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      12-31-2018, 12:17 AM   #8
mpathic
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Drives: Z4 MCoupe,3.0Si R,E61 535xiT
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: California

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Matter of opinion that PU doesn't add NVH. A good softer PU molded inside an outer shell, Whiteline style, behaves like fresh stock on the rear front lower control arm and rear middle upper outer bushing. That's also with new BMW OE bushings on the camber arm inner and toe arm inner and outer.
Will get to the subframe mounts in the spring after the rainy season stops so I can take the 330 apart for a few days and drive the E86M if I need to use a car for anything.
Seriously, the factory OE bushings I took out at 130k miles are still quite firm. These are much longer lasting longer lasting now than the all solid rubber stuff from earlier series that turned to jello by 50k miles. Now they in-mold two rubber shells around very dense rubber. The new OE bushings I put in might be perceptively lightly a touch firmer when I tried flexing the control arms with only one end bolted in, but not much.
Only bushings that are different between M and non-M E9x are the rear subframe mounts. Do check out and consider M3 subframe mounts instead of PU. PU subframe mounts can and do squeak up a bit, might take 20k miles til they do, but they will. Way too much linear side loading, and no rotational and twisting forces like E36/46 RTABS take. Went through that ordeal on my old E36M3 and Z3 with urethane subframe mounts, and rear trailing arm mounts on the Z3, not going there again. Glopped all the copper bushing grease that the sleeves could retain, but didn't matter.
Between street level soft PU and BMW OE, its matter of opinion and how long do you need the bushings to last before slightly softening up more than anything else.

Btw, installation tip for first timers changing control arms bushings, real easy oversight to make:
install the bolts loosely with the suspension unloaded. Then jack up on the axle/hub/wheel carrier til you load the suspension up to the normal ride height. Then torque them down, ~55ft/lbs. Otherwise you're putting a permanent twisting force on the new bushings, instead of them being loaded up only when the car is leaning.
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