95maxrider's Rally-x '88 E28 build- caged, head swap and more

[irish44j]

I love the 8 posts in a row talking to yourself :)

I wouldn't worry about poly SB bushings. For rallycross it definitely won't matter, and with bars that big I doubt it will make much of a difference on the track either.

[95maxrider]

Ugh, did some more searching and came across some helpful threads on E24 forums regarding the FSB frame mounts:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1826689-M6-sway-bars-in-635csi

http://bigcoupe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic...49fba6e49c7eb7

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7aq8e/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/m5_front_sway_bar_mount.pdf

Now, my question is if I can use the non-M brackets and thin bushings, and just reinforce the stock non-M frame mount instead of trying to fabricate a new frame mount to accommodate M5 bushing brackets? Is the frame mount the weak point or is the bracket the weak point?

[phenryiv1]

Ugh, did some more searching and came across some helpful threads on E24 forums regarding the FSB frame mounts:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1826689-M6-sway-bars-in-635csi

http://bigcoupe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=18935&sid=8bbb11cbfb7bdc9c4f49fba6e49c7eb7

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7aq8e/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/m5_front_sway_bar_mount.pdf

Now, my question is if I can use the non-M brackets and thin bushings, and just reinforce the stock non-M frame mount instead of trying to fabricate a new frame mount to accommodate M5 bushing brackets? Is the frame mount the weak point or is the bracket the weak point?

Bracket appears to be the weak point based on where the guy in the second thread broke his mount.

With you having access to Eric and a welder, you have 2 options-

1. Use the thinner brackets and see how long they last with a thin bushing and only weld in the hardcore ones when/if you get failure of the thinner parts, or
2. Go straight to the thicker ones and incur the costs now.

If the thinner ones are fairly cheap, I'd go that route to begin with. I just did that with the upgraded sways on the e30, figuring that I'll fix it later IF it ever fails.

[95maxrider]

I thought I had already posted pics from the second event, but I must have forgotten. Time for more pics!

On the smaller barn course:










And from the third event a few days ago on the big main track:



This is what happens after you lock up your brakes and try to correct:


Again, the results of more brake locking:




Hopefully ABS will be working again by the next race, because I was not prepared to race without it. I got much better as the day went on, but the first few runs were a little tricky. Still only hit one cone for the day, which was a direct result of the brakes locking up.

The car doesn't have a very smooth idle, so in addition to finally adjusting the vales after the head swap, I'm considering replacing my O2 sensor. With only one on the car, I figure it's probably pretty important to how it idles/runs at part throttle. If I can get all that done and find a set of big sway bars, I think I will be very happy with this car. The 3.73 diff really woke it up, and I really don't think I was ever wanting for more power/response at the race. The car has some severe problems with body roll/motion, as you can really feel the weight being thrown around, but I think sways will fix most of that. If not, I might consider cutting one coil from the front springs, as the pictures show it's riding unnecessarily high.

And a video from the third event with my best AM run and PM run:

[JCarp90]

I have nothing to contribute here... I just love this thread. Rally-x is the shit. E28s are the shit.

[goarmy]

Hard work really pays off.

[phenryiv1]

I still don't get your braking issue. I never engaged ABS and I did little more than stab the brakes here and there to modulate entry speed. For the most part I engine braked in 2nd and can't think of a single time that I was "on" the brakes- even in the PM runs where we took the hard left at the end of the long straight that parallels the road.

[95maxrider]

I still don't get your braking issue. I never engaged ABS and I did little more than stab the brakes here and there to modulate entry speed. For the most part I engine braked in 2nd and can't think of a single time that I was "on" the brakes- even in the PM runs where we took the hard left at the end of the long straight that parallels the road.

If you watch my video you can probably see where/why I brake hard. Although, I must say that I don't like the view from the camera when it's mounted on the side. I'm moving it back to the top from now on.

In the AM runs I got on the brakes relatively hard before the kink lending onto the back straight, and then again at the end of the straight going into that medium right turn. Now, I think I may have been scrubbing off too much speed going into the kink, but I just couldn't judge where the corners of my car were so I gave myself lots of room in the kink. If I were driving one of those nice tidy E30s, I probably would have been able to carry more speed through the kink ;) I didn't have nearly as much of a problem in the PM session, but the first two runs in the AM were a bit of a learning experience. I'm trying to track down a new/used wire now.

[phenryiv1]

If you watch my video you can probably see where/why I brake hard. Although, I must say that I don't like the view from the camera when it's mounted on the side. I'm moving it back to the top from now on.

In the AM runs I got on the brakes relatively hard before the kink lending onto the back straight, and then again at the end of the straight going into that medium right turn. Now, I think I may have been scrubbing off too much speed going into the kink, but I just couldn't judge where the corners of my car were so I gave myself lots of room in the kink. If I were driving one of those nice tidy E30s, I probably would have been able to carry more speed through the kink ;) I didn't have nearly as much of a problem in the PM session, but the first two runs in the AM were a bit of a learning experience. I'm trying to track down a new/used wire now.

If the P/N is the same as on the e30 (check RealOEM) I probably have one or two.

[irish44j]

what pads are you running? Even as light as my car is I've never locked up the brakes unintentionally on-course (those intentional times usually being after a hot finish), and I definitely stomp on them pretty hard to set up certain turn entries.

[95maxrider]

what pads are you running? Even as light as my car is I've never locked up the brakes unintentionally on-course (those intentional times usually being after a hot finish), and I definitely stomp on them pretty hard to set up certain turn entries.

Whatever came on the car :gotme:

[95maxrider]

Not much new here, still trying to figure out how to get big sway bars to work on this damn thing.

In the mean time, we prepped the car for the additional loads of the big bars by reinforcing the FSB end link attachment points on the struts, as it's a known failure point. We ran out of time, but the next thing to do is to reinforce the rear frame mounts for the big bars. We did at least get new Meyle end links front and rear. Our old rear links were pretty shot.

Welding!







And I got the rear section of the front fender liners installed:





And I'm not sure if this is from the dirt, or from driving too hard on the street, but the front Winterforce tires are chunking:






So that's cool.

[phenryiv1]

Chunking is from the Barn course.

[irish44j]

WInterforces are one of the softer snow tires out there. Apparently they're very popular in the middle-country area that has real "dirt" but locally apparently guys like some other ones better since we have so much hardpack stuff.

[95maxrider]

Chunking is from the Barn course.

Well remember, this car gets driven on the street, and hard. I would think that if the barn course could do it, pavement could do it worse, no?

I should probably rotate them now that I think about it....