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Thread: E36 Suspension upgrades

  1. #1
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    E36 Suspension upgrades

    Plan on stripping my e36 down to go over the suspension / breaks over the next couple of months, Its a 97 323i. id like to do all bushings and breaks while i have it apart the car is 99% a road car i dont see it ever being in track but at the same time its a weekend car will never be a daily so not overly interested in comfort more interested in performance.

    while i have the car apart what suspension upgrades are worth doing along the lines of m3 control arm bushings etc should i got with E46 wishbones or any other typical stuff that will make the car a better drive?

    Second question is break wise, what are people running for discs and pads?

    again the main purpose for my car is a weekend toy to have fun with so im not too concerned about comfort etc i have my daily for that.

    Any input greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
    BMWHaus Contributor
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    I have a 99 323i. I have bought a good few bits to change in mine over the past few months and I was told changing the rear subframe bushes is a good start to tighten up the back of the car. I went with Febi as they were OEM. Poly bushing is very expensive but worth it if you want a seriously hard ride.
    Last edited by James Bond Junior; 20-05-18 at 14:58.

  3. #3
    BMWHaus Guru
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    I’ll need to do it on the m3 in the next while and plan to go with OEM. They’ll be a huge improvement on 18 year old bushes etc but will still be comfortable enough for regular use.

  4. #4
    I did a full refresh with powerflex bushings in my last Nissan, incredible difference to the handling of the car without rattling you to death like a lot of the cheaper polybushing kits. They have different grades of material to suit different applications as well.

    They are significantly more expensive than the competition mind.

  5. #5
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    Was having a look at the Powerflex stuff add's up fast when you start going through all the bits needed on there website. Been recommended to not go with fully polybushes for a road car some saying its far too harsh for road use but thats subjective i suppose and since the cars only purpose is for a bit of fun on the weekend im not too pushed.

    Notice a few lads in the UK using the strongflex stuff, good bit cheaper than powerflex but i wonder is the quality there?

    Another option i see a lot of lads in the US using is this https://www.condorspeedshop.com/coll...ion/suspension
    Last edited by BMW-E46; 21-05-18 at 08:04.

  6. #6
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    trailing arm bushes - polybush
    lover camber arms - complete new arms as lemforder
    axle stud bushes , rose ball joints - top and bottom with same part,(as top ones) even if lower was rubber one , only in lemforder, don't know why people often wants to replace with poly bushes,ball joint is much much better .
    top arm bush- either lemforder or polybush ,up to your choise
    subframe bushes - depends on price, lemforder or polybush
    Motor Confidence-14b Knockmitten lane,Western ind est ,Naas road D12

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Valdelisbmw View Post
    trailing arm bushes - polybush
    lover camber arms - complete new arms as lemforder
    axle stud bushes , rose ball joints - top and bottom with same part,(as top ones) even if lower was rubber one , only in lemforder, don't know why people often wants to replace with poly bushes,ball joint is much much better .
    top arm bush- either lemforder or polybush ,up to your choise
    subframe bushes - depends on price, lemforder or polybush
    Would you recommend this setup for an old man with m3 too?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by JohnH View Post
    Would you recommend this setup for an old man with m3 too?
    only lemforder all around !
    Motor Confidence-14b Knockmitten lane,Western ind est ,Naas road D12

  9. #9
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    I bought Febi for my subframe, are they much inferior to Lemforder?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Bond Junior View Post
    I bought Febi for my subframe, are they much inferior to Lemforder?
    Yup, if you haven't fitted them yet, buy Lemforder.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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