Hello, I have owned my 06 E46 M3 with ZCP since Novemeber 06 and have over 110k miles on it. Front brakes changed under extended maintenance and rear brakes changed @ 90+K miles since I do much highway driving. I need a suggestion as to what type of suspension products I need to consider since I am still on all original. I want to keep car "forever" so I want it to drive "like new" for as long as possible. Any and all suggestions are appreciated.
Welcome to the club & forums! You may want to post specific questions in the E46 sub-forum; for a quick start, my general recommendation is to have a specific goal, plan &/or budget for modifications, if that's what you want to pursue. At your mileage, replacement may be due for any number of suspension parts/bushings, front &/or rear. If you drive it long enough, eventually you'll need to replace any variety of things - control arms, tie-rods, thrust-arms, subframe bushings, wheel bearings, transmission & engine mounts, etc. Replacing with polyurethane can be a longer-lived replacement than the original part, Powerflex seems to be a poly replacement with less negatives than some of the options years ago. Replacing with o.e. parts is one thing, performance mods is a whole other discussion!
Welcome to the asylum!I am about to install a Dinan S2 suspension package to Party A's 335i. You don't want to go too aggressive unless you are a dedicated track rat, and the E46 M3 suspension is a tad harsh in stock form. DO NOT second-guess BMW engineering, especially with @#$! polyurethane bushings! If you go aftermarket, buy from somebody who actually thinks these things through. Doesn't have to be Stevie D, but he's the one who said, "Anybody can make cheap bushings from polyurethane. Heck, I used to make cheap bushings from polyurethane when I started out!" Three decades later, he does things a little more thoughtfully. An example: I never liked the E46 M3 until I drove Dinan's car; it was actually softer than stock. But it turned in sharper and stuck like glue—without jarring my filings on the tar strips.
