Cockroach Individual M3 5/15/2026 Floating rear rotors, steering coupler, dyno

[samthejam]

I cleaned the car for the track event.

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For the ducting, all I did was duct tape the wheel well opening for the brake duct shut. So that still isn't ideal but all I really had time for, so just did that. So it is getting air ducted from the csl inlet, into that factory airbox feed duct. That basically shoots it into the evolve opening, it just isn't insulated at all.


I had new RS4s on the car, really was just excited to test the alignment changes. As well as test the new airbox and tune. Prior to this my PBs in both directions have been 46s, with the goal being to get the car into the 45s on a super 200 tire. I had no expectations of setting any PBs.

On the first session on lap 3 dipped right into the 44. The first hot lap.

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Did it again until the ambient went up.
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The Epic tune has made the car so consistent. The mph is the same, for a session. It did decrease throughout the day as temps increased from 50s to 85. However, it was the same for the whole session relative to pace. It is also just way punchier, most notably the 3-4th shift. Just seems to have a lot of torque there at that rpm. The alignment greatly improved turn in and power down while complimenting the cars current balance. I think that was one of the biggest changes to it.


The knockback was pretty bad, and my LF tire was getting noticeably worse. So I jacked it up and found the RF wheel bearing was bad. So later that night did some asking around and found some takeoff Core4 front wheel hubs with not too many races on them. They're just regular skf/fag wheel bearings with msi press in studs.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

I ran out of time to check the alignment after that it was midnight. I did find the issue with the LF though, I had been running this RS4s at 37 psi hot. It was overinflated and just destroying that center rib in diamonds edge under that combined loading. I am now targeting a much lower number and it seems to work better but the damage to the tire was done.

The morning session was frustrating with traffic, and I really wanted to do a 43. Unfortunately I was staring at the laptimer. I gave up, and just started chasing some really good drivers in the instructor run group and
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I had to avoid a spin and tested the bumper mounting.
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Only problem with car Sunday was my drivers windows glass broke. I gave my student a ride along, when I went to get out of car and check tire pressures. Window shattered in the door. idk why yet.
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So drove home with no window. Made phone calls difficult with the bimmerworld exhaust lol. Drive with the elbows


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[discoelk]

+15deg above ambient seems pretty reasonable for IATs. It should be pretty easy to duct some fresh air with the CSL bumper to keep you in that range.

[Bry5on]

You should expect to see an IAT rise in approximately that range. Also, if you remove the headlight, expect your engine cooling performance to be worse. You’re adding pressure behind the radiator which is likely to hurt your cooling.

Leave your tune setup for those 110F IATs, you’ll be better off for it. The DME pulling timing will mean that you’ll suffer power loss everywhere in the RPM band far after the knock event is over. I think this is a common misconception of folks chasing numbers on the dyno, only to suffer in real life situations.

[samthejam]

https://youtu.be/Y3w5PydIRjs?t=210 Probably will need to imitate this

[samthejam]

Did an epoxy repair that probably won't last but got it enough to get it dyno'd today.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

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Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

IATs were a struggle, highest numbers were with headlight removed and aimed right at intake. So I am going to prioritize making sure that phallic object gets some good air so need to think about ducting. 85 degree day and the datalogs showed 100F for IAT.

Randy also noted that he thinks my headers are the restriction right now, I think there was some confusion on the street/track vs the full race exhaust but all good. It's making plenty of power for now, I do want to redo my exhaust setup at some point

So far with the Alpha N driveability is fine. Can lug it around at low rpms no issues, only odd case is like 2nd gear rolling through a stop sign at like 1500 or through my work parking garage but that's it. For 98% of driving I would not now that it doesn't have a MAF and the stock airbox.

Exhaust is so loud I will never hear the intake noise

If I can't be creative with the ducting before this weekend I'll just take the headlight out at the track lol.

[bigjae46]

You mean how the airbox caves-in on itself

Lol...yeah, the carbon was tearing away from the reinforcement posts on the inside. Which I think also caused 4 of the mounting tabs that connect the halves together break. Originally, I was going to use some sendcutsend brackets to bolt the halves together but didn't hold since the surface epoxy was starting to fail and the material was so thin.

If that is an example of Evolve workmanship...or at least the company they use to make that stuff...I'd steer clear of that vendor. I could see sunlight through the box...that is how that part was made. I think Evolve used maybe 2 layers of 3k carbon. You will get some gaps in the cosmetic layer, normal. I use a stitched biaxial which will fill in any gaps...which is twice as expensive than the cheaper woven biaxial Evolve used on the inner layer. The clear finish on the box is almost as thick as the carbon.

I'm sure the box was marketed as high gloss carbon pre-preg autoclave carbon which gets the guys all hot and bothered.

[Slideways]

Thought it looked familiar. You put that greasy ass part on your head?

That was a quick turnaround from my house to your car. That box is shockingly flimsy. Evolve did not do a very good job designing it. The vacuum/pressure cycles are going to cause that box to fail again.

You mean how the airbox caves-in on itself

[samthejam]

Thought it looked familiar. You put that greasy ass part on your head?

That was a quick turnaround from my house to your car. That box is shockingly flimsy. Evolve did not do a very good job designing it. The vacuum/pressure cycles are going to cause that box to fail again.

Yes, at some point hopefully will find a good deal on a Karbonius. Assuming it has a much better build quality

[bigjae46]

Yes fresh from your place lol, installed it last night. It was potentially gonna go on the E30 M3 but yea things transpired.

Yeah moving on alignments probably won't be using a machine too much

Thought it looked familiar. You put that greasy ass part on your head?

That was a quick turnaround from my house to your car. That box is shockingly flimsy. Evolve did not do a very good job designing it. The vacuum/pressure cycles are going to cause that box to fail again.

[samthejam]

Is that Peter's old box?

And I also found a calibrated hunter alignment machine to be slightly off compared to a string alignment. I've rolled my car off one alignment rack right onto another and the readings were slightly different. Not so much that anyone would notice but still kind of disappointing.

Yes fresh from your place lol, installed it last night. It was potentially gonna go on the E30 M3 but yea things transpired.

Yeah moving on alignments probably won't be using a machine too much

[bigjae46]

Is that Peter's old box?

And I also found a calibrated hunter alignment machine to be slightly off compared to a string alignment. I've rolled my car off one alignment rack right onto another and the readings were slightly different. Not so much that anyone would notice but still kind of disappointing.

[samthejam]

So i installed the AFE intake setup, I was very happy with my adapter. However the filter on the AFE is pretty small, and I just didn't really believe looking at it was that much better than a stock intake.

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Long story short ended up with a very well seasoned carbon airbox #009 for the serial number so it's old. Prior to this was on an endurance car until it literally fell apart. It has now since been repaired.

I was able to make the stock M3 suction jet hose work and used an e28 heater core hose for the crankbase breather. Slammed into the car to make the dyno day

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Did a string alignment to see that Hunter Machine was off on the LR. Why car was feeling a bit weird. Strings ftw. Finally doing toe out.

4mm total front toe out
2mm toe in for the rear
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[samthejam]

I have been working on more S54 stuff. This car needed some wiring changes done.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Also was a traveling mechanic for this guy to fix his EML codes. Ended up being he incorrectly rewired replacement plug for TPS sensor. But also installed genuine pedal and all genuine TPS.

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I saw an old AFE Intake sitting there and asked about and he gave it to me. So been finding the missing bits and getting that ready to go in the car. One of things I wanted to do was since going Alpha N was make an adapter to put the IAT in the spot where the MAF is. Just so it was fully reversible and I like that it's measuring temp where BMW intended it too. Right now it's shoved into the airbox to keep car mobile. Using the AFE intake as an excuse to get off my ass and design that. I finally found a use for the cheap Amazon MAFs! Cut it up and used that to get the dimensions, everything was offset and at weird radiuses. Right now it is printed with PETG but will reprint with ASA when that comes in. I could get it made with Send Cut Send or something, but I think plastic should be fine.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr
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A lot of work to install an intake that who knows if it's better than stock. But this is the most I've felt like I've used my engineering degree since I graduated lol. Really weirdly dimensioned part so that was fun to get pretty close. Still need to 3D print or cobble together some heatshield that is missing, waiting on edge protector and a brand new AFE filter. So I can have two to rotate through.



Also weighed the car. that's with close to a full tank.
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Went with CSL alignment settings for Toe this go around, max toe in allowed for rear on them
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Going to string align it tonight and verify what that is in real world mm for toe settings so I can diy that later on.

[samthejam]

Gonna take a DME with your other tune and compare?

I had a dyno with the HTE OTS Tune, so I can compare to that 'ish. Different dyno and weather so sort've Apple and Oranges but good enough for me.

It's Alpha-N so with him mandatory to strap it on a dyno and make sure everything is happy, that's the main reason I am going.

[George Hill]

Also on Epic DME software now... I have a dyno day scheduled soon, so going to get that soon.

Gonna take a DME with your other tune and compare?