E46 front wing replacement

E46s have a (deserved) reputation for rusty front wings but replacing those offending items isn’t as costly or as tricky as you’d think

- Andy Everett

One of the main weaknesses of the E46 3 Series is the ability for the front wings to rust. This was doubly disappointing because the previous E36 had developed a bit of a reputation for scabby rust and the E46 seemed to be worse. The problem is a design fault. The front arch lip has too much of a return flange, and BMW deleted the rubber seal on the edge of the plastic arch liner resulting in the accumulation of road dirt and salt getting in there and being unable to escape. The result of this is the line of bubbles in the paint around the arch lip, and by the time this has happened, the rust has eaten through the thin steel and it’s all too late. Forget about trying to repair them as well. It’s true that you