E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

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mrsocks
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Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2022 12:49 pm

E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

Post by mrsocks »

Hello,

I have recently joined SCCA and live in Bristol. I am looking forward to getting involved with the club and meeting you all.

I got into HPDE events at the end of 2020 and been building up my E46. Got all the mechanical stuff taken care of and want to reinforce the sub frame before I start messing with the suspension. This is a common problem with these cars and there are many reinforcement plate sets available. I purchased one but still need someone to weld them into place. Issue is that I am trying to find someone familiar with this chassis and these issues that also knows how to professionally weld.

Has anyone had any experience with having this done around here or know a professional welder who is willing to travel to my garage to weld them in place if I prep it? I saw the recommendation for Extreme in Knoxville, but hoping for someone more local or preferably someone who will travel to me so i can prep the car and take care of some other items while it's apart.

Thank you,
Bill
thrdeye
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Re: E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

Post by thrdeye »

I had to do this on the pile of an E46 M3 that I bought. European Auto Garage did mine. Not local or cheap unfortunately, but that's how it goes with these things.

I'd suggest joining the NC BMW Enthusiasts group on facebook and see if they can point you somewhere. Or see if you can get ahold of Mike Washington. He's the BMW expert up in your area and would probably have some insight.
Chris Harp
2009 Mazda RX-8 | 2018 Toyota Tundra | 2011 BMW M3
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MARKP
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Re: E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

Post by MARKP »

I would talk to Chad Summey. He is "thewelder" on this forum if I recall correctly. I don't know that he is mobile and probably not directly familiar with the E46 chassis but I would suspect that he is more than capable of handling welding some brackets in.
Mark Pilson
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benk
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Re: E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

Post by benk »

thrdeye wrote: Tue Mar 15, 2022 3:01 pm I had to do this on the pile of an E46 M3 that I bought. European Auto Garage did mine. Not local or cheap unfortunately, but that's how it goes with these things.

I'd suggest joining the NC BMW Enthusiasts group on facebook and see if they can point you somewhere. Or see if you can get ahold of Mike Washington. He's the BMW expert up in your area and would probably have some insight.
I had my e46 M3 done at EAG as well. I thought it was VERY reasonably priced though.
For $750 (iirc) I got:
Reinforcement plates.
Installation (welding) of the plates
New rear diff bushings installed (since they had to drop the rear diff anyways)
Ben Keefer
2011 WRX : STH
mrsocks
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Re: E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

Post by mrsocks »

I just called EAG and was quoted an estimate of $3500 to weld the plates and change the bushings (and I have the plates already). Benk, do you happen to 'know a guy' there? :)

I'm also reading about an epoxy process, using 3M 8115 epoxy. So depending on that research, that may be an option.

I'll also try the BMW Groups as well as Mike and Chad. Thanks for the info.
steverife
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Re: E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

Post by steverife »

Is it anything more than putting these brackets in place and running a few seams? I'd think anybody that you'd trust to weld could do it for not terribly much (in relation to $3500, especially).

It was 5+ years ago, but I broke the front swaybar brackets off the subframe of my MR-2 Spyder and it was a pretty straight forward repair.
'16 FRS - PSTX 97
mrsocks
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Re: E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

Post by mrsocks »

The actual install and welding doesnt seem terribly involved. It's easy to get to and working space wise. Issue is removing the subframe, gas tank, etc... Also, when it's off, I want to work on the subframe to change out some bushings. So there is additional 'car' work to do.

Here's a link to a short video of the process (and technically there are more plates I have than this, but these are the most in depth and unforgiving if you mess up)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVBHLFNL6k4
benk
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Re: E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

Post by benk »

mrsocks wrote: Wed Mar 16, 2022 12:15 pm I just called EAG and was quoted an estimate of $3500 to weld the plates and change the bushings (and I have the plates already). Benk, do you happen to 'know a guy' there? :)

I'm also reading about an epoxy process, using 3M 8115 epoxy. So depending on that research, that may be an option.

I'll also try the BMW Groups as well as Mike and Chad. Thanks for the info.
I did not at the time, basically walked in and said my rear end is about to fall out, can you take care of it.

I wanted an actual shop to do it because of the risk of the job not being done properly, I wanted a company to be able to hold accountable. No idea why its more expensive now. I could have the amount wrong (really dont think so) but its been almost ten years so there's no receipt/invoice to check. Maybe I got lucky and they made a billing error? No idea.
Ben Keefer
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MARKP
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Re: E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

Post by MARKP »

I have no clue about the amount of work involved in doing this on an E46 but if the fuel tank , subrame, exhaust, etc, have to be removed, it sounds like a lot of work. The E30s that I have been under looked like you could get to everything without disassembling all of that but those cars are light years apart in design.
Mark Pilson
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thrdeye
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Re: E46 Sub Frame Reinforcement - Welder Needed

Post by thrdeye »

I had KJ Christopher send me my reciept. I paid about $1600 to have my rear subframe done there. But, I'll admit I was a frequent flyer at that point due to a bunch of shit I had to do to that car so maybe they took pity.
Chris Harp
2009 Mazda RX-8 | 2018 Toyota Tundra | 2011 BMW M3
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