[Entropy] - E30 Hiatus cont - More seeing, less wrenching.

[moatilliatta]

February 2021

Work

Time is a ticking, A suspension analysis that took a few months too long with data that wasn't strait forward or useable on the 726. Time is a ticking..




Some suspension angles pre ride hight


Trim and rewrap dash from cage work






Lightness everywhere


Super sized piston on a 2002Tii




Found a set of NOS "NEW" Calipers, Seemed like a good options, but they smelt like mold and had rust starting...




End up going Genuine, So cool that BMW can still get these


New spring clips!




Trying to manage boost on the turbo E36.


Busy month, didn't catch too many pictures.

[moatilliatta]

Well no pics, but exciting progress.

Hope to have rear and front sway bars on by this weekend. I had to do custom mounting due to the S54 oil pan and the Twin ear E36 diff cover.

Subframe and Trailing arms ready to pick up from powder coating shop this Friday!

Went head and mounted the Doorman E30M Aluminum control arms.

Once I get the seat delete done Ill toss the Subframe back in.

Update with photos Next Wednesday hopefully. Busy Busy, I didn't expect to try and get sway bars in before vintage!

Seats due back in April.

STOKED.

[moatilliatta]

February 2021

Progress. Progress!

Some huge mile stones chipped off the list.
4 Channel ABS plumbed
Mk60 ABS Race calibration configured - Weights, track width, ect. Unit in route. This is tough on an incomplete car.
Trailing arms are 95% Complete. - Waiting on IE rear swaybar. Call #3 today to make sure it shipped!
An updated title description - Borrowed Time
318is Pump intake - broke fuel level stud... PSA
Fixed shoddy out of box spectra premium ETA pump rubber reducer... PSA
I cant tell you how excited it will be to have an Ebrake Again!

Coming up, some March goals: Vintage is less than 3 months away!!!
Flushing out brake lines, Swap out ABS units, Bleed and Test
Fabricate mounts for 16MM Ireland engineering sway bar, I was able to get a turn buckle Style sway bar link from AKG that ill accommodate my dual sheer trialing arm pick up
Finish dual sheer trailing arm mount
Powder coat trailing arms
Assemble rear end - Stim tech RTAB - Bearing, Fag wheel bearing, New Febi Hubs, MSI studs, All new Ebrake bits, Reuse AKG 75D Subframe mounts
Interior ?
Epoxy Fuel pump level mounting stud with panel bond - PSA
Mount front sway bar - E46 M3 Hotchkiss
Swap out 96+ control arms for 95 the Aftermarket E30 M3 Aluminum control arms
Inspect rear lower coil over cup for for shorter unit - Axle interference?

Always a few pounds everywhere.




My walbaro had a connector that didn't look to happy, swapped it out for a 318i pump that is known to run an S54, So I've herd


Weld up a stud/ m54 CCV bolt to thread my brake line clip on


Whoot, Tedious plumbing, Especially with stainless steel line. Also seen fuel return and feed hoses




FU - I've had this happen before. Come to find out its a clearance issue with the NEW GENUINE FUEL LEVEL SENDERS OMGWTF, NO MORE VDO PUMPS INSTOCK SHIT! WANT TO MAKE A PSA POST...


Found an adapter fitting after hours of digging to fix the Spectra fuel pump issue. Earlier in this thread you can see we lost a fun race in the 387 race car because of this. Those go fixed with ATL lift pumps. A lot more work - I hope another PSA to come


ETA driver side transfer pump sock indexed


I really wanted to make this happen in 2018 attempts to get to the vintage! So here we go, What I've came up with not to interfere the fuel filler hose. I almost ran a tube strait from the top of the casting to the inner pickup point point like the early DTM cars had... So temped, If I had .75 DOM laying around, I probably would have. Maybe next go if I do DTM adjusters.








Was an intense week - 6am to 11pm days, not many photos, but here we go. And continue to ponder the concept of borrowed time.


Just needs sway bar mounting tabs! I hope its done


Here is why I think the stud breaks.
1987 Original Equipped


NEW FUUU


OK fixed


Got up north an took a hike for Vday with the GF, in single digit weather. It was actually fun. Cold weather keeps the bugs.. and people away.








Noted in another rust repair thread, Made me think of these as i was cleaning up.. Hmm I wonder where all the bristles went....


Interior Teaser, Poor lighting... More to come!


Sorry for the poor orientation of photos. The Iphone doesn't like to keep the same orientation as I take the photo and photobucket has no option to rotate the photo. Forge on

https://youtu.be/P9BfvPjsXXw

[moatilliatta]

February 2021

Progress.

Not as much progress that I would have hoped for, tidying rust as I come across it has slowed things down. I'm not into the restoration part yet so ill weld patches when needed, Rivet and seal some aluminum in other places. Its ok, will deal with it properly later. Ah.. Rust.

I did remove a bunch of unused brackets and tabs to clean things up.


I got back and forth with the spot weld tool and the finger sander. both work well, but I really do like this tool!


While the gas tank is out I'm trying to focus on the rear bits that need welding or grinding. Finally making a mount for my audio control device and and yaw sensor.


I hate mess's




My bridged mount to level the mounting points out


Cut out what was let of my ebrake tubes and started to prep for the new ones to go in




Also cut out the rest of my tank vent hard tube, I got a crazy idea to re-route it to make the seat delete lay flat, and clean the trunk up as the vent line was ran through there..

Got my Ebrake tubes prepped for primer, this is actually quite exciting!


I removed the upper perch's since I am rear coil over now, the lower ones have been removed off the trailing arms when I un reinforced them to get bent.. And... RUST...


OK fine... rustoration...

CAD..


Weld thru prime back section




Fits nice


Burned in


Smooth'd


Coffee..


Since working with 2K primer in a can it has a short shelf life after pop'd So I try and batch everything that needs primed at once. E Brake tubes ready to be welded in!!


Primed my audio / Yaw mounting


Weld thru prime where necessary


Overall this wasn't as bad as expected to replace the Ebrake tubes. I noticed there are 2 different style rear mounting with the E-Brake tubes. One has a tab, one is directly mounted as shown. These are tubes out of a late car and I welded them like they were originally.


A tab securely mounts them up front, I rewelded the tab vs drilling the spot welds.


I had to cut and bend a piece of the rear bridged support to slide the tubes thru, it re bent and welded up nicely.


All the welded bits wire wheeled and primed. Left the brake hose tab for a ground for welding. Umbilical cord...TBC. To be cut.. Brake lines will be bulkhead mounted off the seat belt pick up point triangulation reinforcement's. You can see where I removed weld in nut for some weight savings.


My new gas tank vent tube


Hole prepped




I got the tube welded in but no photos yet..

Added a tab to securely mount the subwoofer from the half attached holes.




Stem Tech Spherical RTABS - TEASER, Still a month out until install I assume. They were machined out for my 1/2 hardware.


Cheers, TBC

[moatilliatta]

Nice work all around. And congratulations on the wins! Now I see how you'll have an "easier" time fitting the mk60 ABS... the 5 lug front struts and rear trailing arms accept the correct wheel speed sensors without modification. Damn... I was hoping you'd have a clever way to fit them into the 4 lug front struts and rear arms. Your suspension geometry saga is both encouraging and disappointing for mostly the same reasons. As I've been trying to learn more about how to improve the E30s alignment and geometry I've also noticed not much information available that really goes into the depths of the process as you have. Encouraging that I'm not crazy to believe it's harder than it appears, and disappointing that it's not easy to come by easily accessible information and combination of parts... I need to learn more. It really is amazing how well these cars can handle with careful consideration into the geometry and setup.

Thanks!

Yeah, it defiantly helped having E36 Knuckles, I guess you could call these E36/7/8 Trailing arms.... But the MK60 Swap is pretty common amongst many platforms, I'm sure enough info to make it work in the 4 lug kingpin / Trailing arms.

If I were to do it again, which I may... I would go with the DTM style adjusters and reduce the sweep angle like the DTM setup. Even E46 suspension is primitive with the McPherson strut on single swing control arm, and non multilink rear. But hey it works well and these cars are raced everywhere to gather info from. Either track or street use, I think it goes hand and hand.. I just didn't want to make a jig, and to do it right I wanted to check and see how the camber and toe curved looked and try and position the pickup points in the best location for that.

I seen you post the GC weight jackers graphed into the E30 trailing arm, that is quite trick!!!

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Nice work all around. And congratulations on the wins! Now I see how you'll have an "easier" time fitting the mk60 ABS... the 5 lug front struts and rear trailing arms accept the correct wheel speed sensors without modification. Damn... I was hoping you'd have a clever way to fit them into the 4 lug front struts and rear arms. Your suspension geometry saga is both encouraging and disappointing for mostly the same reasons. As I've been trying to learn more about how to improve the E30s alignment and geometry I've also noticed not much information available that really goes into the depths of the process as you have. Encouraging that I'm not crazy to believe it's harder than it appears, and disappointing that it's not easy to come by easily accessible information and combination of parts... I need to learn more. It really is amazing how well these cars can handle with careful consideration into the geometry and setup.

[moatilliatta]

February 2021

Prog? Teaser.

I had a starting building a set of prototype of these a few years ago, but never got around to finishing them. You can now order an off the shelf version.

Will be a month or so until they are in and complete, but super stoked!!

[AWDBOB]

Regarding the CAs- they would’ve been a replacement for nice new original control arms, so by my comment I didn’t mean that China= bad, but just that the ball joints felt cheap and I didn’t feel the transition to aluminum would’ve been worth going to the lower quality ball joint. But maybe you’ll find out that they work awesome and we’ll all have a great option for Al LCAs!

[moatilliatta]

Just post for the rest of the year now. Predictive posts on how you want everything to play out. Who knows, maybe magic will happen.

March 2021 - Picked up a barn-find E30 M3 for $100. April 2021 - played the lottery and won. May ...

I need to update the front page...

Even if I hit the lottery. I don't shuffle though cars like most. I get a vision and then get stuck on it. The vision is the motivation, the driving is the reward.

This year goals:
Finish wiring - Stearo - Started
Finish mounting Sub - Started
Reroute gas tank vent - Started
Build seat delete - Planning
Finish plumbing rear brake lines - Started
Swap out mock up abs unit for Motorsports calibrated unit.
Reinforce trailing arms, Powder coat, Swap out AKG RTAB with STIM Tech RTAB - Started
Tidy Rust - Started
Swap in E30/ E36 geometry control arms from 96+ arms, SRS concepts added caster and moved wheel to far forward.., Aluminum control arms, Roll center? MRT DTM Arms - Planning
Mount Front sway bar, E46 swaybar fits well.. , Plan out rear swaybar Planning
Mount mirror, E36 style, Got knocked off
Work on Cam timing
Dyno Tune
Install upholsterer'd door cards and seats
Fit 245 under factory fenders with proper compliance - Probably later..
Drive and debug

MAY 2021 - The Vintage!

? - Track
?- Long drives

2022 - Rust, Rollbar, rubber / truck bead liner floors
2023 - Carbon bumpers, Roof, hood, maybe trunk, headliner
2024 - Paint
2025 - Custom wheels

All this is work load dependent, I've tried to step back from work some and enjoy what got me originally into this. But I find weeks / Months where that doesn't happen.. Years.,.. And that makes this project what it is.

I'm sure you've all came across that older fellow who has had a car in pieces in his garage for 20 years.. what a terrible feeling that would be.

[moatilliatta]

Those CAs have been around for a while- I never ran them because of said chinese ball joints. I’d be interested if you found a suitable press-in replacement.

Stinks to hear they didn’t get you sorted on the alignment.

I mean it was a one off worse case scenario that they got pretty close on the second try. And nobody fools with this, Its understandable. The headache per cost for a niece market just isn't their and most frame shop won't even listen to you or touch it when you explain to them what needs done.

Yeah, I guess the Red M3 I bought up didn't turn out perfect. But the RR went from -3.5 to -1.5 and the LR was .3 off.. so the last 20% is always the hardest. And if needed the eccentrics can fine tune it and be welded in later. And better yet the hinged trailing arm pick up point wont be as offset and cause binding with just the fine tuning of the eccentrics on the Red M3.

Overall its hard to get things perfect, especially expressed and having someone else understand all the reasoning and then understanding all the reasons why they can't get it perfect.

I did though piss the guy off because I gave him a spec, he told me his tolerance, and call him out that he was off. And made him do the job again on my lachs, even offered payed because I understand this was one of work and trying to reasonable.

But I think this is a great way if someone has the skills land tooling to bring back the alignment on these old cars. Some are perfect, a lot are not.

Id just like to see more Z3M trailing on E30 subframes with alignment specs. I can't understand If and why the Z3M subframe would have more sweep angle. My luck, My trailing arms were probably perfectly bent out the same amount on both sides to test my patience.


CA's. Man, so much stuff is made in China, and if the budget is there they can make as good products as anyone else. I personally limit myself from cheap consumerism subsidized by cheap / slave labor, Ironic right? with these control arms in my hands... Still on the fence.

Doorman supplies OEM and big chunk of the aftermarket that all these non specialty shops use. End of the day, everyone sells something junk, everything times out. Pick and choose.

[mike.bmw]

Pretty much up to date! Not sure how ill update now, hopefully not months out like everything else.

Just post for the rest of the year now. Predictive posts on how you want everything to play out. Who knows, maybe magic will happen.

March 2021 - Picked up a barn-find E30 M3 for $100. April 2021 - played the lottery and won. May ...

[AWDBOB]

Those CAs have been around for a while- I never ran them because of said chinese ball joints. I’d be interested if you found a suitable press-in replacement.

Stinks to hear they didn’t get you sorted on the alignment.

[moatilliatta]

January 2021

Racecar

Nope. Were worn out...

Work

Always..

Triple check part numbers, IDK. wouldn't fit around dust plate.. But now it does.. Genuine CSB.






Shifters In, Auto solutions shifter is IN, feels good, not much taller in this E24 635CSI




726, Another piece of the puzzle


Illuminati lemforders are real lemforders. Looked like counter fit, had less articulation like the cheapos..


I need a floor.


One of the twin S54 E36s got wrapped


Reseal intake and sending out the throttles for rebuild!






This E30 got a replacement sunroof panel, New brake lines, and Group N subframe mounts that I trimmed 10MM off of.












Soon to have some rust repaired and a proper cage!



I never made shift linkage this small...


M20 going in an 2002






If you want snow, Just cheap out and not replace your snow tires for season...







Pretty much up to date! Not sure how ill update now, hopefully not months out like everything else.

Still some good updates to come. With the Racecar out for the year, Maybe 1 or 2 events... I hope to have lachs and the 726 out for spring.

[moatilliatta]

I think most guys doing E36 and E46 5 lug swaps just don't give a shit or know any better, and they just live with the crap alignments and geometry.

Once you driven a properly setup E30 it ruins a lot of them. This car is on the extreme and compromised some comforts. But as a road car a nicely tuned in suspension makes the car feel so great. We could car less about stance or the bragging about having one more lug.., how fun these cars are to drive is why where here.

My old Ix had Ground controls with Konis, Even though konis like to leak, That suspension was way better than H&R and Bilstein's for road compliance. I miss that setup.

[Digitalwave]

I think most guys doing E36 and E46 5 lug swaps just don't give a shit or know any better, and they just live with the crap alignments and geometry.