BMW Differential Bushings, Mounts & Upgrades Guide
BMW Differential Mounts, Bushings, & Upgrades
If you are upgrading or replacing your differential mounts you should consider what you want for your BMW driving experience. Each type (rubber, polyurethane, Delrin®, solid) is designed for different driving demands.
OE Ride Quality:
Your OEM BMW differential mounts are rubber. These mounts wear and age like any other stress point on your BMW. Rubber mounts are designed to have a lot of deflection in order to keep a quiet, comfortable ride that appeals to the masses. This deflection under load causes a decrease in drivetrain responsiveness. OE rubber differential mounts are great if your goal is to maintain original ride quality. If you want a more performance oriented drive you should consider one of the stiffer options listed below.
We recommend Polyurethane Differential Mounts as a great upgrade for your daily driven BMW. One of the biggest benefits of a Polyurethane (Poly) Mount is a noticeable decrease in drivetrain deflection without excessive NVH (noise,vibration, harshness). ECS Tuning designed their Poly mounts to have an OE-like fitment with no modification to your subframe. Their mounts reduce driveline deflection without compromise or sacrifice seen in other aftermarket poly mounts.
Installation - These mount are the easiest to install and do not require a special tool to be pressed in, making them an excellent choice for DIYers.
Street and Track Upgrade:
We have developed our Delrin® / Aluminum Differential Mounts to comply specifically with the regulations of the GAC (Grand-AM Cup) racing series, which does not allow for the use of any solid drivetrain mounts. Our engineers selected Delrin® for its ideal strength, durability, and toughness. These mounts have a billet aluminum insert that is used to help distribute the load into the Delrin® mount. Delrin® mounts will have nearly zero deflection, while still offering some NVH damping, making them a great upgrade for any BMW owner looking for the spirited weekend drive to the next track event.
Solid mounts are the stiffest and most aggressive of the four options. We recommend solid aluminum differential mounts if you are looking to track your BMW. By having virtually no movement, the differential is not free to twist under load, this causes power to be effectively transmitted to the wheels. You will notice an improvement in drivetrain responsiveness and reduction in wheel hop under load. Since the differential mounts do not travel with suspension, your ride quality is not necessarily affected. Solid mounts are still useable on the street but a noticeable increase in gear whine can be expected.
Our engineers have developed the Turner Solid Billet Aluminum Differrntial Mounts with weight and perfect fitment in mind. Each mount has precisely CNC machined holes for weight reduction without sacrificing strength.
Note: Look into the race series you are entered in to see their rules and regulations on solid mounts.
