1971 BMW 1600 Project

[phreshkid]

14" is a good size for 2002s. Nice wheels!

Thanks man!

I agree, 14's look right at home on an '02. It's a shame that there aren't great 14" tire options. I like the new wheels, how come you're switching it up? Not feeling the current setup?

The 13x6 minilites with 205 fit in the rear, but stick out almost half an inch past the fender lip in the front. But it's at a pretty tall height. Maybe once the car lowers a bit more, it will clear better. I spoke to Tony, the SoCal guy who rolls fenders and he grilled me for wanting to roll such a classic car's fenders. The problem is, I'd have to pull the fenders to make the 13's fit in the front.

I'm basically becoming a little bitch and don't want to pull the fenders because I'm scared it will ruin the car.

The new 14's are just another option, that's all. It never hurts to have too many wheel set ups.

Oh, and I sold the BBS RM wheels yesterday. If I go with a set of 15" wheels, it will probably be the overplayed BBS RS (which I still like) or balls to the wall BBS E30 in 15x7 et25. The thought has crossed my mind way too many times now.

[phreshkid]

Agreed.

I'm only buying more wheels until you sell me the campy's.


Then my life will be complete and I'll stop buying wheels.

[roznic]

u must have a lot of patience..great work!! Did you ever find the correct grommets for the brake MC/reservoir?? If so, pls lemme know, I am in the same situation..

[phreshkid]

u must have a lot of patience..great work!! Did you ever find the correct grommets for the brake MC/reservoir?? If so, pls lemme know, I am in the same situation..

Yes! Andrew reached out to me and sent me a few things, including the new grommets for the 320i master cylinder.

He sent me a new 320i hub for the BBK, a new set of bearings (with races) and the correct grommets.


In the photo, the grommets are upside down.

[roznic]

oh great, thx for info

[CubbyChowder]

I see, didn't realize the front fitment was so aggressive, pretty surprising for a 6" wheel. I think the new Apaches will suit the car better anyways, but I'm sure you'll switch up the wheel setup several more times haha. Nothing wrong with keeping things interesting. I bet you're dying to get this thing dialed and drive it.

[LJ851]

I could tell by looking at the lip on the minilites that they wouldn't fit under the front fenders. My Campys are similar with an offset in the low teens.

You want stock e30 kind of offsets to fit under the fenders. 14x6 bottlecaps fit perfect. I have had IS weaves (14x6.5) with 205 under stock fenders with maybe a slight roll.

[SkiFree]

I was after those Apaches V's too haha, just got cold feet. Good to see you got the bits.

[phreshkid]

I could tell by looking at the lip on the minilites that they wouldn't fit under the front fenders. My Campys are similar with an offset in the low teens.

You want stock e30 kind of offsets to fit under the fenders. 14x6 bottlecaps fit perfect. I have had IS weaves (14x6.5) with 205 under stock fenders with maybe a slight roll.

Definitely not with 205s, that's for sure. I'm going to have to think about what I can do about the minilites. Not sure if I can use them anymore. Part of me wants to pull the fenders to accommodate, but that is a decision I have to live with no going back.

The Apache V wheels are a bit better with clearance (currently with 195s). I figure that with the 185s and a slight roll/pull, I'll be where I want to be. The front still sits entirely too high for my liking. I may go the coilover route if it irks me when the car runs/drives.


Here is a photo of how the minilites fit in the front:


and here are the Apache V with 195s:


and here is the ride height when the photos were taken. Not sure if an inch or two of lowering will give me the camber I need to make these fit behind the fenders.



Again, it's not a major issue, but it is an issue that needs to be addressed sooner than later.

I was after those Apaches V's too haha, just got cold feet. Good to see you got the bits.

These wheels are very hard to come by! They were a good buy and don't require much to get them "right". Can't complain on the purchase price either.
I'll likely order new Direzza ZII in 185/60r14 today.


I also completed the BBK today. The new hub went on smooth and all studs fit as they should. I have the old hub here and can send back to you anytime. I want to hold off for a week, should the first package get here in that time. I can then send you one package with two hubs.


New (correct) grommets installed in the brake MC:





And here is how the rear Minilites sit in the fender well:

[kronus]

lowering the front should give you more space. why is your front sitting so high, anyway?

[phreshkid]

lowering the front should give you more space. why is your front sitting so high, anyway?

No idea yet. I'll take a more detailed peak tomorrow and snap a few photos. Maybe i put something on backwards, I'm not sure.

I went with a full Spax Lowering suspension kit. Here is a link for the springs. Apparently they are 50mm lowering springs. Can't say that the car looks 2" lower. http://www.spaxdirect.com/product_in...oducts_id=1504

I still haven't driven the car so I don't think the suspension has "settled". If the rears go lower, I'll have to grab a set of thicker spring pads to compensate.


If you look at past posts in this thread, you will see the install process and photos of ride height. That might give you a better indication of what is going on with the front suspension.


I'll figure it out though. It usually comes together somehow.

[kronus]

are you using stock strut mounts? are the spacers still in under the wheel wells? A lot of 2002s have had those flipped to the top, but they're not even necessary. They were added during federalization to get the bumper to be above a minimum height.

[phreshkid]

are you using stock strut mounts? are the spacers still in under the wheel wells? A lot of 2002s have had those flipped to the top, but they're not even necessary. They were added during federalization to get the bumper to be above a minimum height.

Nope, no spacers. Got rid of those.

Here are some photos of the car before and after.

Early in ownership:


Stock suspension with new wheels


New Spax springs and struts installed but unsettled. If I didn't know any better, I'd say nothing has changed.


This is blowing my mind. I double confirmed that the front springs are for the front and rear springs are for the rear. Everything looks installed correctly too.

One thing that seems *off* to me is how the new strut bearing fits in comparison to the old bearing.

Here is the old bearing before being removed. Look at the distance from bottom of the bearing to the metal spring holder thing:


And here is the new bearing installed. Now take a look at how much greater the distance between the bottom of the strut bearing and the metal spring retainer thing. Unusual.



But even so, removing the spacer (originally under the wheel well) should compensate for this extra gap.

Here is a photo of what the front suspension looks like when on the ground. Sorry for the potato quality.



I'm stooped.

[kronus]

if the new spring is loose (i.e. not compressed at all when the strut's out), then it's possible for the damper to extend and make it look like it's currently looking. I can't really tell much without a side shot of the shoulders of the strut.

[kronus]

another possibility: did you get spax springs for a 2002? is it possible that the 1600 uses different struts and shorter springs?

(sorry it's difficult for me to go through your thread for answers cause you've got a million pictures :p)