Dumb Question Thread - No Flaming Allowed

[r4dr]

I run 9.5 width front wheels and 10.5 rears (245/275). I'd like to go square tires since I'm understeering a bit on track. Are there any drawbacks to just running 275s square on staggered wheels? I know I can't really rotate but I don't feel like buying a whole new set of wheels.

Try 265/275 or 265/285. 245 up front is tiny, that's a big part of the understeer.

You could technically run 275 square on wheels 9.5"-10.5" but there's a sweet spot for wheel width + tire width. This also depends on the tire specs, but typically 9.5" - 265, 10" - 275, 10.5" - 285, 11" - 295, etc.

Another option is to go 9.5" square so you only have to buy a pair of wheels that match your fronts. Then run 265 square. Assuming you're n/a, rear grip isn't the issue you're going to see.

[DropTopKingM3]

Link and tape together two or three boxes.

^ this is how I received my headers from Europe. They were bubble wrapped first and then linked in a few boxes and taped all around. They arrived flawlessly from Europe.

[newton22]

Try 265/275 or 265/285. 245 up front is tiny, that's a big part of the understeer.

You could technically run 275 square on wheels 9.5"-10.5" but there's a sweet spot for wheel width + tire width. This also depends on the tire specs, but typically 9.5" - 265, 10" - 275, 10.5" - 285, 11" - 295, etc.

Another option is to go 9.5" square so you only have to buy a pair of wheels that match your fronts. Then run 265 square. Assuming you're n/a, rear grip isn't the issue you're going to see.

I haven't heard of 265/285 before. Any rubbing/clearance precautions with 285s? Would 285 be a 30 profile?

[Dino]

Just did the rear trail arm bushings and installed OEM bushings. I’ve seen some people say to line up the rubber cut outs on the bushing at 12 and 6 o clock when pushing it in. Does this matter? I believe I got it generally in that area since it was in the back of my head but may have move a bit during install.

[Tbonem3]

When installing rubber RTABs, you have to do so at an angle that will mimic the angle that will result from putting the car back on the ground so as not to twist the bushing too much.

[Dino]

When installing rubber RTABs, you have to do so at an angle that will mimic the angle that will result from putting the car back on the ground so as not to twist the bushing too much.

Yeah I got the correct preload so it’s in a neutral position when on the ground. I was just wondering if the breaks in the rubber notches on the OEM bushing have to be positioned at the 12 and 6 o clock position once pushes into the RTAB. I’m thinking they just say that to make it for easy removal in the future so you can fit that RTAB removal tool.

[Tbonem3]

Oh I see. Perhaps, but there was no split design until several years ago, so I don't think that matters.

[Dino]

Yeah, I thought the same. Thanks for the reassurance!

[Sprp85]

Is coding the only way to turn on triple blink feature, even on a MY06 M3?

E9x and upwards have the adjustment available in the stalk control, so I was wondering if thats the case for 2006 models.

[shibui]

I'm trying to get a rough idea of my no-driver dry weight without putting my car on scales (because it's on the other side of the world)


It's an SMG factory slicktop with no other options other than HK premium audio, so I guess that puts me at about 3,350 lbs stock?


I've done the following:

• Replaced stock leather/power seats with Sparco Evo buckets + mounts (-130/+45)
• Rear bottom cushion delete (-13)
• Rear larger seat back delete (-23)
• Rear smaller seat back delete (-12)
• Lateral finisher panel delete (-2)
• Headrest delete (-2)
• Rear Door card delete (-10)
• Sound deadening rubber underneath seats delete -(5)
• Rear carpet delete (-10)
• Armrest delete + euro center console (-5)
• Mini/CSL battery (-24)
• Downsizing from heavy 19s to Apex 18s (-24)
• Lightweight section 3 (-42)
• Coilovers (-10)
• Windshield recevoir delete(-10)
• Hollow Hotchkis front/rear sways (-10)
• Vorsteiner full carbon fiber CSL trunk (-15)
• FRP CSL front bumper + fog delete + OEM kevlar/carbon mounting bar delete (-10)
• Tire bumper removal (-5)

= 3,033 lbs?



This sounds way too good to be true without removing the electronics/AC. Is there anything I’m mot calculating the weight for correctly?


Next I want to

• CSL airbox
• Remove front door cards
• BBK kit
• Half cage (will add weight but I need it)
• Maybe a SMG -> Manual swap
• Might add my stock section 3 back on because this lightweight one is loud and drones (big shocker I know)

Something that won’t affect weight but will feel like it does is the 4.10 diff I’m going to swap in.

[Dino]

For people that are running the Bilstein PSS10 Coilovers, what setting do you use for street driving 1-10?

[IamFODI]

For people that are running the Bilstein PSS10 Coilovers, what setting do you use for street driving 1-10?

Start at the softest setting and drive around. Pay attention for whether the car flops around or bounces more than you'd like. If it does, dial the damping up one click. Repeat until you find the setting you like.

At some point, you might realize that increasing damping doesn't make the car feel better. If that happens, come back down to the softest setting before things stopped improving. E.g., if anything past 6 doesn't help, keep it at 6. I pulled that number out of thin air but you get the point.

Ideally, this should be done one axle at a time. I.e. see whether the front or rear is the source of the excess motion and tweak only that axle -- or try each individually before clicking all of them up. The former requires you to be a lot more sensitive and perceptive; the latter takes a lot more time. If you don't want to mess with that, just raise all the settings together.

This applies to any adjustable damper. Other people's preferred settings can be good sanity checks -- e.g. if everyone says 5 and you hate anything besides 10, it might make sense to revisit your perceptions (again, totally made those numbers up but you get the point). However, the reality is that you'll have to do some tweaking no matter what, so IMO you might as well start from scratch.

[Dino]

Start at the softest setting and drive around. Pay attention for whether the car flops around or bounces more than you'd like. If it does, dial the damping up one click. Repeat until you find the setting you like.

At some point, you might realize that increasing damping doesn't make the car feel better. If that happens, come back down to the softest setting before things stopped improving. E.g., if anything past 6 doesn't help, keep it at 6. I pulled that number out of thin air but you get the point.

Ideally, this should be done one axle at a time. I.e. see whether the front or rear is the source of the excess motion and tweak only that axle -- or try each individually before clicking all of them up. The former requires you to be a lot more sensitive and perceptive; the latter takes a lot more time. If you don't want to mess with that, just raise all the settings together.

This applies to any adjustable damper. Other people's preferred settings can be good sanity checks -- e.g. if everyone says 5 and you hate anything besides 10, it might make sense to revisit your perceptions (again, totally made those numbers up but you get the point). However, the reality is that you'll have to do some tweaking no matter what, so IMO you might as well start from scratch.

That was really helpful, thanks so much for the advice. I will definitely follow these steps.

[MTiz]

Didn't want to create a whole thread for this but I wanted to do a pic request on a full black interior but still keeping the grey dash. I wondering if it would look goofy if I swapped everything except the dash.

I saw this on FB Marketplace a few months back and I'm thinking with black carpet and black seats it could look pretty good.

[oceansize]

Didn't want to create a whole thread for this but I wanted to do a pic request on a full black interior but still keeping the grey dash. I wondering if it would look goofy if I swapped everything except the dash.

Grey and black go together like peanut butter and jelly and while it obviously won't be factory if what you are moving to is in vastly superior condition then it will be a win.

Here is a pic where I'm currently moving to Imola but not swapping the dash. It will look great IMO and the reason I'm not touching the dash is because it is immaculate. Not a single blemish and everything else usually has problems.