Transmission Bushings

Shift into second under load and feel the whole drivetrain take a moment to settle before the gear goes home. That movement is the transmission itself shifting on its mounts.

The factory rubber bushings are soft on purpose — they isolate noise, which is what most buyers of a new 3 Series wanted. The cost is that the gearbox moves under load, and that movement arrives at the shifter as vague engagement and a delay between your hand and the gear.

These are cast in premium-grade 80A polyurethane: firm enough to cut drivetrain deflection and tighten shift feel, while staying streetable enough to daily.

Expect More NVH — This Part Is Not Quiet

Polyurethane does not isolate the way factory rubber does, and you will notice. Expect more drivetrain vibration through the floor and the shifter, and more gear and driveline noise in the cabin — most obvious at idle, in first and second, and on overrun.

This is not subtle and it is not a defect. It is the direct consequence of tying the drivetrain more firmly to the chassis, and it is the trade every stiffer mount makes. If keeping the car as quiet as stock matters more to you than shift precision, stay on rubber. If you want to feel what the drivetrain is doing, this is the part that does it.

Required If You Run A Chassis-Mounted Shifter

A chassis-mounted shifter is fixed to the body while the gearbox is not. On soft mounts, the transmission moves and the shifter does not, and you feel the difference as a gate that will not stay put. If you are running our Chassis Mount Short Shifter — or anyone else's — these are not optional extras.

Specifications

• Durometer: Premium-grade 80A polyurethane
• Finish: Orange and purple swirl, poured in house — every set comes out slightly different
• Quantity: Sold as a pair
• Fitment: BMW E46, manual transmission

Install

This one is more involved than our other parts. Fitting requires supporting the transmission while the mounts are unloaded. If you are not set up to do that safely, have a shop handle it — it is a short job for someone with a lift.

Notes

• Increased NVH is expected. More vibration and drivetrain noise than stock, particularly at idle and low speed. Normal for a polyurethane mount.
• Because each set is hand-poured, the swirl varies from pair to pair. No two are identical.