[Dabjbr]

I’m all for sharing experiences and celebrating products like the BMR lockout kit.

That said, there seems to be a lot embellishment or inaccurate claims…

“95% of the same performance without NVH”
According to who and how was this measured? Are you stating this from actual experience with both setups? Or solid bushings Vs inserts experience in another car? Or perhaps this is just a subjective claim. That’s fine if it is but you should state such.

“…works fine without an alignment. No geometry changes so no alignment needed. Sounds like a CYA statement in case the user did the install incorrectly.”
I’d argue the exact opposite. Even if you don’t fully drop the subframe, you must drop it partially to get the top BMR bushing inserted. If your subframe shifts in any way, your thrust angle and toe will be off. You may or may not notice but that can impact perf, wear, etc. Any performance gain could be negated by a bad alignment. Now you MIGHT be able to mark the subframe prior to removal and attempt to align it perfectly as before. However, the norm would be get an alignment.

“ ZL1 1le kit is superior by maximizing stiffness, however, NVH will increase 100 fold!”
Really? X100? I agree with your ‘maximizing stiffness’ claim but the latter part is exaggerated.

Alright, rant over. Sorry for being a D..k

Here’s my attempt at an unbiased review…
I just installed the GM aluminum bushings. The install was tedious but doable. Doing so, saved me money Vs using a shop.

What are my thoughts? It adds NVH.
Noise: mostly it’s the same as rubber bushings but when I drive over something hard like railroad tracks, the sound is slightly more noticeable.
Vibration: the entire backend feel more solid… because, well it is. That said, if you drive over rumble strips, the vibration is a little more pronounced.
Harshness: kind of the same issue thing here. The ride is stiffer. I’ve only driven 15-20 miles since the install so my perspective is still growing. My initial impression is it feels like I went from worn out bushings to a fresh suspension. That sound good right? However, I could also describe it as: Tour feels like sport. Sport feels like track. And track now feels like track 2.0. Read into that how you like.

One more thought…
In my previous BMW 335, I installed inserts. They stiffened up the ride a bit and didn’t really add NVH. However, there was still some wiggle. I didn’t mind on the street but on the track, it wasn’t fully communicative.

Now in my Camaro, I did solid bushings. I anticipated some NVH and got it. Some people said there would be zero change and that’s just not my experience. However, I fully expect to enjoy them on track. And for me, I will accept the slight decrease in comfort on the road.

It comes down to what you want, what you’re willing to spend, and what you’re willing to compromise.

One last comment. If you driving performance is high on your priority list, then solid bushings may be right for you. However, if you never visit the track whether that’s the dragstrip, autox, or road courses, then I woundn’t recommend solid bushings.

If you want just a bit more feel or sporty ride instead, the BMR inserts maybe the better setup for you.