E36 cheap track day toy
Discussion
Somewhat off topic but I want to change the suspension on my E36 328 for something taughter. Don't want to ruin the ride comfort entirely as it will be a 95% road car and don't want it too low. Any ideas?
Searching on the net brings all sorts of ideas but it leaves me more confused!
Looking at ARBs, bushes, steering rack etc. eventually as well.
Searching on the net brings all sorts of ideas but it leaves me more confused!
Looking at ARBs, bushes, steering rack etc. eventually as well.
SidewaysSi said:
Somewhat off topic but I want to change the suspension on my E36 328 for something taughter. Don't want to ruin the ride comfort entirely as it will be a 95% road car and don't want it too low. Any ideas?
Searching on the net brings all sorts of ideas but it leaves me more confused!
Looking at ARBs, bushes, steering rack etc. eventually as well.
Not sure if these are still available but might be worth a pop?Searching on the net brings all sorts of ideas but it leaves me more confused!
Looking at ARBs, bushes, steering rack etc. eventually as well.
http://e36coupe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t...
So there is good news and bad news.
The good news! My beautiful fiancé bought me an M3 front bumper for my birthday. Hopefully this will supply a bit of front downforce and a couple more updates for the thread.
The bad news. I am still suffering a lot with my back. I am now booked for a spinal procedure in a couple of weeks. Which is literally the day before I was planning on doing a track day. I'm not sure when I can squeeze another in. I have no holiday left and there don't seem to be any weekend ones local until about October.
The good news! My beautiful fiancé bought me an M3 front bumper for my birthday. Hopefully this will supply a bit of front downforce and a couple more updates for the thread.
The bad news. I am still suffering a lot with my back. I am now booked for a spinal procedure in a couple of weeks. Which is literally the day before I was planning on doing a track day. I'm not sure when I can squeeze another in. I have no holiday left and there don't seem to be any weekend ones local until about October.
Hi Hamster
This is a great thread, I've got an E36 318is that i'm just about to modify for track days. There is some good info here but could you please give me some advice of what I should change first i.e with out changing all the bushes to poly are there a few that are a must.
I'm planning on
17" wheels, Hopefully road/track tyres
Bucket seats/harnesses
EBC yellow or mintex m series pads.
Coilovers with original top mounts
Change wishbones/arms/links (complete sets on ebay £105)
Service and change all fluids.
K&N panel filter or maybe an induction.
Anything I'm missing that is a must?
This is a great thread, I've got an E36 318is that i'm just about to modify for track days. There is some good info here but could you please give me some advice of what I should change first i.e with out changing all the bushes to poly are there a few that are a must.
I'm planning on
17" wheels, Hopefully road/track tyres
Bucket seats/harnesses
EBC yellow or mintex m series pads.
Coilovers with original top mounts
Change wishbones/arms/links (complete sets on ebay £105)
Service and change all fluids.
K&N panel filter or maybe an induction.
Anything I'm missing that is a must?
tonycott said:
Hi Hamster
This is a great thread, I've got an E36 318is that i'm just about to modify for track days. There is some good info here but could you please give me some advice of what I should change first i.e with out changing all the bushes to poly are there a few that are a must.
I'm planning on
17" wheels, Hopefully road/track tyres
Bucket seats/harnesses
EBC yellow or mintex m series pads.
Coilovers with original top mounts
Change wishbones/arms/links (complete sets on ebay £105)
Service and change all fluids.
K&N panel filter or maybe an induction.
Anything I'm missing that is a must?
Unless they are new, replace the top mounts too. However, beware cheap wishbones etc. The bushes and ball joints with these things tend not to last very long. Buy cheap, buy twice.This is a great thread, I've got an E36 318is that i'm just about to modify for track days. There is some good info here but could you please give me some advice of what I should change first i.e with out changing all the bushes to poly are there a few that are a must.
I'm planning on
17" wheels, Hopefully road/track tyres
Bucket seats/harnesses
EBC yellow or mintex m series pads.
Coilovers with original top mounts
Change wishbones/arms/links (complete sets on ebay £105)
Service and change all fluids.
K&N panel filter or maybe an induction.
Anything I'm missing that is a must?
Look for Meyle HD or Lemforder for stuff like that. Those are the top quality brands that BMW and others use themselves.
I agree, the balance between cheep and good is one you must make for yourself. I must admit I have bought cheap arms and they haven't lasted many miles. But in reality the car doesn't do many miles.
What your car needs first is kind of dictated by what car needs to start with. One of the first things I did was lower arms and powerflex bushes. But that was because the bushes on the car were knackered.
In general you want, stiff suspension, grippy tyres, better brakes and more power.
But I would just do anything it needs. Then go do a trackday. See where your weak points are, then invest in that area.
What your car needs first is kind of dictated by what car needs to start with. One of the first things I did was lower arms and powerflex bushes. But that was because the bushes on the car were knackered.
In general you want, stiff suspension, grippy tyres, better brakes and more power.
But I would just do anything it needs. Then go do a trackday. See where your weak points are, then invest in that area.
So that was a fun week. Last Saturday I set about replacing the perished brake hoses on the estate. Trying for a bit of an overhaul, sand blasting the calipers and replacing the nipples like I have on the coupe.
Didn't come out to bad really. All was going smoothly until I bolted the pipe back up on the N/S/R. Sprayed the union off and watched it drip and drip and drip. The pipe had cracked on the corner. The corrosion obviously being worse than I thought. Now starts the real work. Had to replace the pipe right from the calipers hose, up over the fuel tank, full length of the car and up to the ABS pump.
I then decided that I would very carefully inspect the rest and wasn't happy with one bend on the O/S/F. Now this pipe runs behind the engine. I'm not dropping the engine to replace one pipe, especially when I intend to remove the engine in the future. So I routed the new coper pipe over the engine. I will run it in properly when the engine is out. Finally one week after I started I got the brakes bled.
With the new discs on and braided hoses, I have a nice smoothly braking car.
I was given a small amount of money from my mum for my birthday. Which I have decided to spend on some new front shocks and a set of springs. The O/S shock is leaking and both the springs and shocks are very corroded.
I'm not going with racing coilovers or anything like that. But I am still me, so APEX lowering springs and sports shocks ordered.
Didn't come out to bad really. All was going smoothly until I bolted the pipe back up on the N/S/R. Sprayed the union off and watched it drip and drip and drip. The pipe had cracked on the corner. The corrosion obviously being worse than I thought. Now starts the real work. Had to replace the pipe right from the calipers hose, up over the fuel tank, full length of the car and up to the ABS pump.
I then decided that I would very carefully inspect the rest and wasn't happy with one bend on the O/S/F. Now this pipe runs behind the engine. I'm not dropping the engine to replace one pipe, especially when I intend to remove the engine in the future. So I routed the new coper pipe over the engine. I will run it in properly when the engine is out. Finally one week after I started I got the brakes bled.
With the new discs on and braided hoses, I have a nice smoothly braking car.
I was given a small amount of money from my mum for my birthday. Which I have decided to spend on some new front shocks and a set of springs. The O/S shock is leaking and both the springs and shocks are very corroded.
I'm not going with racing coilovers or anything like that. But I am still me, so APEX lowering springs and sports shocks ordered.
So I had my spinal procedure on Monday. Despite spending a few days feeling like I had a wallop in the happy sacks, I am now starting to feel a whole lot better.
So my mind is starting to return to cars. Found a couple of track days that I should be able to attend. I just need to get the estate finished off, then I can play. It would of coarse have helped if the suspension springs had turned up, but never mind.
The only thing on my mind about the estate now is the rediculose gear ratios. As it is the 328 lump is being pumped through the standard 318 diff. I'm sure on track it would make for good fun. But as I spend an hour a day in the thing commuting, it seems silly to be revving all the time for very little speed.
I don't want to go through all the palaver of fitting a medium case diff into a small diff car again, especially as the long term idea is to put a 318 lump back in it again. But I think I have found a simple way round it.
A 318tds had a 2.79 diff in a small case? This is much closer to the 328i's 2.93 ratio than the 318i's 3.45.
If the diff cases are both the same, i.e. small. The differentials should be easily swappable shouldn't they? Or does anyone know something about diesel diffs I don't?!
So my mind is starting to return to cars. Found a couple of track days that I should be able to attend. I just need to get the estate finished off, then I can play. It would of coarse have helped if the suspension springs had turned up, but never mind.
The only thing on my mind about the estate now is the rediculose gear ratios. As it is the 328 lump is being pumped through the standard 318 diff. I'm sure on track it would make for good fun. But as I spend an hour a day in the thing commuting, it seems silly to be revving all the time for very little speed.
I don't want to go through all the palaver of fitting a medium case diff into a small diff car again, especially as the long term idea is to put a 318 lump back in it again. But I think I have found a simple way round it.
A 318tds had a 2.79 diff in a small case? This is much closer to the 328i's 2.93 ratio than the 318i's 3.45.
If the diff cases are both the same, i.e. small. The differentials should be easily swappable shouldn't they? Or does anyone know something about diesel diffs I don't?!
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