BMW E36 Suspension Upgrades & Performance

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As E36s get older and see more track-use, they start develop cracks and bends in places that see a lot of stress. One of the most stressful areas is the front subframe. It's a good idea to reinforce your front subframe the next time you're doing any suspension work. This kit reinforces the upper and lower tabs of the subframe where the motor mount is located. Requires welding.

TMS E36 solid differential bushings are designed around SCCA SPEED World Challenge regulations and have years of street and track testing to prove their performance. Replacing your diff's rubber mounts with this kit will result in a snappier feel when cornering and better suspension performance. This kit will also prevent the front differential mount from loosening up or shearing -- a very common problem with the E36. The rear two differential cover bushings are slotted to allow for compliance between manufacturing standards as BMW specifies. These bushings are CNC machined from high-grade billet aluminum and Delrin. The kit includes 3 pieces: a Delrin front mount and 2 aluminum rear mounts.

TMS E36 solid sub-frame bushings are designed around current SCCA SPEED World Challenge regulations, and developed by the TMS WC race team. A BMW’s subframe is the heart of the suspension. When the subframe moves, so do all the suspension mounting points. Replace the stock rubber bushings to limit drivetrain and suspension movement and keep your car setup the way it’s supposed to be. Solid bushings will also help keep the subframe from tearing out of the chassis. One front bushing is slotted to allow for compliance between manufacturing standards as BMW specifies. These bushings are CNC machined out of high grade billet aluminum.

Pelican is pleased to now offer Powerflex polyurethane suspension bushings for your E36. These bushings are a great alternative to factory rubber bushings which are more prone to wear, resulting in poor tracking and handling. What are the benefits to using polyurethane over rubber? Prolonged tire life, improved performance, better handling and are more cost-effective than OEM bushings. Suspension bushings are some of the most highly stressed components fitted to a motor car. They undergo enormous strains and in the most arduous of conditions with no maintenance or lubrication. The material they are manufactured from is a rubber compound containing natural products which deteriorate with age. It becomes softer and more pliable, resisting the forces placed on it less and less. Therefore allowing more and more movement of suspension components and offering less and less control over the suspension geometry. This in turn causes accelerated tire wear, braking instability and poor handling. This is the single biggest reason you can instantly tell the difference driving a three year old car compared to a showroom new one. However even new cars will benefit from Powerflex bushings because of their superior design they offer much more effective control of the suspension components to a much greater extent than normal rubber items. With the technological advances in this material it has been possible to overcome the common problem associated with harder bushings which is increased noise. By correctly engineering the polyurethane compound, bushings can be made 25-30% stiffer than new rubber items but with exactly the same noise absorbing properties. Powerflex bushings make sense. NOTE: Owners of E36 318ti models, please contact Pelican for rear suspension bushings.

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