Rogue Engineering - Rebuildable Rear Shock Mounts

Say goodbye to rear end clunks! With the introduction of the Rogue Engineering Rear Shock Mounts, you have a high quality, rebuildable, easily serviceable rear shock mount. Problems with Factory Mounts The factory BMW rear shock mounts are generally a little soft, to provide the most possible acoustically dampening in the vehicle. However, design precludes them from being stout enough to withstand the rigors of aftermarket suspension, or even badly damaged roads. A decent sized pothole can send a perfectly good factory rear shock mount to pop out, making it entirely useless necessitating replacement. Upgrading to E46 M3 rear mounts (a popular alternative) is not a guarantee that it doesn't happen again and again. Because of poor design and extensive abuse, stock BMW rear shock mounts mounts often fail with rubber deteriorating which then allows the inner metal sleeve to start moving (or eventually separate from the rubber). Usually, this manifests itself as squeaking, rattling, clunking and deflection of the rear shock mount, leading to poor suspension performance and a great deal of annoyance. Replacing the RSM's with OEM units provides temporary relief, but invariably they fail again, usually in 20K miles or so, but often MUCH less when aftermarket high performance shocks are used. What about those "heavy duty" factory style mounts? There has been the introduction of a factory style mount touted as "heavy duty", "taper-core", "ultimate", "stage 1" and many more. This revised version of a factory mount addresses a single issue (of many) problems with factory style mounts. A rear shock typically exerts a load (F) on the rear shock mount. The claim being made by these "ultimate doodie" mounts is that the redesigned center steel core with "wings" (indicated by the blue arrows) prevent the center core from tearing, separating and falling through the bottom of the rubber mount. The problem which still exists, when the rubber deteriorates and fails. When cracking/tearing rubber begins at the top (highlighted in yellow), then entire rubber assembly (with very secure steel core!) comes down with it all. Like factory mounts, these revised versions are not serviceable and only will only eventually take up room in the local garbage can when they fail. It's black-painted, stamped steel housing cannot resist corrosion the same way aluminum and 304 stainless steel. Rogue Engineering Rear Shock Mount By producing a rear shock machined from 6061-T6 aluminum, we are able attain a more stable, and stiffer platform which to mount the top of the rear shock. However, rather than use race-only spherical bearings or even overly stiff urethane bushings, we specify Shore A 65 hardness rubber bushings (approximately 30% stiffer than the factory bushings) to allow for street comfort and compliance. Our findings show that overly stiff urethane bushings do not allow the rear shock to move, making the attachment of the lower part of the shock under strain. The construction of the aluminum shock mount plate and orientation of the bushings makes it impossible for the bushings to "pop out" in the manner which the factory style mounts fail. Since the bushings are rubber, when they require replacement, rebuilding them takes only a matter of minutes. Only 4 bushings require replacement (for a pair of RSMs) and are sold for $14 for the set. Other important details include the use of 303 stainless steel components (compression washers and spacers) for long-lasting corrosion resistance. All other hardware is metric, and either Grade 8 or better, treated with a yellow zinc plating, again for corrosion resistance. Protection and Quick Installation/Removal Another unique feature is the reinforcement assembly which secures the rear shock mount to the vehicle. By reinforcing the top of the shock tower in the vehicle, it protect against the rear shock from ripping out the sheet metal. Additionally, the reinforcement has its hardware welded to it, allowing for the rear shock mount to become a bottom-mount design. This means that if the rear shocks need to be removed, it only requires removing the two nuts and the single bolt at the bottom of the shock. Once installed, there is no need to completely disassemble the trunk area to gain access. If being used with a rear strut tower brace, the reinforcement assembly may be mounted from the bottom, so that the rear shock mount can be secured in the traditional manner. The Rogue Engineering Rear Shock Mounts are designed to be used with standard 10mm shaft diameter rear shocks, but can also be used with 12mm shaft diameter shocks (shocks typically with top adjustments) with the use of optional top and bottom washers (or modifying the supplied ones, by opening them larger). Simply removing the center stainless steel shaft of the assembly allows for the larger diameter shock to then be used. Rogue Engineering Rear Shock Mount Set includes: - (2) Rogue Engineering 6061-T6 CNC, Anodized Rear Shock Mounts - (4) Shore A 65 Rubber Bushings - (2) 303 Stainless Steel Bushing Spacers (to be used with standard 10mm rear shocks) - (4) 303 Stainless Steel Washers (2 required per mount) - (4) Yellow Zinc plated M8 serrated lock nuts - (2) Shock Tower Reinforcement Assemblies (with 10.9 hardware welded) - (2) factory gaskets Shock Sizes: BMW OEM Shocks: 10mm H&R Coilovers: 10mm FK Coilovers: 10mm ST Coilovers: 10mm KW Variant 1, 2 & 3: 10mm Bilstein HD, Sport, PSS Coilvers: 10mm Koni Sport/Dinan: 10mm All AST 4XXX/5XXX Series: 10mm Tein (some): 12mm TC Kline S/A or D/A: 12mm JRZ RS: 12mm The above list is meant as a guide. If your application is not listed, measuring the OD of the rear shock shaft will determine how the RE RSM will need to be used to fit. Models Supported: 1995-1999 BMW E36 M3 1999-2006 BMW E46 3-Series & M3 2003-2008 BMW E85/E86 Z4 & Z4M