Am I "missing out" by not upgrading to solid subframe bushings?

[azndrunk74]

The car currently feels pretty damn good with my current suspension and wheel/tire setup. I'm also putting down 550+whp on my ESS kit and the car puts the power down to the ground pretty well. I had planned on getting solid subframe bushings but I'm not convinced that I need them at this point.

Here is my suspension and wheel/tire setup:

KW V3 coilovers
RD sport front sway bar (set on medium)
Brand new OEM control arms/tension arms/tie rods
Bimmerworld front sway bar end links
Rogue engineering rear toe arms
ECS tuning performance rear trailing arms
Volk TE37 18x9.5/10.5
Michelin PSS 275/35/18 295/35/18
Brembo 380/380
street alignment

The car is 100% street driven. Wondering if I'm "missing out" by not going with solid subframe bushings. Seems it may be mostly a benefit for track cars.

[pbonsalb]

Makes a difference you can feel even on the street with 400 rwhp. And mine aren’t even solid - 75D poly. You have a lot of fancy parts but your subframe is still moving around.

[Gooner5643]

subscribed

[roastbeef]

you have a long list of things you don't need for a 100% street car. solid sub/diff bushings are just another enhancement on that list. obviously, you have a few bucks to throw around on your car, so i presume you enjoy it, and the ~$2,200 to do solid bushings isn't a ridiculous amount for you.
so you see, its relative. its not like you have $2k to do ONE mod for the year. i love the way it makes the car feel, especially with the one piece carbon driveshaft. its very racy, but the direct feel may not be for everyone. if you're ever in socal, i can take you for a ride.

[roastbeef]

this is a video i took under my car. i'm not doing anything crazy or dangerous. i'm simply accelerating and slowing down. everything moving is lost energy that would otherwise be transferred to the ground. literally.

[Redd]

My car is daily driven and solid subframe bushings is still one of the best mods I've ever done. It totally eliminated the side-to-side shimmy when the car went over ruts and bridge joints. I hated that. I feel that the M3 should have come from factory with solid subframe bushings.

But then, it didn't cost me $2k to do it here either. Labor in my country is much cheaper.

[Gooner5643]

Bushings are less than $300. Is labor that extensive?

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by Gooner5643

Bushings are less than $300. Is labor that extensive?

yes, it requires dropping the entire rear subframe. that includes removing the rear suspension, disconnecting brake lines (flush when you put them back on), pressing in/out bushings, reassembly, and an alignment. it is a very long day, even with the right tools and a lift. plus, its moving around large, cumbersome parts.

[Redd]

I think Malek MRF has figured out a way to do it without dropping the whole subframe...

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by Redd

I think Malek MRF has figured out a way to do it without dropping the whole subframe...

i'm not sure what his method is, but he replaced those ~6" brake lines with stainless lines while he was in there. no sense in touching those if you aren't really taking the subframe out. i thought it was cool that he included that though.

[Properstyle]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

yes, it requires dropping the entire rear subframe. that includes removing the rear suspension, disconnecting brake lines (flush when you put them back on), pressing in/out bushings, reassembly, and an alignment. it is a very long day, even with the right tools and a lift. plus, its moving around large, cumbersome parts.

I had solid subframe bushings, akg 75d diffbushings parts and labor installed ge 1300 where are you going that it’s 1k more?

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by Properstyle

I had solid subframe bushings, akg 75d diffbushings parts and labor installed ge 1300 where are you going that it’s 1k more?

i'm not 100% sure, but i don't think i had anything different done. it may have been extra for the 6" stainless lines and i said "go ahead." i also run SRF brake fluid, so its a little bit more (not a ridiculous amount, but it contributes). labor might be just a little more expensive out here. which makes sense, things like labor, real estate, etc., vary by region while things like SRF fluid cost the same across the country.

[JsL]

I have a set I haven't installed yet. Since you're local, I'm down to find a place that would give a better deal if we do two cars.

[testdriver]

I decide to do the solid subflame bushing the second after I test drove my friend's F82.....

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

yes, it requires dropping the entire rear subframe. that includes removing the rear suspension, disconnecting brake lines (flush when you put them back on), pressing in/out bushings, reassembly, and an alignment. it is a very long day, even with the right tools and a lift. plus, its moving around large, cumbersome parts.

You can buy a meter of m12x1.5 threaded rod, cut it into 3 pieces, and lower the subframe 6 inches on the rod while you work on one mount at a time. 2 sections diagonally should be fine to hold it. You will need to disconnect the 2 short brake lines and undo some wiring. You will also need to make or buy or borrow some tools to drive out the old bushings (a propane torch on the subframe heats up the outer rubber cover of the stock bushings and they pull out easily as you are heating) and pull in the new bushings. Poly installs much easier than stock, aluminum or stock requires tools.

[roastbeef]

I get what you're saying, but that's what I would consider "dropping" it. I bit the bullet and paid, too much for me to do on jack stands...

[pbonsalb]

You wrote you had to remove the rear suspension and move around large cumbersome parts but you don’t have to do either. I did take the wheels off.

[azndrunk74]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

Makes a difference you can feel even on the street with 400 rwhp. And mine aren’t even solid - 75D poly. You have a lot of fancy parts but your subframe is still moving around.

yeah i suppose i would need to drive another e9x with solid subframe bushings to appreciate the difference. i've driven several f8x but it's not apples to apples.

Originally Posted by roastbeef

you have a long list of things you don't need for a 100% street car. solid sub/diff bushings are just another enhancement on that list. obviously, you have a few bucks to throw around on your car, so i presume you enjoy it, and the ~$2,200 to do solid bushings isn't a ridiculous amount for you.
so you see, its relative. its not like you have $2k to do ONE mod for the year. i love the way it makes the car feel, especially with the one piece carbon driveshaft. its very racy, but the direct feel may not be for everyone. if you're ever in socal, i can take you for a ride.

it's a few bucks i shouldn't be spending in the first place lol. but yeah, it's looking like i should go ahead and do the bushings from all the feedback. i definitely need a ride a car that has them to really understand the difference it makes. man, i wish i got in on the CF driveshaft group buy - really regretting it. felt great in my friend's DCT e92.

Originally Posted by Redd

My car is daily driven and solid subframe bushings is still one of the best mods I've ever done. It totally eliminated the side-to-side shimmy when the car went over ruts and bridge joints. I hated that. I feel that the M3 should have come from factory with solid subframe bushings.

But then, it didn't cost me $2k to do it here either. Labor in my country is much cheaper.

yeah, it's quite expensive here to do unfortunately. what do you mean by side-to-side shimmy? is it a similar feel to tramlining?

Originally Posted by JsL

I have a set I haven't installed yet. Since you're local, I'm down to find a place that would give a better deal if we do two cars.

haha my car would still be more expensive to do. the entire varis diffuser needs to come off in addition to whatever else. if i do find a place at a decent rate i'll let you know!

[pbonsalb]

I noticed immediately. With the stock bushings you could feel the rear move a little as the suspension set when turning hard at speed and if you then turned the other way, you could feel it move and set in the other direction. Not wiggly like a modded 135i that I drove, but it moved. With the 75D poly bushings I don’t notice any shift in the rear. Honestly, I did not think it would be as noticeable as it was. My bushings were 9 years and 85k miles old, and that may have made the improvement more noticeable.

[GeorgeA]

I'd love to try out an E92 with these installed to see if it's worth the labor. I'm on coilovers but want less side to side motion.

[BayE30]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

I noticed immediately. With the stock bushings you could feel the rear move a little as the suspension set when turning hard at speed and if you then turned the other way, you could feel it move and set in the other direction. Not wiggly like a modded 135i that I drove, but it moved. With the 75D poly bushings I don’t notice any shift in the rear. Honestly, I did not think it would be as noticeable as it was. My bushings were 9 years and 85k miles old, and that may have made the improvement more noticeable.

Where did you get the poly bushings?

[pbonsalb]

I am using AKG but some say it is better to use sleeved bushings like Powerflex