Black & Tan 332iT

[Bry5on]

A couple big things arrived in the mail today, looking like something good will get done this weekend

1) Full set of shadowline touring trim, doors and window frames, from German eBay
2) The wavetrac diff

Along with the diff, I’ll be doing:
1) ECS lower adjustable control arms for the adjustment range. I chickened out on the ball joint option due to 2)
2) Solid subframe bushings (fingers crossed)
3) Drilling & tapping holes for the vincebar
4) Driveshaft & halfshaft CV joints
5) Sway bar bushings

At that point, I’ll be down to just six more things:
1) Slon strut stiffening brace
2) vincebar
3) M3 subframe v-brace
4) black headliner upholstering
5) machining the adapter for the stealth hitches 2” hitch and installing
6) OEM M3 washer fluid reservoir setup

Going to be a nice setup!

Diff still boxed away:

Weekend duty from last Sunday:

Oh, and I nerded out with the correct coolant reservoir clamp and clamp cover, along with new harness and coolant line clips along the core support:

[Bry5on]

The rebuilt 712 steering rack went in this afternoon, so far so good, no evidence of leaks. There was some noticeable play on the pinion of the M3 rack I removed and zero play on the 712 I rebuilt that went in. I’d say the more noticeable thing (having already had a 712 in previously that leaked) than the ratio change was how precise the rack is after the rebuild. I’d certainly recommend doing this to anyone who’s noticing some vagueness on center or with mid-corner corrections. The rebuilt rack solved that for me.



While I was in there, I finally cleaned all the grime off the shear plate and undertray. Much more pleasant.

[Bry5on]

The Hotchkis front sway bar showed up earlier this week. I didn't want to install it using the urethane bushings that come with it (if you can't tell by now, NVH matters to me and I hate urethane), and since it's only .5mm smaller than the CSL bar, I decided to chance the install with CSL rubber bushings. The OEM bushings use a 1mm diametrical interference, so the CSL bushings with Hotchkis bar have a .5mm diametrical interference. I installed them as-is with .5mm interference and the test drive felt totally normal. While I was in there, I put in the steel sway bar bushing clamp that the non-m and CSL use and dumped the M3 aluminum ones.

If you want to replicate this, and you're dead set on OEM 1mm interference, a ~1mm plate between the bushing and frame rail will deform the rubber to get you to an equivalent interference to stock.

I set it to the soft setting, which is 11% stiffer than the 27mm cabrio bar that I had in there previously (I ran the numbers, Hotchkis seems to be quoting stiffness differences from the 27mm cabrio bar, not the 26mm coupe bar). After the first test drive, it definitely feels firmer, with more confident turn-in and like there might even be more front end grip? I was expecting a little less front grip and more understeer bias. Either way, it feels good, and I don't think I'll be installing the rear CSL bar that I have here + setting the front to the medium setting. I'm pretty happy with where it is.

The Hotchkis bar, bushings and clamps come in at 4.2lb less than the 27mm cabrio bar, bushings and aluminum clamps that came out, which was a nice bonus surprise. Once I install the hitch, Slon brace and remove the roof rack, I'll be under 3400lb with 1/4 tank with no compromises. That brings me to the same weight as an e46 M3, but ~1% more rear biased B).

Some pictures of the bar in the bushing, and yes I'm redoing the leaky power steering lines and reservoir soon..

[0-60motorsports]

I’m using a kit made by Gates. It’s got everything including the little o-rings for the transfer pipes. I bought it a while ago, this looks like it: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-gates-pa...it/348654~gat/

Awesome Thanks.

[Bry5on]

Well it was rainy all day today, so that means house and car work. The 6001 bearing at the bottom of the pinion shaft didn't feel so great, so I finished off the rack rebuild other than replacing this bearing (which arrives this week). I didn't bother replacing the PTFE seals as I don't have tapered tools to stretch/install them properly. Yet another concession that I hope I don't regret down the road..





I also got to painting the ground control lower control arm replacements. I haven't been able to get camber in spec on either side (maxing under 1.6 degrees on both sides), and I figured I'd try a set of arms with a ball joint a la CSL. The ground control arms are a nice shade of red, but I'm not exactly jazzed about having some red arms showing from underneath my car as folks follow me. It just screams 90's Honda Civic to me. I also found it a bit odd that the two arms are using what appear to be different brand ball joints.

[Bry5on]

That's great. Where did you get parts to rebuild the steering rack?


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I’m using a kit made by Gates. It’s got everything including the little o-rings for the transfer pipes. I bought it a while ago, this looks like it: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-gates-pa...it/348654~gat/

[0-60motorsports]

That's great. Where did you get parts to rebuild the steering rack?


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[Bry5on]

Spent a few hours today cleaning up the hitch and dropping the smaller parts in the ultrasonic, then started the rebuild process for the 712 steering rack that's been sitting for months. It's got a little etching, so I'll basically be crossing my fingers that it seals.

[Bry5on]

Aluminum BMW/Westfalia hitch showed up today - time to clean it up and adapt this to the US stealth hitches design we've got on the Macan

[Bry5on]

Slon just sent me these pics, I had the strut mounts anodized black to be a little more stealthy. Install coming soon!

[Bry5on]

I'm wondering if there has there been feedback that these solid couplings make any noticeable difference to steering feel. Cool idea and neat little machining project with the sphericals though

Pretty much every BMW since the e46 is solid, even the e39 was solid in the same generation. NVH isn’t bad in those cars so I’m assuming it shouldn’t translate up the wheel. I’ll be sure to notice though, as Heinz says. And I’m not afraid to go back to stock if something sucks.

heinzboehmer (& Thoglan) less rear toe in really helps with the numb on center feel. Since you’ve got sphericals back there, you should run CSL specs or similar. Way different settings.

[Thoglan]

I'm wondering if there has there been feedback that these solid couplings make any noticeable difference to steering feel. Cool idea and neat little machining project with the sphericals though

Pretty much agree with Heinz above. I run CMP's coupler since I am RHD. Deadspot in the centre is still there (I think that is just a function of the geometry and design of the steering on these cars tbh) but the feel through the steering is improved but it's not earth shattering.

[heinzboehmer]

I'm wondering if there has there been feedback that these solid couplings make any noticeable difference to steering feel. Cool idea and neat little machining project with the sphericals though

I had one on my car for a bit (didn't give it too much thought then, fortunately rack seems fine), but have since replaced with the regular rubber one. Did make the steering feel more direct, but also made it much more twitchy. Did not eliminate all of the on center deadness that the M3 racks have.

[timmo]

I'm wondering if there has there been feedback that these solid couplings make any noticeable difference to steering feel. Cool idea and neat little machining project with the sphericals though

[heinzboehmer]

Interesting in hearing your thoughts about that steering coupler. Especially considering how sensitive you are to NVH

Maybe you could start with one of the off the shelf ones and drill it out to accommodate the spherical bearings. Would save you a bit of work. Most of them have reliefs cut out though, so not sure if you'd have enough material to work with.