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#1. Tire noise - Kuhmos - from Allen Hyman
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Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 16:51:07 -0600 From: "Allen Hyman" <allen.hyman@starcore-dsp.com> Subject: Tire noise - Kuhmos I have Kuhmo Ecsta tires on my 99M3 with about 20K miles. There is a loud roaring noise from the wheels at speeds of 60-85 mph. The tires still have a good bit of tread on them (at least the front ones do). How can I be sure if the noise is a tire problem and not a bearing problem? When I push the clutch in the noise changes very little. Al 99 M3
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#2. Re: '95 Control Arm Bushings - from Dorffer, Rich
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Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 17:57:37 -0500 From: "Dorffer, Rich" <RDORFFER@CleIndians.com> Subject: Re: '95 Control Arm Bushings > One of the "Boy Racer" tricks we used on the old 510's back in the day was > to wrap the arm/bar (whatever the metal bit is that touches the bushing) > with Teflon Tape (like for plumbing). A single layer should not impact the > fit and it gets rid of the squeaking that we used to get when running poly > bushings. Just an FYI, the rubber control arm bushing does act as part of the suspension and the spring rate. So, it is best not to have the control arm slipping within the bushing. This is obviously more important for a street car with lighter spring rates than a race car with much higher spring rates. This is one more minor reason I am not a fan of urethane bushings in a street car. Also, Teflon tape simply doesn't hold up for very long in this type of environment IME (outside, exposed to the elements, with moving parts like metal against rubber/urethane/Delrin). I attempted the Teflon trick with sway bars, the tape simply didn't hold up in the long run. Regards, Rich
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#3. Re: [E36M3] changing rear springs on a 95 - from marc@plante.com
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Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2004 18:06:42 -0500 (EST) From: marc@plante.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] changing rear springs on a 95 I helped a friend change rear springs on his 95 a couple years back, and we had to loosen the half shafts to get the stock springs out. we tried loosening everything else, including the swaybar and stepping on the arm, but couldn't get the wheels out, maybe it had something to do with the fact that neither of us weighed more than 150 lbs...YMMV. If you decide to do it, I think it was a t25 torx socket, It's not a particularly high torque application, but careful not to strip the bolt heads. Also pick up both wheels so you can rotate the drive shaft to get at all the torx screws. Otherwise you have to play some really interesting games with extensions and elbows, which get really touchy when you're trying to torque everything at the end of the job. (don't ask me how I know). Marc Plante E36 325i, 218k Vienna, VA
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#4. RE - also got a new door lock actuator - from Burgess, Kim L
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Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 15:08:34 -0800 From: "Burgess, Kim L" <kim.l.burgess@boeing.com> Subject: RE - also got a new door lock actuator "1998 M3/4 - also got a new door lock actuator on Xmas Eve - Merry Christmas M3" Jim - What where your symptoms? My driver's door lock mechanism stopped working this fall during our wet season. I lubed it a couple of times with graphite and it went from working sporadically to not-at-all. I could no longer rotate the key/tumbler assembly to the lock position initially and eventually I could no longer lock/un-lock. Now that things have dried out (now just freezing) the lock/un-lock 'feature' works just fine - smooth as silk. Is the tumbler assembly an electrical devise (that shorted when wet) and less mechanical than I realize? TIA Kim Burgess 1999 M3/2
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#5. RE: RE - also got a new door lock actuator - from Jim Bassett
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Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 16:46:09 -0700 From: Jim Bassett <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: RE: RE - also got a new door lock actuator > "1998 M3/4 - also got a new door lock actuator on Xmas Eve - Merry > Christmas M3" > > > > Jim - What where your symptoms? My driver's door lock mechanism stopped > working this fall during our wet season. I lubed it a couple of times > with graphite and it went from working sporadically to not-at-all. I > could no longer rotate the key/tumbler assembly to the lock position > initially and eventually I could no longer lock/un-lock. Now that > things have dried out (now just freezing) the lock/un-lock 'feature' > works just fine - smooth as silk. Is the tumbler assembly an electrical > devise (that shorted when wet) and less mechanical than I realize? Hi Kim, The problems I've experienced (I've replaced all 4 door lock actuators on the car now) have to do with the doors not locking with the central locking system. Basically, when using the alarm remote or locking the whole car from one door, the faulty lock with not lock that door. On the front ones, the door with still lock mechanically (using the key and tumbler) just not via the central locking. There is both a mechanical and an electrical aspect to the door locks. The actuator is the electrical part and is the part I've had problems with. No problems with the mechanicals/tumbler. Hope that helps, Jim Bassett
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#6. Headlights needed - from James Clay
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Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 19:20:27 -0500 From: "James Clay" <james@bimmerworld.com> Subject: Headlights needed Anyone have these from a Euro light swap? Just stock, corner markers are a bonus, even if yellow. James Clay http://www.bimmerworld.com Engineered BMW Performance 540.639.9648
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#7. P/N for engine block coolant drain plug? - from K Quistorff
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Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 19:51:07 -0500 From: "K Quistorff" <kqkq@nc.rr.com> Subject: P/N for engine block coolant drain plug? I just replaced my radiator, water pump, etc., and found that I could not drain the coolant from my engine block drain plug because the new crush washer (and replacement drain plug) my dealer parts guy got me were way too small. Afterwards, I looked up these parts on my ETK CD, and it shows both parts on the Engine Block diagram, but it only lists the part no. for the crush washer ("Gasket Ring"), no part no. listed for the drain plug. Anyone know the BMW part no. for the drain plug? Thanks in advance. Keith Q. Cary, NC 1996 M3
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#8. Track Tires Part 3 - The conclusion? - from Mo Karamat
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Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2004 19:54:44 -0500 From: Mo Karamat <karamatm@optonline.net> Subject: Track Tires Part 3 - The conclusion? Dear All, I want to thank everyone on the list for their responses, I received a LOT of them (Love this list!).. At this point, I am going to order the Toyo RA-1 in a 235 40 17. From the feedback that I have received about tire life, grip, and getting a first R compound this seems to be the best fit. Now as to the size, I would love to run a 245, but the tire gods do not deem it necessary to make a tire in a 245 40 17. The 255's would require rolling and spacers, which is not something that I want to do. So here we are. Thanks Again! Happy New Year to Everyone! Mo 98 M3/4 91 325IX 82 323i
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#9. more wheel size and tire questions as I get ready for Drivers Sch - from Paul Smith
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Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 22:45:20 -0500 From: Paul Smith <pauls@ontario.com> Subject: more wheel size and tire questions as I get ready for Drivers Sch ools I have a set of BBS RK 17 x 8. Am I good running 245/40/17 on all 4 corners at driver schools? I have had 2 schools (Putnam Park and Mid-Ohio). I plan on running the staggered set daily and want a set for the track (hopefully 6 or 8 schools this coming year). Any comments for a novice who just caught the bug? thanks Paul Smith 1998 M3/4/5 (yeah - the guy who did the money shift at Putnam last year) X-brace Stereo (had to) Euro rotors soon to get (hopefully) delivery of the JT-Designs Strut Tower Brace (front and rear) After a couple more schools to be sharked
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#10. RE: [E36M3] Tire noise - Kuhmos - from Mel Silva
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Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 22:20:11 -0600 From: "Mel Silva" <melsilva@mindspring.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Tire noise - Kuhmos Allen, I still have a set of Kuhmos on the front, the rears disintegrated about 10K miles ago. Assuming its winter where you live, I'm sure it's the tires. They seem to get really hard and noisy after being left cold for a while. The crazy weather we have in Houston reminds me of this fact. Case in point yesterday we had the Air Conditioning on in the house because it was over 80 upstairs. Today, it never got over 45 degrees in the middle of the day and when I left this morning the tires were LOUD until the warmed up a bit. The bad news is that they will never be as quiet as they once were. At least mine weren't. Mel (never buying Ecsta 720's again) -----Original Message----- From: Allen Hyman [mailto:allen.hyman@starcore-dsp.com] Sent: Monday, January 05, 2004 5:02 PM To: E36M3 Subject: [E36M3] Tire noise - Kuhmos Date: Mon, 5 Jan 2004 16:51:07 -0600 From: "Allen Hyman" <allen.hyman@starcore-dsp.com> Subject: Tire noise - Kuhmos I have Kuhmo Ecsta tires on my 99M3 with about 20K miles. There is a loud roaring noise from the wheels at speeds of 60-85 mph. The tires still have a good bit of tread on them (at least the front ones do). How can I be sure if the noise is a tire problem and not a bearing problem? When I push the clutch in the noise changes very little. Al 99 M3