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#1. Re: [E36M3] no license plate bumper trim - from David Ripton
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Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 20:24:58 -0500 From: David Ripton <dripton@ripton.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] no license plate bumper trim Patrick Goss - PA wrote: > Previous Owner drilled it for a plate, and my state doesn't require a front > one, so does anybody know the part number for this? http://www.unofficialbmw.com/e36/exterior/e36_license_plate_mount.html > How about a good place to get one? Any BMW dealer. It's a $20 part -- S&H probably exceeds the mail order discount. > I think the M bumper takes a different one vs. the other e36's. I don't think so. The P/N from Ron's page (which mentions a 318ti) was correct for my 1998 M3/4. -- David Ripton dripton@ripton.net
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#2. Raceware Head Stud Follow Up - from KLchmn@aol.com
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Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 00:39:36 EST From: KLchmn@aol.com Subject: Raceware Head Stud Follow Up Here's one of those good news stories to finish my Raceware head stud wrong nut issue. I called and let them know of the problem on Monday with the one nut (too large, slid right over the studs). I also sheepishly asked for two nuts as I had dropped the one into the oil pan and wanted to get the head back on and reassembled before tackling the oil pan removal. Today (Wednesday), there was an Airborne Express envelope sitting at the front door with not one, not two, but three of the correct nuts! Thought they deserved the kudo's as quickly as my earlier whining about the wrong nut. Cheers, Kirk Lachman Sin City Chapter '95 M3 #21 I-stock Application for the May 15-16 Sin City Chapter driving school at www.sincitybmwcarclub.com
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#3. Cordless wrench for wheel bolts - from Msebmwman@aol.com
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Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 02:05:21 EST From: Msebmwman@aol.com Subject: Cordless wrench for wheel bolts Okay; I'm ready to make the jump. I'd like to buy a cordless impact wrench to take my wheel bolts off and also put them on. In addition, I'd like to find a socket for it that will limit torque that is applied to the bolts before the 80 or so lbs-ft that I use to torque my lugs. I'd like to be able to use this at home as well as take it along to the track to change the wheels prior to and after a track day. Any recommendations out there please including online places to buy? Also for the "torque stick" or a set of them? Thanks very much Marc 95M3 and itching for cordless relief!
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#4. Re: [E36M3] Cordless wrench for wheel bolts - from Jim Bassett
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Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 00:00:21 -0800 From: Jim Bassett <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Cordless wrench for wheel bolts At 11:10 PM 3/30/04, Msebmwman@aol.com wrote: >Any recommendations out there please including online places to buy? Also for >the "torque stick" or a set of them? There's a lot of choices out there, but my recommendation is the original (or at least the first to get wide-spread notoriety) - Snap-On. I have one of the original 12V versions, just recently upgraded the batteries to 14.4V (they fit the 12V gun with minor modifications). Still going strong after 4+ years. I'm not a big fan of the torque-sticks, probably because I ALWAYS follow-up with a torque wrench. Always. Having had lots practice now <g>, I can usually get within a 1/2-turn of 80 ft-lbs with the torque wrench. My 2 cents, Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4 1993 325is #44 JP/A5
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#5. Re: [E36M3] Cordless wrench for wheel bolts - from Jeremy Lucas
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Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 05:50:30 -0500 From: "Jeremy Lucas" <jlucas@columbus.rr.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Cordless wrench for wheel bolts I'll second the Snap On recommendation. 2 years with no problems (except for a battery that was dropped off a 5 ft shelf). I use torque sticks in the shop where I have a regulated air supply and they work very consistently, but on a battery unit the amount of available torque varies greatly with the state of charge, so it would not be a good idea to rely on them for torque. I usually just run lug nuts on to the point of contact, then lower that wheel just enough to touch the ground and follow up with the torque wrench. Jeremy Lucas 95 M3 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> > > There's a lot of choices out there, but my recommendation is the original > (or at least the first to get wide-spread notoriety) - Snap-On. I have one > of the original 12V versions, just recently upgraded the batteries to 14.4V > (they fit the 12V gun with minor modifications). Still going strong after > 4+ years. > > I'm not a big fan of the torque-sticks, probably because I ALWAYS follow-up > with a torque wrench. Always. Having had lots practice now <g>, I can > usually get within a 1/2-turn of 80 ft-lbs with the torque wrench. > > My 2 cents, > > Jim Bassett > 1998 M3/4 > 1993 325is #44 JP/A5
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#6. Spare Tire question - from Newman, Christopher
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Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:11:51 -0500 From: "Newman, Christopher" <CNewman@LSAC.org> Subject: Spare Tire question Since we're on the topic of staggered tire sizes, I have a related question concerning the spare tire. My understanding is that the spare tire is the same size as the front tires. That is, the spare and fronts are 17 X 7.5 wheels with 225/45-17 tires. The rears are 17 X 8.5 wheels with 245/40-17 tires. My question is: Can you mount a rear-size tire (245/40-17) on a front-size wheel (17 X 7.5) without causing problems ? I know it can physically be done, I'm just curious whether a spare tire set up this way would deflate/explode/delam as soon as you put the cars weight on it. Thanks for any comments.
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#7. Re: Shuffle steering - finally in writing! - from Neil Maller
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Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:29:49 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Re: Shuffle steering - finally in writing! on 3/30/04 6:20 PM, "James Clay" <james@bimmerworld.com> wrote: > Shuffle steering is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. <snip> > I stopped and went back to the mostly fixed hand position when I went to a pro > school and heard it from a professional instructor. However many race cars have faster steering ratios that enable a fixed hand position (although not your BMW, or other stock-based classes I imagine). Otherwise you run out of available arm movement at around a half turn of the wheel, which is fine for quick corrections, but not necessarily for larger inputs. When teaching I let the student steer with whatever technique they're accustomed to, unless it's obviously impairing their ability to control the car. I've never found a need to ask a student to unlearn how they're accustomed to steer. I'm inclined to think this falls pretty low on the priority list, considering all the other things students have to figure out. Personally I use a combination of fixed and shuffle, depending on how much steering input is required, and how rapidly. I've never got confused yet - but of course there's always that first time. Letting go of the rim and letting the steering self-centre is supposedly effective in case of a major spin, but I don't know if I'd have the presence of mind to do that. Things tend to happen kind of quickly. In general I don't think releasing the rim is a terribly good idea, since you're relinquishing control. > And then today, I saw it, thanks to Tammi Hull in a June 2002 Roundel > article. I had heard about her wreck and have no idea even why I had > that Roundel near my desk, but decided to take a peek at the article to > see what happened. "The car wiggled, but I caught it and then I floored > it. I thought the car was pointed straight because its nose was, but > the tires weren't - and I shot across the track into the wall. Hard." OTOH, isn't that why racers often put a wrap of yellow tape at 12 o'clock on the steering wheel rim? Bear in mind that I'm an experienced instructor, but not a racer. Racing gets rather more intense, and different priorities may apply... Neil 96 M3
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Spare Tire question - from Andrej Dolenc
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Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:34:49 -0500 From: Andrej Dolenc <adolenc@erols.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Spare Tire question Buddy of mine with a mustang runs 245/40/17 tires on a 17x7.5 rim all the way around, no probs. Probably on the narrow side of what's the recommended rim size, but doable. That said, I'm a huge fan of 17x8.5 rims with 245 tires all the way around. You get to rotate the tires front to back, extend the life some that way. Andrej '97 M3 Christopher Newman writes: > Since we're on the topic of staggered tire sizes, I have a related question > concerning the spare tire. > My understanding is that the spare tire is the same size as the front tires. > That is, the spare and fronts are 17 X 7.5 wheels with 225/45-17 tires. > The rears are 17 X 8.5 wheels with 245/40-17 tires. > My question is: Can you mount a rear-size tire (245/40-17) on a front-size > wheel (17 X 7.5) > without causing problems ? I know it can physically be done, I'm just > curious whether > a spare tire set up this way would deflate/explode/delam as soon as you put > the cars > weight on it. Thanks for any comments.
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Spare Tire question - from LoweSeaton@aol.com
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Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 10:43:23 -0500 From: LoweSeaton@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Spare Tire question Chris, No, nothing dramatic will happen. But I will ask why? The most noticeable thing is the oversize spare will NOT fit in your spare wheel well. It will slightly raise up the trunk carpet mat. No biggie. I've lived with it for years. Diameterwise, the 225/45-17 tire is close enough to the 245/40-17 tire that it won't matter. Assuming your spare is just that - a spare - you will want to patch or replace the flat rear tire soon anyway. I can think of some good reasons to mount the 245/40 tire on your spare rim. Say you have a bald, worn out rear tire. It would make a fine spare as long as it holds air. I used up my spare tire as soon as the originals wore out. I've had a worn out spare for the last 6 years. I've only had to use it twice for less than 100 miles. But if you are wanting to mount a brand new 245/40 tire on the 7.5" rim, that is a little too narrow of rim. 245/40 technically should be mounted on at least 8.0" wide rims. And if you are wondering if a 245/40 tire will work on the front, the answer is yes. I've had 245/40-17 tires on 8.5" rims all around for years with no rubbing or other problems. Lowell Seaton '95 M3
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#10. RE: [E36M3] Cordless wrench for wheel bolts - from twisty M3
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Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 08:42:45 -0800 From: "twisty M3" <twistym3@hotmail.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Cordless wrench for wheel bolts I ended up going the bargain route and opted for the Harbor Freight "Chicago" cordless impact wrench, which was on sale at the time. I think I paid around $120 for it and have used it for about a year now with no problems at all. As for the torque stick, I've never used one. I simply get all the nuts down to the point of contact, then go back and hit each one with about 3 quick blips of the trigger. That seems to constantly get them within a 1/2 turn or so from what I torque them to. In the long term, I'd bet the Snap-On is probably the better buy, but I'm still happy with what I've got, and it makes getting the brake caliper brackets off a breeze too. Jonathan L. _________________________________________________________________ Get reliable access on MSN 9 Dial-up. 3 months for the price of 1! (Limited-time offer) http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup&pgmarket=en-us&ST=1/go/onm00200361ave/direct/01/
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#11. RE: [E36M3] Re: Shuffle steering - finally in writing! - from Bob Sutterfield
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Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 09:48:30 -0700 From: "Bob Sutterfield" <Bob@XC.Org> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Re: Shuffle steering - finally in writing! Neil Maller wrote: > James Clay wrote: > > I stopped and went back to the mostly fixed > > hand position when I went to a pro school > > and heard it from a professional instructor. > > However many race cars have faster steering ratios > that enable a fixed hand position (although not your > BMW, or other stock-based classes I imagine). The 95M3 steering ratio is particularly tight. Few of the street cars our students bring to driving schools are as quick, so they're going to need to learn some good sort of hand work, and un-learn their old bad habits. Shuffling has to be better than spinning the wheel with the heel of your hand, or reaching through the rim, or whatever they used on the trip to the track. Has anyone driven (or instructed in) an E60 with its variable ratio Active Steering? Our chapter teaches the shuffle steering doctrine for all the familiar reasons. We enforce it pretty firmly for novice and intermediate students. > Letting go of the rim and letting the steering > self-centre is supposedly effective in case of > a major spin, but I don't know if I'd have the > presence of mind to do that. Things tend to > happen kind of quickly. In general I don't think > releasing the rim is a terribly good idea, since > you're relinquishing control. Last week I was out with an instructor candidate, playing "Student From Hell" scenarios to help her learn how to observe, diagnose, and prescribe the necessary fixes. At one point (selected for its safety) I got off-line and put the tail in some marbles for a little slip-n-slide. I released the wheel and it self-centered for a nice recovery. I couldn't tell whether she was more excited about the line, the slide, or the release :-) -- Bob Sutterfield '9? E36 ///M3 in the hunt '87 E30 325iS DAS KAR (dearly departed) '88 E28 535iS http://m535i.org #154 IHR FUNF '93 T4 EV MV Weekender BELUGA BMWCCA #169277 Rocky Mountain Chapter Secretary