E36 Engine Mounts

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 8:52 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Today I am going to start replacing the guibo, center support bearing, diff bushings, subframe bushings

Wow, that's quite ambitious. Guibo is easy and often needed. Diff bushings? Are yours cracked? I have one cracked one and never have bothered. Looks like I'd need to take the diff off... Subframe bushings ?!?! Are you sure you want to do those?

MarcusMcRae wrote:

front control arm bushings(control arms if they are busted), and the rear upper inner control arm bushings. Wish me luck.

Ctrl arm balljoints are a known failure item on track cars, and more than one E36 has been totalled because of ctrl arms. They are a maintenance item, 100k miles on a street car and 6 (!!) races on a race car.

What's the wear signature of worn upper inner ctrl arm bushings? They torn? That's another one I never bothered with.

.

I forgot to mention I finished replacing everything. The car feels 100% better.

Front control arms were completely shot. I was surprised how much better it feels with the new ones. I also replaced the selector rod seal on the trans(complete PITA). It was leaking. Shifting feels a bit better. Also, the inner upper and lower control arm bushings seemed to be fine. They were as stiff as bricks and would probably last another 90k. I replaced them just for the hell of it.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:38 pm

MarcusMcRae wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Today I am going to start replacing the guibo, center support bearing, diff bushings, subframe bushings

Wow, that's quite ambitious. Guibo is easy and often needed. Diff bushings? Are yours cracked? I have one cracked one and never have bothered. Looks like I'd need to take the diff off... Subframe bushings ?!?! Are you sure you want to do those?

MarcusMcRae wrote:

front control arm bushings(control arms if they are busted), and the rear upper inner control arm bushings. Wish me luck.

Ctrl arm balljoints are a known failure item on track cars, and more than one E36 has been totalled because of ctrl arms. They are a maintenance item, 100k miles on a street car and 6 (!!) races on a race car.

What's the wear signature of worn upper inner ctrl arm bushings? They torn? That's another one I never bothered with.

.

I forgot to mention I finished replacing everything. The car feels 100% better.

Front control arms were completely shot. I was surprised how much better it feels with the new ones. I also replaced the selector rod seal on the trans(complete PITA). It was leaking. Shifting feels a bit better. Also, the inner upper and lower control arm bushings seemed to be fine. They were as stiff as bricks and would probably last another 90k. I replaced them just for the hell of it.

huh, whooda thunk? :roll:

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:05 pm

steve remchak wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Today I am going to start replacing the guibo, center support bearing, diff bushings, subframe bushings

Wow, that's quite ambitious. Guibo is easy and often needed. Diff bushings? Are yours cracked? I have one cracked one and never have bothered. Looks like I'd need to take the diff off... Subframe bushings ?!?! Are you sure you want to do those?

MarcusMcRae wrote:

front control arm bushings(control arms if they are busted), and the rear upper inner control arm bushings. Wish me luck.

Ctrl arm balljoints are a known failure item on track cars, and more than one E36 has been totalled because of ctrl arms. They are a maintenance item, 100k miles on a street car and 6 (!!) races on a race car.

What's the wear signature of worn upper inner ctrl arm bushings? They torn? That's another one I never bothered with.

.

I forgot to mention I finished replacing everything. The car feels 100% better.

Front control arms were completely shot. I was surprised how much better it feels with the new ones. I also replaced the selector rod seal on the trans(complete PITA). It was leaking. Shifting feels a bit better. Also, the inner upper and lower control arm bushings seemed to be fine. They were as stiff as bricks and would probably last another 90k. I replaced them just for the hell of it.

huh, whooda thunk? :roll:

Bite me.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:09 pm

MarcusMcRae wrote:

steve remchak wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

Today I am going to start replacing the guibo, center support bearing, diff bushings, subframe bushings

Wow, that's quite ambitious. Guibo is easy and often needed. Diff bushings? Are yours cracked? I have one cracked one and never have bothered. Looks like I'd need to take the diff off... Subframe bushings ?!?! Are you sure you want to do those?

MarcusMcRae wrote:

front control arm bushings(control arms if they are busted), and the rear upper inner control arm bushings. Wish me luck.

Ctrl arm balljoints are a known failure item on track cars, and more than one E36 has been totalled because of ctrl arms. They are a maintenance item, 100k miles on a street car and 6 (!!) races on a race car.

What's the wear signature of worn upper inner ctrl arm bushings? They torn? That's another one I never bothered with.

.

I forgot to mention I finished replacing everything. The car feels 100% better.

Front control arms were completely shot. I was surprised how much better it feels with the new ones. I also replaced the selector rod seal on the trans(complete PITA). It was leaking. Shifting feels a bit better. Also, the inner upper and lower control arm bushings seemed to be fine. They were as stiff as bricks and would probably last another 90k. I replaced them just for the hell of it.

huh, whooda thunk? :roll:

Bite me.

c'mon Marcus, where's the love? :nana:

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:19 pm

You can still bite me. :nana:

steve remchak · **Posted:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:26 pm

MarcusMcRae wrote:

:nana: You can still bite me. :nana:

damn BMW owners.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Did you do the rear subframe bushings? How did the old ones look?

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:52 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

Did you do the rear subframe bushings? How did the old ones look?

Yeah, I replaced them with the blue powerflex bushings. They were all torn to some extent. There was a big difference in the condition between the front and rear. The car feels eleventy billion times better.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

MarcusMcRae wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

Did you do the rear subframe bushings? How did the old ones look?

Yeah, I replaced them with the blue powerflex bushings. They were all torn to some extent. There was a big difference in the condition between the front and rear. The car feels eleventy billion times better.

Can I see your old subframe bushings? I know it's a weird request -- I'm chasing a clunk on track under really hard cornering and I'm considering tearing the back apart, but I want to evaluate the possibility of the SF bushings causing the noise.

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:54 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

Did you do the rear subframe bushings? How did the old ones look?

Yeah, I replaced them with the blue powerflex bushings. They were all torn to some extent. There was a big difference in the condition between the front and rear. The car feels eleventy billion times better.

Can I see your old subframe bushings? I know it's a weird request -- I'm chasing a clunk on track under really hard cornering and I'm considering tearing the back apart, but I want to evaluate the possibility of the SF bushings causing the noise.

They are already in the landfill. When I looked at them from underneath the car I could see little thin cracks around the entire bushing. The worst tears were at the top of the bushing and were isolated to one side of the bushing.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:54 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

MarcusMcRae wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

Did you do the rear subframe bushings? How did the old ones look?

Yeah, I replaced them with the blue powerflex bushings. They were all torn to some extent. There was a big difference in the condition between the front and rear. The car feels eleventy billion times better.

Can I see your old subframe bushings? I know it's a weird request -- I'm chasing a clunk on track under really hard cornering and I'm considering tearing the back apart, but I want to evaluate the possibility of the SF bushings causing the noise.

i have a similar clunk. i always figured it was the rear sway bar.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

steve remchak wrote:

i have a similar clunk. i always figured it was the rear sway bar.

Interesting -- when and under what circumstances do you hear the clunk?

I am having a feeling that I'm going to be completely disassembling the drivetrain and suspension from rear of the driveshaft soon in my future...

steve remchak · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:22 pm

while my memory ain't what it used to be and i haven't been on track in over 5 months i am thinking bottom of hogpen maybe. but i can't say for sure. VK has heard it while riding with me.

it seems to me i hear it when the car is twisting and there is a lot of other noise at the same time. gutted interior and solid mounts thru out make for a noisy ride.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:02 pm

let me clarify slightly Mike. i don't hear the noise every turn but have heard it consistently for 2 years and it may only occur two or three times in a weekend.

i believe the rearend on a 328 is different than a M if only slightly. i have heard people with M3's complain about some bushing tearing up after only a few events. rca bushings maybe. Dave was saying recently that there is a new product out for the rear suspension that the CCA boys were having good results with.

on a side note, i had to have the rear subframe replaced and then reinforced as i tore a swaybar mount completely off on south course.

sorry dude, but my lack of car knowledge is only outdone by my unexplainable desire to post my opinion. however useless that may turn out to be. :oops:

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