e36 m3 rear strut tower, opinions?

[zactastic]

hello, im looking at a few e36 m3's for sale, various locations. What do you think of these strut towers? is it just the struts that probably need replaced? looks rusty, i havent seen under the car yet, but engine bay has no signs of rust from the photos. seller says no rust.
is the one tower cracked near the bolt?
thanks

images here:

http://imgur.com/gallery/ciCfA

[zactastic]

here's the rest of the photos. http://imgur.com/gallery/pQr59
has, e37, 97 with 150k miles price is fair at 7k$ dealer has not the best reviews. car paint and interior look pretty good.
VIN checks out.
2+ owners but that seems the trend on the e36's.
I dont know much about the maintenance history and most of these's smaller dealers arent the best besides "it runs and looks great, check it out"
I'll try to get a PPI though they might not saying "our guys checked it out and its solid"

let me know your opinion. thanks

[E36328Coupe]

The metal work doesn't look bad on the rear shock mounts. Mounts themselves look ready for replacement. Also looks like they have been changed without gaskets to body as dirty road water should not be getting in.

No idea what the oval black line in the first pic around the nut is, I would expect some rusty edges if it was cracked and flexible sealer would probably not crack. Also not sure if some flaking paint or rust hiding and just in view almost behind the shock mount

[zactastic]

thanks for your input. i really appreciate it.

[E36328Coupe]

Buyer beware as usual with all cars

[zactastic]

agreed.

[bluptgm3]

Get a PPI from someone that can put this on a lift and look at the underside and point out to you any issues. Are those original shocks? How may miles, if over 60K original rear shocks are toast. Looks like the shock hardware is a throw-away due to nut that has 'bonded' to shock shaft. How did you come across the rear shock tower photos?
Replace RSM with E46 M3 Convertible mounts. Order new upper and lower shock retaining 'plates' and the shock shaft 'shim' for both sides when replacing these shocks. And the paper RSM gasket.

Where is car located?

Are you familiar with realoem.com? You will find E36 selection within 'classic' pull-down. Then use last seven of your VIN for quickest 'filtering'.


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[zactastic]

The seller posted those photos... I decided to go with another Estoril i found. I haven't use Realoem.com thanks.

which RSM from this selection? http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/part...7972&series=Z3

RSM (2): 33 52 6 754 096
Z3 PLATE (2): 51 71 8 413 359

i think those are the correct OEM parts you are referring to?

[zactastic]

If i use the E46 convert M3 RSM and Z3 plate, would a rear shock tower brace install correctly? i heard it might not fit right if other RSM's are used.

then i read on Doug's domain this...
"I strongly recommend the use of the factory shock mounts. They get a bad rap, but the latest versions of the parts are fine pieces and will do well on the street to reduce noise and impact on the shock towers. I also strongly advise against the use of more "rigid" mounts, particularly those made of urethane, or worse yet, solid mounts, because these materials may transmit more forces to the shock tower and cause metal fatigue, ultimately leading to failure of the shock tower and a very costly repair. If your car is intended for the track, do what you wish, but if it is intended for the street, be realistic about your parts selection. "Stronger" is not always better.

In the area of prevention, I recommend installation of the BMW OE shock tower reinforcement plates. They reinforce the top of the shock tower and spread the load of the mount over a wider area. They are not exactly cheap but they are far less expensive than the repair for the damage that might otherwise result. Note that these parts are often referred to as the "Z3 shock tower reinforcement plates" and can be found in the BMW ETK or realoem.com by searching for the E36/7 Z3 vehicle parts list. You will not find them on the E36 or E46 parts lists because BMW technically does not recommend their installation, presumably because they do not feel they are needed. And for 98% of the cars on the road, they're probably right, but do you want to be in the 2%? "

[bluptgm3]

The seller posted those photos... I decided to go with another Estoril i found. I haven't use Realoem.com thanks.

which RSM from this selection? http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/part...7972&series=Z3

RSM (2): 33 52 6 754 096
Z3 PLATE (2): 51 71 8 413 359

i think those are the correct OEM parts you are referring to?

E46M3 Convertible Rear Shock Mount p/n 33526779670
Same envelope/footprint as less robust E36 RSM.

Z3 RSM reinforcement plate p/n 51718413359

Rear shock tower brace would replace the reinforcement plates, however there is no performance gain to be had with RSTBrace. It only takes up valuable trunk space.

The Z3 X-brace is a different story however and adds a lot to mid-turn stiffness in the front.


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[zactastic]

excellent! yes im going to get the x brace for sure. was thinking that the brace might take up some room back there haha. I was looking at some of the 'refreash kits' on ecstuning and man, they arent cheap. perhaps i should have someone with more knowledge inspect the car and see what else needs to be done under there. the car is at 166k miles. The previous owner was on top of the maintenance so im not even sure why it needs new struts if those should have been done around 100k.

[jmo69]

I thought X-braces go in the front, never heard of one in the rear. I thought M3's came with them like convertibles. IDK what mine came off of, bought it off the old classified here.

[bluptgm3]

I thought X-braces go in the front, never heard of one in the rear. I thought M3's came with them like convertibles. IDK what mine came off of, bought it off the old classified here.

x-brace is installed in the front, not "standard issue" on M3


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[jmo69]

x-brace is installed in the front, not "standard issue" on M3


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Didn't know that, but I'm surprised it wasn't.

[zactastic]

I thought X-braces go in the front, never heard of one in the rear. I thought M3's came with them like convertibles. IDK what mine came off of, bought it off the old classified here.

you are correct. in that above response, I was referring to the RSTB - rear strut tower brace - which ive heard may cause some fitment issues if using different rear shock mounts.

[jmo69]

K