20 mm in my manual. I'll obviously look again tomorrow.

Is this picture any good?

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...3&d=1280680603

It's on page 1 of the monster thread I posted above

Yes, thanks. The bushing is basically at a 45 degree angle to the fore and aft of the vehicle then. That's how mine came out too but I just wanted to make sure someone didn't replace them previously and install them wrong.

Good luck - you'll see the same orientation in the FSM too (I've just checked)

Well duh.... I didn't realize the locations in the sub-frame for the bushings had flats on the side like the bushing does. I thought they were completely round. I put them in the freezer overnight, sprayed them with silicone spray and pressed them in with the aluminum block I made. Piece of cake.