★ ★ Project Glacier | Make the E30 a Daily Again ★ ★

[lambo]

I will donate a brand new diff mount if you get to work

lmao... I've just been slacking on getting a replacement subframe but I'm working on that now lol

It's hard to work on the E30 when I can just do this instead...


DSC00641 by Phillip Keefe, on Flickr

[lambo]

Alright. This time it's for real. The E30 is coming back before the summer. I've got a friend parting an E30 so I'm just waiting for him to do that so I can snag the subframe. Then I'll need to get the reinforcements welded in and we'll be good to go.





In other news, I scored big today and got a ZHP rack which I've always wanted for $80.





No idea when I'll get around to putting that in. Probably when I pull the head to fix the oil leak. At the same time I'll get power steering added on again and hopefully a/c.

[Northern]

noice

[lambo]

Subframe acquired. Now I just need to get the reinforcements welded in.

[moatilliatta]

What reinforcements, Adjusters, and bushings are you going to run?

[lambo]

What reinforcements, Adjusters, and bushings are you going to run?

Well I intended to use the Condor reinforcements (https://www.condorspeedshop.com/coll...-plate-set-e30) and just OEM rubber subframe bushings like I currently have. I'm keeping this an enjoyable street car so I don't want poly/delrin stuff. Also not planning to do adjusters on the subframe, I don't like the tooth style ones and I'm kinda ehh on the eccentric style. I have an idea for rear alignment adjustment but that's gonna be another project.

However, I was tearing apart the subframe yesterday with the intention of cleaning it up to get ready for welding then powder coat... but I found out this subframe has a sizeable dent in the bottom of it. Doesn't look like it affects the geometry much/if at all. The mounting hole center-center measurement checks out according to some old forum post I found. And the trailing arm mounting tab measurements match up on both sides. With that being said, I'm not going to spend the money restoring this specific one, I'll just save the reinforcements for another subframe. Instead, I'm just going to toss this one in as-is (with new bushings) so I can at least get the car back on the road.

[Northern]

Also not planning to do adjusters on the subframe, I don't like the tooth style ones and I'm kinda ehh on the eccentric style.

I agree with this, neither seems to be very appealing. Toothed ones seem to have issues with coarseness of adjustment, and the regular ones just slip out of adjustment.
I only run subframe risers and I've been through a few sets of tires with no wear issues in the rear. I think the whole thing is blown a bit out of proportion.

That is quite the dent though

[lambo]

I agree with this, neither seems to be very appealing. Toothed ones seem to have issues with coarseness of adjustment, and the regular ones just slip out of adjustment.
I only run subframe risers and I've been through a few sets of tires with no wear issues in the rear. I think the whole thing is blown a bit out of proportion.

That is quite the dent though

I have a friend experimenting with this setup. I'm very curious to see how it goes.



Yeah the dent is unfortunate, luckily I didn't pay much money for this subframe so I'm not too salty about it. Just need to find another one to do up properly.

[moatilliatta]

Be nice if someone would sell the service for the DTM Adjuster, and just call it it a day.

My PSA is nobody can make a nice slot while doing eccentric's, or the Posi locks. If you make a perfect slot you only have like 30% of the original clamping force and continues to degrade depending on quality of slot.
Next, Most bushings have aluminum sleeve that'll mushroom and causing the hardware to come loose, on the flip side they bind up the bushings from the mushrooming and now the hinged pivot points are off set.., not like most know how to use a torque wrench or get one in there.
And after all this work the eccentrics probably aren't welded in the correct area and can accommodate how much things have shifted over the years on these high production parts..

If you use used parts you have no idea where your baseline is, and no idea where to off set the eccentrics to accommodate.

I recently did a set of group N bushings that I machined off 10mm that made it a riser bushing that got the suspension close, and a previous car I had bend into spec, but had poly.

A perfect street set up would be to do the Group N bushing machined 10MM and then bend the rest into spec with stock trailing arm bushings. These cars a night and day difference with the useless negative camber removed and some decent rear toe in.

[Northern]

^ Agree with pretty much all of it.

I have a friend experimenting with this setup. I'm very curious to see how it goes.

Unless you're racing some specific class that doesn't allow this, I think the way to go is with one of these DTM replica setups or stiffer stock stuff w/risers.
Nothing in between is worth doing voluntarily.

[CubbyChowder]

Any reason why you couldn't just pull your existing subframe and repair/reinforce that? Looks like you could hammer it back into shape, weld up the crack and then build some reinforcement plates out of some 1/8" flat strap that go across the top where the mounting holes are and then wrap down the corners where the crack is and maybe go 1' past it or something. Just an idea

[lambo]

Any reason why you couldn't just pull your existing subframe and repair/reinforce that? Looks like you could hammer it back into shape, weld up the crack and then build some reinforcement plates out of some 1/8" flat strap that go across the top where the mounting holes are and then wrap down the corners where the crack is and maybe go 1' past it or something. Just an idea

That might be an option. Right now I'm gonna pull the subframe, throw this junk one in so I can drive the car and the evaluate what I'm gonna do from there.

In other news, I got a deal on a racing dynamics wing today. Now I actually want to do some exterior visual mods. I'm not super in love with the wing, I want the one that doesn't have the center supports and has the gurney flap ideally. But I'm thinking of just sending it with this, an is lip, skirts, and splitter. That's kinda the look I'm going for.

[lambo]

Also from a couple months ago...


DSC00670 by Phillip Keefe, on Flickr

[lambo]

And I've been hanging out with some BMW friends... my stoke level is high to get my car on the road again to hang with friends.


DSC00114 by Phillip Keefe, on Flickr


DSC00115 by Phillip Keefe, on Flickr


DSC00117 by Phillip Keefe, on Flickr


\DSC00120 by Phillip Keefe, on Flickr


DSC00148 by Phillip Keefe, on Flickr


DSC00153 by Phillip Keefe, on Flickr

[Reichart12]

Mmm in some good company with these other BMWs