BMW Compact Build

4 is on the drivers side.

We have seen 1 and 4 lose bearings on dirt before, 4 being much more common.

Right now we are building 2 cars for local hill climbs, a budget car and a not so budget car. One the budget car after seeing what David was doing with stock pans now https://secure.buschurracing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1613&osCsid=d13c77a5f78a00d3c9fc8d5c916b1589 Aaron (johnbradley on evom) has a design that he thinks is going to work better so we are going to run that. On the other car we are saying fuck the band-aid fix and have a dry sump on the way.

Accusump might help?

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alkun
Accusump might help?

I'm sure it could, but I'm now leaning towards the KISS method of prepping the car. Adding an accusump would add another couple junctions that could leak, maybe some bulkhead fittings too, as there's not much room (if any) under the hood of the Evo for a large enough unit to do much good.

I'm liking the idea of a better baffled oil pan, as its a bolt it on and forget about it. I'll also likely start running the car a 1/2-full quart over on the oil. Seems like a trick that many of the BMW track types use without resorting to the more expensive fixes. At $5 for an extra quart, its a fix that's in my budget. LOL

Dave

Decided to install some residual pressure valves in the brake lines, and have been tracking down the right fittings to get them to work. These valves are used to keep a couple PSI in the brake system to keep fluid from draining back to the masters (when floor mounted), and may also help to fight pad knockback that seems to plague cars that race on rough surfaces. Got those installed yesterday.



The adapter rings for fitting the Toyota Supra diff just arrived. This will let me use E30 6-cyl axles.



Dave

Supra diff going in for its first test-fit:



Other progress on the interior:



Dave

You can see in the second pic what has been done for the diff swap.

Cut off the stock sheet metal that attached to the stock BMW diff.
The stock diff mounts had a pair of lower ears like the Supra and then wrapped over the top and there were two more bolts up on top of the diff.

We've got some L-bar that's been welded to the beam that will allow use of a bolt for the ears of the Supra diff. No connection method has been established at this point to connect to anywhere else on the differential. There are two ideas for mounting on the rear. Either going to the the lower pair of holes or the upper studs with a rubber bushing. I prefer the upper, though going to the lower would make a diff guard fabrication much easier.

Way cool and easy swap to do though. The beam is uncomplicated and pretty straight forward.

JVL's going to send another one of those supra/merkur rear mounts. I think if we trim down that channel under the floor at the back of the diff, I'll be able to run studs through, and with some luck, maybe even weld in that mount to both the floor and the channel, so it's really in there good.

Dave

Are you strengthening the beam mounts at the floor? I have seen a few torn out on street cars. There are some kits out there. If you can, tie them into the cage.

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phlat65
Are you strengthening the beam mounts at the floor? I have seen a few torn out on street cars. There are some kits out there. If you can, tie them into the cage.

Had not planned on it, but now that the cage is together and painted, and the underbody is coated in macropoxy, I've had two people tell me I should do something about it. Where were you guys 5 months ago? LOL

Dave

Sorry. I just thought you knew. We have fixed 3 of them at work, just street driven 325's. Turner makes a kit, as does BMW. I would still do it.

Any chance you have a link to that Turner kit? I can't seem to find it on their website.

Also, just to confirm, you are talking about failures on E30s, not E36s, right?

Thanks!

Dave



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2011 10:07PM by DaveK.

The subframe on the e36 regular chassis is different then the e36 compact. I have heard of plenty regular chassis' having the subframe tear the sheet metal mounts but i have not heard of the e36 compact having any troubles. There are front subframe mount reinforcement plates for the e36 and they should be the same for either compact or regular.

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kelly_s
The subframe on the e36 regular chassis is different then the e36 compact. I have heard of plenty regular chassis' having the subframe tear the sheet metal mounts but i have not heard of the e36 compact having any troubles. There are front subframe mount reinforcement plates for the e36 and they should be the same for either compact or regular.

One of the deciding factors on the Compact vs. normal E36 was that the Compact uses the same rear suspension as the E30. To me it looked much more "rally durable" than the multi-link stuff on the standard E36. The newer setup is faster on a race track, but for a rally car I'll take durable any day of the week.

Here's what got beefed up:

-front subframe reinforecements which weld near motor mount bolt location (two pieces each side)
-rear sway bar brackets (on chassis) were boxed in
-front shock tower reinforcement (OEM parts that weld into the underside)
-rear shock towers cut out and replaced with TT volvo towers, and tied into the cage

With my camber issues, I may re-plate the top again so I can put slotted holes on the shock towers to allow for easy adjustment, but I'll hold off until I get a chance to dial in the ride height. At 5" above stock, the car has wicked positive camber.

Dave
*yes, I said wicked...I'm from Boston. LOL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/2011 10:16PM by DaveK.

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DaveK
At 5" above stock, the car has wicked positive camber.

Dave
*yes, I said wicked...I'm from Boston. LOL

I believe that's pronounced "I'm from fawkin Bawstin, so fawk you, you fawkin fawks*"



While living there i chanced upon a bumper stick which encapulated, refined, personified perfectly the baseline , default attitude spanning every social and economic class, age, and race in the area inside 128. It read simply
"Fuck you, you fucking fuck"

I suggested to all I knew that that should replace the lame ass "Bay State" on the licence plates and, and i am dead serious now, 100% of every person I suggested that to in the area including 100% of people i spoke with from ALL the surrounding states said thing to the effect "dat's fawkin wiicked brilliant! Dey oughtta do it---"

It seems I'm "a fawkin genius!!" for figuring this out..

I debated throwing the Masshole thing out there, but John beat me to it.

I still can't understand how anybody not under heavy sedation could actually live in the metro Bahstun area.

Oh, I think the license plates say "The Spirit of America" or some lame ass crap like that.

At least Nude Hamster says LIVE FREE OR DIE, which really means: we want all the Massholes to come up north of the border to dodge sales tax and buy our slightly less expensive booze, which keeps our tax bills closer to free (hahahaha, I wish).