[335iSSA]

Originally Posted by Autobahn335i

It's exactly what I'm experiencing and my shop has been unable to find the cause so far. Sounds like some resonance is amplified somewhere in the drivetrain, through the cabin. Really weird...

What year/month is your build?

[happy4nk8er]

Check out this thread. Might be helpful.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=399484

[Birds BMW]

One of our customers pointed out this thread. If anyone on the forum has any issues with anything to do with Quaife BMW installs, then let us know. Please email quaife@birdsauto.com with your VIN, transmission type, the supplier of the Quaife kit, the name of the installer, and as much detail of the issue as possible. We will collate all info we find and trace any issue where possible, and offer a fix. I'm guessing we have done more installs than anyone else out there, and would expect we will have come across most before. If there are new ones, we will try to replicate here.

[happy4nk8er]

Originally Posted by Birds BMW

One of our customers pointed out this thread. If anyone on the forum has any issues with anything to do with Quaife BMW installs, then let us know. Please email quaife@birdsauto.com with your VIN, transmission type, the supplier of the Quaife kit, the name of the installer, and as much detail of the issue as possible. We will collate all info we find and trace any issue where possible, and offer a fix. I'm guessing we have done more installs than anyone else out there, and would expect we will have come across most before. If there are new ones, we will try to replicate here.

Quaife and Birds, a customer oriented stand up company. Kevin has been a great help in the past.

[335iSSA]

Originally Posted by Birds BMW

One of our customers pointed out this thread. If anyone on the forum has any issues with anything to do with Quaife BMW installs, then let us know. Please email quaife@birdsauto.com with your VIN, transmission type, the supplier of the Quaife kit, the name of the installer, and as much detail of the issue as possible. We will collate all info we find and trace any issue where possible, and offer a fix. I'm guessing we have done more installs than anyone else out there, and would expect we will have come across most before. If there are new ones, we will try to replicate here.

Thanks for reaching out to the community.

My installer got the unit from you guys and has been in touch for your input, at least that is what I was told. Unfortunatly no resolution as of yet.

[tscdennab]

Originally Posted by 335iSSA

Thanks for reaching out to the community.

My installer got the unit from you guys and has been in touch for your input, at least that is what I was told. Unfortunatly no resolution as of yet.

How feasible would it be to try to swap the pumpkin with a stock pumpkin and see if the noise is still there ?

[335iSSA]

Originally Posted by tscdennab

How feasible would it be to try to swap the pumpkin with a stock pumpkin and see if the noise is still there ?

The shop that has been working on my car happened to have another 335 auto there now and the owner said it was okay to put his diff in my car for diagnostic purposes. This will happen monday...we shall see.

[seanblee]

(cross post with my other thread at http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=659338)

FTR, unbeknown to me, my car actually received Powerflex designed bush inserts instead of the OE BMW M3 versions. Birds have removed these and the noise is gone, so it's evidently a resonance issue that gets carried through the subframe bushes into the body but is absorbed by the standard sloppy bushes. I'm going to live with the slop for the time being.

[TurboBimmer]

Originally Posted by seanblee

(cross post with my other thread at http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=659338)

FTR, unbeknown to me, my car actually received Powerflex designed bush inserts instead of the OE BMW M3 versions. Birds have removed these and the noise is gone, so it's evidently a resonance issue that gets carried through the subframe bushes into the body but is absorbed by the standard sloppy bushes. I'm going to live with the slop for the time being.

That seems to be the case indeed. But it's weird how this only appears on certain cars. And not on the M3s. I think those have an alloy rear subframe vs steel on regular 3 series models.

[335iSSA]

My shop did swap with a stock pumpkin and the noise was still present...So we know it's not the diff, drive shaft, wheel bnearings, exhaust, wheels...

Based on what Sean and Birds has found it has to do with the stiffer M3 bushes transmitting the noise. Sean also indicated that the tech noticed the noise to a very small extent w/o the powerflex inserts suggesting that we may have an underlying issue that is more pronounced with the sitffer bushes. Given that Autobahn has lived with this for a year now w/o any other significant issues I guess it's not a major issue.

[Chowbow]

I also have the Powerflex bushing inserts and really didn't notice any difference after installing them. I had the Quaife unit in before I installed the inserts. FWIW.

[cleex024]

so you guys like how the powerflexes feel? cause im trying to swap out bushings but was leaning towards m3 bushings as i feel they would be quieter since they are rubber. the powerflexes are polyurethane so seems like they would transmit more cabin noise.

whats your take on this?

[tscdennab]

Originally Posted by cleex024

so you guys like how the powerflexes feel? cause im trying to swap out bushings but was leaning towards m3 bushings as i feel they would be quieter since they are rubber. the powerflexes are polyurethane so seems like they would transmit more cabin noise.

whats your take on this?

I have the M3 bushings and I am very happy with them. They feel very solid in hand, like plastic instead of rubber. They are stiff enough for most purposes, without compromising ride quality. Sometimes I noticed some slight braking noises transmitted into the car (from the rear brakes/brake discs) when you brake from very high speeds like 180-200+kmh until 140kmh. But I also changed my read brake pads from OEM to Pagid at the same time with replacing the bushings...so not sure which one of them is responsible However that is really a non-issue.

[rismo]

I have the same with my Drexler LSD.. I have replaced the complete driveline in the meanwhile, tripple checked by BMW. And I also have a new AT gearbox in the meanwhile.
Still the same noise... Altough after replacing my driveline it is less noisy....
A solution would be wonderfull.... it is very annoying.

[tres]

I hope you guys find a solution.

[TurboBimmer]

Originally Posted by 335iSSA

My shop did swap with a stock pumpkin and the noise was still present...So we know it's not the diff, drive shaft, wheel bnearings, exhaust, wheels...

Based on what Sean and Birds has found it has to do with the stiffer M3 bushes transmitting the noise. Sean also indicated that the tech noticed the noise to a very small extent w/o the powerflex inserts suggesting that we may have an underlying issue that is more pronounced with the sitffer bushes. Given that Autobahn has lived with this for a year now w/o any other significant issues I guess it's not a major issue.

Yes on my car the noise seems to have gotten a bit less pronounced over time, although it's still present. But I don't want to go back to the soft OEM rear subframe bushings.

[seanblee]

Originally Posted by seanblee

FTR, unbeknown to me, my car actually received Powerflex designed bush inserts instead of the OE BMW M3 versions. Birds have removed these and the noise is gone, so it's evidently a resonance issue that gets carried through the subframe bushes into the body but is absorbed by the standard sloppy bushes. I'm going to live with the slop for the time being.

A further update... The bushes Birds were supplied with were made of the wrong compound, so were acting like solid bushes. They've now installed the new version of the correct hardness and I'm pleased to report there's no noticeable resonance noise

Birds definitely deserve praise for this - they spent a lot of time trying different things to isolate the issue, had a meeting with PowerFlex as soon as they'd identified the issue and generally worked hard to make sure the problem was resolved to my satisfaction. I look forward to working with them again in the future

[335iSSA]

Originally Posted by seanblee

A further update... The bushes Birds were supplied with were made of the wrong compound, so were acting like solid bushes. They've now installed the new version of the correct hardness and I'm pleased to report there's no noticeable resonance noise

Birds definitely deserve praise for this - they spent a lot of time trying different things to isolate the issue, had a meeting with PowerFlex as soon as they'd identified the issue and generally worked hard to make sure the problem was resolved to my satisfaction. I look forward to working with them again in the future

Awesome...Happy that they figured it you and you have a solution that works for you. So it clearly points to the bushes transmitting some resonance through the body of the car. Like Autobahn, I'll live with it for now, and with the radio on it's not terrible. Perhaps I never noticed it before b/c I always had the radio on? But to be honest I don't notice a significant improvement in the handling of the car with the M3 bushes either...

Enjoy the resonance free ride.

[335iSSA]

Originally Posted by rismo123

I have the same with my Drexler LSD.. I have replaced the complete driveline in the meanwhile, tripple checked by BMW. And I also have a new AT gearbox in the meanwhile.
Still the same noise... Altough after replacing my driveline it is less noisy....
A solution would be wonderfull.... it is very annoying.

Wow another with the same issue, I was unaware you had the same problem...

Good info that replacing the tranny didn't help either. I wonder what could be the cause of the resonance tho? It is annoying for sure.

[rismo]

Any updates on this item?
The noise, after 1,5 year driving with the LSD seems to be intesiving... a quite strong rumble, in low RPM range, especialy in lower gears.

Also around 220km/h on the autobahn and it goes away after 240km/h.....

[TurboBimmer]

Originally Posted by rismo123

Any updates on this item?
The noise, after 1,5 year driving with the LSD seems to be intesiving... a quite strong rumble, in low RPM range, especialy in lower gears.

Also around 220km/h on the autobahn and it goes away after 240km/h.....

Well it looks like the M3 subframe bushings are either responsible for this, or at least "transmitting" these rumbling noises.

Would be great if someone could try and switch to other bushings like the Turner Motorsport solid Delrin bushings. These might either cure the problem but they could also make it more apparent.

Unfortunately we still don't know what the real underlying issue here is.

[335iSSA]

Originally Posted by Autobahn335i

Well it looks like the M3 subframe bushings are either responsible for this, or at least "transmitting" these rumbling noises.

Would be great if someone could try and switch to other bushings like the Turner Motorsport solid Delrin bushings. These might either cure the problem but they could also make it more apparent.

Unfortunately we still don't know what the real underlying issue here is.

Unfortunately, this ^^^

Sorry i forgot to get back to you on the gear oil my shop use in the diff...I don't know what they ended up putting in, but is what the put in all diffs and have put in all the Quaife installs they have done locally.