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Just hoping to hear from more actual people who did the job already... What brand bushings did you use? Any problems? How many miles on them?
I am looking at the Meyle HD kit since the rear diff bushing they make is pretty highly regarded. I don't plan on tracking this car, street use only. Also planning to replace the rear diff bushings at the same time (Meyle HD rear and Lemforder fronts).
You might want to consider solid bushings as rubber bushings that deflect are what contribute to the RACP cracking issues in the first place. There is no extra NVH from using them. @ZHPizza has experience with solid bushings.
Yeah, if I could go back and do it again I'd probably do a solid bushing - all the latest M cars have hard mounted rear subframes, you still have that isolation in the RTABs and the rest of the suspension & diff bushings.
FWIW I have Powerflex and have no complaints after ~30,000 KM. It's also super-easy to install as well since it's poly, you just hit it with some lube and a mallet. With a solid bushing you'd have to press them in
Ehh my experience with solid bushings has a question mark so far. I get a loud, loose sounding clunk from the rear when I go over bumps with the diff unloaded (in neutral) and some clunking when shifting at low speeds. Problem is I did so much work at the same time that I don't know if it's:
1. Life with solid subframe bushings (doubtful)
2. The subframe bushings not being a perfectly tight fit in the subframe (also doubtful)
3. The OEM front diff bushings being over-pressed into the housing and causing some serious preload that transfers diff clunk (possible)
4. The sketchy Russian helical lsd that I installed at the same time (possible)
5. The diff being reassembled with the preload/mesh off enough that it's loose (possible)
6. A loose fastener somewhere (possible)
I have not dug into this yet
I did Lemforder oe bushings and I am very happy.
Note that the original part numbers for the e46 aren't all available:
I was able to get all of the bushing Lemforder brand if I ordered the following:
33316770781 (still available)
33316770815 (LEM-2712001 same as 33316770783)
33316770816 (LEM-2712101 same as 33316770784)
I did lemforder on the wagon. No complaints...no praises either. They just work.
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I also used Lemforders on the M3. I'll echo Deathtrap, they just work.
Many on m3f (and now NAM3forum) have used the solid bushings from CMP Auto Engineering (link).
I like how they raise the subframe slightly to compensate for reinforcement plates to retain stock suspension geometry.