BUDGET PERFORMANCE SUSPENSION GUIDE (Ultimate E46 OEM+ SACHS Setup)

[Galapolis]

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1. What is this?
This guide will walk you through my suggestions for refreshing your E46 suspension using OE BMW parts only. The goal is to achieve increased performance over the original ZHP setup at a lower cost than aftermarket. While written with the ZHP in mind, this guide can be applied to all non-M 6 cylinder E46s. I will also provide background information on E46 stock suspension setups, including some commentary and part numbers to better understand the context of this guide. If you don’t care about any of that and just want the list of parts, you can skip to section 9 or 10.


2. Stock parts?
Enthusiasts may scoff at the idea of stock suspension, but there is tremendous value in factory parts that is often overlooked. BMW owners should know this best. The sheer number of available factory options and packages can completely transform our cars – case in point being the ZHP. Not to mention the exhaustive BMW Individual program, BMW Performance parts bin and excellent cross-compatibility between models. These options provide many parts for BMW drivers without having to resort to aftermarket solutions.


3. Why should I care?
OE parts have economies of scale on their side. They are low-cost, but are far from cheap. You will spend less compared to entry-level aftermarket parts while receiving better quality and performance. Not to mention that if you live in a country with strict laws on modifications and aftermarket parts, this may be your only option to begin with.


4. What parts are we talking about?
Put simply, my overhaul consists of the high performance line of SACHS dampers. SACHS is an OEM for E46 dampers. Our cars originally shipped with SACHS dampers. Seeking more detailed information starts making things complicated. There have been many discussions over the years about which dampers were originally shipped with the different trim levels of the E46. To make matters worse, the trim levels are different in every country. For example, America received the ZHP as opposed to the MSport (M package). While similar, there are some key differences, complicating matters further.


5. Deep dive into SACHS
Before we look at the different factory suspension setups, let’s familiarize ourselves with SACHS dampers. SACHS, a sub-brand of ZF, used to have four distinct lines of shocks. While new old stock (NOS) of some parts still exists, all four lines have officially been discontinued. All the OE lines (Touring, Super Touring and Advantage) were replaced by the new Pro Touring line.

Touring – basic line of shock absorbers
Super Touring – performance shocks for sporty applications
Advantage – high performance shocks for sports cars and performance trim levels
Performance – ultra high performance aftermarket shocks
Pro Touring* – combination shocks that consolidate various lines from low to high performance

I don’t have the exact dates, but the SACHS Performance kit (part number 84 1500 118 208) was discontinued sometime around 2010. The Performance dampers can be identified by their red shock bodies. The kit was paired with 30/30mm lowering springs, also made by SACHS. This is what it looked like.


3741737418

There has been no replacement for the Performance kit.

The Advantage line of shocks was discontinued in two stages for the E46. First, the rear Advantage shocks were discontinued around 2015. The Advantage struts were discontinued more recently in 2019. The Advantage dampers can easily be identified by the red stickers on a black shock body. This is what they looked like.


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In the early days of the E46, some cars also came equipped with BOGE shocks, another brand of ZF. While some products are still labeled under the BOGE brand, E46 components are exclusively SACHS now. This is a what the BOGE Turbos looked like. They were basically the predecessors and very similar to the now also discontinued Advantage dampers.


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Touring and Super Touring dampers have blue stickers on black shock bodies.

Pro Touring dampers have white stickers on black shock bodies.

*There’s a chance that this line of shocks actually has no more name. I read Pro Touring somewhere, thought it sounded fitting and decided to use it to describe this newest line of SACHS dampers.


6. Which SACHS dampers did different E46 variants come with?
I have speculated in the past, and I can’t guarantee that I got it right this time, but I think that I’ve finally found the answer to the mystery. I cross-referenced these with BMW part numbers for verification and they seem to check out. The part numbers I’m about to list all refer to the front left and right dampers unless otherwise noted. The tables below are set up like this, with each line break representing the beginning of a new table:

Package name (as ordered through the dealer, for example base model or sports package)
Suspension name and factory option number
Original BMW part numbers for the front dampers that came on that package
Name of the SACHS line that corresponds with those original BMW part numbers
SACHS part numbers, including discontinued legacy line part numbers (Touring, Super Touring and Advantage) and current part numbers (Pro Touring)

Base Model
Standard Suspension (Option S225A)

Original BMW part numbers:

31 31 6 750 789
31 31 6 750 790
= SACHS Touring

OEM (SACHS) part numbers:

556-867 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-strut-assembly-front-left-wagon-convertible-556-867) (Touring) [discontinued]
556-868 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-strut-assembly-front-right-wagon-convertible-556-868) (Touring) [discontinued]
317-547 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-strut-assembly-front-left-wagon-convertible-556-867) (Pro Touring)
317-548 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-strut-assembly-front-right-wagon-convertible-556-868) (Pro Touring)



Base Model
Poor Road Package (Option S815A)

Original BMW part numbers:

31 31 6 750 789
31 31 6 750 790
= SACHS Touring

OEM (SACHS) part numbers:

556-867 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-strut-assembly-front-left-wagon-convertible-556-867) (Touring) [discontinued]
556-868 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-strut-assembly-front-right-wagon-convertible-556-868) (Touring) [discontinued]
317-547 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-strut-assembly-front-left-wagon-convertible-556-867) (Pro Touring)
317-548 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-strut-assembly-front-right-wagon-convertible-556-868) (Pro Touring)



Sports Package
Sports Suspension (Option S226A) PRE 09/2001

Original BMW part numbers:

31 31 6 750 791
31 31 6 750 792
= SACHS Advantage

OEM (SACHS) part numbers:

556-873 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-left-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-873) (Advantage) [discontinued]
556-874 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-right-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-874) (Advantage) [discontinued]
317-541 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-right-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-874) (Pro Touring)
317-542 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-left-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-873) (Pro Touring)



Sports Package
Sports Suspension (Option S226A) POST 09/2001

Original BMW part numbers:

31 31 2 282 459
31 31 2 282 460
33 52 2 282 461 (rears)
= SACHS Super Touring

OEM (SACHS) part numbers:

290-949 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-left-325ci-330ci-330i-e46-w-sport-suspension-290-949) (Super Touring) [discontinued]
290-950 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-right-325ci-330ci-330i-e46-w-sport-suspension-290-950) (Super Touring) [discontinued]
317-539 (https://www.trodo.com/shock-absorber-sachs-317-539) (Pro Touring)
317-540 (https://www.trodo.com/shock-absorber-sachs-317-540) (Pro Touring)



Performance Package
ZHP Suspension (Option S767A)

Original BMW part numbers:

31 31 2 282 459
31 31 2 282 460
33 52 2 282 461 (rears)
= SACHS Super Touring

OEM (SACHS) part numbers:

290-949 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-left-325ci-330ci-330i-e46-w-sport-suspension-290-949) (Super Touring) [discontinued]
290-950 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-right-325ci-330ci-330i-e46-w-sport-suspension-290-950) (Super Touring) [discontinued]
317-539 (https://www.trodo.com/shock-absorber-sachs-317-539) (Pro Touring)
317-540 (https://www.trodo.com/shock-absorber-sachs-317-540) (Pro Touring)



MSport Package (M Package)
MTech Suspension (Option S338A + Option S226A)

Original BMW part numbers:

31 31 2 282 101
31 31 2 282 102
= SACHS Advantage

OEM (SACHS) part numbers:

556-873 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-left-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-873) (Advantage) [discontinued]
556-874 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-right-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-874) (Advantage) [discontinued]
317-541 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-right-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-874) (Pro Touring)
317-542 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-left-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-873) (Pro Touring)


7. Get to the point already
The point is that the SACHS Advantage line of shocks, famously known as MTech dampers, were the highest performing dampers available from factory for the E46. Advantage dampers were by far the most popular and highly recommended performance setup in many German forums. They can even handle certain lowering springs and are often used as Bilstein B8 alternatives (the latter has a very bad reputation in Germany). This means that for our budget performance suspension overhaul, we want SACHS Advantage front struts and SACHS Advantage rear shocks.


8. The issue and the solution
Although the ZHP didn’t receive the MTech dampers like MSport models in the rest of the world, MTech dampers (the old Advantage line) are still available to Americans because early model S226A cars were sold here (as seen in section 6). Unfortunately, SACHS Advantage dampers were discontinued, as explained in section 5. That isn’t a big issue for the front Advantage struts, because the front replacement units, now under the Pro Touring line, supposedly perform identically. As you can see in the section 6 table, the two part numbers we want are 317-541 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-right-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-874) and 317-542 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-left-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-873).

The rear Advantage shocks (556-884) on the other hand have been permanently discontinued. The new replacement part number is 556-882 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-shock-absorber-rear-e36-e46-sachs-556-882), which is a combination shock that consolidates the part numbers for both sport and non-sport models into one unit. According to ZF (https://www.e46-forum.de/index.php?thread/39332-hilfe-sachs-556884-für-normales-fahrwerk-nicht-mehr-lieferbar/&postID=704618#post704618), this new unit is 30% softer than the old 556-884 Advantage line part, although rebound is slightly stiffer.

Regardless, it is no good for our purposes.

If you live in Europe, there is an easy solution because you have access to an additional sub-brand of ZF: TRW, which makes the TRW JGT439T (https://webcat.zf.com/index.asp?PKW=1&KHERNR=16&KTYPNR=14922&KMODNR=3397&KAT_KZ=P&ARTNR=JGT439T&EINSPNR_ART=161&LASTPAGE=nc2_teile_info.asp). Supposedly, this part is closer in performance to the old 556-884 part. I did find a listing for them on amazon.com, so there does seem to be a supplier distributing them in the US, but I can’t guarantee how much longer this listing will be available.

A more reliable option for US buyers are the E36 M3 rear shocks. The M3 came with M-specific Super Touring (blue sticker) dampers (not comparable to the non-M Super Touring dampers), although these too were recently replaced with Pro Touring units. Nevertheless, the E36 M3 rear shocks are 8.1mm larger in diameter (50mm vs 41.9mm) than standard E46 rear shocks. They also contain more oil and are generally beefier. Performance-wise they are exactly what we need to complete our MTech damper setup.

And that is basically what it comes down to. In a nutshell, we want to install MTech dampers on an E46 as they offer a level of performance that is otherwise only achieved with aftermarket dampers. Due to ZF discontinuing some of their products, I had to improvise and combine SACHS Pro Touring front struts and E36 M3 SACHS Pro Touring rear shocks. The end result is a high performance damper setup consisting of OE parts. While this setup forms the heart of our budget performance suspension, there are still a few distinct routes you can take from here. I’ve boiled it down to a budget and a maximum performance option. All that’s left is to choose one of the options from below.


9. Option 1: Prioritize budget



Core part
Selection
Part number
Price
Notes


Springs
Stock ZHP springs


$0
ZHP springs provide a great balance between comfort and performance. If you don’t have a ZHP, try finding a used set or get Eibach Pro-Kit springs.


Front left damper
E46 SACHS Pro Touring
317-542 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-left-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-873)
$110
Previously known as SACHS Advantage.


Front right damper
E46 SACHS Pro Touring
317-541 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-right-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-874)
$110
Previously known as SACHS Advantage.


Front strut mounts
Stock E46
802-186 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-mount-oem-31336752735)
$22 x2
Make sure to remove the centering pin with a hammer or dremel and ask for maximum negative camber in the front during the alignment. In Europe, you can also use the Z4 mounts (SACHS 802-066) to lower the front by 10mm without affecting suspension travel.


Front control arm bushings
Stock Z4M
31107838575 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-control-arm-bushing-z4-31107838575)
$59
These will increase caster by about 1°. They are also made of solid rubber, offering better steering response and durability. If you are unable to press in the new bushings yourself, there is someone on the E46Fanatics forums that offers pre-pressed units (https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/new-oe-z4m-fcabs-lcabs-%E2%80%93-pre-pressed-front-control-arm-bushings-for-z4m-and-e46-mod.1119519/).


Front bump stops
Genuine E36 M3

31332225377 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-additional-damper-front-31332225377)
$19 x2
These are only 2/3 as tall as the stock bump stops. Alpina used them for their FE3 suspension package on the E46 Alpina B3, which also used a combination of SACHS dampers and Eibach springs.


Rear shock mounts
Stock E46
33521092362 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-shock-mount-33521092362)
$8 x2
A low cost option that works just fine.


Rear dampers
E36 M3 SACHS Pro Touring
290-816 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-shock-absorber-rear-m3-e36-290-816)

$65 x2
These should outperform even the old Advantage line.


Rear bump stops
E36 M3
33531138109 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-shock-bump-stop-rear-33531138109)
$6 x2
These are the shortest and stiffest available rear bump stops.


Total price


$519 with lifetime FCPEuro warranty





10. Option 2: Prioritize performance



Core part
Selection
Part number
Price
Notes


Springs
Eibach Pro-Kit

2067.140 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-pro-kit-performance-springs-set-of-4-springs-eibach-2067-140)
$110 - $281
The Pro-Kit is the least aggressive lowering spring available. It pairs well with SACHS shocks, offering both comfort and performance.


Front left damper
E46 SACHS Pro Touring
317-542 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-left-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-873)
$110
Previously known as SACHS Advantage.


Front right damper
E46 SACHS Pro Touring
317-541 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-assembly-front-right-e46-w-sport-suspension-556-874)
$110
Previously known as SACHS Advantage.


Front left strut mount
Genuine E36 M3
31332227897 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-mount-front-left-31332227897)
$55 - $170
Lemförder doesn’t make these anymore, so expensive Genuine parts are the only option. I recommend trying to find used units. These will increase caster by 2.5° and camber by -0.5°, but make sure to get MY96 or later versions, as only these have increased caster. Ride height remains the same. ECS has some cheaper OEM options (https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E36-M3-S52_3.2L/Suspension/Shocks/Front/Strut_Mount/) but I can’t vouch for them.


Front right strut mount
Genuine E36 M3
31332227898 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-strut-mount-front-right-31332227898)
$55 - $170
Install the left mount on the left and right mount on the right for maximum caster gain. If you prefer camber over caster, install them reversed.


Front bump stops
Genuine E36 M3

31332225377 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-additional-damper-front-31332225377)
$19 x2
These are only 2/3 as tall as the stock bump stops. Alpina used them for their FE3 suspension package on the E46 Alpina B3, which also used a combination of SACHS dampers and Eibach springs.


Rear shock mounts
Repair Shop Lifetime mounts
100.33.530.0013 (https://www.bimmerworld.com/Suspension-Steering/Camber-Caster-Parts/Lifetime-E30-E36-E46-3-Series-Rear-Shock-Mount-Set_2.html)
$40
These are stiffer and will last longer than stock mounts.


Rear dampers
E36 M3 SACHS Pro Touring
290-816 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-shock-absorber-rear-m3-e36-290-816)

$65 x2
These should outperform even the old Advantage line.


Rear bump stops
E36 M3
33531138109 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-shock-bump-stop-rear-33531138109)
$6 x2
These are the shortest and stiffest available rear bump stops.


Total price


$660 with lifetime FCPEuro warranty





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[Galapolis]

11. Budget: Stage 2



Core part
Selection
Part number
Price
Notes


Front sway bar
Genuine E46 M3
31352229755 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-stabilizer-bar-m3-31352229755)
$50 - 233
MacPherson struts suffer from a bad camber curve, leading to inconsistent and sometimes positive camber under compression. The 26mm M3 front bar will combat this issue and decrease understeer. Stick to used parts to keep costs down. This is a must if you want to take performance to the next level. If you only do one thing from this section, this should be it. Only use this with ZHP springs as springs and sway bars work together as a unit and must be matched.


Rear sway bar
Genuine E46 convertible/xdrive
33556751267 (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-stabilizer-bar-rear-33556751267)
$50 - 216
This 20mm rear sway bar complements the front M3 bar nicely. It is recommended but not absolutely necessary to get this rear bar.


Rear trailing arm bushings
Camry MOOG
K200786 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HRHTOQ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
$23 x2
The stock RTABs allow articulation with minimal binding at the cost of significant toe changes under compression. This results in a sloppy rear end. The perfect solution are spherical bushings like the MOOG units found on the Toyota Camry. They eliminate unwanted toe changes while allowing full articulation with no binding. Installation can be tricky (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?21496-sealed-spherical-RTAB-from-a-camry-!), but the increase in performance and grip is drastic. Note that the coupe will exhibit some clunking noises over sharp edges with these installed, unlike the sedan.


Total price


$146





12. Performance: Stage 2



Core part
Selection
Part number
Price
Notes


Sway bars
Eibach kit
2066.32 (https://store.vacmotorsports.com/eibach-sway-bar-kit-bmw-e46-rwd-p722.aspx)
$389
MacPherson struts suffer from a bad camber curve, leading to inconsistent and sometimes positive camber under compression. This Eibach kit with a 27mm front and 21mm rear bar will combat this issue and decrease understeer. It's out of production now, so grab one while you can. You must use this set if you opted for Eibach Pro-Kit springs because springs and sway bars act as one unit and need to be matched. This upgrade is absolutely necessary if you want to reach the next level of performance. Make sure to set the front bar to the stiffest setting for the best performance.



Rear trailing arm bushings
Camry MOOG
K200786 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HRHTOQ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
$23 x2
The stock RTABs allow articulation with minimal binding at the cost of significant toe changes under compression. This results in a sloppy rear end. The perfect solution are spherical bushings like the MOOG units found on the Toyota Camry. They eliminate unwanted toe changes while allowing full articulation with no binding. Installation can be tricky (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?21496-sealed-spherical-RTAB-from-a-camry-!), but the increase in performance and grip is drastic. Note that the coupe will exhibit some clunking noises over sharp edges with these installed, unlike the sedan.


Total price


$435





13. Alignment



Front camber
Front toe
Caster
Rear camber
Rear toe


-1.5° (budget); -2.2° (performance)
0.0°
6.3° (budget); 7.6° (performance)
-1.5° (budget); -1.4° (performance)
0.2° (total)

[BMWCurves]

Awesome write up! Definitely not common knowledge, I applaud your research.

[Hoonin88]

Incredible writeup. Great work!!!

[JPMo]

Good stuff here, I'm assuming a review is coming so I'll be awaiting. On another note, all these suspension threads are making me regret doing my suspension refresh a few months ago with Bilsteins and H&R sports...

[ZHPizza]

Damn this is excellent. Thanks for putting this together and sharing in an easily digestible format. I can't believe the quality that you can get for such a low total cost. Nice work!

[Galapolis]

Good stuff here, I'm assuming a review is coming so I'll be awaiting. On another note, all these suspension threads are making me regret doing my suspension refresh a few months ago with Bilsteins and H&R sports...

I might do a review, but I don't have that much experience with different suspension setups so we'll see. I think ZHPizza might actually be a better judge once he gets to test drive my car. The Bilsteins are still a great performance option. Definitely not something to feel bad about. And they're yellow too!

There is also a lot of extra information and trivia that I learned on my journey but left out in the interest of making an effective guide. I've already started compiling some of that information and will probably add that to the reserved post at some point.


Damn this is excellent. Thanks for putting this together and sharing in an easily digestible format. I can't believe the quality that you can get for such a low total cost. Nice work!

You should chime in again once you have those Porsche shocks installed and let us know how they are. Always good to have even more budget options. We're like Blues Clues over here exposing all these well kept E46 secrets.

[ZHPizza]

Got a chance to drive this car around my public test loop yesterday and I gotta say the R&D to put this kit together really paid off. It's how I imagine the ZHP felt leaving the showroom, but slightly better. The grip is there for sure, but I was most impressed with how composed the ride is. The suspension handled everything beautifully: sharp impacts that would normally send a chatter through the frame, deep dips that tend to bottom out most suspensions, and every other imperfection in the road you could think of. The car was composed through all of it and you could feel that perfectly damped curve that shock manufacturers like to show. This really is the ideal OE+ refresh kit for these cars.

[Hoonin88]

Just ordered everything from the A list. Turns out the used H&R kit I have been waiting for has bad rear shocks...

[az3579]

Are there any pictures of this setup installed on a car? Mainly looking for ride height pictures. I'm thinking replacing the stock, tired non-sport suspension on my touring with the budget line listed above...

[Galapolis]

Are there any pictures of this setup installed on a car? Mainly looking for ride height pictures. I'm thinking replacing the stock, tired non-sport suspension on my touring with the budget line listed above...

Here are 2 quick pics. Keep in mind that I have reinforcement plates in the back, so your car will be lower if you are just using the normal springs pads.

37475
37476

[az3579]

Thanks for the pics. That is a PERFECT ride height. Which of the two setups (budget vs. performance) do you have?

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[Galapolis]

I'm running the performance setup. I was able to score the Pro-Kit springs for only $80 on FB marketplace, but I am so impressed by them that I would happily pay much more if I needed to buy another set. I didn't really emphasize it in the guide, but it's very important that you use either ZHP springs or the Pro-Kit springs because their spring rates match the valving of the dampers I listed.

[jtamayo027]

Great write up! Wish I had this information 6 months back, definitely would have gone one of these two route.

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[jtamayo027]

Just ordered everything from the A list. Turns out the used H&R kit I have been waiting for has bad rear shocks...Hoonin88, have you installed this set up? Thoughts and impressions?

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[drummr8]

This is awesome! thanks so much for this write-up! Would everything be the same for a convertible ZHP? I think it's all the same...

[Galapolis]

This is awesome! thanks so much for this write-up! Would everything be the same for a convertible ZHP? I think it's all the same...

Yes it applies to all non-Ms.

[drummr8]

So, for anyone else who might be thinking of using this setup, here is some info I found out the hard way... The part about the Z4 strut mounts is not totally correct. I searched for the SACHS 803-148 and they are ~$60/ea (cheapest I found is eBay). They are not available from most places, including FCPEuro. So then, I searched for the European part number 802-066 and found them on eBay for $38/ea and ordered 2. Upon receiving them I noticed that the guide pin is in a different position. I then googled photos of both the 803-148 and 802-066 and they are totally different looking. At this point I think I'll probably just go ahead and order the standard mounts for the E46 :)
This guide is still very helpful though, so thank you OP.

[Galapolis]

So, for anyone else who might be thinking of using this setup, here is some info I found out the hard way... The part about the Z4 strut mounts is not totally correct. I searched for the SACHS 803-148 and they are ~$60/ea (cheapest I found is eBay). They are not available from most places, including FCPEuro. So then, I searched for the European part number 802-066 and found them on eBay for $38/ea and ordered 2. Upon receiving them I noticed that the guide pin is in a different position. I then googled photos of both the 803-148 and 802-066 and they are totally different looking. At this point I think I'll probably just go ahead and order the standard mounts for the E46 :)
This guide is still very helpful though, so thank you OP.

Thanks for finding this out. Many people on the German forums use the Z4 strut mounts. I guess this means they are not available in the US after all. In any case I would recommend the E36 M3 strut mounts for anyone looking for performance.

[ZHPMike]

Thank you for putting this together. I been looking at refreshing my suspension, with something slightly better than stock. The performance option seems best.

Do you have a recommendation for a kit for the bushings , control arms and what not? I’m looking to do a full refresh.


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[Bob1035]

Great thread, after years fiddling with aftermarket stuff, I've come around to the idea that OE/OE+ type setups are absolutely the best for street focused cars.

[Galapolis]

Thank you for putting this together. I been looking at refreshing my suspension, with something slightly better than stock. The performance option seems best.

Do you have a recommendation for a kit for the bushings , control arms and what not? I’m looking to do a full refresh.


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Depends on which bushings and what you are trying to get out of the car. For control arms there isn't much choice, just the the OEM control arms (left (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-control-arm-front-left-zhp-e46-febi-31122282121), right (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-control-arm-front-right-zhp-e46-febi-31122282122)) that are correct for your car.

For FCABs, either get the Meyle HD (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-control-arm-bushing-kit-front-e46-heavy-duty-31126757623my#reviews), which are stock specs but solid rubber instead of fluid filled, or get Z4M FCABs (left (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-control-arm-bushing-z4-31107836862), right (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-control-arm-bushing-z4-31107836863)), which are solid rubber with about 1° more caster. There's nothing wrong with getting the OE style Lemförder FCABs, but I had this style of bushing before and it only lasted me 3 months with my driving style and the roads that I have to drive on. My solid rubber Meyle HD has lasted for almost 3 years now.

For RTABs, the Camry spherical bushings (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HRHTOQ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) are by far the best option for the money. They're functionally the same thing as those $200-300 spherical aftermarket bushings, except they only cost about $25 per bushing. Installation isn't easy but absolutely worth it.

For subframe bushings, people will argue over what is best. One of the first companies to figure out the issue and offer reinforcements/repairs was MK-Motorsport in Germany. Part of their solution was to install solid subframe bushings, which spreads out the forces acting on the RACP and basically adds another layer of reinforcement from the bottom. So while I would recommend their aluminium subframe bushings (http://www.mk-motorsportteile.de/epages/63717011.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/63717011/Products/%22Alulager%20HA%20e46%22) (pre-drilled for weight reduction), any solid subframe bushings will do the job.

For rear controls arms, the non-M E46 will already have spherical bushings in some locations but rubber bushings in others. What some people do is replace all of them with the OEM spherical bushings. There are a few part numbers for inner/outer/upper/lower so I won't list them all here, but you can find what you need on FCP.

[cakM3]

For RTABs, the Camry spherical bushings (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HRHTOQ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) are by far the best option for the money. They're functionally the same thing as those $200-300 spherical aftermarket bushings, except they only cost about $25 per bushing.

I'm leaning on these RTABs for my ZHP and M3 when I change mine out...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51372217819_332f018097_o.png

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51372493805_9241f3739c_o.png

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51372217814_a17ed4f009_o.png

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51372217809_6db0f63906_o.png

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-trailing-arm-monoball-kit-syncro-design-works-rtab

[t.er]

I'm leaning on these RTABs for my ZHP and M3 when I change mine out...









https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-trailing-arm-monoball-kit-syncro-design-works-rtab

Pricey, but at least you get that lifetime warranty! I went with the Camry spherical bushings just because it was so cheap. But with the SDW RTABs there is a much larger area to press on, and you don't have to mess around with sanding the bushing housing down.

I came across this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A6SqbMowgE) showing the installation of the Bimmerworld sphericals with the free Autozone tool, which was why I borrowed it as well. But a combination of the significantly smaller press area, along with my tool being bent (not sure if they're all like that) made for a very fun time installing it.

[JPMo]

Depends on which bushings and what you are trying to get out of the car. For control arms there isn't much choice, just the the OEM control arms (left (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-control-arm-front-left-zhp-e46-febi-31122282121), right (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-control-arm-front-right-zhp-e46-febi-31122282122)) that are correct for your car.

For FCABs, either get the Meyle HD (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-control-arm-bushing-kit-front-e46-heavy-duty-31126757623my#reviews), which are stock specs but solid rubber instead of fluid filled, or get Z4M FCABs (left (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-control-arm-bushing-z4-31107836862), right (https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-suspension-control-arm-bushing-z4-31107836863)), which are solid rubber with about 1° more caster. There's nothing wrong with getting the OE style Lemförder FCABs, but I had this style of bushing before and it only lasted me 3 months with my driving style and the roads that I have to drive on. My solid rubber Meyle HD has lasted for almost 3 years now.

For RTABs, the Camry spherical bushings (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HRHTOQ0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) are by far the best option for the money. They're functionally the same thing as those $200-300 spherical aftermarket bushings, except they only cost about $25 per bushing. Installation isn't easy but absolutely worth it.

For subframe bushings, people will argue over what is best. One of the first companies to figure out the issue and offer reinforcements/repairs was MK-Motorsport in Germany. Part of their solution was to install solid subframe bushings, which spreads out the forces acting on the RACP and basically adds another layer of reinforcement from the bottom. So while I would recommend their aluminium subframe bushings (http://www.mk-motorsportteile.de/epages/63717011.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/63717011/Products/%22Alulager%20HA%20e46%22) (pre-drilled for weight reduction), any solid subframe bushings will do the job.

For rear controls arms, the non-M E46 will already have spherical bushings in some locations but rubber bushings in others. What some people do is replace all of them with the OEM spherical bushings. There are a few part numbers for inner/outer/upper/lower so I won't list them all here, but you can find what you need on FCP.

Did you find that you get ALOT more bump steer with the Z4M FCABs. I find that my car will not steer straight without constant correction and thats with several alignments and a completely refreshed suspension. Even if I'm coming to a stop at a light with lumpy pavement, my wheel will turn pretty dramatically in accordance with the road. I just don't remember experiencing that with the stock FCABs. I guess thats what happens when you increase castor for that improved turn in but I'm not a fan.

[Galapolis]

Did you find that you get ALOT more bump steer with the Z4M FCABs. I find that my car will not steer straight without constant correction and thats with several alignments and a completely refreshed suspension. Even if I'm coming to a stop at a light with lumpy pavement, my wheel will turn pretty dramatically in accordance with the road. I just don't remember experiencing that with the stock FCABs. I guess thats what happens when you increase castor for that improved turn in but I'm not a fan.

I'm don't have Z4M FCABs but I do have the E36 M3 strut mounts, which add about 2.5° more caster. I don't really have bump steer or if I do, I don't notice it at all. The stock E46 only runs about 5° of caster which I think is very low. Modern cars run between 7-8° (GTI, Mazda 6 for example), which is also what I'm running on my car right now.

[JPMo]

I'm don't have Z4M FCABs but I do have the E36 M3 strut mounts, which add about 2.5° more caster. I don't really have bump steer or if I do, I don't notice it at all. The stock E46 only runs about 5° of caster which I think is very low. Modern cars run between 7-8° (GTI, Mazda 6 for example), which is also what I'm running on my car right now.

Interesting. So the only other thing I can think of is the M3 strut brace but surely that shouldn't matter...Right???

[Galapolis]

Interesting. So the only other thing I can think of is the M3 strut brace but surely that shouldn't matter...Right???

If you ask me my car would probably feel like it had more bump steer than yours if you drove it. My guess is that I'm just not sensitive to it or rather that I expect/want the car to behave that way. Maybe I would also notice it more if I had a direct comparison by driving a stock E46 and my car back to back.

[ZHPizza]

If you ask me my car would probably feel like it had more bump steer than yours if you drove it. My guess is that I'm just not sensitive to it or rather that I expect/want the car to behave that way. Maybe I would also notice it more if I had a direct comparison by driving a stock E46 and my car back to back.You had the e36m3 strut mounts in the last time I drove it, right? Didn't feel any bump steer or twitchiness.

[Galapolis]

You had the e36m3 strut mounts in the last time I drove it, right? Didn't feel any bump steer or twitchiness.

It did yes, thanks for chiming in. Almost forgot about that. Might be something else going on with your car then @JPMo.

[JPMo]

It did yes, thanks for chiming in. Almost forgot about that. Might be something else going on with your car then @JPMo.

maybe bumpsteer isn't the correct term but I don't know how else to describe steering feeling that is very sensitive to the road changes. Maybe thats what a BMW is all about.

[sillieidiot]

maybe bumpsteer isn't the correct term but I don't know how else to describe steering feeling that is very sensitive to the road changes. Maybe thats what a BMW is all about.

I think this is more of an alignment issue. Usually an increase in caster makes the car less likely to turn, basically more stability driving straight. If you have a lot of negative camber in the front with 0 toe (or toe out), it will move like how you're describing. The other thing could be the tires. Some tires are more susceptible to like tramlining (ie. Michelin PSS).

[ZHPizza]

I think this is more of an alignment issue. Usually an increase in caster makes the car less likely to turn, basically more stability driving straight. If you have a lot of negative camber in the front with 0 toe (or toe out), it will move like how you're describing. The other thing could be the tires. Some tires are more susceptible to like tramlining (ie. Michelin PSS).This is a good point. The darting usually means you're toed out, but even with a perfect alignment my car was an absolute terror on the highway with heavily worn PSS's.

[san]

This is a good point. The darting usually means you're toed out, but even with a perfect alignment my car was an absolute terror on the highway with heavily worn PSS's.

Can confirm. My car with work worn PSS on a wet and rainy I-80 was tramlining so much it wasn’t funny.


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[SharadnM3]

I am in the process of upgrading the suspension on my wife's 2003 325i sedan with ZHP parts. I have a complete set of springs and will buy new dampers. FCPro is telling me that there are the correct dampers:317-539 and 317-540 but the link above states that these are the correct one: 317-541 and 317-542. What do you all think?

[Galapolis]

I am in the process of upgrading the suspension on my wife's 2003 325i sedan with ZHP parts. I have a complete set of springs and will buy new dampers. FCPro is telling me that there are the correct dampers:317-539 and 317-540 but the link above states that these are the correct one: 317-541 and 317-542. What do you all think?

Are you looking for ZHP suspension or MSport suspension? The ZHP just came with regular sport dampers, not the MSport dampers.

[SharadnM3]

I am not sure I know the difference. It is my wife's car so comfort has to be taken into account but I found the stock suspension too floaty.

[Galapolis]

I am not sure I know the difference. It is my wife's car so comfort has to be taken into account but I found the stock suspension too floaty.

Only you can decide what you'd prefer. All I can say is that even with Pro-Kit springs and MSport dampers, my car has remained very comfortable. At the end of the day these are still stock BMW dampers, so nothing that would compromise ride quality too much.

[SharadnM3]

The 317-541/542 indicate they are for both the Sports suspension settings (S226A) and M Sport Package II (S338A) the 317-539/540 indicate they are only for the Sports suspension settings (S226A).

[SharadnM3]

Do you know which ones are stiffer? Which ones did you use 317-541/542? These are the ones I ordered

[Galapolis]

Do you know which ones are stiffer? Which ones did you use 317-541/542? These are the ones I ordered

It's all explained in the first post. I'm running all the parts from Option 2, including 541/542. The MSport dampers are the stiffest option.

[SharadnM3]

OK Great! Thanks for putting this together, it was a big help to me in moving forward with this project.

[SharadnM3]

One more question. I have put it all back together and it feels great. I changed the dampers and springs from stock so I guess it is a little lower. I did not think to measure height before proceeding. Do I need to get an alignment? I guess the strut bearings are the same for stock and ZHP with the little positioning nub so this doesn't look like it would change. How about the toe in?

[Galapolis]

Yes you need an alignment after replacing suspension. The E36 M3 strut mounts do not have guide pins. The Z4 and stock E46 mounts do. I would delete the nub and go for maximum camber.

I use 0 toe front and 0.1° toe in the rear.

[SharadnM3]

Thanks Galapolis. I did not use the e36 top hats I just kept the stock ones.

[Galapolis]

Made some adjustments for better readability. Also removed the Z4 mounts from the table since it was pointed out that they are not available in the US. In return, I added the Z4M FCABs to the budget build to emphasize the performance aspect, so the total price has gone up a little. I also added additional upgrades in the reserved post, again to underline the performance aspect of what I'm trying to achieve here.

[tlow98]

Thanks for posting the Sway bar info in the second post. For everyone in here, I bought Certeco brand E36 M3 front strut mounts. I'll get some detailed pics of them and if they turn out to be as good as they look I'll let Galapolis decide if they are good enough for his extremely well-curated list.

I'm super excited to get this suspension out on.

Bravo Galapolis!

[autobarn]

This is unbelievably awesome work! I am deeply grateful to you.

[ZHPMike]

Once again this amazing. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I plan on keep my ‘04 for forever so help like this goes a long way.


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[Turd Ferguson]

Outstanding thread and great breakdown, @Galapolis. Made it a lot easier to decide on parts.

I did do a slight variation from your budget build:

Added a Rogue Engineering RSM and front strut bar, AKM black poly rear subframe bushings, a Bimmerworld rear subframe reinforcement kit (hasn't cracked yet but figure i should do it now), front strut reinforcement plate, the Camry bushings for the RTA, and the FCP 8-piece control arm kit. I kicked around the e36 top hats but at the end of the day if I decide i need more camber, I'll go with plates. For now I'm going to run the stock ZHP springs and sway.

The car still has to be tame and reliable enough to daily. I've officially now spent more than I paid for it last September catching up on 17 years of deferred maintenance and repairs from previous owners.

[thegenius46m]

Great findings OP! My sedan still has original stock dampers and springs with an xi rear sway, m3 rtabs, z4m fcabs, and alignment tweaks to get the car as neutral as possible. It worked pretty well for the past year and I'm happy to report the ride quality has not noticeably changed but the car has much less understeer. I am planning to go the next step for a little more turn in and will probably put the stock m3 bar on up front with e36 bumpstops and see how that works because a shorter front bumpstop should promote less understeer since it is engaging later.

My ultimate goal with the sedan is as neutral as possible balance with a slight oversteer bias while maintaining the factory damper compliance because it really is very good. Even on very high speed canyon roads, the car can just blow through the bumps and not get thrown off the road.

Now I had some questions to clarify in regards to the damper options for Sachs as of present as it appears from your post that there is no way to purchase original ZHP sport dampers from Sachs anymore as the rears are now a softer unit. Anyone aware if the genuine bmw variant (33 52 2 282 461) is indeed the same as the newly revised Sachs (556-882) unit that none of us want or is it closer to the listed TRW JGT439T? If the genuine bmw unit has been updated as well to match the Sachs dampening, then forget it.

It appears now that the only option really is E36 M3 rear dampers (unless someone can confirm the findings of the 461 rears from bmw) but I'm curious with ZHP springs, has anyone actually compared the compared the compliance of the E36 M3 dampers on this car vs genuine original units that aren't blown? One of the things so many people love about stock ZHP suspension is how smooth it is on the compliance side. Something i'd prefer not to ruin or chase my tail on when the dampers go relatively soon I imagine.

Now for the fronts, has anyone compared the 317-541 and 317-542 recommended struts from the M sport E46 to the original Sachs ZHP sport dampers 317-539 and 317-540 and care to comment on ride compliance between the units? I'm just torn why BMW would use worse dampers on the post 9/01 sport package cars than they would for the post 9/01 sport and ZHP models.

Also can anyone confirm between the two front damper options that the dampers are indeed the same length?

[Galapolis]

I'm just torn why BMW would use worse dampers on the post 9/01 sport package cars than they would for the post 9/01 sport and ZHP models.


When the car came out, US journalists did praise the handling and performance of the sports package E46, but they complained about the ride comfort. In response, BMW got rid of the MTech suspension and went with softer sports suspension. Since the preference of the US market is softer suspension (necessary too due to the bad road conditions), the ZHP (primarily for the US market) just stuck with the sports dampers. Regional differences can be quite large, I've also read that the Eibach Pro-Kit is linear in Europe but progressive in the US.

From what I understand, compliance between the sport and MTech damper is similar. The MTech dampers do offer more performance, but we are talking about differences in the region of 10% here if you believe comments on the German forums, so ride comfort and compliance will take only a very small hit. Perhaps even no hit with the shorter bump stops.

As for 556 882 and the genuine unit, I can't say for certain. I would just ask BMW directly. If they state that valving has been changed in recent years on the genuine unit, then we can assume they are following the 556 882 part. I can only speak from my experience but rear smoothness really improved the most for me not with damper changes, but with spherical RTABs. The E36 M3 unit will be stiffer, but I find that it absorbs bumps very well while also performing great on track.

If you are looking for a slight oversteer bias, what you really need are the E36 M3 strut mounts.

If by front damper length you mean that both the sport and MTech dampers have rebound springs then the answer is yes.

Perhaps @ZHPizza can chime in again about your compliance questions since he owns a ZHP with good suspension setup and has driven my car.

[thegenius46m]

Good info! I am definitely considering the E36 M3 strut mounts as I came across a set for a reasonable price and wanted to confirm if you have Z4M fcabs and the strut mounts on your car? Trying to determine if that 2.5 degree increase in caster really is true? I have 5.8 degrees now with Z4M cabs and if the 2.5 degree increase really is true, I would be at 8.5 degrees of caster which might be too much steering effort. Ideally would like to be in the low to mid 7s so at that point I may just do aftermarket camber plates. Curious to hear back from you.

[Galapolis]

I'm running only the strut mounts and stock FCABs. Currently I have about 7.5° of caster. I'm planning on getting the Z4M FCABs when I replace my control arms again. That should get it up to 8.5°. Many modern cars like the GTI run that kind of caster so I think around 8-9 is a good value to have. Steering effort has stayed the same for me going from 5° to 7.5°, though other people may feel differently.

[tlow98]

Hi @thegenius46m,

I might be able to help here on a couple points. I’m running the most aggressive setup as described by Galapolis. E36m front strut mounts, Z4m FCABS, e46 M rear dampers (front MSport), rear Turner monoball RTAB, and stock sport springs all around.

The rear on this car is amazing - supple and buttoned down. The e36m damper feels shockingly well matched. Reminiscent of koni yellows which I have on other cars. I wish the front were as good. I’m going to replace control arms, add a strut bar and assess from there to see if I can match the feel of the rear. It’s also possible that the reinforcements I did in the rear (SME bar, Vince front cups, poly subframe bushings) make the front feel a bit soft in comparison. But the rear is nowhere near harsh even with all that I’ve done. Normally I’m very sensitive to NVH issues.

On the caster, which I’m in the 8.5 ballpark. It feels good. I don’t believe it increased the effort much if at all, but the wheel does self-center faster. This is a positive for me. It’s not drastic either, but subtle.

Overall, for the money, this combination seems pretty unbeatable.

[thegenius46m]

Appreciate the responses from both of you guys! I have stock E46 M3 rtabs and M3 ball joints on the sedan atm with plans to do solid subframe and monoball rtabs when I get the reinforcement done. Same setup as my M3 so I know what you mean. The rear on these cars will always make a bigger difference than the front. It's just the suspension design. Properly matched dampers and spring rates is the most crucial though to maintain flat ride (dampening with the same motion ratios front and rear) like BMW built these cars with.

My M3 has about 7.5 degrees of caster with a ZHP rack and 275s up front so I know what you mean about the self centering. Curious what it will feel like on the sedan because the non-m knuckles have a much quicker lever arm ratio so I'm curious if the steering weight goes up considerably. PS should compensate quite a bit though. For $130 for the E36M strut mounts though, why not? I can always go back lol.

So I drove my friend's ZHP with similar mileage and the same mods as my car but with Koni yellows and honestly I was not a fan. Hilariously I felt the stock sport dampers on my car felt better. He did have garbage hankook v12s which didn't help though and he's now looking to do this complete setup if that tells you anything.

I'm very picky and notice everything and one thing that does concern me after talking to my suspension builder on the M3, Shaikh at Fat Cat Motorsports, he says the M3 is rebound biased damping where non-m tends to be compression biased after dyno testing both. Not sure if E36 is also the same as E46 M3 (cars are very similar chassis wise), I'm really curious if this is the reason for your comment on "I wish the front felt as good as the rear" now that I think about it. Rebound bias will give the car a more hunker down feel but will not be as compliant. Now we're still talking stock dampers here so I imagine it's not a lot, and I bought my M3 almost 10yrs ago so I can't remember what that felt like but I recall favoring the non-m sport dampers a little more on a backroad.

I think at this point for the rear we really don't have an option though given the original sport rears don't exist so E36 M3 rear seems to be the only justifiable option if you don't want to drop 6k on dampers like I did on my other car lol. For how cheap they are, I will most likely give it a go or at least see what my friend's car feels like after so I can assess what I want to do when my dampers need replacement as shockingly my sedan with 90k miles legit saw no hard use or abusive roads. The dampers still work pretty damn well which is hilarious given the age of the shock oil.

[Galapolis]

Thanks for chiming in and answering some of the outstanding questions @tlow98! Much appreciated.



I'm very picky and notice everything and one thing that does concern me after talking to my suspension builder on the M3, Shaikh at Fat Cat Motorsports, he says the M3 is rebound biased damping where non-m tends to be compression biased after dyno testing both.


So the new 556 882 part is going to be rebound biased as well. In the case of the E46 (especially when lowered), the rear damper doesn't do much in terms of compression anyway. The compression motion is mostly controlled by the bump stop. They carried over this design into the E90 and 1 series as well. There was a good post about this on the 1 series forums I believe, if you want I can try to dig out that link. I guess that's probably why the Sachs revisions have been going more and more towards favoring rebound stiffness over compression, but I'm no expert.



Not sure if E36 is also the same as E46 M3 (cars are very similar chassis wise), I'm really curious if this is the reason for your comment on "I wish the front felt as good as the rear" now that I think about it.


The suspension design on both is very similar (hence why so many E36 parts fit on E46), but that's not the reason for tlow98's front to back difference. I had the exact same issue as him and it was because of the X-brace. It stiffens up the rear so dramatically that the car feels unbalanced afterwards. I fixed this by getting a properly stiff front strut bar. It adds a lot of weight but the cheap and light strut bars simply don't work properly. I had one of those too in the past. If you want cheap and stiff, you just have to take the weight penalty.

Also keep in mind I am running Eibach springs + matched sway bars with the front bar on stiff. Sway bars make a HUGE difference on the E46. Ask any E46 owner who tracks their car and they will confirm that. In fact, Fat Cat Motorsports has a ride harmonics calculator here (https://www.fatcatmotorsports.com/FCM_Ride_Harmony_BMW_E46_M3_Online/FCM_Ride_Harmony_BMW_E46_M3_Online.htm) and you will quickly see that you need rather massive/stiff front sway bars on our cars. The reason for this is explained in my second post. tlow98 is still running stock sway bars and I did recommend to him to at least get the M3 bar for the front. As it stands with my current setup, my front is as hunkered down as the rear and the main difference between his and my car is really just the front strut bar and sway bars (you can count the springs too but the Pro-Kit is barely any different from stock).

Just a fun fact too. I've run my car with the rear sway bar completely disconnected and just the front Eibach bar on stiff and it made no difference as far as handling goes. If anything, it almost felt more compliant on mountain roads while maintaining the same balance. Although it does affect how you need to drive the car.



I think at this point for the rear we really don't have an option though given the original sport rears don't exist so E36 M3 rear seems to be the only justifiable option if you don't want to drop 6k on dampers like I did on my other car lol. For how cheap they are, I will most likely give it a go or at least see what my friend's car feels like after so I can assess what I want to do when my dampers need replacement as shockingly my sedan with 90k miles legit saw no hard use or abusive roads. The dampers still work pretty damn well which is hilarious given the age of the shock oil.

Obviously I'm biased but you summarize it pretty well. At the end of the day the difference isn't going to be tremendous. It's really all in the title. OEM+ for a great price. Hard to go wrong if you ask me. The only thing I would ask is to prioritize the front sway bar. Our cars really need them. Maybe even invest in a set of Hotchkis bars and run the front on stiff and rear on soft. That and equalize the chassis stiffness if you have a X-brace.

[thegenius46m]

Friend just got the proposed setup with M sport fronts and E36 M3 rear dampers which I still need to drive for myself, but he did say it is a little stiff compared to his Konis. Whatever that means lol. I will have to evaluate for myself, but honestly there's a strong possibility I will just stay with the stock sport front dampers (Sach 539 and 541) and go with the TRW JGT439T dampers in the rear. I just want exactly what I have for dampers lol.

Trodo has the TRW rears for roughly $180 for two.

https://www.trodo.com/shock-absorber-trw-jgt439t

[RUS_ZHP]

I just want to say big thanks for putting all together here. I just ordered the remaining parts to complete my suspension refresh. I went with Budget Option 2, mainly because I already have a set of Eibach springs and want to give them a try. Plus, Koni yellow became pretty expensive.
I will post my impressions here once everything is installed. The only decision is left for me is which RTAB to choose. I think I am gonna do with Camry.

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[Crossworth]

Happy Thanksgiving to all,
I wanted to ask contributors to this post. Has there been any discoveries / improvements regarding the budget set-up, such as updated part # to the shocks, or alternatives to eiBach springs. etc.


I am planning to buy shocks and springs during Black Friday weekend sale, assuming the items are on sale.
I have a MY2000 e46 s54 Touring swap. It currently has DG coilovers that PO installed. I find it stiff. According to the manufacturer, that is the softest street set-up they offer.

The goal for the Touring is to replicate the ZHP road manners of the E46 ZHPs, or least as close as possible, considering the Tourings are heavier by 300 to 400lbs. From what I have read online the Tourings curb weight (3,400 ~3,600lbs ) are heavier than sedans or coupes.
Should I be using different rear shocks or springs.
Or should I stick with what has been initially posted ?

Your input will be greatly appreciated,
Thank you,

[Galapolis]

Springs are always matched, there is no one stock spring or Eibach spring. Being aftermarket though, the Eibach options are simplified, you just choose the engine (318i, 320i, 325i etc.) and the body type.

S54 is heavier than the M54 so an OEM+ setup like in this guide might not be for you. In such a case I would probably get M3 coilovers from Sachs or Eibach.

[Garagebound]

Great thread!

My use case: 2004 ZHP Coupe 138K. RTABs are shot. Their replacement is leading to the replacement of the rear dampers-->mounts-->stops.
Driving: Street and possibly a little track for fun. Not competitive.
Starting with rear only. Front is OE sans new Lemforder FCABs.

Question: Regarding RTABs... I plan to have a local BMW shop install the bushings. Would the Camry MOOG bushings be a installation problem or just some extra effort?

[Crossworth]

Springs are always matched, there is no one stock spring or Eibach spring. Being aftermarket though, the Eibach options are simplified, you just choose the engine (318i, 320i, 325i etc.) and the body type.

S54 is heavier than the M54 so an OEM+ setup like in this guide might not be for you. In such a case I would probably get M3 coilovers from Sachs or Eibach.


Thank you for the advice.

[wstr75]

I did not know the S54 is significantly heavier than the M54 until reading the above post and thus did a search to find this link:
https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/e30-technical-forums/24v-engine-swaps/m50-52-s50-52/200301-my-bmw-engine-weights-guide

The S54 is considerably heavier than the M54. Thanks for pointing this out, Galapolis!

[Galapolis]

Question: Regarding RTABs... I plan to have a local BMW shop install the bushings. Would the Camry MOOG bushings be a installation problem or just some extra effort?

You should probably consult with your mechanic about that.

[t.er]

You should probably consult with your mechanic about that.+1. Not all garages want to do the fab required, though it is minimal

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[Garagebound]

Installed the below yesterday.. But 2 rookie questions for you guys..
1. Of the two pics, which way has the damper attached correctly on the bottom?


E36 M3 (Sachs) dampers, bump stops, as recommended
E46 M3 mounts sub'd in


Was concerned dust covers might not fit the slightly larger circumference dampers, but fit was fine :)

Lastly, I am opting not to take the Camry Moog route for RTABs, and bought the Meyle HDs. Should have asked the local shop, as he will only install customer provided parts for cash and will not warranty his work. I get it.. with all the yahoos out there wanting after market chinese crap installed I wouldn't warranty it either. Therefore, for him to warranty work, he will have to secure the parts.

2. With that being said, are the Meyle HD the a good option?

Thanks in advance!

396233962439625

[danewilson77]

Has the below happened to anyone else? I received the below email:

I dont know if this site is dead now, I can’t seem to log in to comment on this post.

The front strut part numbers he’s saying to buy is incorrect. I just wasted $300 and 3 hours listening to it.


Front left damper E46 SACHS Pro Touring 317-542 $110 Previously known as SACHS Advantage.
Front right damper E46 SACHS Pro Touring 317-541 $110


This is wrong. It will raise the ride height to a base level car. Please delete this before more people get screwed over.

[Galapolis]

Must be a troll, we all know dampers don't change ride height.

[ZHPMike]

Post needs inflation prices updated lol.


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[Galapolis]

Post needs inflation prices updated lol.


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Yeah.. I'll probably do a 2024 update soon, although I don't think much will change apart from the prices. Looks like all parts are also still available, which is nice to see. In the meantime I got to see the KYB strut mounts in person (thanks ZHPizza) and they looked OK, so I might add those too given the price of the OEM mounts.

Also I don't often get proper driving feedback on this setup, but someone over at E46Fanatics was kind enough to share their impressions: https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/koni-str-t.1293102/#post-19196059

[rix617]

I thought I posted feedback on here but I just looked and I guess I didn't. I used your guide to refresh the suspension on both my ZHPs. One was about 140k miles and the other about 110k. My only experience is the before and after results, I've never used any other aftermarket setups. To me it was a night and day difference both times and the car felt so much better. When I pulled the old shocks out and compressed them they barely expanded at all so they definitely needed replacement.

I'm very appreciative of the work you did to put this guide together! I've pointed several people to it who were looking to refresh their suspensions.

[2wenty]

Im massively disappointed I listened to the recommended part numbers given here in this thread. First of all, 317-542 and 317-541 raised the ride height of my ZHP, I also did the e36 m3 rear shocks too. This setup turned my cars handling from amazing to base model nissan altama. The front and rear valving is not matched with this setup. My stock suspension with 300,000 handled much better. Who care is the m3 rear shock is bigger and more oil, if its not matched in valving its kinda point less. My ZHP rears lasted almost 300K doesn't matter if it was skinny.

Now Im going to have to buy all this stuff over again to get it back to where it should have been. So before anyone jumps, do some research instead of listing to bigger is better and having to drive your car pissed off everyday that you blew a bunch of money on the wrong stuff.

[TrKy3]

Any time I’ve used the e36 m3 rear shocks they’ve been fine.
I’ve done it on two or three Zhp’s now. No slop and it handles great.
Are your springs or anything else worn? Control arms?

[Vas]

I recently installed a set of Koni Active on an e46 and would highly recommend them with oe springs.

However the front also became higher but this is due to the worn out flat upper mounts.

[fredo]

I compared the front height on these 2 ZHP sedans. Measure is in mm starting at the bottom of rim, going thru center cap to bottom of fender.

2005 ZHP sedan with 125k miles
Original struts
602 mm (FL)

2005 ZHP sedan with 158k miles
Suspension refreshed 3 years/7k miles ago with Sachs
Added reinforcement plates (around 2 mm thick)
607 mm (FR)

I didn't measure before the suspension refresh. I measured immediately afterwards and got this:
FL = 613 mm
FR = 611 mm

So yes, the height is decreasing over time.

[Chas3n]

Yeah.. I'll probably do a 2024 update soon, although I don't think much will change apart from the prices. Looks like all parts are also still available, which is nice to see. In the meantime I got to see the KYB strut mounts in person (thanks ZHPizza) and they looked OK, so I might add those too given the price of the OEM mounts.

Also I don't often get proper driving feedback on this setup, but someone over at E46Fanatics was kind enough to share their impressions: https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/koni-str-t.1293102/#post-19196059

I’m hoping you can verify some parts for me, as I did plug in your part numbers, specifically the front struts, and while my wholesale vendors photo showed a red label Sachs, what I got is different. They also look shorter than I’m accustomed to seeing. I measured the shaft (haha yes) and have some photos of you wouldn’t mind verifying everything looks correct.

I can also update some pricing for you tomorrow, Atleast what MSRP is being listed at. As I work at a shop, I paid less than listed MSRP on all this.

Not shown is the Z4 base strut mounts which ironically were cheaper with my ECS wholesale account than my shop warehouse vendor account. (Worldpac/SSF)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240105/be7d1b19c0d4a215418d3afbac6a9147.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240105/c08b938bbb9ffeb39289b21e4681c71a.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240105/4e5dc92e7c8b346e71afb97af2b3076d.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240105/198331a49c5d0a2141729abde22e0612.jpg


I greatly appreciate your time putting this all together! My last pieces are the Eibach springs and m3 front sway!


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[CPHES]

I just ordered up the Sachs for the front of my 01 330Ci Vert ( with 226A from factory ). I'll let you know how it goes.

[Galapolis]

The part numbers should be clear, 317 541 is correct for the front right.

[GeorgeH]

2005 ZHP sedan with 158k miles
Suspension refreshed 3 years/7k miles ago with Sachs
Added reinforcement plates (around 2 mm thick)
607 mm (FR)

We've come to find out that the E46 strut mount has been superseded to an E9x part number and I suspect it is dimensionally taller than the E46 used to be which then raises the front end ride height.

Lately we have been using a "shorter" Z4 strut mount with reinforcement plates.

https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/landonh12s-2002-325i-touring-5-speed.1301213/post-19016159

[slater]

george, wow - that pic in your thread on E46F is enlightening for sure! thanks for that.

[GeorgeH]

george, wow - that pic in your thread on E46F is enlightening for sure! thanks for that.

I would like to get my hands on an NOS E46 strut mount from the mid 2000s to measure. I really think they must have been shorter than the E90 but its hard to say for sure. When I was at the dealership during that time period we did our own alignments and I really don't recall being surprised at how tall E46s were with new mounts, but maybe I just didn't do enough or the fact it was 15+ yrs ago.

Either way if you use the E46/E90 mount the car is going to be a monster truck up front until the mounts start to collapse with age.

Swapping to the Z4 mount with reinforcement plates seems to be the sweet spot.

[Galapolis]

Z4 mounts are 10mm shorter than E46 stock mounts. Z4 mounts are one of the oldest and most popular mods on the E46, at least outside the US.

[JohnnyGraphic]

Thanks to Galapolis and all of the other posters for your input!!! I'm faced with the same dilema and need to upgrade soon. Appreciate the easy to digest breakdown of parts and part #'s.