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#1. Re: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates - from Jim Bassett
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Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 09:56:35 -0800 (PST) From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates On Wed, March 9, 2005 8:46 pm, Alain van der Heide said: > True. I just wish the cheapo 35 lb Aluminum jack I bring with me would go > under the front of the car. Just to chime in with a random 2 cents, you can if you use a 2-stage jacking method: - Lifting at a rear jack pad, lift car high enough to get jackstand under front lift/jack pad. - Now go to the front subframe, lift car til level, place 2nd jackstand at other front pad (reposition first stand if necessary). - Lowering is the reverse :-) I've been using this method at home (and occasionally at the track) and it works well for both E36s. As always, fully support any car you're working under, and verify it's stability beforehand (a good shove from the side is a good test). Happy lifting, Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4 1993 325is #44 JP
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#2. RE: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates - from Mel Silva
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Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 12:19:26 -0600 From: "Mel Silva" <melsilva@mindspring.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates I need to drive up on a couple of short 2x4's so that I can get the jack under the air dam and then I can lift the front end by the cross member.
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#3. Anyone want to meet...Imma gonna be in CA this weekend. - from Chester Wong
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Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 12:25:20 -0800 (PST) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: Anyone want to meet...Imma gonna be in CA this weekend. Hey all. Leaving for Sacramento tonight to then drive to Tahoe for the weekend. We're boarding at Heavenly and Kirkwood and will be driving back to Sacramento on Sunday. After that, my friend is switching rental cars to then drive to San Mateo, CA. I can hitch a ride with him, but I'd need a ride back to the airport. ...so...if you want to meet up, lemme know. Chester
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#4. Towing Help - from KResener@aol.com
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Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 15:36:11 EST From: KResener@aol.com Subject: Towing Help Looking for some advice on how to secure my car to a trailer, unfortunately without T Hooks. Several people suggested T hooks a week or so ago when I asked about options, so I ordered from Bimmer Haus last week. Thought they understood that I needed them by today, as I'm leaving tomorrow AM for Road Atlanta. Well, I've just arrived home after a trip thinking that the hooks'd be here and I'd be strapped up on the trailer in no time, only to find that they won't be here until tomorrow.... So absent the T hooks, anybody have any suggestions on the best way to tie that car down? Thanks! Kurt
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#5. Strange situation with GC coil-over kit. Need help. - from Mo Karamat
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Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 19:47:08 -0500 From: Mo Karamat <karamatm@optonline.net> Subject: Strange situation with GC coil-over kit. Need help. Dear All, I need the wisdom of the group.. I installed my GC coil over kit the other night. After adjusting the height on the front of the car, I noticed that the driver side adjustment ring was at the very top of the threads, while the passenger side ring was .5" lower on the strut housing. Even thought the distance from the center of the rim to the fender lip was about even on both sides. (Yes, both sides had even tire pressure). Any thoughts on this? Tonight I took the car for an alignment. The strangeness continues. Dale from GC told me to have the shop set the camber at -1.5 degrees for the street. With the plates almost fully outward, the car has -2.8 degrees on the left, and -2.6 degrees on the right.. The shop said that due to the car being so low, I cannot go any more positive.. Any clues why this would be???? (1 notch inward ~ -1 degree of camber, and + .15" toe out) The rear camber was -1.8 left, and -1.6 on the right. Any help would greatly be appreciated.. Mo 98 M3/4
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#6. Re: [E36M3] Strange situation with GC coil-over kit. Need help. - from Mdriver13@aol.com
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Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 22:35:56 EST From: Mdriver13@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Strange situation with GC coil-over kit. Need help. In a message dated 3/10/2005 7:56:50 PM Eastern Standard Time, karamatm@optonline.net writes: After adjusting the height on the front of the car, I noticed that the driver side adjustment ring was at the very top of the threads, while the passenger side ring was .5" lower on the strut housing. Even thought the distance from the center of the rim to the fender lip was about even on both sides. (Yes, both sides had even tire pressure). Any thoughts on this? Mine sits about 3/8 inch higher on the driver side. I figure this is so that when the driver is seated the ride height is correct. Tonight I took the car for an alignment. The strangeness continues. Dale from GC told me to have the shop set the camber at -1.5 degrees for the street. With the plates almost fully outward, the car has -2.8 degrees on the left, and -2.6 degrees on the right.. The shop said that due to the car being so low, I cannot go any more positive.. How low are you? I'm not lowered, but with my TC Kline plates I'm at -1.5 degrees on both sides of the front. Fully set, it measures -3.4 and -3.6 degrees. Some variation is normal...it's not easy to be precise. Did you have any weight added to the driver sit, trunk, gas level??? The rear camber was -1.8 left, and -1.6 on the right. This is pretty good. They were only able to get -1.4 and -1.6 degrees on mine with the OEM rear control arms. Hope that helps, Bob Gill 97 ///M3 coupe Philly Region SCCA 2nd Place BSP - PA State Championship 2004
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#7. Re: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates - from James Clay
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Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 02:21:43 -0500 From: "James Clay" <james@bimmerworld.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates Go to Home Depot or the local construction site, grab a couple of 1' 2x4s, and drive the front tires on them before you jack. >True. I just wish the cheapo 35 lb Aluminum jack I bring with me would go >under the front of the car. But now I have a viable alternative. >- Alain James Clay http://www.bimmerworld.com <http://www.bimmerworld.com/> http://www.bimmerworldracing.com <http://www.bimmerworldracing.com/> Engineered BMW Performance 540.639.9648
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Strange situation with GC coil-over kit. Need help. - from Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com
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Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:36:15 -0500 From: Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Strange situation with GC coil-over kit. Need help. >Any thoughts on this? If you have too much negative camber, and the adjusters are almost all the way up, and the least amount of camber you can get is almost 3 degrees then I would wonder how long your front springs are. Based on that I would conclude they are too short. Carlos.
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Strange situation with GC coil-over kit. Need help. - from Jay W. Hudson
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Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 06:23:07 -0800 From: "Jay W. Hudson" <jwhud@budget.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Strange situation with GC coil-over kit. Need help. Mo- The difference in side to side camber doesn't surprise me or cause any concern. These cars aren't perfectly symmetrical. I think mine has a bigger difference than that. Of course, mine has been on a frame rack due to a front end accident some years ago. When I 1st installed my GC race setup and did the alignment, I could go from about -1.8 to -4.0. Then I had GC corner balance the car and decided to drop the front end another 1/4". And now can only get to about -2.8 as a minimum. So, the height of the front will definitely affect your range of adjustment. Some questions for you. Did you use the strut tower re-inforcement plates? If so, did you grind away the edges so that the camber plate will slide thru it's entire range of adjustment? What does concern me is the 1/2" difference in height between the 2 sides. I would definitely check everything at the top of the strut assembly, including the camber plates, to make sure it's the way it should be. Nothing binding or missing like a strut tower re-inforcement plate on one side. Are the camber plates identical? Maybe one race plate and one hybrid plate? Take measurements from the threaded collars on the housings down to a point like the upper steering knuckle mount to make sure both strut housings are the same. If everything is okeydoke, you'd have to conclude the car is bent and just deal with it. I'm a real nit picker. When I have my car on the alignment rack, I'm being real careful to make the adjustments exactly the same and be dead nuts on to what I want. The guy who owns the alignment shop, who is kind enough to let me do my own thing, probably laughs his a$$ off at me. He's told me many times that it ain't all that big a deal. Close counts. So, I guess as long as you can get the alignment where you want it, it'll be as good as it can be. Good luck - Jay > Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 19:47:08 -0500 > From: Mo Karamat <karamatm@optonline.net> > Subject: Strange situation with GC coil-over kit. Need help. > > Dear All, > > I need the wisdom of the group.. I installed my GC coil over kit the other > night. After adjusting the height on the front of the car, I noticed that > the driver side adjustment ring was at the very top of the threads, while > the passenger side ring was .5" lower on the strut housing. Even thought > the distance from the center of the rim to the fender lip was about even on > both sides. (Yes, both sides had even tire pressure). Any thoughts on > this? > > Tonight I took the car for an alignment. The strangeness continues. Dale > from GC told me to have the shop set the camber at -1.5 degrees for the > street. With the plates almost fully outward, the car has -2.8 degrees on > the left, and -2.6 degrees on the right.. The shop said that due to the car > being so low, I cannot go any more positive.. Any clues why this would > be???? (1 notch inward ~ -1 degree of camber, and + .15" toe out) The rear > camber was -1.8 left, and -1.6 on the right. > > Any help would greatly be appreciated.. > Mo > 98 M3/4
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#10. RE: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates - from Tim Williams
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Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 09:28:25 -0500 From: "Tim Williams" <willtj@bellsouth.net> Subject: RE: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates Don't know if this works on lowered cars, but on mine with stock springs I can lift one front wheel off from the side pad and set it down again: the car sits up enough then that you can jack from the front cross member as others are saying. But you can skip the step if you use the 2x4 method... > -----Original Message----- > From: mdriver13@aol.com [mailto:mdriver13@aol.com] > Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 8:46 AM > To: E36M3 > Subject: Re: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates > > > Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 08:36:46 -0500 > From: mdriver13@aol.com > Subject: Re: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates > > If I could get my jack under the front spoiler, where is the > best point to place the jack? I was not aware this could be done. > > TIA, > > Bob Gill > 97 ///M3 coupe > Philly Region SCCA > BSP Champ '01 and '02 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Alain van der Heide <ajvdh1@comcast.net> > To: E36M3 <e36m3@bmw-m.net> > Sent: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 22:46:19 -0600 > Subject: Re: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates > > > Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 21:40:35 -0700 > From: "Alain van der Heide" <ajvdh1@comcast.net> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] My 2 cents on camber plates > > > Date: Wed, 09 Mar 2005 12:00:05 -0800 > > From: Jim <rx3sp@lanset.com> > > [snip] > > Here is the deal, even when you jack up one side of the car > to lift the > front wheel off the ground, you are fighting > the sway bar. The sway bar > keeps the car from tilting when > the car is on the road, and it keeps the > car from tilting > when 1 wheel is still on the road. The bigger the sway > bar, > the more friction at the camber plate, even with the bolts loosened. > > > > Lift BOTH front wheels off the ground so you are not > fighting the sway > bar, and you can move the camber/caster > plate with your thumb. > > True. I just wish the cheapo 35 lb Aluminum jack I bring with > me would go under the front of the car. But now I have a > viable alternative. > > - Alain > > > ************************************************* > Please help support the E36M3 list by visiting our sponsors: > > Bimmerworld http://www.bimmerworld.com > Turner Motorsport http://www.turnermotorsport.com > Eurosport High Performance http://www.eurosporthighperformance.com > Rogue Engineering http://www.rogueengineering.com > Treehouse Racing http://www.treehouseracing.com > > DIGEST INFORMATION: > http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm > ************************************************* > > > > ************************************************* > Please help support the E36M3 list by visiting our sponsors: > > Bimmerworld http://www.bimmerworld.com > Turner Motorsport http://www.turnermotorsport.com > Eurosport High Performance http://www.eurosporthighperformance.com > Rogue Engineering http://www.rogueengineering.com > Treehouse Racing http://www.treehouseracing.com > > DIGEST INFORMATION: > http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm > ************************************************* > >