% lug conversion question. E46 control arms and E36 M3 brakes??

[efreak]

Been reading and my head is now spinning. Can someone please clairfy what the effective wheel offset would be with e46 control arms with 97+ e36 M3 front spindles and struts and brakes? Thanks!

Shoud I use the adapter bushings with the 5 lug? http://www.akgmotorsport.com/catalog.../FC3046Dlg.jpg

Or should I grind the e46 arms and use the offset bushings with the 5 lug? http://www.akgmotorsport.com/catalog.../FCO3036lg.jpg

This is for a dedicated drift car with fender flares.



A spot to stash the swap info:
-Camber plates are required. Maxed out positive with e46 CA should net about 3 degrees of camber minimum.
-E46 control arms add 40mm of track width and 2.5 degrees of extra camber. Normal 97+ E36 M3 arms yield a 35mm effective offset. With an extra 40mm that would net a +5mm offset on factory centerline.
-With my e36 steering rack I will need e36 inner tie rods and e34 outer tie rods.
-Offset CAB must be run, stock M3, AKG Poly $60, Treehouse $190, or Bimmerworld $200, all have options.

[efreak]

Wow... three days... over 75 views, and nobody can comment? Am I the first person to do this?

[MR 325]

Please don't do the E46 control arms. They screw up the geometry quite a bit. They also don't have the correct caster compared to the 96+ M3 arms that should be used. This means the wheels will be too far back. You'll also have a hard time fitting a decent wheel and tire.

[TSI]

Please don't do the E46 control arms. They screw up the geometry quite a bit. They also don't have the correct caster compared to the 96+ M3 arms that should be used. This means the wheels will be too far back. You'll also have a hard time fitting a decent wheel and tire.

This. I've seen it done once, but the e46 arms had to be essentially rebuilt to deal with the substantial caster, with the outer end bent inwards, welded and then trimmed down. It gave close to the same result as using an e36 non-m arm. To be honest, I don't think there is any advantage to using the e46 arm over the e36m3 one.

[efreak]

I would like about 5-7 degrees of castor and minimum 3-3.5 degrees camber. The car will never see the street, mostly drift and eventually some track.

The added track width is also desired, both for slide stability and the widebody and wheel combo. The "best" wheel in my price range is 17"x10" ET 22. From what I've worked out that would require a 1.5-2" spacer front and rear.

Any additional track width I can pick up without exceeding 7 degrees of castor, I would like to do.

Flares would go on at the same time, looking about 5-6" deep and enlarging the wheel well diameter by 2".

[TSI]

Are you widening the rear accordingly? I know little of drifting setups, but for track or street, it sounds like the e46 arms are just giving you a headache with little benefit. You'll have to modify the back of the wheel well quite a bit for a 17" wheel, and even then, with a 2" spacer on a 10" wheel at et22 you'll mess up the steering angles relative to the kingpins, and rub. Besides, 10" wheels on the front seem a bit excessive, no?

To answer your question, though, you'll have to do some math. Take the camber plate variation and multiply it by the ratio of the strut assembly above to below the kingpin. That will give you your effective offset, and then you'll have to measure the e46 arm's placement with both offset amd centred bushings, and trim accordingly. I think the offset ones will work better.

[efreak]

On the rear I am installing a 318ti 5 lug. It should help minimize the spacers. Reading into BBK setups for that right now, something about 1 series rotors hahaha.

I am also looking to get as much steering angle as possible.

The tire size for non-drift events is a 275/40-17 front and rear. It's 2" larger diameter than stock. I will have the get in the wheel well and scope it out further. Sounds like I have to clearance extra material to run the added castor?