In need of a rear diff brace bushing

[TinCanSailor]

I bought an rkautowerks billet rear diff and my bushing is too aged. The RK diff brace doesnt come with a bushing and BMW does not sell the a la carte. If you have a good bushing or know of a vendor that has one that fits our diffs please hit me up via DM or reply in the thread. If you are shopping for diff braces I'd suggest ya just find a reinforcement for the factory brace vs going this route. Delrins are too stiff and ya cant find an oe equivalent for this.

I am not building a power monster so I'll post this up for sale before I buy a new bmw diff brace just for the bushing. I may just post the diff brace up for sale.

[crazyinp]

Let me known what you find out. I want to swap mine but as you , I don't want to give up comfort!

[TinCanSailor]

Absolutely. About 2 months ago I paid for one through my local indy to test fit but was not a good candidate. I have also been searching ebay for a newer salvaged diff and/or just the diff brace to salvage the bushing. So far only finding 2015's and older.

I get paying the M tax but the idea of the wastefulness of having to throw the entire diff brace out for general repair of the bushing as it ages out is awful.

[crazyinp]

I don't personally planning to get any more power out of mine. So wonder if just buying new one would be good enough. As the rubber would be fresh. Most of the one failed are all people with modified cars. I don't race my car on straight line. I prefer track. Have yet to find time to take the M5 tho. Something i would do this year tho

[TinCanSailor]

I think the folks making 750 HP and up are the folks that are prone to these failures. I am a motorcycle track day, GP not straight track, enthusiast but haven't tracked any cars in similar fashion. I have had plans to shoot for 800HP to have some occasional fun with power launches. The 400 bux for a new brace isn't going to break me but wasting that part and the factory brace does bother me enough to make me rethink my plans. I barely drive the car as it is.

Also, hoping to spare someone else the experience. Hindsight being 20/20 I would buy the GAW as it is paired with a delrin bushing.

[crazyinp]

Wonder if powerflex would be willing to make one. I think the OEM has a metal sleeve, I haven't seen another one with.

[TinCanSailor]

Originally Posted by crazyinp

Wonder if powerflex would be willing to make one. I think the OEM has a metal sleeve, I haven't seen another one with.

I have emailed them and an 2 OEM suppliers MELYE and forget the other to see if they could be of any help. In the meantime a fellow M6 GC owner on the 6post side has graciously parted with their lightly used OEM diff support.

When mine comes out I will search it for markings/part numbers and try to offer it to a parts supplier for them to make bushings for it. Honestly I'd pay 400 dollars for the bushing if that is what it would cost to get one if it meant cutting the wasted metal on the support arm.

No one is going to get rich making and selling these bushings but surely there is some money additional to be made on this esp if folks are going to be replacing control and sway bar bushings etc. I am at that age with my car and already looking for bushings and would have added something like this to my cart without batting an eye.

[SmokinJoe]

If you want to revive your stock bushing you can always fill it with polyurethane. You can get the polyurethane in any durometer you want from stiff or soft. You can get 3m window weld in a calk tube and it works well for that kind of thing. Best thing you can do is run the bushing through an ultrasonic cleaner or solvent bath to thoroughly clean it before the application of the poly. There are videos on YouTube of the process. Just FYI it’s not like going full poly. It just fills in the open spaces in the bushing making it slightly stiffer. Probably wouldn’t feel or hear a difference over stock in terms of NVH.

[TinCanSailor]

I have seen where another forum member did their to their bushing. When my old brace comes out I'll see if I can press my bushing out and "refurb" it a bit. Also, hoping to see if I can find any manuf parts markings on it.