 Rogue Engineering Rear Trailing Arm Bushings (E36/E46) RTAB
Fits the following vehicles:
- All E36, including M3. Does NOT
fit Z3 and 318ti.
- All E46, including M3.
- All Z4
Problems with Factory Mounts
The factory BMW RTABs (Rear Trailing Arm Bushings) are a very soft
material to provide the quietest, most comfortable ride possible.
Because of this, we have seen factory mounts require replacement in less
than 50,000 miles and 3 years. On modified vehicles, expect them to
require replacement sooner.
Are your bushings already shot?
A simple test to determine if the stock rear trailing arm bushings require
replacement is driving the vehicle in a straight line. While in
gear, under full acceleration, does the car pull to one side?
Additionally, under full, firm application of the brakes, does the car
pull again? If you answered yes to either one, the bushings probably
require replacement.
Factory bushing from a 3 year old,
25,000 mile vehicle.
Rogue Engineering Performance RTABs
The bushing material used in Rogue Engineering Performance RTABs are now
available in two different compounds, specifically for your needs.
Both compounds now incorporate a silicone impregnated, polyurethane
compound. The biggest different being the hardness of the material.
| BLACK |
This
compound is formulated for STREET applications. Softer
than our blue, TRACK compound, these are stiffer than stock
factory OEM bushings and designed to last much longer than
stock. Since these are the great compromise between OEM
and our TRACK bushing. Engineered to approximately Shore A
93 hardness. |
| BLUE |
This
harder compound is designed for TRACK applications, where
monoball components are not allowed. Less expensive than
full Delrin bushings, these bushings are extremely stiff to
provide the absolute maximum performance at the TRACK.
Purposefully engineered to approximately Shore D 65 hardness. |
This hardness is important in this
bushing especially in modified vehicles, since they will exert more force
on the rear suspension during acceleration.
The inner sleeve that supports the
bushings is made from 6061-T6 aluminum, CNC'd to exacting specifications
for a perfect fit, here in the good 'ole USA.
Do NOT confuse these
bushings with bushings produced outside of the US, with unknown material
with questionable hardness. We have installed similar bushings
produced by other companies which are simply too soft. In these
cases, it would have been better if stock bushings were used since it
allows too much movement of the rear trailing arm.
|
Which
bushing is best for you?
|
| Desired
Performance |
Recommended
Product |
Pros |
Cons |
Factory-like
handling & ride |
Factory
OEM RTAB |
Just
like stock |
No
performance gain |
| Improved
handling, factory ride |
RE
Shims with OEM RTAB |
Quiet |
Very
small handling improvement |
| Performance
handling, firmer ride |
RE
RTAB BLACK |
Slightly
stiffer and longer lasting than OEM |
More
expensive than OEM |
| Ultimate
handling, firm ride |
RE
RTAB BLUE |
Long
lasting, ultimate performance |
Not
as quiet and soft as stock |
| Maximum
Performance |
Monoball
RTAB |
No
flex, race car performance |
Can
transmit
NVH |
Squeak, Squeak. What was that
noise?
New Feature! Our
manufacturer has has offered us a silicon based formula, to also keep the
urethane bushings quiet during use. Approximately 1.3 oz. of silicon
is poured into the mold, which means that it is permanently impregnated
into each bushing. This process costs more to produce, but we feel
that it makes for a better product in the long run.
A common downside of the urethane
bushings over stock rubber ones was that they would typically develop
noise over time (or even right away). These noises were from a
combination of the harder material, inadequate lubrication (or none at
all), and the contact with the factory steel mounting hat rubbing against
the bushing.
A new, exclusive feature now incorporated
into the Rogue Engineering RTABs is our new machined "grease
trap". You can see this "grease trap" (picture 1),
which is the small area around the end of the aluminum pin. This
allows for lubricant to be remain captive during the installation of the
bushings (picture 2) instead of being scraped off by the factory steel
mounting hat. Rogue Engineering is the only company on the market to
introduce a novel solution such as this to reduce the noise without
sacrificing the performance.
Picture
1
Closeup of the grease trap. |
Picture
2
Grease trap, with grease loaded in it. |
Professional Installation Required
Because the RTAB "console" removal is required, an alignment
is recommended. For installation of the part itself, it is very
straightforward, but requires some special tools:
Rogue
Engineering Urethane RTAB Bushings
Because of the unique design,
installation of the bushings is much easier than factory bushings. |
