The SSR Performance keyed crank hub might just save your M2/M3/M4. It is truly the must-have mod for any S55 engine.
Many great engines have an ‘Achilles heel’ and while you could blame it on planned obsolesce, or maybe another engineering slip-up the fact remains that enthusiasts trying to make power always have to address certain inherent issues. When motors show their weak point aftermarket companies are always there to innovate and address these issues. The BMW S55 is the engine found in the recent BMW M3, M4 and the BMW M2 CS (Competition Edition). The S55 is a powerful inline 6 engine that produces 425hp / 406tq in its stock form however this engine comes to life with a few bolt-on modifications and can make 600hp very easily.
The issue plaguing the S55 engine is the OEM crankshaft hub, several owners report complete engine failure, drops in oil pressure and gaps in timing all of which stem from the crank hub.
BMW conceived the S55 engine with a unique hub design to power the valvetrain. These hubs are 3 piece hubs composed of two sprocket gears and the hub itself and these components are bolted to the crankshaft. Between each sprocket is a friction disc which hold each piece together as an assembly. The sprockets control the engine’s oil pump, vaccum pump along with the timming chain.
Now what tends to happen in these engines is, when the engine is under load or puts down large amounts of torque the sprockets’ friction discs can spin and this causes the sprocket gears to become misaligned. Once the hub and sprockets are misaligned the engine loses timing and can also loose oil pressure, this causes catastrophic failure in many S55 engines.
SSR Performance is a small BMW specialized manufacturer nestled in Orange County California. With experience in the automotive industry and the aerospace industry Co-founders Shah Siddiki and Zayn Batasee have been innovating new porducts for 7 years. SSR has recently grown in popularity amongst BMW enthusiasts for their production of their Keyed 4-pin crank hub.
The keyed crank hubs are much more resilient and form a solid hub. Each piece of the SSR Performance keyed crank hub is notched and forms a tight interference fit. The product has a tight tolerance and is truly a quality product made from forged stainless steel.
If you are looking to take your M3/M4/M2C to the track this summer make sure to add this component to your build. Contact your local JRP dealer for info!
