What does the Differential Support Bracket for E36 BMW cars do?

The Differential Support Bracket for E36 BMW 325i, 328i and M3 adds support to the front differential mount, where the factory design relies on one main bolt. By sharing the load with that bolt, the bracket keeps it from bending or breaking under hard use and takes strain off the rest of the driveline.

What happens if the E36 front differential bolt breaks?

If the bolt bends or snaps, the differential loses its main front mounting point. With luck the damaged bolt can be extracted in place. If it cannot, the entire differential has to come out of the car before the broken bolt can be removed, which turns a small failure into a much larger repair.

How long does installation take?

Active Autowerke states that a qualified technician can install the bracket in under an hour. It is a true bolt-on part supplied in DIY kit form with step-by-step instructions, and the kit includes a new differential bolt along with everything else needed to complete the installation.

Is the bracket necessary on a stock E36?

It depends on use. Active Autowerke aims it at supercharged and turbocharged E36 M3 models, track cars and drivers who launch hard, and has tested it to withstand more than 500 horsepower. A stock car driven gently loads the factory bolt far less, though the bracket still adds a margin of safety.

Is the bracket still powder coated?

No. Active Autowerke has upgraded the bracket to heavy-gauge stainless steel, and it is no longer powder coated. Earlier versions were powder coated, which is why older photos of the part show a colored finish. The stainless construction does not depend on a coating for protection, and the precision machining is unchanged.

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Description

Active Autowerke Differential Support Bracket for E36 BMW 325i, 328i and M3

Active Autowerke’s Differential Support Bracket for E36 BMW 325i, 328i and M3 reinforces the single front bolt that holds the E36 differential in place, the point Active Autowerke regards as the weak link in the whole driveline. Under hard launches, sticky tires or a boosted engine that bolt can bend or snap, and if the broken piece will not come out, the differential has to be dropped to retrieve it. The bracket, now made from heavy-gauge stainless steel, shares that load with a new bolt supplied in the kit, and Active Autowerke has tested it behind more than 500 horsepower. A gently driven stock 325i may never need one. A supercharged M3 or a regular at track days should not go without it.

Features

Heavy-gauge stainless steel construction
Precision machining and alignment for accurate location
Extra support that eases the strain on the driveline
True bolt-on design supplied in DIY kit form
Installs in under an hour in the hands of a qualified technician

What’s Included

Stainless steel differential support bracket
New differential bolt
Installation hardware
Step-by-step installation instructions

Applications

BMW 325i: E36 | 1992-1995 | 2.5L M50
BMW 328i: E36 | 1996-1999 | 2.8L M52
BMW M3: E36 | 1995 | 3.0L S50
BMW M3: E36 | 1996-1999 | 3.2L S52

Notes

The Differential Support Bracket for E36 BMW 325i, 328i and M3 is now made from stainless steel and is no longer powder coated
A sensible companion to the Active Autowerke Level 2 Supercharger Kit for E36 BMW M3 and the other E36 supercharger kits

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Differential Support Bracket for E36 BMW cars do? The Differential Support Bracket for E36 BMW 325i, 328i and M3 adds support to the front differential mount, where the factory design relies on one main bolt. By sharing the load with that bolt, the bracket keeps it from bending or breaking under hard use and takes strain off the rest of the driveline.
What happens if the E36 front differential bolt breaks? If the bolt bends or snaps, the differential loses its main front mounting point. With luck the damaged bolt can be extracted in place. If it cannot, the entire differential has to come out of the car before the broken bolt can be removed, which turns a small failure into a much larger repair.
How long does installation take? Active Autowerke states that a qualified technician can install the bracket in under an hour. It is a true bolt-on part supplied in DIY kit form with step-by-step instructions, and the kit includes a new differential bolt along with everything else needed to complete the installation.
Is the bracket necessary on a stock E36? It depends on use. Active Autowerke aims it at supercharged and turbocharged E36 M3 models, track cars and drivers who launch hard, and has tested it to withstand more than 500 horsepower. A stock car driven gently loads the factory bolt far less, though the bracket still adds a margin of safety.
Is the bracket still powder coated? No. Active Autowerke has upgraded the bracket to heavy-gauge stainless steel, and it is no longer powder coated. Earlier versions were powder coated, which is why older photos of the part show a colored finish. The stainless construction does not depend on a coating for protection, and the precision machining is unchanged.

About Active Autowerke

Active Autowerke was founded in Miami, Florida in 1981 by brothers Mike and Karl Hugh as a BMW service shop, and turned to performance in late 1995 when Karl, a University of Miami engineering graduate, led its first M3 and 325i turbo kits. Supercharger kits for the E36, E46 and E9X followed, and its Signature Equal Length mid-pipe is protected by US Patent 11248511 and European and UK Patent 3882441.

Additional Information

The Bulletproof Automotive website contains many thousands of products purchased in multiple different currencies. All of the prices are entered manually and accurately at the time of entry. Due to the consistently fluctuating international exchange rates, at times prices may not be able to be honored at their original intended rate. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, unfortunately our website is unable to compensate dynamically for what can at times be volatile changes in the cost of items due to currency values fluctuating, changes in prices from suppliers, changes in shipping and import duties, and other factors. Rest assured that any order you place on line will be at zero risk to you in this area. If in the event your order cannot be fulfilled at the original intended website price we will offer you a 100% refund, no questions asked. We will continue to do our best to maintain updated prices and we will always continue to offer our price match guarantees as well to ensure our prices are always the best for you. In short, prices may change without notice. It is always advised to give us a call prior to placing your order online to confirm availability and to confirm current pricing.

Shipping Policy

Items that are in stock in the US, either at Bulletproof’s warehouse or at a supplier’s warehouse, are generally delivered within 7-10 days. Special order items from overseas take considerably longer. As a courtesy Bulletproof offers delivery estimates to our customers which take into consideration manufacturer availability and shipping schedule. These estimates represent our best guess based on previous orders from the manufacturer and do not in any way imply a guaranteed delivery window. Many manufacturers work in a “just in time” inventory system and often take 2-20+ weeks to produce an item once an order is submitted. All deliverable items are then sent to our Japanese warehouse. Bulletproof ships a minimum of one full ocean freight container every month from Japan, oftentimes more than one a month. Ocean freight takes an average of 4 weeks. Typically it breaks down to one week in Japan for paperwork and customs, two weeks by boat and one week in US customs/clearance. Due to the wide number of variables between manufacturer and shipping schedules, delivery estimates are simply just that – estimates. We attempt to estimate conservatively and we usually deliver faster than our estimates suggest. It is not Bulletproof’s policy to guarantee delivery time of any special order item, this is impossible for us to do. By ordering you acknowledge that there is no required delivery ETA and an order may not be canceled or altered due to manufacturing or shipping delays, all ETA’s are provided as a best guess only. Please review the full Terms & Conditions here.

BP Pricing Difference

We do pricing a little differently on our JDM brands and we believe in making things simple and clear. No hidden fees or surcharges. Every price you see includes the shipping cost to our office in Los Angeles, California and all the associated taxes/duties/fees for bringing the products into the US. The only shipping you ever pay is from our facility in the US to your location. Be wary of resellers that don’t include the cost of international shipping in their pricing on JDM parts. While we believe we’ll always have the lowest all-in price on JDM products, we offer a price match guarantee for all authentic parts purchased from authorized dealers as well. For many international customers, it’s much more affordable to ship from the USA than from Japan directly, as the air freight and ocean freight costs are typically much less. However, for customers looking to ship directly from Japan outside of North America, or domestically in Japan, we can provide pricing specifically for that scenario. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any pricing questions or concerns. Please email us at sales@bulletproofautomotive.com with any inquiries.

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Active Autowerke Differential Support Bracket for E36 BMW 325i, 328i and M3 [13-004]

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Active Autowerke Differential Support Bracket for E36 BMW 325i, 328i and M3

Features

What’s Included

Applications

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

About Active Autowerke

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