Arm bushes + wishbone bushes

[alexk]

Hi guys,

It looks like the rear arm bushes are not in good condition anymore and the car has a play from the rear axle.
Are you using aftermarket bushes for the rear arms and the front wishbones ?

If yes, which ones are you using ?
Any drawbacks ?

Cheers

[shimmy]

RTAB i use OEM bmw ones but with Turner limiter kits. Keeps the stress on the chassis standard.

some use the powerflex poly bushes which suti the track but give a little harsher ride. My only concern is that poly bushes transmit more and more force to the subframe and chassis mounts and they are prone to failure.

[glendog74]

I'm the same as Shimmy (bushes wise...)

[_Nathan_]

Using solid bearing RTAB bush from Simpson which I think are the Turner ones and using Ground Control solid fronts.

I used the solid rears when it was a road car and they were fine, new bearing races required every 15k-20k miles, have driven to spa and back with the solid fronts and they were fine as well though the car was a bit harsher then and I don't know how much of that was down to the bushes, can't comment on how well they would last though.

Ground control so a more road biased version of the fronts too.

[Curly]

Originally Posted by shimmy

RTAB i use OEM bmw ones but with Turner limiter kits. Keeps the stress on the chassis standard.

some use the powerflex poly bushes which suti the track but give a little harsher ride. My only concern is that poly bushes transmit more and more force to the subframe and chassis mounts and they are prone to failure.

ditto

[alexk]

Does anybody knows this part number ?
It's from the BMW Motorsport catalog.
3332 2271630

[shimmy]

Originally Posted by alexk

Does anybody knows this part number ?
It's from the BMW Motorsport catalog.
3332 2271630

3332 2271630 Lagerbuchse vorn / bearing bushing front


google is your friend

full msport catalogue

http://resource.bmwusa.com/Pdf_99a8b...4f6941759.arox.

[NZ_M3]

http://www.vorshlag.com/product_info...products_id=59

A quote from Vorshlag Motorsport website on the RTAB:

Originally Posted by Vorshlag Motorsport

This product entry is for a complete set of Vorshlag built RTAB limiters for a BMW E36 or E46 chassis - this is enough to reinforce both rear trailing arm bushing locations on these cars. The purpose of these limiters is to minimize toe change during excessive movement of the rear suspension trailing arms. These bushings will not affect ride comfort and allow the stock bushing to perform its regular duties while allowing toe control under the extreme conditions of autocross or track duty. We use these on our shop's V8 powered BMW E36, with 315mm R compound tires on 11" rear wheels, and they work great - so they should work well for just about any BMW out there.

In the Rear Trailing Arm Bushing (RTAB) location on the rear suspension of an E36 or E46 BMW the bushing has to pivot on two axis. Unlike other suspension bushing locations that only have one axis of rotation, swapping in excessively stiff replacement bushings using materials such as Polyurethane can and will cause suspension bind. The stock rubber M3 bushing is fairly compliant and effective when brand new but wears quickly over time, and doesn't cope with the added forces from race tires in perfect condition. Added wear adds excessive toe change under suspension movement, acceleration and braking. It is compounded greatly with additional power and grip from racing compound tires. If your stock RTABs have more than 20K miles and/or you've used the car for more than a season of racing, they are likely shot.

We've seen some significant toe change on some cars with stock (and/or worn) RTABs - usually evidenced by toe induced tire rub where there shouldn't have been any. These Limiters do work - they limit the deflection of the rubber mounts but they do not add additional noise or bind, and will extend the life of a rubber RTAB bushing considerably.

Many racers just blindly install polyurethane into this and all bushing locations as a "fix" for a worn OEM rubber RTAB bushing. Polyurethane is a bad choice for a bushing material if it has to deflect - such as in a multi-axis suspension bushing location like the RTAB. Rubber bushings + limiters or a complete replacement with a custom steel spherical bearing are the only two textbook choices for this location. We cannot count the number of times we have seen RTAB or front LCA failures on BMWs that were using poly in these areas - an expensive repair and dangerous racing situation. At the very least poly will add bind during significant suspension movement, and this can make the handling feel odd (unexplained oversteer) as well as add significant stress to the suspension-to-chassis mounts (which is how they can fail over time).

That said, some folks with fully track prepared race BMWs have had OK results with polyurethane RTABs. This is due to the much higher spring rates and smoothness of tracks they tend to run with - higher spring rates and smooth tracks limit suspension travel, and thus limits the potential for bind from a polyurethane bushing at this bushing location. So even though you may hear good results from one racer, it doesn't necessarily mean that poly RTABs are the right choice for you. If you have a street car or dual purpose BMW you should always stick with OEM bushings and RTAB limiters, and even many race prepped BMWs use this setup with excellent results.

We recommend using the latest version of the BMW M3 replacement bushing (sold separately and available from Vorshlag) for all E36 and E46 chassis BMWs + a set of aftermarket RTAB Limiters.

[shimmy]

wow

i dont very often get things right but..........................

[glendog74]

Originally Posted by shimmy

wow

i dont very often get things right but..........................

Shimmy - you rock!