-------------------- 1 --------------------
#1. RE: [E36M3] Possible stuck brake caliper question - from Patrick Goss - PA
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 15:18:29 -0600 From: "Patrick Goss - PA" <Patrick_Goss@GMACM.COM> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Possible stuck brake caliper question -----Original Message----- From: Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com [mailto:Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com] Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 3:59 PM To: E36M3 Subject: RE: [E36M3] Possible stuck brake caliper question Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 15:49:04 -0500 From: Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com Subject: RE: [E36M3] Possible stuck brake caliper question >One of my fronts stuck briefly and then freed up. Hasn't happened >since, but was noticeable enough that it felt like you described. Car >being held back, no coasting at graded stops, yadda yadda. I managed to get someone's caliper unstuck at the track once (Putnam), Luckily ----- Lol, I did that before on my Street Touring integra. Just "unstuck" it and reinstalled before an 8hr trip to Ayer Mass where my co-driver took first in class. It was only the parking brake piston in the caliper so we had to remember not to use it. (Sounds easier than you would think) someone else had a rebuild kit with a new boot and seal. I brought my trusty piece of 1500-1600 grit sandpaper that I used to clean off all the rust on the piston and the caliper's bore. He may still be using the same calipers although now he knows how to rebuild them himself and does it often. Rebuild often I say. :-P Anyway it's a simple procedure but often it is time consuming and no fun in crappy weather. ------- Agreed, that's how I've been justifying my laziness. Patrick
-------------------- 2 --------------------
#2. Re: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance - from Jim Bassett
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 13:57:50 -0800 (PST) From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance On Wed, January 4, 2006 11:18 am, Stan Shaw said: > Since my motor has @160k miles on it, what maintenance should be > performed. > Let's assume the performance is acceptable, so neither valves nor rings > are > in question. Should I be changing rod or main bearings? Cam tensioners, > etc? Water pump and radiator were just done. The one thing I would suggest doing is securing the oil pump sprocket nut (if not done already. While you're in there, you can do the rod bearings (and maybe main bearing :-)) as a preventative thing. I helped Bill Arnold do this for MarkD's car (mine, sadly, were done post-diaster). Jim Bassett
-------------------- 3 --------------------
#3. Re: [E36M3] RE: seats? - from Jim Bassett
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 14:00:24 -0800 (PST) From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] RE: seats? On Wed, January 4, 2006 7:38 am, Ahmad Lutfeali said: > PS: BTW get your cage in ASAP and obtain a rule book fast. You can then > grandfather it to run bolt in >2007 without worrying about weld in (it's a > PITA to install in a car with full interior). That's exactly the point I was going to make - just make sure you get a logbook for your current car/cage before July 1, 2006. As long as you've met the prior 2005 rules, you should "grandfathered". Cheers, Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4 1993 325is #44 JP - running and nearly ready for the Feb Sears Point race
-------------------- 4 --------------------
#4. Re: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance - from Stan Shaw
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 17:01:31 -0500 From: "Stan Shaw" <Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance Thanks Jim, Oil pump nut and rod bearings are now on the list. Is anyone out there running an accusump in an M3? Regards, Stan Shaw Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net Phone: (413) 599-0399 Fax: (413) 599-0421 Excell.Net Owner/Operator http://www.Excell.Net/ 928 Owners Club President http://www.928OC.org/ 928Racing.net Team Member http://www.928Racing.net/ "Liberty once lost is lost forever." - John Adams
-------------------- 5 --------------------
#5. RE: [e36m3] Re: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance - from marco
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 14:22:04 -0800 From: "marco" <m3driver@iname.com> Subject: RE: [e36m3] Re: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance yes. was running it through an AN-6 line going into the jtd oil distro block. At AN-6 it's not much better than just a pre-oiler since you can't push a big enough volume of oil through the AN-6 to make a difference so if you're worried about oil pressure spikes on corners and hard braking it doesn't work. I have just upgraded the S50 oil filter housing to a Euro version and now have AN-10 lines running to a cooler and plan on plumbing in the accusump to that via an-10 lines in the near future. If you are worried about oil pressure install baffles in the oil pan. Turner and VAC make some. I've used both and believe the VAC ones work better. Marco -----Original Message----- From: Stan Shaw [mailto:Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net] Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 2:09 PM To: E36M3 Subject: [e36m3] Re: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 17:01:31 -0500 From: "Stan Shaw" <Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance Thanks Jim, Oil pump nut and rod bearings are now on the list. Is anyone out there running an accusump in an M3? Regards, Stan Shaw Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net Phone: (413) 599-0399 Fax: (413) 599-0421 Excell.Net Owner/Operator http://www.Excell.Net/ 928 Owners Club President http://www.928OC.org/ 928Racing.net Team Member http://www.928Racing.net/ "Liberty once lost is lost forever." - John Adams ************************************************* 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 Elephant Motorsports Inc. http://www.elephantmotorsports.com DIGEST INFORMATION: http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm *************************************************
-------------------- 6 --------------------
#6. RE: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance - from Matthew Teel
Top
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:43:26 -0900 From: Matthew Teel <mteel@beluga.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance Jim, So... Are you saying you can replace a rod or main bearing as a preventative step without turning the crank? It's been awhile since I've rebuilt any engines, but I was schooled that this should never happen. Perhaps this is old school now!!! Matthew 98 M3/4 -----Original Message----- From: Jim Bassett [mailto:jim@jimbassett.com] Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 12:58 PM To: E36M3 Subject: Re: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 13:57:50 -0800 (PST) From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance On Wed, January 4, 2006 11:18 am, Stan Shaw said: > Since my motor has @160k miles on it, what maintenance should be > performed. > Let's assume the performance is acceptable, so neither valves nor > rings are in question. Should I be changing rod or main bearings? > Cam tensioners, etc? Water pump and radiator were just done. The one thing I would suggest doing is securing the oil pump sprocket nut (if not done already. While you're in there, you can do the rod bearings (and maybe main bearing :-)) as a preventative thing. I helped Bill Arnold do this for MarkD's car (mine, sadly, were done post-diaster). Jim Bassett ************************************************* 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 Elephant Motorsports Inc. http://www.elephantmotorsports.com DIGEST INFORMATION: http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm *************************************************
-------------------- 7 --------------------
#7. RE: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance - from Jim Bassett
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 16:56:40 -0800 (PST) From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Motor Maintenance On Thu, January 5, 2006 3:48 pm, Matthew Teel said: > So... Are you saying you can replace a rod or main bearing as a > preventative > step without turning the crank? > > It's been awhile since I've rebuilt any engines, but I was schooled that > this should never happen. Perhaps this is old school now!!! I think it's possible to do so, but as I mentioned earlier, it has been nearly 3 years since I assisted in this procedure so take this with a HUGE grain of salt :-) Be sure to consult an engine professional before attempting, yada^3. Jim Bassett - engine amateur :-)
-------------------- 8 --------------------
#8. Differential Questions - from Greg Gantt
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 20:23:33 -0500 From: "Greg Gantt" <ggantt@gantt-consulting.com> Subject: Differential Questions I've found the rubbing noise (a shunk, shunk shunk sound) from the rear of my '95 M3 when coasting (clutch in) or when engine braking to come from my differential area - the noise disappears under acceleration or on a neutral throttle. With the car is up on jack stands running it to ~50 mph, I notice there's some driveline/tire vibration that isn't apparent on the road. When my partner lifts off the throttle and I use a screwdriver to my ear under the car to isolate noise, it seems to come from the driver's side output bearing in the differential (3.15 LSD w/6-bolt flange). Inspecting the area, I found there to be some gear oil seepage (no oil on the floor) on that side so I suspect my seal is shot too. I don't have a 14mm hex to check fluid level/condition, but the fluid was replaced 35K miles/5 years ago - I've got 70K miles on the car and track it 1-2 times a year. I'd like to ask list members' help with these questions: 1) Is it common for this bearing to fail? Is it possible low fluid level caused by the seal has just made the bearing noisy? 2) Can the differential bearing and seal be easily replaced? If so, can I do it leaving the diff in the car removing the half shaft? 3) Any write-ups on how to do this? My Bentley manual doesn't show anything inside the diff. 4) Would I be better off just replacing the entire differential? A 3.38/3.46 LSD sounds good - anyone got one of these for sale? 5) If I buy a used differential, is it standard practice to get some kind of guarantee? 6) Is it normal to get driveline vibration that you feel in the seat of your pants when spinning the tires up to 50 mph with the car on jack stands? 7) Will my ABS light that kicked on go out when I drop the car off the stands and drive it? I figure my immediate next steps are to get a hex wrench and change the diff fluid while the car is up on jack stands to see if I get lucky where the noise disappears. Beyond that, I'm not sure how best to proceed. Any help or insights on how I can fix this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Greg '95 M3
-------------------- 9 --------------------
#9. Re: Seats? - from Roy Kao
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 21:53:46 -0500 From: Roy Kao <royckao@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Seats? Sorry I'm so late to this thread, am away in Shanghai right now and just catching up on this thread. FWIW, my '99 is undergoing some mods for DE now, but with an eye towards going CR in IP later (how much later I won't know...courtesy of a baby girl, our first, on her way due in April!). I've chosen to go with the Recaro Pole Position ordered from TC Kline with the floor mounts from VAC as sold by Kline. I've also decided to upgrade suspension bushings and added some reinforcements using bits from Turner's catalogue. I've already had an FK coil over (Koni yellow based) suspension installed a couple of years ago. As for the cage, I've spoken with James at Bimmerworld and will be sending my car down in the spring to have a half cage installed, but to IP spec - the goal being that when I'm ready to go CR, they can just add the front half of the cage to spec, and they are welded in. I don't plan many changes to the drivetrain or the engine, limiting the scope to the Conforti Intake kit being installed right now, along with the Rogue Engineering exhaust and short shift kit. Alas, I've bought a used Trailex aluminum trailer so I'll be towing my car to/from the track...call it wimping out on now wanting to drive such a stiffly suspended car on public roads. And boy am I looking forward to having it out for its first outing when the season starts again! -- Roy - '99 M3 Estoril Blue > -------------------- 8 -------------------- > Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 19:24:36 -0500 > From: "dhogg" <dhogg@suscom.net> > Subject: Seats? > > Stan, > > > > I drive my I-Stock M3 to and from the track and shop. It has a TC Kline > cage with the appropriate SFI padding. The way my seat is set up, there > would have to be a pretty violent collision for my head to hit the cage hard > on the street, unless I got hit from the side. A side hit even in a stock > M3 would not be pretty. Before the padding went in, it was much scarier. > > > > I exercise extra caution when in the car helmet-less. I would never use it > as a daily driver, but I have used it to get groceries a few times. > > > > And yes, I'll have to get the cage welded in for 2007. > > > > Dave Hogg
-------------------- 10 --------------------
#10. Re: [E36M3] Differential Questions - from Jay Hudson
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 19:25:36 -0800 From: "Jay Hudson" <jwhud@budget.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Differential Questions Contact Dan at diffsonline.com He can answer your questions and sell you a used or rebuilt diff. He has warranties on either. I'm running one of his 3.64LSDs. I love it! Jay > Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 20:23:33 -0500 > From: "Greg Gantt" <ggantt@gantt-consulting.com> > Subject: Differential Questions > > I've found the rubbing noise (a shunk, shunk shunk sound) from the rear of > my '95 M3 when coasting (clutch in) or when engine braking to come from my > differential area - the noise disappears under acceleration or on a > neutral > throttle. With the car is up on jack stands running it to ~50 mph, I > notice > there's some driveline/tire vibration that isn't apparent on the road. > When > my partner lifts off the throttle and I use a screwdriver to my ear under > the car to isolate noise, it seems to come from the driver's side output > bearing in the differential (3.15 LSD w/6-bolt flange). Inspecting the > area, I found there to be some gear oil seepage (no oil on the floor) on > that side so I suspect my seal is shot too. I don't have a 14mm hex to > check fluid level/condition, but the fluid was replaced 35K miles/5 years > ago - I've got 70K miles on the car and track it 1-2 times a year. > > > > I'd like to ask list members' help with these questions: > > > > 1) Is it common for this bearing to fail? Is it possible low fluid > level caused by the seal has just made the bearing noisy? > > 2) Can the differential bearing and seal be easily replaced? If so, > can I do it leaving the diff in the car removing the half shaft? > > 3) Any write-ups on how to do this? My Bentley manual doesn't show > anything inside the diff. > > 4) Would I be better off just replacing the entire differential? A > 3.38/3.46 LSD sounds good - anyone got one of these for sale? > > 5) If I buy a used differential, is it standard practice to get some > kind of guarantee? > > 6) Is it normal to get driveline vibration that you feel in the seat > of your pants when spinning the tires up to 50 mph with the car on jack > stands? > > 7) Will my ABS light that kicked on go out when I drop the car off > the > stands and drive it? > > > > I figure my immediate next steps are to get a hex wrench and change the > diff > fluid while the car is up on jack stands to see if I get lucky where the > noise disappears. Beyond that, I'm not sure how best to proceed. Any > help > or insights on how I can fix this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. > > > > Greg > > '95 M3 >
-------------------- 11 --------------------
#11. FS: SSR wheels and r-compound tires - from Mdriver13@aol.com
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 22:26:07 EST From: Mdriver13@aol.com Subject: FS: SSR wheels and r-compound tires Group, I am selling a set of four 17x8 SSR Integral A2 wheels (offset is 40mm). These are the wheels I have used only for autoxing the last five years. So, they have been on the car a total of only 50 days! They are in very good condition, just the usual wear. Here's a link that shows a picture of the wheel: http://www.wheelspecs.com/specs/wheelmodels/372 The wheels have Kumho V700 tires on them. The tires still show tread, so I would say they have about 5 to 10 autox events left. They are still sticky based on the last event of the season. The size is 235x40x17 and unlike Hoosier's and V710's they can be driven on to / from events. Bottom line, these are nice, lightweight wheels, that are great for autocrossing or just for the street. The only reason I'm selling them is to go larger / wider for BSP/SM class. I'm asking $1000/obo. Please email me if you are interested. Shipping will be based on location. I will deliver if within driving distance. I will email pictures to those interested. thanks, Bob Gill 97 ///M3 coupe (sponsored by WCC & JT Designs) Philly Region SCCA 2005 Philly Region BSP Champion
-------------------- 12 --------------------
#12. Re: auto- manual conversion - from Kevin Bishop
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 21:27:53 -0600 From: Kevin Bishop <kbishop371@comcast.net> Subject: Re: auto- manual conversion You might want to check out the following thread on Bimerforums: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=79886 I think that getting things 90% right seems relatively straightforward given the solutions that others have already figured out. A lot of work, but straightforward. However, as you dig into this thread you'll see that there are other electrical issues beyond the starter disable. The cruise control also requires some hacks and people with OBDII cars wound up reporting that their cars were throwing errors that kept them from passing smog / safety inspections. There was a fix for the cruise control, but I'm not sure about the OBDII errors. I really wanted to put a Euro 6-speed in my M3/4A, but wound up punting after I tallied up the costs and the unknowns. Good luck and if you go for it, you should add your comments to that thread! Kevin On Jan 4, 2006, at 10:28 PM, E36M3 wrote: > > Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 12:32:38 -0800 (PST) > From: tim g <shaggy62832003@yahoo.com> > Subject: auto- manual conversion > > well i don't have an m3 but i have a 97' 328i with a decent > amount of modification. i bought it as an auto because i got a > pretty good price 2 years ago. i am about to replace the tranny, > but i would like to convert it to a standard.. can any advise me on > what i am going o need and how much work it will be and what it'll > be looking like on price >
-------------------- 13 --------------------
#13. RE: [E36M3] Spring Swap - from Tom Tice
Top
Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2006 23:02:20 -0500 From: "Tom Tice" <tetice@triad.rr.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Spring Swap Thanks Ahmad, I was aware that thicker spring pads could be used but I didn't know you could get a half inch out of it. My challenge is that I think I need somewhere on the order of 3/4 of an inch or more to accomplish the clearance that I'm looking for. So I may need a combination of the OE sports and the thicker pads. My car for some reason is lower than what is typical for the Sports??? Tom Tom, No need to swap it out for a H&R OE. The Oes and Sports have the same spring rates the only difference being the height. The Oes are .5 inch taller. I am assuming you are content with the ride and are concerned with the height. Here is the solution: Get these 9mm spring pads from the dealer: 31332227901 for the upper springs (this is for your car model/year) 31331128522 for the lower springs. (This is from an E30 325i). Throw one at the bottom and one at the top of the springs. Assuming you currently have the 3mm, the upgrade (9mm spring pads) should give you a half in increase. There you have it. Ahmad -------------------- 3 -------------------- Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 22:43:39 -0500 From: "Tom Tice" <tetice@triad.rr.com> Subject: Spring Swap? Is anyone interested in a spring swap? I have H&R sport springs in my '98 M3 and need to make it a bit more road worthy (ride height is too low for my driveway) since it no longer does track duty. I'd be interested in a swap with anyone that has H&R OE Sport springs or equivalent - I might even consider a swap back to stock (my originals are gone). Tom Tice '98 M3/4 => daily driver again '93 325iS '98 328iC => sold along with the M3 Springs '2002 325iT/5 '2002 X5
-------------------- 14 --------------------
#14. RE: [E36M3] Bolt In - from Ahmad Lutfeali
Top
Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 10:49:38 -0500 From: "Ahmad Lutfeali" <m3_racer99@hotmail.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Bolt In Carlos, I had a discussion with a few folks on this (mostly PMs since most people focused more on pointing fingers than on the real issue on the BF thread) and Mike McCoy explained this to me in lay man's term. A portion of a cage punching through the floor is not a function of the cage itself, or the cage design, but of the "base plates". A welded cage with the same size base plates would also punch through the floor in instances like that. The base plates are the only real point of concern for most cages. The bolt ins are built to spec, usually meaning minimum spec, of the rules. With base plates, bigger is always better. The through bolts in the tubes are indeed weaker in tension, but those tubes should also "never" be in tension. In compression, the tubes are aligned and *guided* by the sleeve bit, so plenty strong. Bending forces would be problematic, but that goes for any tube design. Its a load direction that they should not see. This is one part where most bolt ins do poorly compared to a welded cage. This isn't because they are "bolted" though. The facts presented to me were that if I were to weld in my current cage, the cage will become stronger. This is where I disagreed. The base plate issue was never introduced to the original discussion. Anyways, most weld ins have an extra set of tubes that connect the rear base plates to the main hoop. Usually an X between those rear base plates and the top or the middle of the main B pillar hoop. They are often then also tied together with a tube between the two rear base plates. This means that a side impact on that part of the cage will have the load translated to the other side of the cage and to the B pillar as well instead of just bending that rear tube to the side. Likewise a slightly forward but still to the side type of load (as in an offset T-bone, or your car slightly out of shape and being hit in the rear corner) the load is likewise directed to a tube in compression with that force going to the opposite corner on the B pillar though the X. I am not sure this is allowed in a stock class but if someone has more information on this please correct me. The diagonals in the rear could be added (and I am eyeing into that), and could even be done in such a way to retain the bolt-in-ness of the cage. Not sure why bolt in manufacturers haven't done this, other than that it adds time, complexity, and cost. However I learnt a lot while building this car (and am glad that I did instead of buying someone else's ready made car). On the base plate front, I liked the idea which your friend Shea introduced: Ferrari welds in big beefy base plates to the car, and then bolt the cage to those plates. Weld in cages are the thing to do for the classes beyond stock mostly for the ability to start attaching the cage to more points, different points, etc. In stock class we cannot weld in the cage to the rear strut towers and secondly you cannot start welding the pieces in because you will burn stuff (BTW you cannot remove the headliner in the Stock class either). As of now, the cage which I have does satisfy the current rules (SCCA, NASA, BMWCCA) -- its considered bare bones essential because stock class cages are different than those allowed in Prepared and Mod classes. When the whole issue on BF was run down, I realized what they wanted to accomplish (but the thought was presented in a different way). What the Board was trying to say that weld in cages are safer than bolt in cages. It was NOT that once you weld the current cage into the car it becomes that much stronger. Its because there were too many folks out there (one C mod car running bolt in cage with 2 loose bolts) without proper torqued bolts and it's a nightmare for the Techs to go out and ensure that everyone has the right specs etc. After my cage install, I drove the car at 2 different events and maybe 500 street miles. I have Loctited (blue) the bolts and last weekend checked all 24 base bolts and they all are tight in place. BTW your friend Shea had been very helpful in cranking out my thought process towards the whole cage issue. Live and learn. Ahmad -----Original Message----- From: Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com [mailto:Carlos.F.Lopez@jci.com] Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 2:55 PM To: m3_racer99@hotmail.com Cc: e36m3@bmw-m.net Subject: Re: [E36M3] Bolt In >A.L. >PS: Some folks on the forum came back saying 99% of the bolt ins are >junks and its comparable to running old Snell 95 helmet duct taped >together, and that I don't value my life enough to run bolt in cages and what not. Called >up reputable cage builders and have facts to prove otherwise. Late to the party but if I may offer my opinion on the subject... I think the one instance I heard about was at the Runoffs and an Autopower cage did punch through the floor and the racer was injured (permanently I believe). I don't have the specifics on the incident but a friend was there and he could probably tell me when it happened and what class the car was in, this was a few years back. I think the one major argument you can make on custom welded cages vs bolt in ones is the base plate design. For obvious reasons bolt in cages only bolt to the floor, and the sheetmetal on the floor is quite thin. Welded cages can take advantage of the rules and L-shaped base plates can be welded to the car so you gain quite a bit of strength welding to structural components. The other argument which was made on that Bimmerforums link by Shea (ssburns) was the absence of holes in the tubes of the welded in cage. If you want to save money and feel comfortable with the bolt in cage design (which is yet another argument in itself) then what I'd do is get a cage builder to make proper base plates and have the cage welded to those. This should be relatively inexpensive and greatly decreases the chance of the cage punching through in a rollover. Furthermore you can have him sleeve the tubes, weld them together and eliminate the bolts. Again not to bash on Autopower some more but yet another friend found bolts that did not have proper thread engagement on a cage he was inspecting, he was a regional SCCA tech inspector at the time and now is an SCCA Pro racing tech inspector. Just too many horror stories from people that I know and trust to go with a bolted in cage for me. To me they are the minimum you can do to race and that is personally unacceptable. I want foot protection, side impact protection, protection from engine intrusion, rollover protection, etc. The commercially available bolt in designs either don't offer this or else offer the minimal amount. On the other hand I have seen some custom cages and the welds were just unbelievably poor, the person doing the welding obviously did not understand how to fuse two pieces of metal properly. It is very important to find a good cage builder with excellent welding skills. Anyway, rant off, hope to see you at the track next year. :-) Carlos 98 M3 89 325i
-------------------- 15 --------------------
#15. RE: [E36M3] Spring Swap - from Ahmad Lutfeali
Top
Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 10:58:57 -0500 From: "Ahmad Lutfeali" <m3_racer99@hotmail.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Spring Swap Tom, Another good advice I got from Bob Butler who used to own a Yellow I Stock car. If you think the car is still low for your tastes (he did this for corner weight balancing), slide some plastic tubes at the top and bottom of the springs (get them from Home Depot). You will be amazed that with the combination of the tube and the pads, you should come out better than the Oes without any drivability issue. Sounds like a lot of work, but when I was building my race car, H&R race springs were the only ones available then and I had to live with it and work around. Hence the research. Oh and you can do all of that without actually disassembling the front strut assembly. Use spring compressors while the assembly is still in place and slide in the pads (you will have to cut the pads to wrap it around the strut). Ahmad (currently have Group G springs all around; problem solved. Thanks Will Turner) Lutfeali -----Original Message----- From: Tom Tice [mailto:tetice@triad.rr.com] Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 11:02 PM To: 'Ahmad Lutfeali'; 'E36M3' Subject: RE: [E36M3] Spring Swap Thanks Ahmad, I was aware that thicker spring pads could be used but I didn't know you could get a half inch out of it. My challenge is that I think I need somewhere on the order of 3/4 of an inch or more to accomplish the clearance that I'm looking for. So I may need a combination of the OE sports and the thicker pads. My car for some reason is lower than what is typical for the Sports??? Tom Tom, No need to swap it out for a H&R OE. The Oes and Sports have the same spring rates the only difference being the height. The Oes are .5 inch taller. I am assuming you are content with the ride and are concerned with the height. Here is the solution: Get these 9mm spring pads from the dealer: 31332227901 for the upper springs (this is for your car model/year) 31331128522 for the lower springs. (This is from an E30 325i). Throw one at the bottom and one at the top of the springs. Assuming you currently have the 3mm, the upgrade (9mm spring pads) should give you a half in increase. There you have it. Ahmad -------------------- 3 -------------------- Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2006 22:43:39 -0500 From: "Tom Tice" <tetice@triad.rr.com> Subject: Spring Swap? Is anyone interested in a spring swap? I have H&R sport springs in my '98 M3 and need to make it a bit more road worthy (ride height is too low for my driveway) since it no longer does track duty. I'd be interested in a swap with anyone that has H&R OE Sport springs or equivalent - I might even consider a swap back to stock (my originals are gone). Tom Tice '98 M3/4 => daily driver again '93 325iS '98 328iC => sold along with the M3 Springs '2002 325iT/5 '2002 X5
-------------------- 16 --------------------
#16. You guys are gonna love this - from Sue Kraft
Top
Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 10:41:59 -0600 From: Sue Kraft <suekraft@new.rr.com> Subject: You guys are gonna love this Got this e-mail from a fellow BMW enthusiast in Germany. Check out the video :-) Suzy -------- Original Message -------- Subject: bmw-m.net Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 13:31:39 +0100 From: johannes_kersten@web.de Reply-To: johannes_kersten@web.de Organization: johannes_kersten@web.de To: suzy@bmw-m.net Hi, it was very interesting to study your website. If you want, you can have a look at this short video about how to use the new M5 ;-) http://www.hostels24.de/tmp/m5.mpeg Many greetings from dresden, germany Johannes Kersten