A pair of PCI Racing sliding sub frames for the BMW E46 3-Series, 1999 to 2006. Part number SM-E46-S1-X2.
Both sides in one order. On an E46 that is the normal case, because these cars are usually being built rather than modified one part at a time.
What it does
It puts a side mount competition bucket onto the floor mounting points BMW already provided. Nothing is drilled, the standard seats come out whole, and the seat load goes into structure designed to carry it rather than into holes cut through a floorpan.
The slider
PCI’s S1 slider bolts to the base with four bolts where a conventional slider uses two, which PCI rate as twice as strong as two bolt mounting. That is the detail worth paying for when a harness rather than a seatbelt is loading the seat.
Fore and aft movement also matters more in an E46 than in a dedicated track car, because most of them are still driven on the road and shared.
Construction
Laser cut and CNC formed from a single piece of 1/8 inch carbon steel, with bends adding stiffness where thicker metal would otherwise be needed. Gloss black powder coat, grade 10.9 8mm hardware, five and six point sub belt mounting locations built in.
Before you order
Tell us the seats you are fitting, and set the seat position before you fix harness anchor points. Seat height decides where the shoulder straps are allowed to run.
Have you written anything useful for my car?
Yes: Sitting Too Low In A BMW E46? The Mounts That Put You Back Up, and Top 5 reclining seat choices for your BMW 3 Series Sedan [E36], including our fitting guide. Those are written around the same car, from real fittings and customer questions, so they are worth a look before you decide.
Will this fit my car?
This frame is made for the BMW E46. Chassis code and years matter more than the badge, as floor pans change between generations, so if your car sits near a changeover year, send us the registration and we will confirm before you order.
Which seats does it take?
Check the bolt pattern in the specification against your seat. The Compatible seats tab above lists what bolts straight on. If your seat is not listed, tell us what you run and we will confirm the fit.
Do I keep fore-and-aft adjustment?
Only with a sliding runner between the frame and the seat, which is a separate part on PCI frames. If more than one person drives the car, budget for the runner. Our guide to sliding runners explains the options and widths.
Base mount or side mount, and does it matter?
This is a side-mount frame: the seat hangs between side brackets bolted through its flanks, the motorsport-style stack that gives fine height and angle control. Our guide on base mount versus side mount explains the whole fitting stack.
Is this for the driver or passenger side?
Both sides are available on this listing, pick driver or passenger side at the point of order (sides listed are for right-hand-drive cars). Left-hand-drive car? Ask us, as the sides swap over and availability varies by model.
