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#1. Re: [E36M3] Re: LTW Wheels - from nabli@attglobal.net
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Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 10:47:08 -0400 From: nabli@attglobal.net Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: LTW Wheels > I kind of think BMW dropped the ball on the wheels for the M3. The perfect > offset would be about 45 mm for the front and about 35 mm for the rear. Why > BMW did not design the wheels to be perfectly centered with the same offset I > don't know? The stock 41 mm offset is sort of a compromise fit. Not the > best for either front or rear. I think Lowell makes some good points but I would like to point out that the choice of a wheel offset is not some arbitrary number BMW just comes up with to make everything fit. Wheel offsets also have to do with suspension dynamics/geometry, alignments, and what was explained to me as an lever arm effect. It's hard to explain since it involves some technical alignment talk and I have not totally brushed up on alignment issues just yet. I'll do a write up on it some day. :-) > > > Hope this helps! I really love the BMW M Double Spoke polished forged (what > a mouth full!) rims. I think they look gorgeous, they are very easy to > clean, and they are very strong. Only negative is the cost :( Totally agree!! Cheers, Jim E.
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#2. understeer detection - from reed nicholson
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Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 07:58:30 PDT From: "reed nicholson" <reedthis48@hotmail.com> Subject: understeer detection You guys, Being pretty inexperienced, I was wondering... Is it easy to detect understeer during street driving, even fairly aggressive street driving, whipping around a corner at an intersection for instance, or do you really need to be at the track to determine the whole understeer/oversteer setup on a car? I've experienced heavy understeer at a lapping day at the track, with the front tires juddering like mad, but I'm not sure I can tell if my suspension setup is correct just by driving on the street. Reed/Seattle ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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#3. Re: [E36M3] LTW Wheels - from Jon Massengale
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Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 10:23:53 -0500 From: jon@aestechnology.com (Jon Massengale) Subject: Re: [E36M3] LTW Wheels My 95 is lowered with Eibach sport springs and has Racing Dynamics bars. I'm afraid the 8.5's in front will hit/rub? Jon Massengale 95 M3 SC Austin, TX ----- Original Message ----- From: <LoweSeaton@aol.com> To: <jon@aestechnology.com>; <e36m3@bmwmpower.com> Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2000 7:19 PM Subject: Re: [E36M3] LTW Wheels > Jon, > > I just bought two more of the M Double Spoke polished forged wheels for my > '95 M3. I paid $516 each (plus $35 shipping for two) for 8.5" rims from > Hendrick BMW in Charlotte, NC. Their phone number is 800-476-8322. They > offer a 25% discount on mail orders to BMW CCA members. I think they are > lowest price for new rims. > > By the way, why do you want 7.5" front rims? I highly recommend going with > 8.5" at all four corners. The 8.5" BMW rims fit perfectly on the front. > They allow you to run 245/40 tires all around and rotate your tires. The > 8.5" rims are only $26 more expensive. Good luck! They are beautiful wheels. > > Lowell Seaton > '95 M3/2 - 8.5" M Double Spoke polished forged wheels all around > Dallas, Texas > BMW CCA #131505 >
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#4. RE: Help! Suspension Squeaks like mad - from Mohit Chadha
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Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 11:43:37 -0400 From: "Mohit Chadha" <mc@mcconcept.com> Subject: RE: Help! Suspension Squeaks like mad Jeffrey Stowe wrote: > The car SQUEAKS like crazy. At low speeds it is unbearable. > It seems to more from the front but that is also closer to > my ears so it may be equal from front and rear. My > uneducated guess is that the slow oscillation may be the > Swaybar bushings and the big squeak on large bumps seems like > it is from the springs. Can anyone shed some enlightenment on this ?? > > Did the shop that installed my components forget to put > grease somewhere they were supposed to? I had the same squeaks when the Swaybarbarians were installed - very loud, extremely annoying. Spoke with Rob at UUC, he suggested that more grease was needed, recommended the white lithium grease. I took the car back to the mechanic, he put in tons of white lithium grease, and presto! No more squeaks - the car is just as quiet as when it was stock. But the handling, of course, is way improved :) HTH! -- Mohit -------------------- Email: mc@mcconcept.com Web: http://www.mcconcept.com
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#5. Duane Collie auto-x article? - from Mount, Mike
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Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 09:15:38 -0700 From: "Mount, Mike" <JMMn@pge.com> Subject: Duane Collie auto-x article? Any list-ers out here have a copy of the Duane Collie article on auto-crossing m3's? If so, can you forward me a copy? Mike '95 M3 da kar is yellow
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#6. Re: [E36M3] 95 BMW E36 CD Changer - from Paul Agustin
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Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 11:25:18 -0500 From: Paul Agustin <agustin@iaxs.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] 95 BMW E36 CD Changer Joe: Unfortunately I have had this same sort of thing happen with the Alpine unit in my Jeep. The two units, head unit and changer, have both been in for service and no one seems to know how to remedy it. So all I can say is its time to replace that head unit and changer for something more up to date. Incidentally the 59 series changers from Alpine have been known to break down quite a bit. Paul Agustin -messed up Alpine changer in jeep, still working one in 95 M3.
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#7. Re: [E36M3] understeer detection - from nabli@attglobal.net
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Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 13:08:50 -0400 From: nabli@attglobal.net Subject: Re: [E36M3] understeer detection Reed, reed nicholson wrote: > You guys, > > Being pretty inexperienced, I was wondering... > > Is it easy to detect understeer during street driving, even fairly > aggressive street driving, whipping around a corner at an intersection for > instance, or do you really need to be at the track to determine the whole > understeer/oversteer setup on a car? "Detecting" a car's understeer/oversteer characteristics is not something you really "detect"; but rather something a driver induces. In other words, you have to take your car and push it to a higher limit at which point you can start to evaluate its characteristics. Here's the funny thing (sort of): Cars can have a combination of effects. What I mean by that is that a car can always understeer, can always oversteer, can go from understeer to oversteer or vice versa depending on what the driver does. It is not simply a way of detecting one characteristic from the driver's inputs etc.... You also need to differentiate between steady state handling and transient handling characteristics, the former being the best measure of course. Sorry about the babbling but to answer your question of whether or not it's easy to detect understeer....: 1. normal street driving - fogetabouit. 2. aggressive street - not enough. Tires not heated up properly, brakes not heated properly, air pressure adjustment not made, and driver NOT in the right frame of mind. There are usually other people on the road, the roads are not wide enough, you might end up introducing your rims to Mr. Curb, you may piss off the local yokels and cops etc.... 3. "Whipping around a corner" - this is more a measure of transient handling and is not the preferred measure. My car understeers slightly on the track but I can easily make it oversteer around a street corner (with ASC off of course). 4. Track - It goes without saying that this is the ideal proving ground. So yes, this is the place to "determine the whole understeer/oversteer setup on a car." > > > I've experienced heavy understeer at a lapping day at the track, with the > front tires juddering like mad, but I'm not sure I can tell if my suspension > setup is correct just by driving on the street. See above. If you want to take a trip to the east coast I (and many others) would gladly test the car with you. :-) Cheers, Jim E.
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Duane Collie auto-x article? - from Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com
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Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 13:05:21 -0400 From: Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Duane Collie auto-x article? >Any list-ers out here have a copy of the Duane Collie article on >auto-crossing m3's? If so, can you forward me a copy? Hmm...not sure if Duane has written one but there IS an article that Carl Buckland wrote for Grassroots Motorsports. There's a copy of it at http://www.bmwmseries.com Click on Technical Articles. You'll also see one that Duane-o wrote on installing a t.c.kline roll bar. :-) Carlos.
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#9. Do it Yourselfers, rear springs? - from Wentz, Don
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Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 10:10:28 -0700 From: "Wentz, Don" <don.wentz@intel.com> Subject: Do it Yourselfers, rear springs? Anyone ever changed the rear springs in the garage? I changed the fronts very easily, including the 'secret camber' bolt. Changing the rear springs on my 318ti is a 10 minute job, but I'm looking for some input from someone who has done it on an M3. thx! dw 95 318tiSport 95 M3
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#10. M3 Windshield Replacement - from James R. McMillan
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Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 11:36:38 -0600 From: "James R. McMillan" <jmcmillan994@earthlink.net> Subject: M3 Windshield Replacement After one year in Colorado I have joined the locals in driving around with a cracked windshield. The dealer quotes $299.00 for the windshield to fit a 97 M3 but I must find my own shop to install it. Does anyone have a suggestion for a possible national shop that installs the windshields with excellent quality of installation? Thanks, James R. MCMillan Colorado Springs, CO