Current BMW:

(E46) 3-Series 1999-2005 Clear BMW chassis

BMW E46 Reinforcement Kits

Your BMW's suspension mounting points are notorious for failing to hold up over time. This type of failure is accelerated and aggrevated on cars that are driven aggressively, tracked or raced. The longer you let your car go without repairing or reinforing these mounts, the closer it gets to crumbling apart. Reinforcing existing chassis parts is just simple preventitive maintenance.

Available for the following BMWs: (click icon to change BMW)

E46 3 Series Rear Sway Bar Reinforcement Kit (more info)
Made in the USA

The BMW E46 3-Series chassis is one of the most rigid and well built BMW chassis to date. Even so, it still has some of the traditional BMW weak points. One of these is the rear sway bar / swaybar mounts. From chassis to chassis the problem has not been identical, but all the damage we have seen has been related to metal fatigue. The metal fatigue is due to the constant twisting and side loading of the sway bar. These forces on the sway bar will cause the mounting points to fail over time. The failure can happen faster with sway bar bind do to improper maintenance of the bushings, however proper sway bar bushing maintenance does not totally eliminate the problem. In the case of the E46 the sheet metal for the bushing bracket does not have enough material to support the loads being transferred to the subframe. We have designed the reinforcement to strengthen and redirect the load to stronger sheet metal. Requires Welding. Does not fit M3.

Click here for installation instructions.

Part #: TSU4675461

Price: $29.95 (USD)

E46 Front Subframe Reinforcement Kit (more info)
Made in the USA

As E46s 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.

Part #: TDR4675F99

Price: $44.95 (USD)

E46 Rear Chassis/Subframe Reinforcement Kit (more info)
Made in the USA

The E46 rear driveline and suspension are very similar to that of the E36. An unfortunate side effect of this is that the E46 also shares some of the same problems as the E36. One of these problems is the rear mounting points for the subframe, which can rip out from their spots in the sheet metal. This happens because the rear differential transmits the torsional load from the engine through the subframe, then into the chassis. This constant loading and unloading weakens the sheet metal and causes it to fatigue and separate from the chassis. BMW tried to fix this problem in the E46 by placing a cross member on the front two mounting points of the subframe. This cross member keeps the front mounting points from having problems by placing the bushing and the stud in double-sheer, thus reducing the twisting action on the sheet metal. The unfortunate side effect of this is that the load from the front of the subframe now gets transmitted to the left rear of the subframe. This is where we have seen many failures of the chassis on low mileage street cars and race cars.

Video: an E46 owner who's subframe has failed:

This product reinforces the chassis sheet metal at the subframe mounting points. We do this by thickening the metal and distributing the load over a larger area. This kit will save time when repairing the chassis, and is also strongly recommended as a preventative maintenance item.

Click here for installation instructions.

Click here to go to the E46 Rear Subframe Failure Gallery.

Part #: TDR4675412

Price: $139.95 (USD)

E46 Strut Tower Reinforcement Plates (Pair) (more info)
Like the E36 before it, the shock towers on the E46 are a notoriously weak point. Under normal driving conditions with a stock suspension it is unlikely that you will ever have a problem. But a sport or race suspension with firm springs transfers much of the energy from pounding the road to the thin sheet metal of the strut tower. This pounding will cause the tower to deform or even crack. These plates will help disperse the energy and save you from costly repairs in the future. Price is for the pair.

Applications:
all E46 models - 323i, 323ci, 328i, 328ci, 325i, 325ci, 325xi, 330i, 330ci, 330xi - sedan, coupe, cabrio, wagon
all E46 M3 coupe, convertible*
*Note: the stock M3 upper strut mount already does a good job of dispersing the loads of the suspension. These reinforcement plates will fit a stock mount for additional strength but need to be trimmed to fit inside the strut tower. The are very strongly recommended for all M3s with coil over suspensions.

Part #: 51717036781 (51-71-7-036-781)

Price: $19.90 (USD)

Rear Shock Tower Mount Reinforcement Kit (more info)
Made in the USA

A common weak point on the 3 series BMW is the rear shock tower. This kit mounts on top of the rear shock tower and can either be bolted or welded in place. These plates are thicker than the factory reinforcement plates. These do not fit cabrio cars.

This item fits the following BMWs:
1992-1998 E36 BMW 318i 318is 318ti 323is 325i 325is 328i 328is M3 - not for convertibles
1999-2005 E46 BMW 323i 323ci 325i 325ci 325xi 328i 328ci 330i 330ci 330xi M3 - not for convertibles

Part #: TSU9975100

Price: $31.95 (USD)

Turner Motorsport Camber Arm Reinforcement Kit (more info)
Made in the USA

This TMS reinforcement kit is used to reinforce the stock rear lower camber arms just like BMW Motorsport does for its own production-class racing efforts. Factory camber arms are made to bend or split above certain loads to break in the event of an accident to help absorb the impact. Under race applications these loads can be exceeded under normal cornering forces. A main benefit of using the stock camber arms is that many racing classes allow for reinforcement of this part, and it increases the overall strength of the suspension. With welding experience, this kit can easily be installed by you. These arms differ from our own adjustable camber arms in that you can still use a streetable bushing on either end making it great for dual purpose street/track cars. They are ideal for racing classes that do not allow for alternate suspension components but do allow for alternate bushing materials. Additionally, the factory control arm is much lighter than most aftermarket camber arms, helping reduce the total unsprung weight.

KMAC bushings are recommended if more camber adjustment is desired.

Click Here for Installation Instructions

Part #: TSU9975002

Price: $34.95 (USD)

Turner Motorsport Reinforcement Package for E46 (more info)
The E46 is by no means a very old car. But more and more E46s are seeing track use or being converted to all-out track cars. And the odometers aren't rolling backwards. With age, mileage, and hard use the chassis will develop weak points that threaten the overall integrity of the car. When suspension points and subframes start to rip from the car, it puts the driver and anyone else at a serious safety risk. Not to mention the obvious effects on the performance of the car. TMS has developed reinforcements for the most-common weak points in the E46 chassis. With these kits in place you can be sure that your car spends less time on a body rack and more time on the race track. Included in this package are all of the reinforcements we developed for the E46:

front subframe
front strut towers (not applicable for M3)
rear shock towers
rear camber arms
rear sway bar / swaybar tabs (not applicable for M3)
rear subframe

Part #: T46REINF

Price: $299.95 (USD)