How do you compensate for poor weight distrobution?

[Ahheck01]

The fact that the M50 or S50 would be significantly heavier than my M20 is a big turn-off. These cars are already front heavy - I would think these swaps would throw that off quite a bit.

Even if you even it out by adding weight to the rear, aren't you killing the biggest advantage to the e30 - the light-weight-ness?

I'd like to consider an engine swap, but I need convincing that there's a solid way to address this issue.

-Evan

[matt]

It's not significantly heavier. If its 50lbs, I'll eat my hat.

I ditched my AC and power steering. The AC condenser is very far forward, and the compressor is very heavy. I just didnt' feel like putting the PS pump in.

Add all that to a lightweight flywheel and an auto to manual swap and my car rode about an inch higher in the front after the swap.

[Ahheck01]

M20: 258lbs

M30: 315lbs

M50: 299lbs

M52: 260lbs (alloy) 308lbs (iron)

S50: 300lbs

S52: 308lbs

S14: 234lbs

So, to go to an S50 would be to add 42lbs, plus whatever the rest of the drivetrain adds.

-Evan

[asubimmer]

its not much more at all. The m42 is 220lbs if you want to add that to your list.

[euroshark]

M30 is 316lbs

If you remove the AC components, you should end up slightly lighter in the front, or maybe come out even. The fact is that even if you add a solid 50lbs to the front, you probably won't notice with the correct suspension enhancements. There's a thread in the M30 swap section where I outlined some Alpina B6 and B6S specs. Alpina simply fitted slightly heavier duty OEM springs to the front of the B6S (based on the M30 M3), the springs were from the M3 with optional air conditioning, and obviously the B6S did not have AC. All of the road tests agreed that handling was unchanged, with just a tiny hint more understeer at the limit.

Edit: The significance of everything above is that the M30 is considerably heavier than the S14... lol, how did I forget that.

[Ahheck01]

M30 is 316lbs

If you remove the AC components, you should end up slightly lighter in the front, or maybe come out even. The fact is that even if you add a solid 50lbs to the front, you probably won't notice with the correct suspension enhancements. There's a thread in the M30 swap section where I outlined some Alpina B6 and B6S specs. Alpina simply fitted slightly heavier duty OEM springs to the front of the B6S (based on the M30 M3), the springs were from the M3 with optional air conditioning, and obviously the B6S did not have AC. All of the road tests agreed that handling was unchanged, with just a tiny hint more understeer at the limit.

Edit: The significance of everything above is that the M30 is considerably heavier than the S14... lol, how did I forget that.

I definitely don't want to get rid of A/C.

Will the getrag or ZF trannies add a considerable amount of weight? Just curious. I'm seriously getting interested in a potential swap.

-Evan

[euroshark]

Real men don't need AC... you have windows that open!! lol

Eh, if you keep it you keep it... Whatever works for you.

The transmissions shouldn't be considerably heavier, maybe 15 to 20lbs at the high end, but I doubt it's that much.

[kolunda]

A carbon fiber or fiberglass hood up front will drop some weight from the front end. If you go s50 and get some shorty headers that will save a few pounds also, maybe like 5. Remove the fan and clutch with a fan delete mod, umm.... remove the ABS pump and have non-ABS brakes. Lets see what else... Aftermarket lightweight pulleys... maybe a pound or 2 there... thats all I can really think of right now, so with this stuff your lookin at about 20 for the hood, maybe 5-7 in the headers, about 20 in the abs pump, and the pulleys maybe 1 lb. So thats like 48 lbs right there, bringing you down to m20 weight. TBH the biggest problem I have with my s50 swap and the handling, compared to the previous m42, is the fact that the extra weight sits farther in front of the front struts compared to the 4 cylinder, which makes it a bitch. But my car can still out-handle a lot of cars, and if you splurge on like a korman wide body kit, that'll knock even more weight off the front end and the car as a whole and bring it back down to stock levels (at least for a 318iS).

[PiercedE30]

Anyone thought about splurging for an electric power steering pump? Wouldn't be a problem if you have one of the 140 amp alternators.

[trent]

I'd like to consider an engine swap, but I need convincing that there's a solid way to address this issue.

-Evan

Dude, get over it, there is no issue.

My car is 53/47 front rear with a/c.

[matt]

Anyone thought about splurging for an electric power steering pump? Wouldn't be a problem if you have one of the 140 amp alternators.

Not worth it at all... won't save any weight, PITA to get to work, might as well just delete PS altogether.

[BimmerToad]

I used to be obsessed with weight distribution when I had the M42 in, but seriously, fuck it. Most 'balanced' BMWs are slightly front heavy anyway, regardless of what you read in the brochures. I'd rather take torque and stiffer springs up front than questionably better balance. IMHO the swap does not remove the tossability of the E30

[Adrian_Visser]

accordin to http://www.bimmerforums.com/engine_faq/ s50 weighs 333 lbs meaning your addin 75lbs to the front end. you could add ballast to the rear to compensate slightly. in reality thouh would you really notice? i mean a tank of gas weihs like 120 lbs so your weight dist. is always changing unless you keep your fuel level the same all the time

[Ahheck01]

That's the Euro S50. The US S50 is the same weight as the US M50. Look again.

accordin to http://www.bimmerforums.com/engine_faq/ s50 weighs 333 lbs meaning your addin 75lbs to the front end. you could add ballast to the rear to compensate slightly. in reality thouh would you really notice? i mean a tank of gas weihs like 120 lbs so your weight dist. is always changing unless you keep your fuel level the same all the time

[Mr.SWISS]

It's not significantly heavier. If its 50lbs, I'll eat my hat.

I ditched my AC and power steering. The AC condenser is very far forward, and the compressor is very heavy. I just didnt' feel like putting the PS pump in.

Add all that to a lightweight flywheel and an auto to manual swap and my car rode about an inch higher in the front after the swap.

Werd..

I just ditched , my dual mass for a single mass lightweight fly and my car doesn't sit any lower. If anything I gained ~20 lbs up front but that brought ~40 more hp and 5 more MPG. I be very happy with the results, it seems like the car handles better now than before.