14 years - 1991 325ix, Stroker/5-Speed (N52 swap?)

[freeride53]

Your car looks so god damn awesome.

[5Toes]

Where did you have them refinished at?

[nando]

also realized I never posted my new winter wheels. they started out like this:


for $100 they weren't a bad deal. The rash was pretty bad and the finish was shot, but I hate bottlecaps so much. they just make the E30 look like a pile of shit.

$500 for refinishing, and now they look like this:



I added13mm spacers from 8380 labs so I could run centercaps over my 75mm bullnosed studs. The centercaps will keep crud off my lug nuts and brand new hubs...

blurry cell phone shot:


I'd take better pics but seeing how it's winter, the car is always dirty anyway, even though I just washed it last week. They've got a new set of 195/65-15 Blizzak WS70's on them.

I still hate washing BBS wheels, but at least when you're done, they look pretty damn good. The bottlecaps however, were just as much of a pain to clean, and they were still ugly as shit when you were done so there's no point anyway. I sold them to some girl with a Kia for $100.

[nando]

which crank would you use? I have a lazyboy 2.7i (stock eta bottom with 885 head) and I plan on going with MS, then eventually build a proper 3.0L+ I like the 2.8, but figure if you are going to build it go big or go home right!?

S52b32. I could have paid another $300-$500 for a crank and had a 3.1l build instead of a 2.8.

[mrbeef612]

Amazing car.... I miss it back up there.... :( Damn you Navy....

[2mAn]

heh, learn from my mistakes - build a 3.1 liter, or go home. :p

which crank would you use? I have a lazyboy 2.7i (stock eta bottom with 885 head) and I plan on going with MS, then eventually build a proper 3.0L+ I like the 2.8, but figure if you are going to build it go big or go home right!?

[Kershaw]

Worn out wheel bearings? How's this? stock suspension though. Estimated 300-350k miles.

I agree with nando though. I don't see how lowering the car will kill the bearing. The cv joint, yeah sure...

[nando]

Yeah, you can't just bang a driveshaft into it.. not sure how that happens. those little spider gears inside the carrier are pretty wimpy though.

anyway, the best I can figure is at some point you get too low, the CV joints can't turn right anymore, and they start to bind maybe putting pressure on the bearings? but you're going to waste your CV shafts pretty fast like that anyway.

[Kvasi]

I dont know, but thats what he said. Guess i trust your experience more in the end..
Another story ive heard, from a dude i know who had a low IX some years ago, is that his front diff turned into scrap cause the driveshaft banged into it.
I choose to belive the reason was him popping clutch on tarmac..

[nando]

Wheel bearings he said. Have heard several different warnings from the same number of people, but GC said the only issue would be bearings if lowered to mutch.
He said the shaft will get a angle that will make pressure on the bearings at some point.

that makes no sense to me. I never had issues with wheel bearings - mine had 250,000 miles and I only replaced them because I was swapping housings. the originals are still fine. :|

[Kvasi]

Bearings?

Cv joints, maybe, but I can't see what it has to do with bearings.

Or did he mean strut bearings? I can see if you're bottoming out, but you shouldn't be. I can easily be 50-60mm lower without any issues.

I don't get it.

Wheel bearings he said. Have heard several different warnings from the same number of people, but GC said the only issue would be bearings if lowered to mutch.
He said the shaft will get a angle that will make pressure on the bearings at some point.

[nando]

Arg, so it turns out the other CV shaft I put in is actually worse than the one I took out. I might have been wrong about the old CV shaft popping anyway. This one clunks in a straight line at low speeds. the other one only appeared to do it on sharp left turns. I'm going to have to swap them back. I don't really want to buy a new one since I have two already and I won't need them for too much longer anyway..

[nando]

Bearings?

Cv joints, maybe, but I can't see what it has to do with bearings.

Or did he mean strut bearings? I can see if you're bottoming out, but you shouldn't be. I can easily be 50-60mm lower without any issues.

I don't get it.

[Kvasi]

Looking good, guess im going the same route next spring.
Been mailing back and forth a bith with GC and they says more than 40mm drop in front is a total no-no. It will wear out bearings faster than im able to change them it sounds like.
Have any opinions?

[audiquattrot]

Amazing work!! I want coilovers badly! Ur car is so clean and properly done!