Another e46 m3 subframe crack repair under way, and another booked. This is the results from the infamoustorn subframe issue with e36s, had to. As you will see, one of the mounting points is torn and needs to be repaired before adding home made reinforcement plates. On this bmw e46 we are repairing en reinforcing the subframe. I am by no means an expert, i just enjoy working on my own cars. Check ou road race technologies, dulles, va, web site. Aa e46 rear subframe reinforcement repair kit instructions.
I have heard about a lot of pre95 models tearing the subframe mounts. I know its been a frequent question on this board, finally got a chance to get them side by side before putting the e30 subframe in my 76. Einzel bmw e46 e36 rear subframe crack reinforcement rear axle. Z3 front subframe reinforcement kit just like the e30 before it, the e36z3 front subframe is known for its weaknesses where the motor mounts attach the motor to the chassis.
Bmw settles 3 series subframe suit, will inspect, repair. Had my newly purchased m3 examined at a bmw specialist today and after a thorough inspection i was relieved that there are no cracks in the subframe having read a little around the issue ive gleaned that it would be wise to have the subframe reinforced as a preventative measure. If you can, jack up the rear end and take a look at the points where the subframe mounts to the chassis, the swaybar mounts, and the differential mount. I had something similar on my old e36 325i they used to love doing. Polyurethane and rubber bushings will deflect and slide, potentially causing your chassis to crack on the subframe mounting points. The cracking you see is the rubber sealant that bmw use. All of our bmw chassis reinforcement products are engineered to extend both the performance and longevity of your bmws chassis, both street or track. You can use these plates to repair a cracked chassis or to prevent cracks from forming and avoid costly repairs. Chassis rear subframe reinforcement in the bmw e36 brent ford. Chassis rear subframe reinforcement in the bmw e36 brent. If i were you i would get it reinforced if you plan on owning it for an extended period of time. A little bit of background on the e36, which covers the 9299 3 series models with some exceptions. Please dont post any replies to this thread, but instead post replies here.
The kit is universal to the entire e46 bmw 3 series model range regardless of body type, transmission or engine sizetype. You can access archives of the bmw repair methods online and compare to the alternate approach using kits like turners. With my recent garage cleanup i can actually get to the areas ive long been neglecting. According to bimmer magazine, bmw e30 and prior engineers used complex math equations and heavy field testing to figure out required strength and durability, then they would double or triple the outcome, resulting in a fairly bulletproof car. E36 reinforced rear subframe exchange program although not as bad. Bmw e36 m3 rear chassis suspension noise or clunk 318iisic, 325iisic, 323isic, 328iisic. Rear suspension bracing on an e36 starts with your cage builder. Unlike the e36 m3, the e46 models did not receive sheetmetal reinforcements from the factory and subframe and floor failures continued to be a problem well into the e46 production. The complete stripdown of my e36 m3 chassis is nearing completion. Jan 14, 20 the rear subframe can often fail due to the increased torque of a modified engine or higher suspension loads and track abuse. Installing rear subframe and floor reinforcements in bmw e46 models 323i. Moreover, such maintenance can be done on the car bmw e46 of any age and with any mileage.
In the video i begin the dreaded subframe reinforcement on my e46 m3. In this video i begin to address one of the most crucial weak points of the e46 chassis, the rear subframe mounting points. Regardless of what bmw offers my mission here is to get the turner kit blessed as a no points mod since that is the most cost effective solution for minor crack repair and preventative maintenance. While bmw made a recall kit for the e36 chassis they didnt do so for the e46 so we are left to our own devices to reinforce it. Fortunately, bmws factory reinforcement kit is designed to prevent this from occurring by properly. One of the common e46 issues are cracked subframe mounts on the chasis. Unfortunately for e36 owners the internet and bmw related car forums played a very big role in making the e46 lawsuit gain enough steam to warrant a class action suit. E46 bmw rear subframe reinforcement lang racing development. A very similar issue preexisted on the e36 models and bmw fixed it by welding reinforcement plates on the floor. This problem was also common in the earlier e36 models, but they reoccurred in.
Why you should reinforce your bmw subframe youtube. Ive just bought a 2005 m3 coupe and would like to have the subframe checked out will bmw do it foc as part of warranty. E46 m3 rear subframe cracks page 1 m power pistonheads. So after reading the updated jezebel thread which mentioned subframe cracks, i decided to go and have a look at mine 2002 e46 330i. Its often quick and dirty matter of welding in a roll cage, fabricating mounts for the racing seat, bolting on the safety goodies and suspension bits and turning it loose on the track. The metal from the chassis legs and the rear axle carrier panel are just separating. Jul 07, 20 similar to the e36 bmw the e46 series chassis was cursed with thin sheet metal in some vital areas.
It started with the e36 where we completely rebuilt the osf rear subframe threaded mount after it was quite literally torn out of the floor pan on a 1992 325i. Namely the e36, e46, and of course, the e367 and e368 chassis. The chassis is known to crack due to excessive flex and lack of strength. E36 common problems bmw 3 series forum bimmer owners. From the ground up building a bmw e36 m3 for performance. Over the years, this area sees high stress loads and could eventually fail and to paraphrase southpark, youre going to have a bad. Bracing for reality upgrading an e36 for the rigors of. Bmw, bmw auto repair, bmw dealer, bmw inspection, bmw m3 subframe, bmw maintenance, bmw of. Subframe failure is a known problem and all z3 owners and potential owners should be aware of it, be able to diagnose it, and be familiar with the solutions. Psdesigns bmw e46 chassis repair reinforcement plate kit. Subframe repair cost and time page 3 the m3cutters.
Rear subframe reinforcement plates bmw e36 genuine factory bmw rear subframe reinforcement plates bmw e36. This is the floor or body of a e46 that the rear subframe and suspension is bolted to. If this is a common problem i thought that i had broken it because of excessively hard track use, then maybe we all have a class complaint to make to bmw na. The 2002 body style was my first car love as a kid. Specialists of bmw brake parts, bmw suspension upgrades. Continuing to drive with a cracked floor only worsens the problem and cracks. I doubt very much if eta care about subframe competition with redish at all tbh. Imola e46 m3 6mt, imola zhp 6mt, e36 323issold 4 years ago.
This sub reddit is dedicated to everything related to bmw vehicles, tuning, racing, and more. Namely the e36, e46, and of course, the e36 7 and e36 8 chassis. E46 rear chassis subframe reinforcement kit bmw tried to fix this 19992005 e46 bmw 323i 323ci 325i 325ci 325xi 328i 328ci 330i 330ci 330xi m3. One of the last remaining large jobs was removal of the rear subframe. Unlike the e36 m3, the e46 models did not receive sheetmetal reinforcements from. Bmw settles e46 3series subframe lawsuit, promises to. Thing is, if i mount the e30 front subframe, swapping to a e36 or even z3 rack is easy. While bmw made a recall kit for the e36 chassis they didnt do so for the. On the rear subframe of the e36 bmw created a fix for the chassis and made weld on plates that could be welded on retroactively to the early m3 and the rest of the e36 models if necessary. Subframe repairs is just another string to their bow, its a time consuming dirty job to carry out. E36 z3 front subframe reinforcement kit garagistic. E30 subframe, the e36 rear subframe does have some of the same weaknesses. The previous owner obviously drove the car really hard.
Use leftright arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe leftright if using a mobile device. It will outlast other types of rubber or urethane bushings. E46 rear subframe failure gallery turner motorsport. This roll cage ties into the differential subframe mounting locations with an x brace. I did this first because i knew if they wouldnt fix it, it would at least be in the system and acknowledged by bmwna that the. For years, owners of the bmw 3 series e46 models have been reporting ruptures in subframe structure of their cars.
Since i plan on keeping my m3 for several years at least and driving it like its meant to be, its a worthwhile investment. Our engineers has developed a kit to offer a cost effective long term solution to the welldocumented problem of floor cracking which the bmw e46 series suffers. E36 reinforcements, similiar to the e46 subframe issue. Huge thanks to turner motorsports for sponsoring this process. It does pain me to drift farther and farther from the stock 2002, but the e30 is very similar in suspension geometry. This increased the rigidity but did not address the weak spot welds holding the subframe mounts to the body. They are actually used in the factorydealer repair of cracked e36 chassis mounting locations so bmw knows that this is an issue with the car. Ive also found the exhaust side mount to crack first, im guessing. Revshift is a performance engineering and manufacturing company located in warren, mi right next to detroit. Our company produces and sells a special kit to reinforce a bmw e46 rear subframe. Today we reinforce the rear subframe mounting points on my e36 drift car. How to replace rear trailing arm bushings on a bmw e36 without a. Ive just bought a 2005 m3 coupe and would like to have the subframe checked out will bmw do it.
If you have a bmw e46 or are in the market for a used one, you might have heard of the rear subframe issue. Aug 15, 2017 fixing the bmw e46 cracked subframe issue if you have a bmw e46 or are in the market for a used one, you might have heard of the rear subframe issue. Bmw chassis reinforcements are often recommended for bmws driven in highperformance environments and are required for longterm durability on bmws driven on track regularly. Bmw e46 323i,325i,328i,330i,m3 1999 2006 e46 rear subframe reinforcement repair kit tools needed. Nasioc welcome to the north american subaru impreza owners club. Bmw subframes bmw delrin bushings bmw polyurethane bushings. Also just wanted to know if my 1997 r reg 328i has had the problem rectified when it was manufactured, or would i have to reinforce them myself. However, there is always a way to make a good thing better, and even your 3series can be improved. The bmw e36 and e46 chassis includes m3, 320i, 325i, 328i, 330i are prone to cracking at the rear subframe, and strut tower mounts when put to the stress of performance suspension, aggressive driving, normal commuting, and track events. There are other kits out there, but turners is probably the most often used. Motor trend explains, the suit originated in 2006 and claimed that defects in e46 3 series models cause fractures in the. If youre thinking of buying a e46 m3, you should be aware of the all too common subframe cracking issue that affected all e46s. We had a 2002 m3 with 80k miles and tracked once and it had a.
Bmw settles e46 3series subframe lawsuit, promises to repair affected models. The frame of your bmw 3series is stiff enough to provide that exceptional driving experience the model is known for. Removing the diff and subframe and pushing the floor back up. Strengthening the rear beam bmw e46 this is the best way to eliminate the problem of cracks and increasing of the rear axle.
Its a big undertaking but ill learn a lot by doing it myself. Its not often when a shop gets a chance to build a fresh racecar from the ground up. The subframe plates from the e36 m3 are also identical in reason as the e46 subframe plates. Chassis rear subframe reinforcement in the bmw e36 on january 18, 2017 april 9, 2020 by brentfordracing racing a normal roadgoing car with stiffer suspension puts more stress onto the chassis than it was originally designed and this can cause cracks to develop near suspension mounting points. Jan 24, 2018 in this video i begin to address one of the most crucial weak points of the e46 chassis, the rear subframe mounting points. This is easily fixed by clearing away the boot rubber. Under rare conditions the attachment points of the subframe may develop a fracture or crack. While bmw produced arguably their best vehicles in the 90s and early 00s, many of the models suffered from rear subframe and trunk floor issues. Our parts are designed and manufactured all under one roof.
News e46 m3 rear subframe strip down and repair tms. Subframe trunk floor differential mount failure subframe failure is a known problem and all z3 owners and potential owners should be aware of it, be able to diagnose it, and be familiar with the solutions. The best bmw e46 rear subframe reinforcement part 1. Redish motorsport e46 v2 rear subframe racp reinforcement. The rear axle carrier panel the part that holds the subframe and diff started dropping. Tdr3680002 rear subframe bushingsmount set turner solid race e36, e36 m3 rear subframe bushingsmount set turner solid race e36, e36 m3 tms e36 solid subframe bushings are designed for track and racecars to remove twisting and flexing of the subframe where it mounts to the rear floor. Bmw e36 m3 rear chassis suspension noise or clunk 318i. Did you know that sprint motorsports offers subframe welding and shock tower crack repair for your bmw. E46 m3 subframe reinforcement pt 1 dropping the subframe. Fixing the bmw e46 cracked subframe issue if you have a bmw e46 or are in the market for a used one, you might have heard of the rear subframe issue. They are very similar in layout semitrailing, etc but the subframe points and spring perches are about 2 inches wider on the e30 subframe the e30 also has a. Similar to the e36 bmw the e46 series chassis was cursed with thin sheet metal in some vital areas.
Redish motorsport are bmw specialist in bristol who offer the ultimate bmw experience when it comes to specialist procedures for your bmw mpower vehicle, at. Bmw has prepared an inspection, approved repair procedure, and reimbursement policy. They probably have more than enough to keep them going with service work alone. Reinforcement plates, rear subframe e36 condor speed shop. Rear subframe and floor failures are quite common on the e36 and e46 models. Just wondered if any bmw experets or mechanics have any photos or information on where the e36 tearing points are likely to be. Bmw cracked subframe and shock tower welding and repair. We offer motor mounts, transmission mounts, suspension bushings. The e46 might be the most popular m3 chassis to mod by enthusiasts, but like all cars, they have their common problems. This thread concerns an issue with the z3 known as subframe failure. It is well known that the z3 chassis, especially the m coupe and roadsters, suffer from rear trunk floor issues.
Jan 15, 2011 guide to replacing rear subframe bushes on bmw e34 this guide documents how i replaced a rear subframe bush on an bmw e34 525 tds touring. It was my understanding that all e46 and e36 cars had the weak subframe attachment point design flaw. Bmw e46 m3 floor subframe crack repair reinforcement service the uk s most experienced e46 m3 floor subframe crack repair specialists with arguably the. The e46 rear subframe reinforcement kit has been designed to provide the best repair and reinforcement option available on the market, regardless of crack damage, age, mileage, service. The e36 rear subframe mounting points can crack due to torque traveling through the driveline into the rear of the chassis. We do the cad work, weld the hardware, machine the metal pieces, and processmold the polyurethane ourselves.
Now that i have an e46 m3, ill be getting the subframe reinforced for the peace of mind. Put the car up on a rack, and look at the engine mounts. Anyway, the e46 subframe issue came as a surprise to me. E46 rear chassissubframe reinforcement kit bmw tried to fix this 19992005 e46 bmw 323i 323ci 325i 325ci 325xi 328i 328ci 330i 330ci 330xi m3. Fixing the bmw e46 cracked subframe issue speed academy. E36 bmw rear subframe reinforcement lang racing development. Redish motorsport have been repairing and reinforcing bmw floors for years now. The rear subframe, particularly on the early produced nonm 3 series, often rips from the mounting points over time. And to my surprise probably believed like most owners that this would not happen to me i found a crack on the left side. Without the additional bracing, the floor can flex and crack. Rear subframe bushingsmount set turner solid race e36.
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