Do you find the back end goes ?

[DoctorD]

petrolhead76 said:

My post is not about whether the back end is going to move - which is a no-brainer - but how excessively.

Therefore my comment about whether uneven tread on front / back could be excacerbating the situation ?

I mean FFS guys give a chap a chance to breath before you stamp on them !!

A few people may have misinterpreted your post, due to the 'apparent' naivety of your question, however as has already been replied this is most likely a factor of worn RTABs which cause the rear-end of an M3 to move around (unpredicatably) under acceleration, and eventually under braking.

So it was NOT a daft (or naive) question at all, and there is a solution which when applied will transform your confidence in the back end.

This is a 'basic' and common problem with the E46 M3 and everyone who has owned one for a while will be familiar with.

You need a good BMW dealer to effect the fix, since the usual method of proving it (by inserting a chisel into the joint and determining if there is excessive play) does not work. The RTAB can be split badly inside but still only move around when driving. The only way to tell is to remove the RTAB and then its obvious.

Good Luck.

Edited by DoctorD on Wednesday 12th December 13:57

[petrolhead76]

DoctorD said:

petrolhead76 said:

My post is not about whether the back end is going to move - which is a no-brainer - but how excessively.

Therefore my comment about whether uneven tread on front / back could be excacerbating the situation ?

I mean FFS guys give a chap a chance to breath before you stamp on them !!

A few people may have misinterpreted your post, due to the 'apparent' naivety of your question, however as has already been replied this is most likely a factor of worn RTABs which cause the rear-end of an M3 to move around (unpredicatably) under acceleration, and eventually under braking.

So it was NOT a daft (or naive) question at all, and there is a solution which when applied will transform your confidence in the back end.

This is a 'basic' and common problem with the E46 M3 and everyone who has owned one for a while will be familiar with.

You need a good BMW dealer to effect the fix, since the usual method of proving it (by inserting a chisel into the joint and determining if there is excessive play) does not work. The RTAB can be split badly inside but still only move around when driving. The only way to tell is to remove the RTAB and then its obvious.

Good Luck.

Edited by DoctorD on Wednesday 12th December 13:57

Thanks DoctorD thats a really informative post and I'll get it checked (going into a specialist tomorrow for an oil change)...now thats the kind of contribution I was after (along with a few other decent posts in the chaff) !

Sometimes even post kickdown - on a straight line - the back end will start slipping unpredicatably - so it may be this.

[shunt]

petrolhead76 said:

Hi I'm looking for some advice from fellow M3 owners if possible....

I sometimes find that when I floor the accelerator on my E46 M3 the back of the car skids (moves from side to side)

Edited by petrolhead76 on Tuesday 11th December 22:00

I think Mr petrolhead actually isn't!

[petrolhead76]

shunt said:

petrolhead76 said:

Hi I'm looking for some advice from fellow M3 owners if possible....

I sometimes find that when I floor the accelerator on my E46 M3 the back of the car skids (moves from side to side)

Edited by petrolhead76 on Tuesday 11th December 22:00

I think Mr petrolhead actually isn't!

[RDE]

Weren't you considering an X5? Wouldn't have had this problem with that.

As for bald tyres, on the front they won't make the car any more likely to oversteer when nailing the throttle. They might make the steering wheel a suggestive input rather than a control device though.

The required shift in this case is from digital to analogue, not vice versa.

[Broccers]

DoctorD said:

petrolhead76 said:

My post is not about whether the back end is going to move - which is a no-brainer - but how excessively.

Therefore my comment about whether uneven tread on front / back could be excacerbating the situation ?

I mean FFS guys give a chap a chance to breath before you stamp on them !!

A few people may have misinterpreted your post, due to the 'apparent' naivety of your question, however as has already been replied this is most likely a factor of worn RTABs which cause the rear-end of an M3 to move around (unpredicatably) under acceleration, and eventually under braking.

So it was NOT a daft (or naive) question at all, and there is a solution which when applied will transform your confidence in the back end.

This is a 'basic' and common problem with the E46 M3 and everyone who has owned one for a while will be familiar with.

You need a good BMW dealer to effect the fix, since the usual method of proving it (by inserting a chisel into the joint and determining if there is excessive play) does not work. The RTAB can be split badly inside but still only move around when driving. The only way to tell is to remove the RTAB and then its obvious.

Good Luck.

Maybe you are right Steve BUT if I was wondering if the tread depth of my tyres was related to the problem you describe above would you not think I was a bit of a fool ?

And Vixpy lol.

[shunt]

It's OK now I understand, I originally thought he must have been taking the pi$$, but:

2004 BMW M3
2001 BMW 325i CI SE Coupe
1998 PEUGEOT 306 1.9 TURBO DIESEL
1998 PEUGEOT 306 1.9 DIESEL
1990 NISSAN BLUEBIRD HATCHBACK
1983 TRIUMPH ACCLAIM

[John Laverick]

As a few people have said ....

The wording of your post does make it sound like a VERY daft question that any PistonHead would not ask.

But ...

In the weather at this time of year ANY RWD car with 300+ ponies will side-step / slide to one side under hard straight line acceleration. [usually to the n/s due to the natural camber of the road].

NO .. the tread depth on your front tyres will NOT make any difference. Although the tread depth on you rears will!

If you are still having major problems in the dry then you may have a problem with the rear end bushes as posted above.

PLEASE DO NOT TURN YOUR TC OFF UNTIL MAY!!!

[m12_nathan]

Could also be a shagged Diff.

[petrolhead76]

Broccers said:

DoctorD said:

petrolhead76 said:

My post is not about whether the back end is going to move - which is a no-brainer - but how excessively.

Therefore my comment about whether uneven tread on front / back could be excacerbating the situation ?

I mean FFS guys give a chap a chance to breath before you stamp on them !!

A few people may have misinterpreted your post, due to the 'apparent' naivety of your question, however as has already been replied this is most likely a factor of worn RTABs which cause the rear-end of an M3 to move around (unpredicatably) under acceleration, and eventually under braking.

So it was NOT a daft (or naive) question at all, and there is a solution which when applied will transform your confidence in the back end.

This is a 'basic' and common problem with the E46 M3 and everyone who has owned one for a while will be familiar with.

You need a good BMW dealer to effect the fix, since the usual method of proving it (by inserting a chisel into the joint and determining if there is excessive play) does not work. The RTAB can be split badly inside but still only move around when driving. The only way to tell is to remove the RTAB and then its obvious.

Good Luck.

Maybe you are right Steve BUT if I was wondering if the tread depth of my tyres was related to the problem you describe above would you not think I was a bit of a fool ?

And Vixpy lol.

But you're not saying it; I am - and I've never said I've tracked my car like you or that I knew the in/outs of cars behavioural characteristics. I love cars but this is my first performance car. I've driven plenty (inc. 911s - albeit carrera 4s) but never owned one that would allow me to spot this. I've never even had the inclination to think it through in all honesty.

So congratulations you know a little bit more about cars than me, but one things for sure I'm guessing you'll never be as succesful as me in my career or life in general - but my knowledge of cars will catch your knowledge up quickly. Yes I might not have the most glamorous car list, but not many 31 year olds can claim to live in a near million pound house. Unlike you though, if someone does ask for advice and I can help I'll avoid being a dick head like you have been.

So sorry - I don't think I'll bother coming back to PH next time for advice - instead I'll visit some other forums. I thought the idea with this forum was that the so-called experts could help the novices and share advice irrespective of where they are on the learning curve but obviously not.

Edited by petrolhead76 on Wednesday 12th December 17:50

[Broccers]

petrolhead76 said:

Broccers said:

DoctorD said:

petrolhead76 said:

My post is not about whether the back end is going to move - which is a no-brainer - but how excessively.

Therefore my comment about whether uneven tread on front / back could be excacerbating the situation ?

I mean FFS guys give a chap a chance to breath before you stamp on them !!

A few people may have misinterpreted your post, due to the 'apparent' naivety of your question, however as has already been replied this is most likely a factor of worn RTABs which cause the rear-end of an M3 to move around (unpredicatably) under acceleration, and eventually under braking.

So it was NOT a daft (or naive) question at all, and there is a solution which when applied will transform your confidence in the back end.

This is a 'basic' and common problem with the E46 M3 and everyone who has owned one for a while will be familiar with.

You need a good BMW dealer to effect the fix, since the usual method of proving it (by inserting a chisel into the joint and determining if there is excessive play) does not work. The RTAB can be split badly inside but still only move around when driving. The only way to tell is to remove the RTAB and then its obvious.

Good Luck.

Maybe you are right Steve BUT if I was wondering if the tread depth of my tyres was related to the problem you describe above would you not think I was a bit of a fool ?

And Vixpy lol.

But you're not saying it; I am

Totally right, you are.

I'll ignore all the other waffle you posted.

[E36GUY]

egotrip said:

but not many 31 year olds can claim to live in a near million pound house.

[shunt]

I live near a million pound house, but i'm older than 31? Does that still count?

[Broccers]

E36GUY said:

egotrip said:

but not many 31 year olds can claim to live in a near million pound house.

I just took that as he still lived with his mum and dad.

For the record I did give some very valuable advice in order to help you not crash as an unfortunate member of our owners forum did last night losing the rear of the car on a roundabout.

Anyway....

[DoctorD]

petrolhead76 said:

So sorry - I don't think I'll bother coming back to PH next time for advice - instead I'll visit some other forums. I thought the idea with this forum was that the so-called experts could help the novices and share advice irrespective of where they are on the learning curve but obviously not.

As I've already said, I feel a few people have been a little quick to judge. It's easily done, and sometimes it is justified, but everything I have read thus far sounds like a characteristic question asked by a large proportion of E46 M3 owners at one time or another.

If you know the E46 M3 well enough then it all sounds very familiar. Whether it be the rear trailing arm bushes (very probable), broken rear spring (happens quite often, but not as commonly) or knackered diff (happens much less often).

The largest group of M3 owners reside over on Mtorque.co.uk so please pop in if you would like to read posts from other owners with the same symptoms.

[Dave Dax builder]

It would seem that this is not to do with the RTA bushes based on this from the original post:-

"I sometimes find that when I floor the accelerator on my E46 M3 the back of the car skids (moves from side to side) and the traction control light on the dash flickers like mad and tries to get it back under control (at which point I normally ease of the accelerator)."


Seeing as the traction warning light is filckering..... What's going on here is wheelspin. Which kind on makes the people who are saying "Right foot" the ones who are addressing the original question.

I think!!!

[DoctorD]

The RTABs being knackered starts out with just a looseness of the joint and therefore movement of the body which 'feels' like the tyres are slipping, but as it progressively worsens I have seen it result in a loss of traction and flashing of the DSC light. The last time I experienced it, my NS bush was split badly much more so than the OS, and under braking the rear end stepped out quite violently almost as if a tyre had deflated.

The way the rear suspension of the E46 M3 is designed, any play in the RTABs can cause quite a significant reduction in stability and traction at the rear, and after experiencing this wear more than a few times now (mainly on my M3 CSL) that would be the first place I would look.

Edited by DoctorD on Wednesday 12th December 19:15

[baz1985]

Hell, the RTAB are pretty shoddy on the cooking E46s too. I went through 4 sets in 16k on my E46 330.

[E38]

I reckon the OP needs to spend some of their vast (ly claimed) wealth on a car control course. To both make sure they are doing the right things with their car when bad/fun things start to happen, and so they know the terminology about what is happening so they don't get it ripped out of them on the car boreums...

And try to keep it calm when replying responses, it doesnt exactly improve peoples perceptions when petrolhead76 the 'investment banker' starts defending his driving abilities using house valuations. The piss taking is mostly down to people seeing a tw@ in whatever had the flashiest wheels and the biggest price tag in stock at the dealership, and no real care for cars apart from being a sign of wealth, which may not be the case...

[Harsh]

Guys, perhaps it's worth remembering that if the OP's question was asked in good faith then it should be answered as such.

starting an argument by taking the piss out of him is not really in the PH spirit

He may not be as skilled a driver as some, he may be better than others, but the answers are only easy if you know them or have relavent experience.

fwiw, the petrolhead76, the back end will step out under hard acceleration in the current weather conditions, even in a straight line. the chances are, that it's just a heavy right foot and uneven grip (road surface, camber or even slightly off straight ahead)

it is also possible that the car may need a little tlc, maybe new bushes, alignment etc.


if you're not used to a powerful rear drive car it can be a little scary, as you get to know it, it will be fun.
in all seriousness (and i say this without knowing your skill level) take some performance driver courses to get the most out of your toy....i can recommend carlimits as a good place to start.

(if you're going to do a track day it's definitely worth it..but also make sure you get track tuition and uprated brakes)

ok?