E36 328, soft top, £575, What's the worst that could happen?
Discussion
carpetsoiler said:
I was under the impression 3.0 M3s came with regular top mounts, and eccentric lower bushes... whereas 3.2 M3s came with offset top mounts, and regular bushes. You tend to have one or the other, as both increase your castor.
Not quite.Non-M has normal lower bushes and normal top mounts.
3.0 M3s got offset top mounts which add caster. The side effect of tilting the strut back is that the wheel moves rearward in the arch. They got the eccentric lower bushes to shift the lower arm round and correct this.
3.2 Evos got top mounts that were tilted back the same amount in caster but also tilted out (less camber) because they have extra camber built into the hubs. They went bachback to the standard lower bush because the Evo specific lower arms have the forward shift built in.
The only vehicles that don't fit into the above are factory sports with the avus pack (Bilstein B12 kit). They are the same as other non-Ms but with eccentric lower bushes to add a bit of caster, but not as much as the M3.
Edited by JordanTurbo on Monday 26th January 19:42
carpetsoiler said:
Learn something new every day. 
No worries 
As far as I'm concerned 3.0 top mounts are the ones to go for when upgrading a 328 (or other non-M).
You probably already know about swapping Evo mounts (left fitted on right and vise versa). This reverses their effect and adds camber. IMO it adds too much and is not beneficial to handling. The only positive I can think of is to help fitment of daft offset front wheels, in which case handling isn't the main priority anyway.
The other down side of Evo mounts is that unless you run them with coilovers or the smaller diameter evo springs/dampers there's a high chance of contact between the upper spring seat and the chassis. Some get away with it but most don't.
Edited by JordanTurbo on Tuesday 27th January 15:06
carinaman said:
What's going on with the C5 Avant?
Seems I can't post in this section of the forum without being asked that. 
Still here being worked on when I get time, getting it ready to sell. Loosing the will with it at the moment TBH, especially with the s
t weather, hence deciding to do a few bits on this.carinaman said:
I went without cars for a while as I got fed up with the grief and hassle.
It's not that bad. Just that getting the Audi ready on the few weekends I've been at home is more like work than an enjoyable hobby.I decided to do some bits on the e36 this time to keep my sanity
On that note I had another delivery today, this time from BMW.
>3.0 M3 offset top mounts
>M3 solid eccentric lower wishbone bushes
>New long seals for the front and rear of the soft top
>aerial base seal (not pictured)
should be able to fit them tomorrow if the weather holds out
Edited by JordanTurbo on Friday 17th April 20:19
Onto today's activitys. Didn't take many pictures as I wanted to make sure I was done before the grey clouds opened, especially as the roof needs to be opened to access the top of the rear shocks.
Front damper built up with H&R springs and M3 top mount.
And fitted to the car
comparison between standard centralised and M3 offset top mounts
and the standard lower bush Vs the M3 eccentric ones.
Wasn't 100% happy with the fit of the new bushes in the pattern lollipops, they still needed pressing in but weren't tight enough for me. For standard concentric bushes it would be fine but with these offset ones I wanted some extra location.
I decided to drill and tap the lollipop, then fit a securing screw to prevent any movement which would change the suspension geometry.
I then moved onto the rear shocks and had a problem, the Bilsteins have a slightly thinner shaft which means the bump stop and dust cover are a loose fit.
Found a spare jubilee clamp to tighten it up and hold it at the top where it should be.
And fitted.
First impressions from a quick test drive are good. Turn-in is much improved due to the increased caster, steering has got slightly heavier but not too much and has good weight to it now. The dampers have firmed up the ride but are still compliant enough for the roads around here. There's no increase in scuttle shake which is good, and the reason I didn't go for the stiffer B6/B8 kit.
looking forward to getting it on a Hunter machine for a full alignment soon.
Front damper built up with H&R springs and M3 top mount.
And fitted to the car
comparison between standard centralised and M3 offset top mounts
and the standard lower bush Vs the M3 eccentric ones.
Wasn't 100% happy with the fit of the new bushes in the pattern lollipops, they still needed pressing in but weren't tight enough for me. For standard concentric bushes it would be fine but with these offset ones I wanted some extra location.
I decided to drill and tap the lollipop, then fit a securing screw to prevent any movement which would change the suspension geometry.
I then moved onto the rear shocks and had a problem, the Bilsteins have a slightly thinner shaft which means the bump stop and dust cover are a loose fit.
Found a spare jubilee clamp to tighten it up and hold it at the top where it should be.
And fitted.
First impressions from a quick test drive are good. Turn-in is much improved due to the increased caster, steering has got slightly heavier but not too much and has good weight to it now. The dampers have firmed up the ride but are still compliant enough for the roads around here. There's no increase in scuttle shake which is good, and the reason I didn't go for the stiffer B6/B8 kit.
looking forward to getting it on a Hunter machine for a full alignment soon.
Edited by JordanTurbo on Friday 17th April 20:21
Alignment done today 
Went down to the Wheel alignment centre in Southampton. Nick there has a 4 wheel lazer system made by Supertracker. Before starting his own business he used to build and test the systems at Supertracker themselves, so he sure as hell knows how to use it!
We discussed the modifications I've made and came up with a setup to suit (slightly outside the 3.0 M3 settings on his recommendation) and he set to work.
Up on the ramps.
Printout
While it was on the ramp I spotted some cuts in the side wall of the N/S/F tyre.
I decided I might as well to do some tyre changing and went to the tyre place over the road (Nick ONLY does alignments). Now bare with me here.....
To start with she had mismatched 215/40s on the front and 215/45 continental sport contact 3s at the rear.
I had never really liked how the rears were stretched onto the 8.5 rims, they still have good tread so I had them moved onto the smaller fronts (replacing the st tyres) and bought some new wider Continentals for the back.
Now I have matching sport contact 3s all round, 215/45 at the front and 225/45 at the back. No silly euro stretch here!
So what has the tracking+tyres done to the handling? A genuine laugh out loud level of improvement is what! It didn't handle badly before, but the difference now is amazing! The B-road drive back to Andover was genuinely sublime; I had to put the roof down and take a detour I enjoyed it that much!
Very very happy
Went down to the Wheel alignment centre in Southampton. Nick there has a 4 wheel lazer system made by Supertracker. Before starting his own business he used to build and test the systems at Supertracker themselves, so he sure as hell knows how to use it!
We discussed the modifications I've made and came up with a setup to suit (slightly outside the 3.0 M3 settings on his recommendation) and he set to work.
Up on the ramps.
Printout
While it was on the ramp I spotted some cuts in the side wall of the N/S/F tyre.
I decided I might as well to do some tyre changing and went to the tyre place over the road (Nick ONLY does alignments). Now bare with me here.....
To start with she had mismatched 215/40s on the front and 215/45 continental sport contact 3s at the rear.
I had never really liked how the rears were stretched onto the 8.5 rims, they still have good tread so I had them moved onto the smaller fronts (replacing the s
t tyres) and bought some new wider Continentals for the back.Now I have matching sport contact 3s all round, 215/45 at the front and 225/45 at the back. No silly euro stretch here!
So what has the tracking+tyres done to the handling? A genuine laugh out loud level of improvement is what! It didn't handle badly before, but the difference now is amazing! The B-road drive back to Andover was genuinely sublime; I had to put the roof down and take a detour I enjoyed it that much!
Very very happy
Edited by JordanTurbo on Friday 17th April 20:23
LanceRS said:
Should the tyres not be 225/45 front and 245/40 on the rear? Good thread and nice car, I've been enjoying following this.
On an M3 with these wheels yes. But IMO that would be too much for the less powerful 328. Less rubber equals more fun à la GT86 etc... 
carpetsoiler said:
Where are you based? I'm not far from Nick...
I live in Ipswich but I'm currently down in Andover with work until the end of March.Just realised I forgot to update this....
Fitted the roof seals mentioned in earlier posts. First was the rear one which had broken near the roof hinge, not letting water in but a lot of wind noise.
Trim below was also missing which didn't help.
Mid swap.
And done, much quieter now. (Pic is the wrong side but you get the idea)
Then onto the front seal, it was torn above the drivers window and let in a steady drip during rain.
There are a few home made fixes on the net with varying amounts of success and longevity, but I decided to bite the bullet and get the full [ridiculously priced] seal from BMW so it would be sorted properly. Old one came off really easily, just pull.
Getting the new one on was a PITA though. Several lips and ridges that all needed to fit right, and the new stiff rubber didn't help at all. Ended up removing the side pieces of the roof to help.
That along with some washing up liquid did the trick and I now have a nice watertight beemer again.
Lastly, I also got the missing bits for my tool kit. (Thank you Sam, AKA carpetsoiler)
Fitted the roof seals mentioned in earlier posts. First was the rear one which had broken near the roof hinge, not letting water in but a lot of wind noise.
Trim below was also missing which didn't help.
Mid swap.
And done, much quieter now. (Pic is the wrong side but you get the idea)
Then onto the front seal, it was torn above the drivers window and let in a steady drip during rain.
There are a few home made fixes on the net with varying amounts of success and longevity, but I decided to bite the bullet and get the full [ridiculously priced] seal from BMW so it would be sorted properly. Old one came off really easily, just pull.
Getting the new one on was a PITA though. Several lips and ridges that all needed to fit right, and the new stiff rubber didn't help at all. Ended up removing the side pieces of the roof to help.
That along with some washing up liquid did the trick and I now have a nice watertight beemer again.
Lastly, I also got the missing bits for my tool kit. (Thank you Sam, AKA carpetsoiler)
Edited by JordanTurbo on Friday 17th April 20:25
carreauchompeur said:
Great work, still.
Cheers.carreauchompeur said:
Scare me, how much were the seals?
The two seals together came to about £280 inc VAT. 
Can't remember the individual prices but the front was the more expencive of the two by quite a margin. It's a complex shape and includes the fury window seal parts too but still daft money.
Still, at least I don't have to sit on a wet drivers seat any more.
Edited by JordanTurbo on Monday 23 March 20:11
Cheers guys.
I have some ideas in the pipe line for the front suspension in future
shalmaneser said:
Camber on the front is a bit off isn't it?
Standard E36 suspension has no adjustment for front camber, you can get a little bit with the slack on the top hub bolt and 3 top mount bolts but not much.I have some ideas in the pipe line for the front suspension in future
Update time, had a couple of parcels delivered this week. A Toad AI606 alarm system (had the same on C20LET Astra and was very happy) and a set of LED angel eyes from CPD.
I know Angel eyes aren't to everyone's taste but I like them, and rest assured these are NOT cheap Ebay tat. CPD are well known on the BMW forums and make a very good kit, 120 high power SMDs in each ring, no nasty 12v inverters to burn out and come with a full wrapped loom from fuse box to lights.
One side fitted (you can just about see the weak old amber side light on the pass side)
Also with a HID kit I've had waiting in the garage for a while.
Very happy. Rings are very bright, fit well and have a nice OEM DRL look which was what I wanted.
They have no problem being visible even in the bright weather we've had this week, this is often where cheap angels fail miserably
Finished with a wash
Alarm to fit next
I know Angel eyes aren't to everyone's taste but I like them, and rest assured these are NOT cheap Ebay tat. CPD are well known on the BMW forums and make a very good kit, 120 high power SMDs in each ring, no nasty 12v inverters to burn out and come with a full wrapped loom from fuse box to lights.
One side fitted (you can just about see the weak old amber side light on the pass side)
Also with a HID kit I've had waiting in the garage for a while.
Very happy. Rings are very bright, fit well and have a nice OEM DRL look which was what I wanted.
They have no problem being visible even in the bright weather we've had this week, this is often where cheap angels fail miserably
Finished with a wash
Alarm to fit next
Thanks for the tip.
Where are your ultrasonic sensors? The ones on my factory 3G alarm are at the base of the A-pillar (instead of the normal top corner) and I've never had any false alarms with that. The toad ones are probably more sensitive but hopefully using the same location should minimise false alarms.
Where are your ultrasonic sensors? The ones on my factory 3G alarm are at the base of the A-pillar (instead of the normal top corner) and I've never had any false alarms with that. The toad ones are probably more sensitive but hopefully using the same location should minimise false alarms.
Does anyone ever look at a job half way through and wish you'd never started?
OEM BMW alarm unit. Dealer fit option complete with typical 90's style fob and special key
Was a proper spaghetti mess behind the glove box but all removed now. Replaced with the Toad AI606 above.
For obvious reasons I'm not going to put instalation pics up here, but this is where I decided to mount the status LED
And the ultrasonic sensors have been placed here, at the bottom of the A-pillar same as the BMW alarm. Not had any false alarms yet but I'll see how it goes, particularly when we get some rain.
Glad I chose to fit it myself, takes a while but means I know it's done properly. The control box is properly secured, wires are well hidden and loom connections (inc twin immobilisation circuits) made away from obvious locations.
All working fine, I'm yet to wire up the the extra functions though. Going to have total close for the windows, leaving/coming home lights, and the soft top all on the remote
OEM BMW alarm unit. Dealer fit option complete with typical 90's style fob and special key
Was a proper spaghetti mess behind the glove box but all removed now. Replaced with the Toad AI606 above.
For obvious reasons I'm not going to put instalation pics up here, but this is where I decided to mount the status LED
And the ultrasonic sensors have been placed here, at the bottom of the A-pillar same as the BMW alarm. Not had any false alarms yet but I'll see how it goes, particularly when we get some rain.
Glad I chose to fit it myself, takes a while but means I know it's done properly. The control box is properly secured, wires are well hidden and loom connections (inc twin immobilisation circuits) made away from obvious locations.
All working fine, I'm yet to wire up the the extra functions though. Going to have total close for the windows, leaving/coming home lights, and the soft top all on the remote
Edited by JordanTurbo on Wednesday 22 April 22:20
Usget said:
I'd never trust an alarm I'd fitted myself... 
See, I've seen a few alarm systems fitted by "professionals" and wasn't impressed. ECUs loose behind dashboards, immobiliser connections made at the ignition barrel ready for a thief to find etc....Even the OEM one on this was pretty bad, and that was fitted by a BMW dealer!
I'm confident my car is as safe as it can be.
shalmaneser said:
Does your new one work the central locking? How easy was the install? And how much was the unit?
Yes it works with the central locking, including auto re-lock if I don't open a door within 30 seconds.The install took a while but that's because I was taking time making sure everything was well hidden and ensuring the wiring didn't effect any other vehicle systems, not because it was necessarily difficult. Being methodical helps a lot, as well as knowing how to use wiring diagrams and a multimeter.
One problem was that it wouldn't dead lock at first, so the interior handles could still open the door. Some research revealed that it needed a signal on the lock and unlock wires at the same time, a diode fixed that fine.
The alarm was supplied by southern car security in Surrey For just over £100. They were very good to deal with and happy to e-mail me the installer manual and e36 specific data sheet, although I did most of the wiring from the official BMW wiring diagrams in the end.
Just remember to get a CAT1 insurance discount you need it certified but that doesn't bother me.
carreauchompeur said:
Also update about the total closure, crap car radio place led me to believe you needed extra bits to do it...
Can't see why, if you hold the key in the lock position on the door the car already has total closure. The alarm just needs to make the same connection (either +12v or earth).The only down side is it will take a while to initiate. Button needs to be held for 3 seconds before the alarm starts the pulse, then another few seconds before the car recognises the request. Not too bad though, and can be programmed to action on arming automatically if I decide to.
The roof will be slightly more difficult as the ECU shuts down when the ignition is off. Shouldn't be to hard though.
Edited by JordanTurbo on Thursday 23 April 08:56
Next modification done.
The new angel eyes are nice and bright and easily seen during the day. Exactly what I wanted. Unfortunately it also means they are very bright at night. This is JUST the rings!
Modern cars get round the problem by dimming the DRLs at night, so I ordered a few bits from maplins and made some changes
CLICK ME
As you can see they come on with the ignition at full brightness. Then dim to around half when sidelights or dipped beams are selected. They also dim left and right individually to ensure the indicator isn't masked, just like most OEM DRLs
The new angel eyes are nice and bright and easily seen during the day. Exactly what I wanted. Unfortunately it also means they are very bright at night. This is JUST the rings!
Modern cars get round the problem by dimming the DRLs at night, so I ordered a few bits from maplins and made some changes
CLICK ME
As you can see they come on with the ignition at full brightness. Then dim to around half when sidelights or dipped beams are selected. They also dim left and right individually to ensure the indicator isn't masked, just like most OEM DRLs
Edited by JordanTurbo on Saturday 2nd May 11:13
Thanks guys. I know angel eyes always divide opinion.
Personaly, I'm of the opinion that BMWs should either have individual round headlights or angel eyes. Otherwise they don't look right IMO (exepting the 8 series with it's pop-ups of course
). I would always upgrade early e39s or e46s for example.
I'm also not normally a fan of adding aftermarket DRLs or lights as they hardly ever suit the vehicle.
With the above in mind cheap and nasty ebay kits were definitely out. I wanted these to look and function as OEM-like as possible which I think I've achieved.
Very happy and have some more "OEM+" style mods lined up.
Personaly, I'm of the opinion that BMWs should either have individual round headlights or angel eyes. Otherwise they don't look right IMO (exepting the 8 series with it's pop-ups of course
). I would always upgrade early e39s or e46s for example.I'm also not normally a fan of adding aftermarket DRLs or lights as they hardly ever suit the vehicle.
With the above in mind cheap and nasty ebay kits were definitely out. I wanted these to look and function as OEM-like as possible which I think I've achieved.
Very happy and have some more "OEM+" style mods lined up.
So why am I off buying Audi parts?
With the weather warming up and the top being down more, I decided to get a wind deflector. Problem is, proper e36 ones are getting rare and therefore expensive. Luckily I came across some information online saying the Audi A4 deflector from 2004-2009 will fit almost perfectly.
Decided to get one to see for myself and found this one for a third of the price a BMW deflector would cost
Comparison with the E36 one (Google image)
Fitment is unbelievably good, especially considering its designed for a different car and not even from the same manufacturer.
Another benefit with the Audi deflector is that it folds into quarters instead of just half, making it easier to store.
I decided to go one step further and sourced an e46 space saver spare wheel. Never used and with the e46 cover
You can probably see where this is going
Standard E36 spare.
Removed and securing rod cut down.
Space saver in.
A little trimming on the cover and it fits like a glove.
Leaving just enough room for the Wind deflector above it
Boot carpet back in. Plenty of luggage space left
With the weather warming up and the top being down more, I decided to get a wind deflector. Problem is, proper e36 ones are getting rare and therefore expensive. Luckily I came across some information online saying the Audi A4 deflector from 2004-2009 will fit almost perfectly.
Decided to get one to see for myself and found this one for a third of the price a BMW deflector would cost
Comparison with the E36 one (Google image)
Fitment is unbelievably good, especially considering its designed for a different car and not even from the same manufacturer.
Another benefit with the Audi deflector is that it folds into quarters instead of just half, making it easier to store.
I decided to go one step further and sourced an e46 space saver spare wheel. Never used and with the e46 cover
You can probably see where this is going
Standard E36 spare.
Removed and securing rod cut down.
Space saver in.
A little trimming on the cover and it fits like a glove.
Leaving just enough room for the Wind deflector above it
Boot carpet back in. Plenty of luggage space left
Edited by JordanTurbo on Wednesday 6th May 22:16
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