Replacing rear top mounts...................

[The_Diddler]

Need to do these on my new purchase

Anybody got the part numbers for all the bits i need to swap my tired old ones with E46 parts.

Thanks in advance

[eko]

E46 M3 cab top mounts 33526779670
Gaskets 33526772864

[DHFiS]

E46 Rear Shock Mounts 2 #33 52 6 754 096 $18.40/ea Required
Self-Locking Collar Nut 4 #31 33 1 092 887 $0.55/ea Recommended
Washer Gasket 2 #33 52 1 128 734 $0.43/ea Recommended
Self-Locking Hex Nut 2 #33 52 1 137 360 $0.42/ea Recommended
Z3 Reinforcement Plates 2 #51 71 8 413 359

Copied from uucmotorwerks.com

[The_Diddler]

Cheers Guys

[stonesie]

I've just asked about prices for those bits in the genuine parts section, one of mine's started knocking.

I rang my local and a figure of £40 odd each was mentioned for the topmounts(maby he was looking at front ones?)... the call did not last long after that

[town325i]

£40 each thats very steep i think they cost me £35 for the pair with gaskets last time i bought some and front top mounts are something like £70 each from the stealer's

[Brianmoooore]

E46 rear damper mounts were £10-47 each (full price) + VAT, from my local dealer a couple of years ago.

[E30BeemerLad]

ON this parts list they are 13 euros each

http://bmwfans.info/original/E46/Cab/33 ... l-33_0841/

[The_Diddler]

Thanks for all the info, have searched the zone but could'nt find a guide to do this.

Anybody point me in the right direction??

[eko]

Thanks for all the info, have searched the zone but could'nt find a guide to do this.

Anybody point me in the right direction??

Easy to replace.......

Remove or pull out both side panels in the boot.
Jack the back of the car and remove the wheel
Undo the lower shock absorber 19mm bolt(carefull as the arm will want to drop)
Now go back in the boot and remove the 2 13mm nuts securing the shock
Once the shock is off undo the 17mm nut holding the topmount on
Remove the washer
Slide old topmount off
Refit new topmount
Refit washer
Refit 17mm nut
Fit new gasket
Fit shocker back in place and replace the 2 13mm nuts in the boot
Refit lower 19mm bolt(probably have to jack the trailing arm up a bit)
Refit wheel
Let of jack
Do the othe side

Half hour job each side

[E30BeemerLad]

[E30BeemerLad]

right click on the screen shot above and select view image to see full size

[Daryll]

I did these on mine last year and I am about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike when it comes to working on cars. I bought the parts off Paul when he was at Cotswold for £53.60 all in (both sides). This includes the Z3 reinforcement plates, gaskets, nuts and E46 topmounts. Give the Cotswold boys a ring an order the below part numbers.

33 52 6 754 096 £16.39
31 33 1 092 887 £0.16
33 52 1 128 734 £0.27
33 52 1 137 360 £0.46
51 71 8 413 359 £9.36

[Brianmoooore]

It's not even neccessary to jack the car up and remove the wheel. Can be done with the car on the deck, although it's a bit difficult getting the damper past the exhaust back box on the nearside.

[DanThe]

It's not even neccessary to jack the car up and remove the wheel. Can be done with the car on the deck, although it's a bit difficult getting the damper past the exhaust back box on the nearside.

Depends how good your dampers are really

[GTXcess]

Are the standard E46 top mounts listed above (as opposed to the E46 M3 Cab ones) the same for an E30 Cab 325? Also where do the reinforcement plates fit into the picture in terms of the fitting sequence and what are they reinforcing? Do they replace an riginal E30 reinforcement plate?

[stonesie]

I have just done mine with the car on the deck, 20 mins a side in no rush

The reinforcement plate goes inside the car over the 2 threaded studs, think of it as a big washer under the nuts, that's how it works too. As the suspension is dropping and the shock extending it spreads the load around the turret rather than it all being just on the little bit of metal under the nuts.

[GTXcess]

Got it. Sounds like a good investment as my rear suspension is now knocking over bumps so a complete revamp is on the cards very soon.

[mattsbmw]

Myself and scootlife replace my rear top mounts and dampers a few months ago, took us about 30 mins per side and that was at a lesiurely pace.

[scootlife]

Myself and scootlife replace my rear top mounts and dampers a few months ago, took us about 30 mins per side and that was at a lesiurely pace.

i think that included a cup of tea also !!!
It was very easy indeed,

[stonesie]

Touring's need the rear side panels, seatbelt reels and the side of the seat backrest out.

Then you need to use a greasy socket, the grease holds the nut so it doesn’t disappear somewhere where it will be impossible to recover and rattle forever more... on every other E30 its such a simple job

[scootlife]

Never realized it was such a pain on a touring... Was dead easy on Mattsbmw when we did it.

[GTXcess]

Did this at the weekend along with new struts and it has to be one of the easiest jobs I've done, although the top nuts on the struts were 17s I took off and the new ones from BMW were 16s - did I have a 16mm spanner .

Disappointingly, although the top mounts did need replacing as they were both split in more than one place, I'm still getting the same clonking noise from the rear of the car under low speed turning which makes me wonder whether it's the bushes on the rear beam that were making the noise. Any thoughts?