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#1. PF Z Compound Pads - from Roy Kao
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 23:37:40 EDT From: "Roy Kao" <bimmerphile@hotmail.com> Subject: PF Z Compound Pads I'm looking for some opinions on the PF Z Compound pads for the street. I just began using the PF90 pads for the track and I usually only swap the pads between street and track driving. Are there others out there on the Digest that swap between these two pads? If yes, what's your experience and opinion on this swap? As well, for those who have used the Z Compound pads on the street, what's your general opinion on them compared to factory pads? Noisy? Dusty? Any opinions and comments would be great appreciated. I am installing the Z pads on Thursday but I'd love to hear what you think. Thanks in advance. Roy '99 M3/2 ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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#2. Floating Rotors and Crash Testing - from Roy Kao
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 23:42:40 EDT From: "Roy Kao" <bimmerphile@hotmail.com> Subject: Floating Rotors and Crash Testing We just had our club meeting tonight at a dealer and the topic was the new E39 M5. The dealer's shop foreman went through the technical highlights with us and revealed a shocking fact that I'd like to throw out to the digest for discussion. The issue surrounds the two-piece floating rotors that many of us have installed on our E36 M3s. Apparently, the rotors did not pass the front-end impact test coming to North America because the discs actually broke during a front-end collision. So, BMW has chosen to install regular iron discs on all its M cars including the new M5 and the upcoming E46 M3. The irony of course is that in 1995, the very limited edition M540i in Canada (540i Sport in the U.S.) had these floating rotors imported with the cars. Has any other digesters out there heard about this? As a result, apparently the brake cooling ducts on the new M5s are also sealed off as they provide no added benefits to the regular cast iron brake discs. I can't believe that BMW would let an important part like the brake discs be prone to breakage during a front-end impact in the rest of the world and that NA authorities are the only ones to discover this fact? ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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#3. RE: [E36M3] heresy? - from Jim Bassett
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 20:46:54 -0700 From: Jim Bassett <jimbassett@home.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] heresy? At 05:42 PM 6/13/00 -0500, Sean Hester wrote: >>About the only thing on your rental car list, Sean, that my car doesn't >>have >>is an automatic tranny. > >i want one of those! an M3 that doesn't give me headaches when i hit >potholes, one that has enough ground clearance to not hit every parking lot >curb, one who's wide tires don't follow the road so much the wheel flies >from my hands unless i'm gripping it hard enough. > >my M3 has a mostly stock suspension. (not lowered or stiffened) i have 3 >braces, (strut, xbrace, rear strut) and lots of negative camber though. Hmmm, mine has the first two (strut & brace), plus new sway bars and "some" negative camber. I guess since I've had some that of that stuff since day one (OK, week 2 :-)) I'm used to it. Or, maybe, as you mentioned in another reply, you're just having rough week <shrug>. No problem there, we all go through that. Gotta say though <knock on wood> that the car has been pretty reliable for the use I put it through - 55,000+ miles in 21 months and a lot of track time. And now driving THE worst commute in the Bay Area - *that's* probably what will be it's demise (I f%&king hope not - knocking furiously on wood :-)). >maybe if i remove those things i'll get closer to my goal. but i'll still >have problems getting into my driveway without scraping the bottom Donna, care to share your technique with Sean? <giggle>. Cheers, Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4
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#4. Re: [E36M3] heresy? - from Stan Shaw III
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 23:48:08 -0400 From: "Stan Shaw III" <Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] heresy? > there's enough difference between a porsche 928 and an M3 for them to be > "different"? i'd always put them in the same class. (fun cars) Well, the 928S has a borla SS exhaust, so is much louder, and the car rides much harder. I will readily jump in the M3 to drive 100 miles, not so readily with the 928S, primarily because of the exhaust. Both cars have some mods, but 16 years of technology does make a difference. Certainly is they are compared to a Taurus, they will look very similar... > > maybe i'm just having a wierd week and am bitter about my M3 falling apart. > but driving to work today, with cruise control on, transmission in drive, > drink in a cup holder, not looking for potholes i had to avoid for fear of > bending wheels and knocking teeth out, parking head first into a stall with > no fear of scraping the airdam made me happy. Both the M3 and the 928S have A/C, power seats, windows, cruise control and decent stereos, so I don't feel the same way. I rarely prefer an automatic to a standard, and both of mine are 5 speeds, but I suspect that's because I like to feel in control of what is happening to me (driving by wire in the future will be a migrational process for me). The 928S is more of an issue when it comes to ground clearance, but I rarely have problems with the M3, and my driveway entrance is kind of steep. My M3 is not lowered yet either. > > tomorrow (assuming they gat my car together in only two days) i'll have to > be cluthing, not cruise controlling, avoiding potholes, backing into parking > spots, and holding (spilling actually) my drink between my legs. > > what i'm trying to figure is "what makes an M3 a good commuter car?" sure i > can win a stoplight drag or two. sure i can take the offramp fast. but... > since i get my fill of that at the racetrack, i'm wondering if i need that > ability for commuting. and if it's worth all the hassles to have it. I enjoy the relative nimbleness of a sport car/sedan, so become frustrated i n almost anything else. I don't like the cushy (lack of control feeling) of most non-sport cars. > > when i DIDN'T go to the racetrack once a week, i NEEDED the ability to drive > around town fast. ;-) now, i'm not so sure. I am not getting to the track once a week yet... so my opinion could change. If I am lazy and not in a hurry I take the Explorer. I know a SUV is a dirty word on this list, but it has the cushy ride, auto trans and all the creature comforts I would want..
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#5. Re: [E36M3] heresy? - from Jim Bassett
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 20:55:34 -0700 From: Jim Bassett <jimbassett@home.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] heresy? At 07:02 PM 6/13/00 -0500, Joe Dyer wrote: >Yes you DO have fun commuting in traffic! I couldn't keep up with you on >the way back from the Autocross day before yesterday. Of course you found >better lanes to switch into than I! That, sir, is a learned skill :-) Thank you for the compliment. :-) It's all about finding space for yourself (this was a skill/technique mentioned in the Competition Racing School I took as well, when we talked about, then practiced, race starts. Trying to find space among 25 cars after a rolling start at Laguna going into turn 2, well, let's just say commuting is WAAAYYY easier :-)). Cheers, Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4
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#6. Re: [E36M3] JTD Rear shock mount - from Jim Bassett
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 21:01:11 -0700 From: Jim Bassett <jimbassett@home.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] JTD Rear shock mount At 10:22 PM 6/13/00 -0500, Junaidi Irwan wrote: >My question is, has anyone installed these mounts? Yes. :-) >What is the thing that I >need to be aware of before installing the mounts? One thing is that the bolts that attach the mount to the body can *maybe* unscrew from the mount as you're tightening the nut on the top (this happened to me on one of the four). Simply have someone hold the bolt with an allen/hex key/wrench (whatever, you'll see :-)). I don't recall what size. And, if they don't come with the kit, I'd recommend getting new gaskets & nuts, just in case. You can get these at the dealer. >Will it affect the ride >significantly? No. >Will the shock mounts be making any noises? No. Hope that helps, Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4
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#7. Re: [E36M3] JTD Rear shock mount - from Bob Dorchester
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 23:03:06 -0500 From: Bob Dorchester <rjdorche@concentric.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] JTD Rear shock mount I installed the JTDs in my 95 M3 in January. Since I have H&Rs/Bilsteins, I selected the "His" (track) bushings and haven't noticed any difference in ride quality or noise. These replaced a second set of BMW shock mounts that were about two years old and hadn't yet reached the "clunk" stage. Upon close inspection, they were about 3/4s torn, so I guess I did this just in time! It's a relatively simple and straight-forward job; my biggest problem was disconnecting the speaker wiring clips! The JTD instructions were adequate. There was also a website with generic E36 instructions that was useful, but I must apologize for not recalling the source. You may find the need to touch up the paint on the shock tower holes. Mine were badly chipped and somewhat rusted. Bob Dorchester Houston > > Date: 13 Jun 00 22:19:07 CDT > From: Junaidi Irwan <junaidi.irwan@usa.net> > Subject: JTD Rear shock mount > > M3ers, > > I am sorry if this topic has been beaten to death, however I am at the point > that I need to change the rear shock mount of my car. My car is using the > H&R/Bilstein combo. It is making the infamous thumping/clunking noise when I > make a turn. > > I ordered the JTD rear shock mounts from Turner Motorsport. It is supposed to > come with 2 different kind of bushings: one for the street and one for the > track. > > My question is, has anyone installed these mounts? What is the thing that I > need to be aware of before installing the mounts? Will it affect the ride > significantly? Will the shock mounts be making any noises? > > Thanks a lot beforehand for any responses > > - Junaidi - > 95 M3
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#8. Re: [E36M3] heresy? - from JimShadow@aol.com
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Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 00:10:51 EDT From: JimShadow@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] heresy? I had an '00 328i as a loaner today. (SRS light has been on......bad seatbelt tensioner. easy fix) Although the 328 is a lovely car, I kept thinking how cool it would be for the wife, I found myself wanting to drive my ///M3. My '95 is my daily driver. It is also our baby hauler. I'm currently doing the "Mr. Mom" thing and taking care of little Danielle during the week, so I run all the errands, do all the grocery shopping and take several trips to various malls, shops, etc to cure the boredom of sitting around the house all day. The ///M3 handles it all. Groceries in the trunk, baby in the back. I wouldn't trade it for the world!! After driving the 328i today I got back in my M3/2 and thought "The steering is more responsive, the suspension tighter, the power is under my right foot, right now." This is exactly what I wanted in a daily driver and I'm lucky to have it. I've been fortunate enough not to have too many problems with the car, other than a bad instrument cluster, and the seatbelt tensioner. (Knock on wood!) This car was driven all thru last winter (it's first) and it went everywhere my wife's '97 Honda Passport went, in fact, I felt more confident in my BMW than in the SUV in the snow. So, to answer Sean's question.....If I had all the $$ to have whatever I wanted in the garage, it would be my '95 ///M3 (daily driver), an '00 360 Modena (weekend cruiser) and an old Toyota P/U for the really crappy hauling around. Happy driving, I know I am!!!!!!!!!!! JIM
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Center of gravity - from Jim Powell
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 21:00:57 -0700 From: Jim Powell <jsp98m3@home.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Center of gravity Which side of the car facing up? It makes a difference :) Jim "COVINGTON,WAYNE (HP-FtCollins,ex1)" wrote: > > Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 17:19:25 -0700 > From: "COVINGTON,WAYNE (HP-FtCollins,ex1)" <wayne_covington@hp.com> > Subject: Center of gravity > > About how high off the ground is the center of gravity of a stock E36 M3? > > Wayne Covington > > ************************************************************* > List Commands > UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you from the mailing list. > *************************************************************
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#10. Re: [E36M3] heresy? - from Miki Haraguchi
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 22:28:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Miki Haraguchi <mharaguchi@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] heresy? Sean, If it's ease of driving you want, I think the E36 328is fits the bill nicely as a daily commuter (but I'm very biased in my opinion :^). It has all the amenities you are pining after, except the $5000 stereo system <g>. I know of an impeccably maintained one (lux pkg black) that is coming up for sale right in our neighborhood, if you'd like to consider it. The 328is is a great track car too. You also forget that your both your buddies Michael Lord and Brian Horne (together at the Nurburgring as I write!) have monster trucks available for all your hauling needs. ;^) Miki 1997 328is LTW > Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 15:31:19 PDT > From: "Sean Hester" <seanh_race@hotmail.com> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] heresy? > <snip> > i got the M3 because it seemed a good compromise between "race car" and > "regular car". and as far as i know, it's just about the best version > of that. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos.yahoo.com