Cockroach Individual M3 6/28/2026 x5 or m3? PWR 55mm Rad

[samthejam]

So there have been two thing growing fairly annoying somewhat exponentially. I have been using this to focus on my E28 (https://forums.mye28.com/viewtopic.p...6811&start=300) so I can kind've more slowly approach the M3.

I just got it patched up in a more enjoyable state to daily drive but it still needs more times and money to be cherry. Anyways, the two big annoying items is the diff clunk. I'm glad it isn't the rear floor. I refreshed all of that, so I am surprised it is that front bushing but that is okay. I can replace it and will reseal the front of the diff at the same time. Not sure if I will do OE cover at that time.

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



The other thing is I can tell the front FCABs are getting tired with clunks, lack of front end precision and some tire wear. It had some used AKG ones, I put in to make an event and forgot they were in there. They did what poly does on rotating parts, fail.
I was going to do Ground Control FCABs bought them used and pressed them into housings. I much preferred the GC design on paper, however they were a pain in the ass due to how tight their tolerances are on everything. Not sure if it was my drivers side control arm or what but it did not want to go together. I gave up and went back to the Bimmerworld TrackCABs which I also don't really like but they are very easily serviced and rebuild is cheap with overnight always available.

Now when I got the car and did the rod bearings, I was delighted to find two crossthreaded FCAB bolts. I was able to tap both and get some threads to hold torque. This is the side that had the control arm fail with the 50lb 20 inch wheels so it has had a lot of trauma. One of those FCAB bolts would require a retap any time it was disturbed. This side is so questionable, I'll stage the torque. Start at 10 and work up the 44 ft lbs. Threads came right out on the one I usually have to retap. Simply just no more material.

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


As you can imagine, I begun to panic. I called my dad as I remembered on his he had the same issue. He still had a fixture to drill it straight and all the tools to helicoil as well as the helicoils from when he did it 11 years ago. Sometimes you have to ask for help, so I did and he saved my fucking ass. I also saw someone selling TrackCABs new in box, so picked those up locally. I plan to modify my other set to better retain the bushing as that is my main gripe with them, I like how easily serviceable and cheap to rebuild but its stupid that bushing isn't retained. As you can see I have hoseclamp to help retain this. I have seen this around the paddock on other cars.

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

[samthejam]

Random Side Quest,

I believe long term is to just buy a tune from Epic be locked out, because having knobs to play with will make me go insane. I also want to do time trial this or next year moreso next year.

But anyways, if I will be locked out it will be on separate DME not my only one. The engine I bought came with it, so it has been test mule for learning some more, I refuse to buy the ECUworkz tool.

Don't have a pic of the final harness tidied up, but validating I did it correctly. Was very straight forward.

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

Fun little side quest, was to make a bench harness, flash euro firmware on it and do all the deletes. So I did a full program flash and did all the specific changes like GPS stuff for my car and all the other mods with headers. EWS Delete etc. Also to validate everything I need for no CEL on my car as well. So went to the yard bought connectors from a non-m and pinned in the canbus, soldered it up and got a power supply off Amazon.

The Euro software definitely isn't as strong but you can tell it's much better calibrated for idle and all that. Which of course makes sense. I have an HTE flash, on my other DME. I have a few experiments I want to give a gander, but can't find a tool I found on wayback from m3forum where someone made a tool to better visualize cam timing changes. But I want to verify some injection timing changes with some vanos changes see if there is a correlation with how they are messed with together.
But anyways yea random side quest to make sure the DME works. I want to see if I can give it ago applying the performance changes to the euro firmware, also need to research playing with the axis values or just interpolate it with python or excel in some way.

[George Hill]

Maybe, my car is likely going to get a fuel cell in the trunk, but until then… and depending on costs I might be able to get one or two others on board

[Bry5on]

You still want one?

Yessir! Maybe George Hill would too?

[bigjae46]

One vote for removing the rear floor panel and making that your next carbon project

You still want one?

[samthejam]

Contact info for that car? I'm looking for a rear subframe and maybe some spare axles.

It's on marketplace I''ll dm you on facebook

[Bry5on]

Contact info for that car? I'm looking for a rear subframe and maybe some spare axles.

One vote for removing the rear floor panel and making that your next carbon project

[bigjae46]

As y'all know these cars are getting pricey for better or worse. So finding good deals on coupe anything is getting tough. There was a local part out, on a M3 that got wrecked hard. It looks like it was garaged and well kept so a shame it died. However the guy usually parted out E90s so I was able to score some items that Ive had trouble finding.

Contact info for that car? I'm looking for a rear subframe and maybe some spare axles.

[samthejam]

As y'all know these cars are getting pricey for better or worse. So finding good deals on coupe anything is getting tough. There was a local part out, on a M3 that got wrecked hard. It looks like it was garaged and well kept so a shame it died. However the guy usually parted out E90s so I was able to score some items that Ive had trouble finding.

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

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr


A shift knob without paying an arm and a leg. I really enjoy the factory M3 one, but with the $500 price tag new and they don't hold up well. So glad I finally found one that was nicer.

Also been looking for one of these.
Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Got both for $160 and than I was walking around the shell, and noticed the A-C trim still had the rubber intact. I was able to get both for $180. He damaged the left side removing but I stopped him in time it's still salvageable. But yea super happy to be able to do fix the window gasket with all OE parts without spending too much. I'll get the lower quarter panel rubber piece new.

Untitled by Sam DaJam, on Flickr

Ground Control FCABs coming in soon, but ill update more on that later

[George Hill]

They'll mount and balance them for $25 each too.

[samthejam]

RS4s can be ordered from Hankook Motorsports directly. They're in Austin. I think will the 3rd set of them on this car, I like them more than the ECFs. $265 a tire I can stomach. Just did that for now. Won't be the fastest but not competing anyways, if I was I'd get some used HO-HOs from my used tire guy anyways. Or maybe he'll get some more used A052s in.

[samthejam]

RE71s, haven't tried the rz but you'll pb again lol

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[enjoy_m3]

RE71s, haven't tried the rz but you'll pb again lol

[bigjae46]

I just looked it up. A 245/40R18 A052 is $336, a 255/40R17 is $301. That is $140 per set of tires. You get a 100% payback on Fattycharged's wheels after 8 sets of tires. 2-3 years? As much as putting a car on track will ever make financial sense...this is one case that makes total sense if you have a limited tire budget.

Keep a set of 18s so you can run 18s when you get a good deal on a set of used tires.

[fattycharged]

I know a local someone with an extra set of new in box Arc-8's in a 17x9.5… $1100 keeps me from sending them back to APEX for a return… 😂


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