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A tranny mount (abbreviation for transmission mount), is an integral part of the suspension which isolates the harshness and vibration from the road when you drive your car. To understand the technicalities of the tranny mount, there are a few items that should covered.
Vibration Absorber
First and foremost, the purpose of a tranny mount is to isolate vibration from the interior cabin. Without it, your interior cabin noise will increase to the point where it would be uncomfortable to drive any distance longer than down to the local 7-11.
Deflection Fighter
The tranny mount is also used to combat transmission "movement" during driving. Since the transmission is connected to the back of the engine, it is the engine which is doing the twisting when one accelerates or decelerates (engine braking). Since the engine has it's own mounts (motor mounts), the transmission also has it's own. Whereas some movement is expected, too much movement will cause the transmission to become misaligned with the interior of the car. When the transmission is not in the same position, it may lead "miss-shifting" (aka shifting into the incorrect gear). Generally, a miss shift causes an engine to overrev and cause extensive internal damage. Especially in an E36 M3, it generally means a few thousand dollars in repairs.
The Ideal Mount
The ideal tranny mount will both absorb vibration as the factory intended as well as minimize the amount of transmission movement during spirited driving. By firming up the tranny mounts, you're gear shifts will become more precise than when you car was new from the factory.
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