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#1. Kmac installation Q's... - from Scott Yu
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Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 23:15:45 -0400 From: "Scott Yu" <scott@ditherdog.com> Subject: Kmac installation Q's... > From: <snippety-snip> > I ask because you can't use the reinforcement rings with the K-MAC or you > loose almost all of your "adjustability." Ask me how I know. I learned this > the hard way :-) after I had put my struts/K-MAC/rings on. I had to take > the struts back off and reinstall without the rings. Yikes! I did the entire install, and then I was looking down on the ground and saw the reinforcement plates. I thought I was supposed to put them in, so I dropped the front AGAIN and put them back! Ummm.... whoops. Does anyone know if it's safe for the towers to run a stiffer suspension without the reinforcement plates? Also - there's a left and a right?!!!!! Arrrgh. I was looking at them the night before the install, and I could have sworn that they were pretty much the same thing. Sigh. Well, I STILL haven't had time to get my alignment, so I might as well drop 'em while I'm at it Lowell, enlighten me in the ways of the Kmac =) scott > > Oh, you could use the rings but you would have to completely grind down the > lower lip on the reinforcement rings. I have not done this yet. I don't > think you really need the reinforcement rings with K-MAC since the K-MAC > already has sort of "ring." > > Also, did you know the K-MAC's are directional? There is a definite "left" & > "right". Just like the stock offset strut hats on '96+ M3's. Again ask me > how I know!! But hey! Practice makes perfect. After 14 round trips with my > front struts, I can put the damn things on blindfolded and one hand tied > behind my back. LOL
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#2. Re: [E36M3] Suspension set-up ALSO - from LoweSeaton@aol.com
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Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 23:22:16 EDT From: LoweSeaton@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Suspension set-up ALSO > Also, I want lower the car with Turner Motorsport's (BMP equivalent) H&R / > Bilstein (sport) combination. They (Turner) quote a 0.75" reduction in ride > height (as compared to BMP's quote of a 1.5" rear and 1.0" front drop). So > which is correct? Actually, its the other way around. H&R Sports lower the front MORE than the rear - 1.5" front vs. 1.0 rear. Lowell Seaton '95 M3 Dallas, Texas
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#3. Re: [E36M3] Yesterday: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly (longish) - from NickG
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Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 23:23:25 -0400 From: "NickG" <nikog@MediaOne.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Yesterday: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly (longish) You're right, stuff does happen. It's how a shop handles these situations that makes one superior and the other crap. Sounds like you've found a top notch garage. Nick > Anyway, thanks for reading this far. And in case you're curious, I will > *still* continue to patronize and recommend this shop. Sometimes "stuff" > happens, sometimes it's really bad, but it's being corrected and that's > acceptable to me. > > Cheers, > Jim Bassett > 1998 M3/4 - wounded
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#4. Re: [E36M3] Suspension set-up ALSO - from LoweSeaton@aol.com
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Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 23:28:56 EDT From: LoweSeaton@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Suspension set-up ALSO Rusty writes: > I've already ordered the KMAC (front) adjustable camber plates. They're > absolutely necessary for ANY adjustment to the front camber on these cars > (from what I understand, anyways). You have a '97 M3 with the strut reinforcement rings? Right? Be sure to remove the reinforcement rings if you use K-MAC camber plates. You will have almost NO adjustment with them. The rings are not really necessary with the K-MAC's so not big loss. Lowell Seaton '95 M3 - K-MAC plates Dallas, Texas
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#5. Re: [E36M3] Suspension set up - from LoweSeaton@aol.com
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Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 23:39:58 EDT From: LoweSeaton@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Suspension set up Jonathan, If you have a '96+ model M3, about the best and easiest way to get more front camber is to swap the strut hats. Swapping hats will get you a little more than -2.0 degrees. '95 M3 is a little more difficult to get much more negative camber. Swapping hats won't do anything since they are symmetrical. Adding and swapping '96+ struts hats on a '95 might get you 1.5 - 2.0 degrees supposedly. And remember, any time you lower your front end, you are adding negative camber. So if your C/O substantially lower your car, you already gain some negative camber. I've got the K-MAC plates on my '95. I like them. They work OK. However, forget about adjusting them prior to an autocross or track event. You have to basically adjust them and get the car aligned, then leave them alone. Lowell Seaton '95 M3/2 Dallas, Texas Jonathan writes: > As a street/school car, I'd think around -2.0 (f) and around -1.5 > (r) would be perfect, no? Anyone know if this is possible with a change to > c/o only and no camber plates, shims or crash bolts?
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#6. Suspension Saga and camber questions? - from Tom Tice
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 00:14:42 -0400 From: "Tom Tice" <tetice@triad.rr.com> Subject: Suspension Saga and camber questions? I had hoped to be finished with this suspension upgrade by now but I don't think I have a satisfactory solution yet. My goal was to have the Bilstein/H&R Sport combination with somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.5 to 2.0 camber in the front. So I decided to go the shim route. The only washers that I could find were about 0.062" which might have been a bit too much so I ground them down to 0.050". So far so good. After installing one new strut and spring with shims, I decided to check my wheels and tires for clearance. My 17x8 with 40mm offset street wheels fit fine (235/40/17 tires). The rim clears the strut by nearly .25 inches (the tire however is a bit closer due the rim protector). Next I tried my track wheels, 17x8.5 with 41mm offset. These too clear the strut but just barely - maybe 1/8th of an inch. In theory that's OK but the tires I currently have are Kumho 225/45/17s and they don't protrude beyond the rim at all. Future track tires will certainly cause a problem as I would actually like to go to 245/45/17s or other brand 235/40/17s. I don't want to use any wheel spacers so it seems my only recourse is to abandon the shims and swap the strut hats - will that solve my problem? So does anyone have any other ideas (don't really want camber plates)? Is there any hope for enough clearance with thinner shims and if so can I get at least -1.5 camber in the front? Also does anyone have close to this setup with the strut hats swapped and what did your camber turn out to be? Are you happy with this set up? Thanks in advance, Tom Tice '98 M3/4 '99 540/6
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#7. Re: [E36M3] Re: fluid - from LoweSeaton@aol.com
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 00:20:13 EDT From: LoweSeaton@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: fluid Ron writes: > It has to rob some power. The question was whether the performance gained > by the LTW flywheel is offset by the thicker fluid. Back to back > acceleration tests and dyno runs are the only answer. Yeah, heavier oils will affect your power output some. Last summer, just for fun, I ran Valvoline Racing 60W oil in my M3. I lost over 1 mpg, i.e., 22 vs. 23+ mpg before using Valvoline DuraBlend 10W-40. On the other hand. Top Fuel Dragsters use ridiculously lightweight oils. I think they use straight 10W or maybe even 0W oil for every last HP. [In case you are wondering why I would have 60W oil sitting in my garage, I've got a 14 yr old daily driver beater car with a leaking front main seal. I've discovered using 60W oil in the summer really reduces the leaking - 1,000 mile/qt vs. 200 mile/qt in Dallas 100+ temp.] Lowell Seaton '95 M3 Dallas, Texas
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Suspension Saga and camber questions? - from LoweSeaton@aol.com
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 00:46:12 EDT From: LoweSeaton@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Suspension Saga and camber questions? Tom, Swap the strut hats. You'll get a bit more than -2.0 degrees camber. You won't have any more tire clearance problems than you do now. That is, if the tires clear now, they will clear with the strut hats swapped. Good luck! Lowell Seaton '95 M3/2
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Kmac installation Q's... - from LoweSeaton@aol.com
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 02:00:07 EDT From: LoweSeaton@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Kmac installation Q's... > Lowell, enlighten me in the ways of the Kmac =) OK, I'm a roll tonight. :-) This must be my 10th post in a row. First, let me say I like my K-MAC's. They are totally streetable. They are not comparable to the TC Kline/GC/Turner camber plates. Those are "race only" plates. They have solid mounted spherical bearings. The K-MAC plates have the exact same design as the stock strut hats - i.e., the center bearing is encased in a soft urethane support. There is no noise or harshness with using K-MAC's on the street. As for the "left" and "right" orientation of K-MAC plates, the bearing is offset a little bit to one side. It is a little hard to see with the sliding plate on the K-MAC. You can take it off and see the difference easier. You want to look at the red urethane part. I think all K-MAC's are red right? Notice that the bearing is not dead center in the urethane? For maximum negative camber, assemble the struts so the bearing is inboard. I don't think you are talking about much difference one way or the other. It looks like the bearing is just slightly offset. The reinforcement ring problem is a little harder to see (and describe). First take the K-MAC and slide the top plate around. Notice how much "range" you have. Now put the BMW reinforcement ring on. See how the K-MAC sliding ring is almost as big as the BMW ring? Try sliding the K-MAC top plate around with the BMW ring on. Notice how much less "range" you have? The K-MAC sliding ring is hitting the lower lip of the BMW ring. Not good. The only fix I see is to grind or cut off the turned down lip on the BMW reinforcement rings. It does not look like an easy task. But I don't think you really need the BMW ring with K-MAC. The K-MAC's already have their own steel rings. Some other things I've learned about K-MAC's. I originally thought I could set the K-MAC's at minimum camber for street driving and then drive to the autocross or track and quickly adjust them to maximum camber. Nope. Reason not is because the toe changes dramatically from minimum to maximum camber. A friend has K-MAC's too. He went to the alignment shop and set his K-MAC's at minimum camber and 1/8" total toe in. He then readjusted the K-MAC's to maximum negative camber. This increased the toe out big time! He got about 3/8" toe out at each wheel! His total toe out was something like 1/2". He went from 1/8" toe IN to 1/2" toe OUT. Undriveable with this much toe out. He did an autocross with it about this way and cooked the inside of his tires. You could possibly get around this problem if you readjusted your toe every time you adjusted the K-MAC's. More work than it is worth to me. Hence, I think you should just adjust them to the camber you want and get an alignment and then leave them the heck alone. Not much "adjustability" with that method. ;-) All in all, I still like the K-MAC's for one reason. My M3 has always pulled to the right. Turns out my caster is slightly off. I'm just barely within spec. My right side has 20 minutes less caster than the left front. That does not sound like much - just 1/3 degree - but it sure makes a difference in driving. I run R-compound tires 24/7. With R tires, the pull was unbearable. Unsafe even. If I let go of the steering wheel, I was in the ditch in a split second. But since using my K-MAC's and adjusting for caster, my M3 drives straight as an arrow. They are great for compensating for mismatch or misalignment. Good luck! Lowell Seaton '95 M3/2 Dallas, Texas
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#10. WTB: wheels - from Seth Frader-Thompson
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 00:22:37 -0600 From: "Seth Frader-Thompson" <fraderth@colorado.edu> Subject: WTB: wheels I seem to be consistently too late on the various wheels that go up for sale on the list, so maybe this time people will come to me. :) I'm looking for a set of stock (or equivalent aftermarket) wheels in the staggered 7.5/8.5 setup for my '97 sedan. Alternatively, a good deal on (4) 7.5s might be acceptable as a new set of street wheels, with my stockers serving for autocross duty. A used set of Kumhos or some such wouldn't hurt, either, if anyone's bored of theirs. Thanks, Seth