Another update.
Rear subframe is out of the car.
The parking brake cable design is dumb. The cables are frozen in it.
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Another update.
Rear subframe is out of the car.
The parking brake cable design is dumb. The cables are frozen in it.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
His - 2004 Imola Red / Alcantara 330i | 6MT | ZHP |
Her's - 2005 Black Sapphire Metallic / Black Leather 330i | 6MT | ZHP |
Replacement subframe is in much better condition. Was from a 2006 330ci from Florida.
Shawn sent over a tool so I removed all the bushings already. Thinking of doing poly subframe mounts and rubber diff bushings. Thoughts on that combination?
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His - 2004 Imola Red / Alcantara 330i | 6MT | ZHP |
Her's - 2005 Black Sapphire Metallic / Black Leather 330i | 6MT | ZHP |
Those guys are damn near impossible to remove from the subframe. Luckily you won't have to deal with that. Also, I thought my subframe was crusty... well it still is, but not as bad as your old one. At some point I'll have to source a clean subframe carrier and replace mine:
Yeah, a good poly subframe bushing will have a larger contact area with the RACP so there isn't a stress concentration like with the originals that have the metal centres that stick out, and they have basically no added NVH.
OE diff bushings are solid, I have ECS Tuning poly (would not recommend because of fitment issues) which I chose for ease of install, but they are 88A so on the softer side. With all of the interior together there is no discernible difference with NVH, but with the rear seats and all of the trunk interior removed there was the slightest hint of gear whine.
Dunno re bushing but that subframe does look so much better.
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Randeaux/Rando/John/jr - '06 Cic ZHP; Southern California
"ZHP or not, I still like you"
ZHP Performance Package, Cold Weather Package, Leather, Jet Black/Black/BlackCube, NAV, Anthracite Black "my individual" interior trim
ESS Stage 1 Twin Screw Supercharger, Sprint Booster, BMW Perf Intake, Magnaflow Exhaust, Dinan TB & STEP S/W, UCC Sway Bars, Apex EC-7 18x8.5 ET38
Suspension: AST 44100 dampers, Bimmerworld front adjustable end links, Swift springs (8K front, 10K rear), Vorshlag camber plates
Dynavin D99+, Hardwire V1 (w/V1 Connection), BSW Stage 1 Speakers, Kicker Amp/Subwoofer
BMW Performance Strut Brace, Orion V2 Angel Eyes, No-holes License Plate, SMG Paddle Shift Mod, Besian VANOS, Gold DISA, Fan Delete, M3 Side Mirrors
Note: Actual car no longer resembles signature picture
Oh man I'm glad you got a fresh subframe to work with
I've been doing the same refresh and did a TON of research on subframe/diff mounting combinations. The best combo was always with OE rubber diff bushings and poly or solid subframe bushings.
I bought both AKG 95a poly and solid aluminum. Planning to go with aluminum ones and sell the AKG's on here if that's what you decide you want for this car. Is it 100% street?
I was thinking of doing the poly bushings that FCPeuro sells. They are made by a company called revshift and are on the softer side for the stiffness.
The other option was the meyle hd rubber bushings.
The goal is to do an upgrade to handle some track time. Nothing serious though.
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His - 2004 Imola Red / Alcantara 330i | 6MT | ZHP |
Her's - 2005 Black Sapphire Metallic / Black Leather 330i | 6MT | ZHP |
I would steer clear of OE style bushings given how they concentrate the prying forces in such a small area of the RACP. As long as you keep the OE/Meyle rubber diff bushings, then you don't need the extra insulation of a rubber subframe bushing.
The Revshift bushings were my first [mistake] purchase. I ordered them, kept researching/reading reviews, and then went back to cancel the order and go with AKG poly. I couldn't find any reviews on the Revshift bushings (which makes sense -- they're relatively new) and, as I learned more about the design differences, I decided that I liked the AKG design better for load distribution and minimizing nvh. There were several people on m3forum that had been happy with the AKG bushings for years of street and track use, so I opted to pony up the extra $50 or so to be sure I wasn't going to have to do this job twice.
All that said, if you do go with the Revshift, be sure to order through FCP. I ordered directly through Revshift and it has been a nightmare: I immediately emailed them about cancelling the order, then followed up each day asking to cancel. Someone finally responded after they had shipped, so I offered to send them back once they arrived. It took 7 more emails over 3 weeks for them to finally respond and say "yeah send them back." It's now been over 3 months and I haven't received a refund. Can't get a response to any emails and they don't list a phone number, so this is fun. F Revshift.
Wow that's some next-level BS, sorry to hear. I was going to go with AKG back when I did mine, but the shop who did the Redish plates (which seemed pretty familiar with BMW and aftermarket parts) said they didn't know about AKG (???) and as such wouldn't warranty the job. Their go-to was Powerflex yellow, those have been fine for me. If I had the choice I would've done AKG - back in highschool we did a dedicated autox E36, and almost every single mount and bushing was from AKG
His - 2004 Imola Red / Alcantara 330i | 6MT | ZHP |
Her's - 2005 Black Sapphire Metallic / Black Leather 330i | 6MT | ZHP |
Ordered the oe rubber diff bushings from fcpeuro and SuperPro Rear Subframe Mount Bushings which are poly. I found out about them watching the Speed Academy video about the e46 m3 build they are doing - link here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qysa...AjFxRU&index=7
Plus the cost was better then some other options.
His - 2004 Imola Red / Alcantara 330i | 6MT | ZHP |
Her's - 2005 Black Sapphire Metallic / Black Leather 330i | 6MT | ZHP |