James: The root of the issue is the bushings. Before we discuss the actual bushing replacement process (it’s basically out with the old, in with the new), let’s do a Q&A with James Clay on this ever-popular topic. Good or bad, depending on your view, we got to skip that common rite of passage.įortunately for you, though, we know people-people who know about E46s.
So, what did we mean when we said we bought the wrong car? Part of this project’s purpose is to walk people through the M3 ownership experience. Now, finally, we had a clear look at the subframe mounts. (Yes, this installment is a bit of a flashback. Once home in Florida, the car went up on the lift. importer, we grabbed some replacement urethane bushings as well. Since BimmerWorld also serves as Powerflex’s U.S.
#E46 m3 subframe crack repair cost full#
The seller included a trunk full of parts, including OE bushings, but before shoving off we grabbed some pieces. Since there is this gap between the layers, with tremendous torsional load at these points, the bottom layer twists and deforms and the spot welds eventually pop and fail.”Īnd if someone keeps driving after popping those welds, the situation only gets worse.īut back to our car. BMW tried to eliminate flexing of the floor by bracing the front mounts, but this only transferred the stress to another point. If the two sheetmetal layers were joined or braced together, this problem may never have developed in the first place. The rear subframe mount gussets (where the subframe is bolted to) are tack welded to the bottom layer. What causes the problem? Again, the TL DR from the BimmerWorld page: “The rear floor of the E46 is actually two sheets of steel with a gap between them. However, every E46 on the road potentially needs rear floor repair and reinforcement, and it's a absolute must-do for any track or race car project.” BMW even has an official fix for non-damaged cars. 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. “Rear subframe and floor failures are quite common on the E36 and E46 models. What’s the usual problem here? We’ll crib from the BimmerWorld web page: Pry bar in one hand and a flashlight in the other, he started to inspect those often-criticized mounts. James Clay, BimmerWorld’s owner and our personal guide on this journey, put the car up on the lift. Upon picking up the M3 from its Tennessee home, we immediately headed to Dublin, Virginia, to visit BimmerWorld’s HQ. It’s been a Southern car, at least in recent years. Our 2004 BMW M3 came from a trusted source: an old friend. What’s one of the biggest weak points on the E46-chassis BMW? The rear subframe mounts.
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