BMW E36 X-brace install

So I bought an aftermarket X-brace, that will go underneath my e36 325i coupe´s engine bay. Quite simple to install and the one I got also has added protection for M50B25´s aluminium oil pan. This does come at a small cost of service time increase when draining oil, through oil plug.

Tools needed for install:

16 mm socket with ratchet for the original cross brace bolts

15 mm socket and spanner for steering axle bolts

17 mm socket for the nuts in the rear of the x-brace

So firstly you should start by removing the old cross support bar, in my instance one of the bolts was really well seized up so it took sometime. but after you have gotten them out you can remove steering axle bolts and nuts. These can also be quite well in place. Recommend firstly trying to just get them spin freely, before removing the nut from the top. If you have access to air or power tools you can remove the nut on the back side and then back the bolt out with the help of impact driver.

Installation is pretty simple, first assemble the brace before going under the car to make it easier for yourself. but dont tighten anything super tight, leave some slack so its easier to manipulate it. I installed the steering axle bolts first, since these are stationary ones with only movement front and back. Threaded the nuts only slightly to catch on to the treads. Then decided to change the rear bolts to brake caliper bracket bolts, which have the same tread size and pitch but the head is 15mm making it easier to remove if needed, with only two tools (ratchet and spanner).

Also recommend chasing the threads before installation of the brace. Since they are different in my case one futher back than the old original crossbrace holes. Let´s just say they were pretty crusty. If you don´t have proper tap for this, you can use one spare bolt to just drive it slowly back and forth in the threads with some oil.

Then it´s just the rear brackets to be lined up with the bolt holes and bolts tightened at about half way through the tightening I snug up the rear bracket nuts so they got seated properly. Then continued with the 15mm bolts. Tightened them to around 60 newton meters.