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#1. Alignment Settings for a dedicated Track Car. - from Mo Karamat
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 16:05:17 -0500 From: Mo Karamat <karamatm@optonline.net> Subject: Alignment Settings for a dedicated Track Car. Dear All, After reading Ahmed's posts, I was thinking that I will need to have the alignment done on the new track car.. I am running the GC coil over kit with 650 rears and 550 in the front, camber plates, and UUC sway bars. (Full soft in front, and full stiff in rear) I was thinking about the following settings... Front: Camber -3.5 degrees Caster - Max it out. toe - ? 0 or 1/16 in on each side? Rear Camber - ? This is the tough one... -1.5 degrees? Toe - 0? As you can see, I am not sure what I should set the rear to.. Any thoughts from racers on our list? Thanks so much! Mo
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#2. Re: [E36M3]Speeding Tickets - from Carey Probst
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 16:09:59 -0500 From: Carey Probst <hcprobst@alum.mit.edu> Subject: Re: [E36M3] <OT> Speeding Tickets I agree about the V-1 but some of the PA cops seem to have come up with a new twist. When I went back to visit family a couple months ago the nailed me near a built up area with lots of strip malls, etc. I think I read 8 or 9 signals there where I expect them and unfortunately, 1 of them was the PA revenue services. V-1 is great on the open road but the cops seem to be getting smarter. Carey Probst Member, M.I.T. Educational Council Perm: hcprobst@alum.mit.edu A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Michael Michalski wrote: > Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 14:56:00 -0600 > From: "Michael Michalski" <m.michalski@comcast.net> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] <OT> Speeding Tickets > > > > I used to have many problems with speeding tickets back in the day. > My experience has taught me that it was always better to obtain an > attorney no matter how small you may think the violation is. You will > notice the hit in your insurance premiums I can guarantee it. With > this said, I have only one thing to recommend. The Valentine One V1 > radar detector. It is not cheap, I think it is $400, however very > effective. I am not affiliated with this company in any way just a > very happy customer. The best defense against a speeding ticket is to > prevent one in the first place. > > https://store.valentine1.com/home.asp >
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#3. Aftermarket Headunit - Poor FM Reception - from Mike Frank
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 16:14:59 -0500 From: "Mike Frank" <mfrank28@insightbb.com> Subject: Aftermarket Headunit - Poor FM Reception I finally decided to troubleshoot the poor FM reception with my Alpine CDA-9815 the other night. The reception was poor, but not static. I had the antenna amp & remote turn on for factory amp (white wire) connected to the headunit's remote turn on lead (blue/white). I also had the large connector for the antenna plugged in via the BMW/Euro adapter. Long story short, the right angle coax-type male connector on the factory harness had a poor connection. When I connected the antenna the reception went from static to poor, so "some" connection was being made. Introducing significant strain to the connection resulted in a good connection and excellent reception. Instead of messing with the factory antenna, I just crimped the proper size Molex plug on a long piece of wire, connected it to the headunit, and ran it back into the dash and under the glovebox area. Not ideal, and I know there's potential to pickup noise under there, but the reception is great. YMMV. Hopefully this info will help someone else. Mike
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#4. Installing RTAB Shims - from Burgess, Kim L
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 13:14:49 -0800 From: "Burgess, Kim L" <kim.l.burgess@boeing.com> Subject: Installing RTAB Shims To date I've installed several sets of RTAB. I do not recommend attempting to remove the Trailing Arm attachment while the car is on the wheels. The rear suspension will fold up under the car and you will be injured. That said, I believe this would be very DIY with the car securely placed on jack stands w/front wheels chocked. Mark the 'cassette' attach fastener locations on the 'cassette' before removal for re-locating the 'cassette' or body bracket on re-installation as mentioned by others. The shim stack-up could influence the toe alignment, though I've never work with you brand/type of RTAB. Easy as pie! I have started marking the orientation of the 'cassette' relative to the Trailing Arm by using a straight edge and a Sharpe marker. I have selected a piece of .125 flat aluminum stock 1 inch wide, long enough to reach from the 'cassette' on the RTA to the hub. I position the edge the straight edge on the flat portion of the 'cassette', transferring the orientation of the 'cassette' to the rotor. I then mark the position of the straight edge on the rotor with the Sharpe marker. On lowered cars I've started measuring the static ride height at the fender arch, lifting the car and removing the wheels, and resting the car at static ride height by resting the Trailing Arm shock-attach-boss on a couple large blocks of wood. I then use the straight edge to mark the position or orientation of the still-installed-in-the-body RTA-'cassette' on the rotor. I then 'lift and support' on jack stands and R-n-R the Bushings, using the static ride height marked on the rotor to orientation the 'cassette' to the RTA, and re-installing the assembly into the body as stated by others. Cake! I do this because the ride height of lowered cars wraps-up the 'doughnut' of the RTA Bushing more that the factory intended and I believe this relieves the preload on the bushing that could lead to early failure. KLB _______________________________ #1. Installing RTAB Shims? Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 16:10:48 -0800 From: "twisty M3" <twistym3@hotmail.com> Subject: Installing RTAB Shims? I recently made the move to TC Kline's delrin bushings for the front control arms and rear trailing arms. The rears came with shims, which apparently weren't made of stainless steel and have been the cause (I believe) of a lot of whacky noise lately. They've just recently sent out replacement stainless steel washers/shims and since the bushing doesn't have to be removed, I'd rather not pay someone to do it. Is it a fairly easy job getting in there to just replace the shims? Any special-sized fasteners I should be aware of? Also, could this be done with the car on ramps so the suspension is loaded, or is it best to have the suspension at full droop? Thanks, Jonathan L.
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#5.Speeding Tickets - from Mo Karamat
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 16:31:07 -0500 From: Mo Karamat <karamatm@optonline.net> Subject: <OT> Speeding Tickets Shane, I agree with Mark. If you do not get a lawyer, you should at least speak with the DA. They are usually very good about giving you another non-point violation and collecting your $$$. They do not get any kick-back from the insurance companies (that I know of!) if/when your rates are raised from a ticket, this is just another way for the municipality to supplement their budget. I have done this a few times.. With and without a lawyer. Good luck! Mo With your ticket, if you go before the DA, he might be able to turn it into a non-point citation, thereby negating the insurance tradgety in your home state.
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#6. Re: [E36M3]Speeding Tickets - from Mark D
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 16:36:30 -0500 From: Mark D <mdlkml@atari-source.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] <OT> Speeding Tickets On Fri, 2006-03-31 at 15:12 -0600, Carey Probst wrote: > Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 16:09:59 -0500 > From: Carey Probst <hcprobst@alum.mit.edu> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] <OT> Speeding Tickets > > I agree about the V-1 but some of the PA cops seem to have come up with > a new twist. > > When I went back to visit family a couple months ago the nailed me near > a built up area with lots of strip malls, etc. > > I think I read 8 or 9 signals there where I expect them and > unfortunately, 1 of them was the PA revenue services. > > V-1 is great on the open road but the cops seem to be getting smarter. The results of that should be invalid. The other K-band signals will likely interfere with the operation of the primary radar gun. Additionally, they need a fairly clean line-of-sight that shopping malls, etc don't have. Highways have that. Rumor has it from a heavy driver friend of mine that PA state troopers now have laser. Additionally I have never seen an instance where a non-state police officer in PA has any type of electronic speed enforcement device except maybe a VASCAR computer (that is if they don't feel like using a stop-watch). Don't know much about VASCAR other than that it's heavily used and slow down for the white lines. In theory they could setup a vascar trap on anything. Telephone poles, bridges, etc, but in reality it seems like they rarely, if ever, do. When the philadelphia officer pulled me over, it was primarily to yell at me I think. I think the clerical error could have been purposeful as he may not have wanted me to bring up in court his conduct (screaming, swearing, completely unprofessional). He noticed my radar detector and screamed "you know those don't work in philadelphia right". And I said "my vehicle is capable of travelling outside of philadelphia officer". He was even more miffed after that. More related to the M3, I noticed that in this car, cops don't bother me about things they bother other people about. my tint is clearly illegal, and none of them has ever muttered a word about it. Also they seem less attracted to me than the ricers with coffee can exhausts, whose vehicles are probably significantly slower than mine. Part of me wonders if they don't know much about M3's, but another part of me wonders if they make an assumption that if you have the money to afford an M3, you may be more skillful or responsible. Certainly not the case with kids whose parents bought the car for them. Something to ponder I guess. I wonder how it is with the more flashy E46. Thanks, Mark
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#7. Re: [E36M3] Alignment Settings for a dedicated Track Car. - from Jim Bassett
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 14:13:54 -0800 (PST) From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Alignment Settings for a dedicated Track Car. Here's my 2 cents, based on my JP car, with Bilstein/H&R/Eibach (springs ~100lbs more than yours, swaybars set same): > Front: > Camber -3.5 degrees We just added a 0.5 degree on the car, to get it to -3.5. Less understeer, but I have noticed braking is slightly compromised (could have been the well-used tires). > Caster - Max it out. > toe - ? 0 or 1/16 in on each side? I've got ~1/16" total toe OUT. Helps on initial turn in. > Rear > Camber - ? This is the tough one... -1.5 degrees? I'm running -3.0. Stable & fairly neutral through the corner. > Toe - 0? That, or ~1/16" total IN (which I have). (Alignment settings courtesy of TC Design in Milpitas (plugplugplug :-))) Hope that help, Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4 1993 325is #44 JP
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#8. cam removal methods? - from Dave Thomas
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 15:35:35 -0800 From: Dave Thomas <dave@sasdatalink.com> Subject: cam removal methods? All you folks that are using aftermarket cams.....how are you removing and install the cams? Does someone rent out the special tool? I would like to replace the lifters on our '95 and would really like to do it without removing the head...I cant see how it could be done without 'the tool'. Thanks, Dave Thomas
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#9. Re: [E36M3]Speeding Tickets - from Dave Thomas
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 15:47:22 -0800 From: Dave Thomas <dave@sasdatalink.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] <OT> Speeding Tickets On Friday 31 March 2006 13:41, Mark D wrote: > More related to the M3, I noticed that in this car, cops don't bother me > about things they bother other people about. my tint is clearly > illegal, and none of them has ever muttered a word about it. Also they > seem less attracted to me than the ricers with coffee can exhausts, > whose vehicles are probably significantly slower than mine. Part of me > wonders if they don't know much about M3's, but another part of me > wonders if they make an assumption that if you have the money to afford > an M3, you may be more skillful or responsible. Certainly not the case > with kids whose parents bought the car for them. Something to ponder I > guess. Its an age thing. The cops know they can hassle teenagers all day long with no repercussions, but if they pull over a middle aged guy in a BMW and give him the same nit-picking treatment they will be seeing him again in court. That said...I do notice cops around here (Huntington Beach CA) do pull behind me and run my plate quite a bit when I am in the M3...but when it comes back clean they always move along. Dave T.
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#10. RE: [E36M3]Speeding Tickets - from Paul L Fisher
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Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 18:01:48 -0600 From: "Paul L Fisher" <bmw@paul-fisher.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] <OT> Speeding Tickets I was going to say, most jurisdictions want cash. Just find out who makes the deals and call. In Walworth County, WI, they have a specific Sherriff's deputy that makes deals. Got my 72 in a 55 to a loud muffler. No points, same fine. Paul L Fisher 2000 M Roadster E36/7 S52 2000 540i 6 E39 M62 TU 1989 325ix E30 M20 Elkhorn, WI. -----Original Message----- From: Mark D [mailto:mdlkml@atari-source.com] Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 1:31 PM To: E36M3 Subject: Re: [E36M3] <OT> Speeding Tickets Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 14:20:34 -0500 From: Mark D <mdlkml@atari-source.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] <OT> Speeding Tickets On Fri, 2006-03-31 at 13:11 -0600, Shane Kleinpeter wrote: > Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 11:03:55 -0800 (PST) > From: Shane Kleinpeter <sak335@yahoo.com> > Subject: <OT> Speeding Tickets > > I know this is a bit off-topic, but I was driving my > M3 at the time! > > I got a ticket from a Charlotte police officer for > speeding in town last weekend. Nothing unusual, 17 > over, right by my house. Anyway, the fine is what it > is (I think $160), but I'm worried about the potential > for insurance increases and am considering hiring a > lawyer to take care of it. The officer gave me a > paper on a defensive driving course, but I work out of > town (New York City) every week and the thought of > giving up half of a weekend is rather unpleasant. I'm > slightly concerned over actually going to court > because, despite the fact that I was courteous, the > officer had a really poor attitude, I assume because I > had the audacity to try and pull off the road so that > he wouldn't have to write a ticket with cars rushing > by (no shoulder on this city street). I had pulled > off into a school parking lot to save him any trouble > but he scolded me for doing so...I guess no good deed > goes unpunished. > > So I'm looking for experience, do I really expect to > see a large increase in insurace? What would a lawyer > charge for this sort of thing? Does anybody have a > recommendation for a lawyer in Charlotte, NC? I was pulled over in rural NC for an irresponsible 96 in a 55 - he got me slowing down. I was down there for a week on vacation and it was on my way down. The court date on the ticket was like 2 months from the current date. Through the miracle of google, I found the court system that was handling my ticket and gave them a call and explained my situation. They explained to me that you can come in and meet with the DA ever thursday between X and X time. I came in and he said something like "we want your money, not your soul", in that cute southern accent and dropped my ticket to 69 in a 55. I paid $130 and was on my way. Pennsylvania does not accept points from other states (despite what you may hear) so I have not heard about it since, and I request my MVR every 6 months to make sure things are kosher. The same thing happened for my ticket from NJ too. I simply only know how to deal with PA cops and I consistently get pulled over out of state, though after the NC incident I have a top of the line beltronics radar detector now which I purchased with the balance of the $500 I was sure the ticket would cost. On a side note, I was pulled over in my home state for careless driving. When I paid collateral it couldn't find my ticket. When I went to court, I was informed that there was a clerical mistake on the original ticket and it was thrown away... case dismissed. Always go to court or chat with the DA. Never ever ever just pay. With your ticket, if you go before the DA, he might be able to turn it into a non-point citation, thereby negating the insurance tradgety in your home state. I don't think this is OT, but I know I'm the exception to the rule. Thanks, Mark -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.4/299 - Release Date: 3/31/2006