Member
Have anyone heard of them?
I'm sick of destroying the RSMs. My last set lasted around 1 month (3 weeks after I put my new 450f/550r springs). I have talked in the past about this to a mech who works with race cars and he told me that he used solid RSMs which didn't have any rubber on them so they last forever.
I think I can get them custom made at some local shop but I don't want to waste my money on something that won't work well.
Do you think it's a good idea? Does anyone have a different idea on how to make some RSMs that will last forever or very very very long?
Originally Posted by ClintonM3
Member
Which ones have you tried so far? People seem to swear by the E46 M3 stockers, but I doubt they are that sturdy. I use ones from Bimmerworld. I got some Ground Control (Aluminum/Urethane) ones for ~$100 and the seem pretty bombproof. They also sell solid aluminum ones with spherical bearings instead of bushings, but those are pretty pricey. Personally, I think the Ground Control units bro Bimmerworld can handle almost anything.
www.bimmerworld.com
Have E30--Will Travel
maybe some of the track guys can post more info but I thought those solid metal RSMs weren't supposed to be used on the road.
how are the conditions of the roads down there?
don't some of the aftermarket RSMs claim to last longer and still have rubber??
--DrDubHold on let me get my laptop and read this on the toilet.
lookin' for my way home
I hear the rogue engineering ones are pretty good and they are rebuildable so its lot cheaper than having to buy new ones everytime....I think I'm gonna go this route
CARS: Alpine Weiss II 92' 325is coupe 5spd w/ ACS CS widebody kit (SOLD)
95' daytona violet M3 and 95' Boston Green M3... both 5spd cars.
Member
I haven't tried the E46 M3 because I've read they're actually the same thing.
Can you point me to the solid aluminum ones? I've tried to find them in the Ground Control website but I couldn't find them, I'd like to see some pics of them.
AirborneDEN
yea I think maybe the track guys may know more about this, ask a mod to move the thread to the track forum for you dave.
Member
That's not funny, Don. Also the track forum is NOT for street cars so this thread does NOT belong there.
Member
Come on! I want to see them.
AirborneDEN
It is not only for track cars, it also includes "car set-ups". Does this not fall into that category?
Member
This has been already discussed between the mods, it's only for cars that are tracked. Now please get back on topic.
itsy bitsy boost
I don't understand how you wore out the RSMs in a month??
Are you sure there isn't something more insidiously wrong?
I have my stockers on and they were fine a few k ago when I put my new suspension in. I'm at 90k and the car sees some track time.
Some ladies like a hand-held. I prefer to drive mine.
Member
Thanks for the reply, BabyM.
What else do you think could be wrong?
I think my car "destroys" the RSMs very fast because the roads are in very bad condition here.
Just FIY, I've cracked the front strut tower and the rear shock tower on the driver side and I've bent the strut tower on the passenger side. I've made a thread with pics of the strut towers. And that happened before I put the 450/550 springs.
itsy bitsy boost
I think that is probably the main issue. You might want to go as far as taking out the carpet in the trunk and doing an inspection for cracks --it's an idea and i don't have any personal experience with it, but going through RSMs that fast would lead me to think there is an exceptional amount of flexing/stressing going on.
Some ladies like a hand-held. I prefer to drive mine.
Member
I already took out the carpet and checked around there and everything is fine besides the RSMs...I guess it's the road's fault.
So what kind of RSM will last longer for me?
Redhead Girls or Ban.
Sounds to me like your best bet is to go with the rebuildable ones from Rogue Engineering. Here's my thinking: Currently your RSM's are being sacrificed at a high rate due to your local road conditions. The impact to your subframe is currently being absorbed by your RSMs. If you were to switch to solid RSM's that impact would now be absorbed by your subframe instead, with potentially disastrous results. Since your road conditions aren't going to change anytime soon, you are forced to treat the RSMs as a maintenance item, so it would therefore be advantageous for you to install rebuildable RSMs, to mitigate the cost of maintenance.
'98 328 Alpinweiss Cabriolet, 150K, CD43, CHA-S634 MP3 Changer, Chromeline Interior Trim, 'Redlined' Gears & Diff, Z3 Chromed 16" Rims, Billet Front Stress Bar, aFe CAI, 'Golf Tee' Exhaust Mod, Powerdiscs, SS Brake Lines, CDV delete, JTD Underpanel, BAV Lowering Springs, Bilstien Sports, Bimmerworld Rear Lower Control Arms and Front Camber Plates, E46 RSM's with reinforcing plates, Electric Rad Fan, Alum. T-Stat Housing, Mishimoto Hi-Capacity Aluminum Radiator, Hi-Performance Water pump, 3.23 LSD, Sharked.
Sometime to come: New Clutch with LWFW, Clutch Stop, M50 Manifold, M3 Cams, Supercharger (I can dream).
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My roads are terrible, and I dont even go through them that fast. Try some stock E46 ones, and if they fail that quickly, there is something wrong with your car.
93' 325iS
2JZ-GTE Powered BMW is complete.
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I have heard the E46 M3 RSM lasts the same... are you using them?
What is the front strut mount made of? I know they're a lot bigger and the front suspension is different but they last a long longer.
megalomaniac
You really don't want to use solid mounts on rough roads...you WILL destroy your towers. This applies for ANY car. That kind of localized stress is NOT designed into road-going vehicles.
Member
I wouldn't wate my time with E46 mounts in your case. I would go with Rouge Engineering, Ground control, TC Kline, JT Design, etc... in your case.
Member
Thanks for the reply. I have already destroyed one of my rear towers and both front towers with the stock shock/strut mounts...
So what do you think I could do besides stop driving my car? (because there's no place here that has good roads).
Member
I believe ground control makes a bearing rsm, solid metal. But they are a rough ride from what I hear.
megalomaniac
Not much and keep the look you have. The only way to take the stress away from the RSMs is to put it somewhere else...smaller wheels+higher profile tires, lower spring rates, light bound/rebound, etc...
Member
They said you can't run them on the streets because they will put all the stress on the shock towers.
Yes but how does it work on the front? Because I haven't had any problems with the strut mounts...
megalomaniac
The front mounts and towers are built much more sturdy. Think about it...the mounts and towers and everything up front are beefier than the ones in the rear but the weight of the car is almost 50/50 balanced. Why would one end need to be beefier if the balance is 50/50? Momentum from the variable leverage points does effect what needs to be sturdy and what doesn't, but not as much as what's evident in the difference between the fronts and rears.
Flat out, the rears were underbuilt. No other way about it. The towers aren't built to handle as much load, the mounts are lighter and smaller, the whole assembly is lacking. You're not going to get around it without some serious custom fabrication.
As said, you're most likely going to have to take this on as a normal maintanance thing...like changing the oil and such.
Member
You brought some interesting points, makenzie...
What do you think needs to be done on the rear? I already have my front towers reinforced so I won't mind getting some custom work done in the rear too.
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