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#1. RE: Rear Shock Tower Failure - from Jenine5151@aol.com
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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 13:03:16 EDT From: Jenine5151@aol.com Subject: RE: Rear Shock Tower Failure Unfortunately this is pretty common with a stiffer shock, and spring set up, I don't know if you are running stock suspension or not but I suspect that you are not. This has happened to me at least 3 times on my race car, the easiest way to fix this permanently is to take it to a race fabrication shop and have them cut off the top of the shock mount sheet metal and weld in a new piece that is 3 times as thick, the other option it to buy the replacement sheet metal through a BMW dealer (they actually sell the shock mount/turret sheet metal where the shock fits into) and have a body shop cut out the old piece and weld the new one in (this is what I have done, hence the 3-times), however you will just have the same problem again so option one is the best solution for you. Do not worry about suspension geometry, this will not affect it at all, since this piece just locates the top of the shock it will not change alignment etc. Alex Long During lunch I inspected what I thought was a faulty RSM. To my extreme dismay, I found not only that my rear shock mount looked like it has seen a few miles, but that the rear shock tower, where the shock mount bolts to the tower, is rusted and pretty much destroyed. Both bolts of the RSM are attached to nothing, and if I push the car up and down, the RSM has complete freedom to move wherever it likes. (Especially bang against the tower) What was once three separate holes, one for each bolt of the RSM and the RSM hub, is now one big hole. There are multiple 1/2" cracks extending from the hole and metal which is slightly bent up where it is obvious that the loose RSM had just smacked the tower from underneath. Does anyone know of the best way to solve this problem? Would the dealer do the best job or would a race shop like Turner Motorsports be better capable of fabricating and welding what is necessary to replace my rear shock mount? I live in the Boston area so any input is appreciated. This is my daily driver, (my dream car for the past 4 years) and I have broken the bank purchasing it so price and time are a concern. My other option is to take the Z3 reinforcement plate, draw a bigger version with the same hole pattern in Pro/E, have our machine shop make it out of thicker 1/8" steel, and have someone weld it on to the tower. I am concerned about changing the geometry though of the rear suspension. Also: '95, stock suspension and RSMs with 87K miles. This really sucks.
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#2. RE: [E36M3] E46 M3 Wheels - from Jeremy Warfield
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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 13:06:57 -0400 From: "Jeremy Warfield" <cosmos95_swa@yahoo.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] E46 M3 Wheels Rob- The e46m3 fronts (18x8 I believe) will work at all four corners on the e36. Don't even consider the rear 18x9's as they have a 29mm offset of something similarly crazy. Another important fitment issue is tires. The e46's overall diameter is quite a bit larger than our e36's, so you will have to try and purchase the wheels without the rubber. For tires, you basically have two options: a 225/40-18 which is a little skinny, but there is a pretty wide selection available, as well as a reduced cost. A 235/35-18 is your best bet, but I believe tirerack only lists 3 or 4 models in this size and the costs are very high ~250 each! Jeremy- cosmos 95///m3 -------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 12:27:20 -0400 From: "Rob C Swift" <RSwift@AVMTOnline.com> Subject: E46 M3 Wheels Hello all, Will the stock 18" wheels from E46 M3's bolt on to my '97 M3? I have seen a few sets for sale and would like to consider them. I do not know much about offset or the other factors involved which would make a wheel/tire combination suitable for a certain car or not. Thanks! Rob Swift Manassas, VA '97 M3 ************************************************************* List Commands UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you from the mailing list. DIR - sends a listing of files available in the list's GET directory. GET filename1.ext,filename2.ext - sends the requested file(s). To issue a command/request to the server: Send a message with the command you wish executed as the subject of the message to the email address e36m3@bmw-m.net. *************************************************************
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#3. Re: Repairing my Cracked Rear Shock Tower - from S Lafredo
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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 10:21:53 -0700 (PDT) From: S Lafredo <slafredo@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Repairing my Cracked Rear Shock Tower I would have this done by a body shop either independently or through your dealer. So that they can put the car on the rack and align the towers. If you just 'slap' on the new towers and weld into place 'out of spec' you will probably NEVER get the rear into proper alignment again. Not to mention destroying your resale value. You get what you pay for. My 2 cents. S --- morris.michael@adlittle.com wrote: > 2. What damage do I risk by not having the shock tower holes > perfectly to spec? (A.K.A having the welder perform the fix.) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.com
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#4. Sticker thanks and M color order - from Marc.S.Edwards@QuestDiagnostics.com
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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 10:46:00 -0700 From: Marc.S.Edwards@QuestDiagnostics.com Subject: Sticker thanks and M color order Wayne; Thanks for setting this up. Whichever is decide we just need to make sure that the M color order is correct. I believe that it is blue, purple, red. Some of the stickers without car silhouette have color order incorrect. I assume that this is very easily correctable. Thanks again! Marc M3CSL (Currently stickerless lightweight)
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#5. Fwd: RE: CE light. diagnostic tools - from RogRacer@aol.com
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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 13:46:51 EDT From: RogRacer@aol.com Subject: Fwd: RE: CE light. diagnostic tools
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#6. Re: [E36M3] Repairing my Cracked Rear Shock Tower - from Joe Dyer
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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 10:54:57 -0700 From: "Joe Dyer" <joedyer@home.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Repairing my Cracked Rear Shock Tower Morris, Most dealers are not into serious bodywork. Your dealer will probably have a local high quality body shop under contract to provide this service. They probably won't want to tell you who it is because they want their cut. If you can get the required OEM tower parts, you can negotiate their installation with the body shop of your choice. They are probably equipped to measure and install as good as the dealer's choice! Joe ----- Original Message ----- From: <morris.michael@adlittle.com> To: "E36M3" <e36m3@bmw-m.net> Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2001 8:29 AM Subject: [E36M3] Repairing my Cracked Rear Shock Tower | Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 11:16:41 -0400 | From: morris.michael@adlittle.com | Subject: Repairing my Cracked Rear Shock Tower | | | Hello List, | | Thanks to those who responded with their experiences with their cracked | rear shock towers and how they fixed it. If I am lucky, the BMW 6 year | anti-corrosion warranty might cover it. I might be out of date though | since my car is a '95. I have a local dealer checking on it right now for | me. | | If the warranty does not work, it looks like I have 2 options: | | 1. Have the dealer do it for between $500-$1000. Looks like new, painted, | coated with anti-corrosion, etc. | | 2. Have a welder do it for below $200. Will look like it was slapped on, | but it will work, and it will be covered by the carpeting for no one to | see. : ) | | My questions are as follows: | | 1. Does BMW sell the spray-on or paint-on anti-corrosion coating, that | rubbery like substance found underneath our cars? If not them, would an | AUTOZONE or NAPA carry a suitable substitute? I will need this to coat the | underside of the tower if I get a welder to perform the fix. | | 2. What damage do I risk by not having the shock tower holes perfectly to | spec? (A.K.A having the welder perform the fix.) | | Any other advice from those who have done this themselves, and from those | who have done some post-repair painting would be appreciated. | | Thanks, | | Mike Morris | | **** This is intended for the addressee only and may contain | confidential business information. It may not be copied | without our permission. If you are not the intended recipient, | please contact the sender as soon as possible and | delete the material from any computer.**** | | | ************************************************************* | List Commands | UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you from the mailing list. | DIR - sends a listing of files available in the list's GET directory. | GET filename1.ext,filename2.ext - sends the requested file(s). | | To issue a command/request to the server: | Send a message with the command you wish executed as the | subject of the message to the email address e36m3@bmw-m.net. | ************************************************************* | | |
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#7. Re: Repairing my Cracked Rear Shock Tower - from Neil Maller
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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 13:17:21 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Re: Repairing my Cracked Rear Shock Tower on 10/23/01 12:20 PM, "Mark Radelow" <radelow@hotmail.com> wrote: > If you want my opinion (you are going to get it anyway) just have it done > correctly by the dealer. An only slightly dissenting opinion: have it done correctly by a good body shop. Some dealers may have good body shops, but many do not. If you can get it done under warranty you probably won't have any choice though. It shouldn't be too difficult as a job for a pro, since access is pretty good once the trunk trim, and maybe the parcel shelf, are removed. BMW has the sheet metal parts for sale as follows: Support for shock absorber left 41 14 8 169 027 Support for shock absorber right 41 14 8 169 028 These are essentially just the top mount area of each tower, with a wide flange around for welding. Probably not very expensive (well, by BMW standards anyway). My wild-ass guess would be under $100 each. Minor misalignment on assembly wouldn't affect rear suspension geometry. The angle of the shock itself really isn't critical, within reason. You could possibly consider having the area further reinforced at the same time. If the area is too far gone to corrosion or cracking for those, the next option is a complete wheel arch housing including the shock tower: Rear left wheelhouse 41 14 8 151 005 Rear right wheelhouse 41 14 8 151 006 It looks as if this would be a much bigger welding job, and require removal of lots of other stuff first as well as extensive repainting afterward. Much more expensive repair. Leave the post-repair corrosion protection to the body shop. They'll know what to do. Neil 96 M3
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#8. Allignemnt Sugguestions - from Ahmad Lutfeali
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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 14:17:07 -0400 From: "Ahmad Lutfeali" <m3_racer99@hotmail.com> Subject: Allignemnt Sugguestions My car has currently the following settings Front -3.1 front camber 0 toe 6.7 caster (all measurements in degrees) Rear -2.1 camber 0 toe I am planning on brining the car back to street settings since winter is setting in and I do drive this car year around (only 1 more track day and want to conserve front street tires) I was looking into Dinan Stage 3 specs Front -1.7 deg camber 0.13 toe 6.6 caster Rear -1.6 rear 0 .5 toe (I do have Bilstein/H&R sports, RD Swaybars and KMAC cambers) I was a little confused about the benefits of having +0.5 toe in the rear? Anyone running these settings? How is the tire wear (Street and track)? on street and track performance? Do you recommend the above (Dinan) settings, or what is a good all around track/street settings (run 235/40/17 R1 G-Force all around at the track) Thanks in advance. Ahmad 97 M3 Coupe
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#9. Interesting Web Site - from Wayne Miller
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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 15:41:22 -0400 From: "Wayne Miller" <m3@waynemiller.com> Subject: Interesting Web Site I just got this from someone on the NSX list. www.thewaxtest.com Let the arguments begin! -Wayne
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#10. Corrosion prevention... - from Juan Rico
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Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 12:43:11 -0700 From: Juan Rico <juan_rico@captionsinc.com> Subject: Corrosion prevention... All this talk about corrosion has me scared now. I just had some welding work done at ProParts West on one of the beams that supports the front bumper. The welding is exposed now (6 inches). Can I take care of it by just covering it with touch-up paint (per their recommendation) or do I need to coat it beforehand with something else to be sure? If that's the case, what is that "something else"? Juan.