Subframe Dropped and cracks found

[oceansize]

I'm personally waiting for the guys who bought cars recently and then have RACP, VANOS issues, and/or transmission issues to come to this realization. DIY types will be getting some better deals sooner or later. Also factor in what certain interior/exterior items are selling for now and there will be a reckoning. People have over bought and under thought. A neighbor of mine (three houses down) just bought a Silver Grey on black e46 M3 and I know he can't really afford it. It has some major clunk to the point I think his RACP is cracked. I warned him repeatedly before he bought it and he is about to be in for a shocker as not only does he not DIY but the closest shops that I would even trust to do the job are at least a hundred miles away. All the maintenance has been deferred and 100k miles, oh boy.

[lvm3sm46]

the preventative measures to deal with problem areas will be approaching the purchase price of the car when this is done ($17k).

I know, and then to think all the mods we would like to do. I see some of the members on this forum who must have over $20k in mods easy.

[tnord]

the preventative measures to deal with problem areas will be approaching the purchase price of the car when this is done ($17k).

[Nate047]

Yea I do not feel like DIY-ing this one, this car has been very expensive lately

[lvm3sm46]

tnord maybe do it during the winter when you can have the car laid up for awhile and just take your time. Im also debating doing it myself but I have no confidence. I have local guy that I want to use as he is very detail oriented but he is almost impossible to get an appointment with. So we will see.

[tnord]

I have no doubt I'm capable of doing it. But I lack the tools and time it would take to do a job I think I'd be happy with.

[scotty737]

I'm usually all about "I'll just start taking stuff apart and figure it out as I go," but this seems like too big of a project for that. I don't have a very good garage setup at our new place, and this would be one of those things that takes all winter I feel like.

Yeah, It is fairly daunting, but it really wasnt that challenging to take apart. The hardest part was removing exhaust bolts without breaking anything, because someone didn't use the appropriate bolts .

[tnord]

I'm usually all about "I'll just start taking stuff apart and figure it out as I go," but this seems like too big of a project for that. I don't have a very good garage setup at our new place, and this would be one of those things that takes all winter I feel like.

[scotty737]

I've never welded a thing, so I don't think this is the job to learn on.

I'm also planning on top side reinforcement, so I guess it's just going to cost more than I had thought.

Just hire a mobile welder like i did. I have never welded anything either.

[tnord]

I've never welded a thing, so I don't think this is the job to learn on.

I'm also planning on top side reinforcement, so I guess it's just going to cost more than I had thought.

[scotty737]

holy hell, at basic shop rates of $100/hr this is sounding more like a $5k job than the $3k I was kinda planning on. curious if others who have had this done have any feedback?

I mean you can do it for less. It just depends on the level of finish you are after. I had a quote of 1250 for labor of underside plates. The interior removal, cutting and masking was pretty time intensive.

I was just worried about the shops job on the underside coating and I would rather be the one cutting my car. I didn’t want to have to drop it again to repair rust in the near future, because that is basically all the labor.

I will also say that I got a 6800$ quote from Kassel for doing all the work I’ve done, so at the end of the day I have saved quite a bit. Although, they were going to do their own top side reinforcement kit. I can’t imagine the labor is really much different. I think I am going to end up at about 40-50 hours for all this though.

[tnord]

Labor was free since I did it myself and the welder was 400$. Redish rates the job at 28-32 hours to get oe like finish so you can factor what a shop would charge using that.

holy hell, at basic shop rates of $100/hr this is sounding more like a $5k job than the $3k I was kinda planning on. curious if others who have had this done have any feedback?

[scotty737]

Hope he had a good reason lol.

Can I jump in and ask something related, my car has plates on the underside from the previous owner, they are on there with epoxy and the job looks like it was done alright as far as anyone can know from just looking. I have been considering a topside bar reinforcement, and I was just wondering if there's any reason to be concerned about cracks if there are none visible from the top? I just don't know how good a job the last guy did. I will not be tackling this as a DIY regardless but I'm just curious.

You need to drop the subframe either way to install the top side bar, so you can weld the plates, stitch wheel well, repair bad spot welds, and rtab pockets. Then you have no worries about the PO job. Not sure how hard it is to remove that epoxy though, I’m sure it is a lot of work.

[scotty737]

scotty737 Thanks for this thread. Mind sharing the total price of this job (parts, labor) as well as the links to everything that you bought? I think it will be helpful for people like me looking into getting their subframe done. Thank you!

I don’t have an easy list of everything with links and pricing, but you can figure it out yourself with google.

It’s just the redish plates, Wurth self etching primer, a 2k primer, 3m seam seal, Wurth underbody coating, 3m cavity wax, SEM EzCOAT in light green as redish says it’s the closest to oe color, and a can of your body color to dust the trunk to replicate the factory color. This is about 400-25$.

Labor was free since I did it myself and the welder was 400$. Redish rates the job at 28-32 hours to get oe like finish so you can factor what a shop would charge using that.

I also am doing everything in the rear end, the giubo, the csb and a new diff cover. I think in total it’s about 1800 in parts/welder+ alignment.

[MTiz]

scotty737 Thanks for this thread. Mind sharing the total price of this job (parts, labor) as well as the links to everything that you bought? I think it will be helpful for people like me looking into getting their subframe done. Thank you!