Obioban's 2005 IR/IR Coupe

[nextelbuddy]

I saw that it was now possible to run the OE performance steering wheel in the e46 a couple of weeks ago, as seen here: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=611535

The thing that held me back was that the while OLED display in the center really doesn't jibe with the e46 gauges/instruments. The gauges in the center are also a lot less useful for us, as our clusters already have useful gauges . At the end of the day, all I really wanted was the shift lights.
... which led to an offline conversation with Terraphantm about them, or, specifically getting the OE cluster shift lights to strobe at redline (allowing them to be more noticeable in peripheral vision-- which I don't find the default shift lights to be). Which, happily, he was able to do by writing a little program in the program space. He's still dialing in the pulse speed of the lights, and going to be making a thread with the details on how to do it, but in the short term, upgraded shift lights in the cluster:

Now that I'm running this in both M3's, I no longer have any desire for the shift lights on the steering wheel.

i am so looking forward to seeing that post with the strobing LED changes. very very slick.

What about the thread for the OE performance wheel? any way to recover that thread info? it doesnt look like it was archived/cached

[r4dr]

Chaning things up for this winter. 25 lbs stiffer on each front spring, stiffer front sway, will have a rear sway again.

Setup:
350 front left
325 front right
700 rear left
628 rear right

Ground Control 7 gauge race front sway
CSL rear sway with some adjustable end links I made myself

Puts me at 1.89hz front, 2.07hz rear, so 1.1 bounce ratio (10% flat ride).

Are these the spring rates you're still running to this day? I end up with something similar up front when I play around with the flat ride spreadsheet, though on the softer side of 250-275F, 600R. I'm targeting 50-60 mph which spits out a 17-20% flat ride ratio. My concern is that the fronts are too soft, so I'm curious how you feel about running 325-350 up front. Stiff enough? Too soft?

I see a lot of people running 400/500 or something in that range and it just seems weird to me that 250-275 up front would be a noticeable upgrade from stock. Even though the numbers don't lie.

[HighSchoolDream]

Just read through looking for auto solutions shift kit install. Is it not in here or did I completely miss it? Mines been sitting in my trunk for way too long

[heinzboehmer]

Just read through looking for auto solutions shift kit install. Is it not in here or did I completely miss it? Mines been sitting in my trunk for way too long

Quick google search leads to this: http://m3.madrussian.net/diy_as_ssk.shtml

[HighSchoolDream]

That page is part of the reason I keep putting it off lol. Since he says how frustrating the install can be. All the old threads from the other forum are gone so was hoping to find some tips or tricks from someone who has done it here. Have some YouTube videos saved but it’s not with the same shifter

[Slideways]

That page is part of the reason I keep putting it off lol. Since he says how frustrating the install can be. All the old threads from the other forum are gone so was hoping to find some tips or tricks from someone who has done it here. Have some YouTube videos saved but it’s not with the same shifter

The only frustrating part is aligning the pin for the carrier arm. A while back, someone suggested using a bolt that had a slightly smaller diameter than the pin to get the hole on the transmission and carrier aligned.

[8000RPM]

Which TPMS sensors did you go with?

[Obioban]

Are these the spring rates you're still running to this day? I end up with something similar up front when I play around with the flat ride spreadsheet, though on the softer side of 250-275F, 600R. I'm targeting 50-60 mph which spits out a 17-20% flat ride ratio. My concern is that the fronts are too soft, so I'm curious how you feel about running 325-350 up front. Stiff enough? Too soft?

I see a lot of people running 400/500 or something in that range and it just seems weird to me that 250-275 up front would be a noticeable upgrade from stock. Even though the numbers don't lie.

Yep, still running those rates. More than twice as stiff as stock is sufficient, IMO

Just read through looking for auto solutions shift kit install. Is it not in here or did I completely miss it? Mines been sitting in my trunk for way too long

Installed it 13 years ago, and didn't document it at the time. I remember it being a huge PITA, but it was before I had a lift... so might be easier now.

That said, I did let 2 friends install an AS SSK on my lift on a day I wasn't home. I got home ~midnight, and they were still working on the pin that's a huge PITA. I got to piss them off by trying once and getting it immediately after they had been struggling with it for hours upon hours

Which TPMS sensors did you go with?

Something generic... don't remember.

[Obioban]

So, I've been thinking about it for a while, but just put a downpayment on it so it's happening now.

Getting a FCM suspension setup. I won't be installing it until this winter (as I limit my car disabling projects to winter), but money has been spent... so it's happening...

Kind of excited, kind of scared.
(scared because I've never driven a car that drives better than my does since I went to flat ride... so hard to imagine better than the best I've ever driven. But excited because I only went to flat ride in the first place because of FCM, so... here's hoping their shocks work to match).

[duracellttu]

So, I've been thinking about it for a while, but just put a downpayment on it so it's happening now.

Getting a FCM suspension setup. I won't be installing it until this winter (as I limit my car disabling projects to winter), but money has been spent... so it's happening...

Kind of excited, kind of scared.
(scared because I've never driven a car that drives better than my does since I went to flat ride... so hard to imagine better than the best I've ever driven. But excited because I only went to flat ride in the first place because of FCM, so... here's hoping their shocks work to match).

I’m looking forward to your review on the FCM setup!

[Obioban]

I’m looking forward to your review on the FCM setup!

I'm probably going to make a thread detailing my journey through this, as I feel like a fair number of people are interested in FCMs offerings.

... but it'll be a slow burn of a thread. I won't be installing until the car is parked for the winter, and then I won't be driving it till the roads are clear of salt in the spring. So, realistically, we're ~9 months out on me driving on this setup.

[Sharocks]

Interesting. I just rode in my friends car with custom built Red Shift coilovers. Been thinking about moving the TCK DA's and going with them. Cost is unreal comparatively.

[r4dr]

So, I've been thinking about it for a while, but just put a downpayment on it so it's happening now.

Getting a FCM suspension setup. I won't be installing it until this winter (as I limit my car disabling projects to winter), but money has been spent... so it's happening...

Kind of excited, kind of scared.
(scared because I've never driven a car that drives better than my does since I went to flat ride... so hard to imagine better than the best I've ever driven. But excited because I only went to flat ride in the first place because of FCM, so... here's hoping their shocks work to match).

Given that FCM only uses Bilsteins last time I checked, does this mean you're ditching your Ohlins setup completely? Are you going with revalved B6 shocks or something from the Bilstein motorsport catalog?

FCM's insistence on Bilstein dampers is a weird stance (heh) to me given I can't imagine something like 2WR MCS shocks not blowing them out of the water with the same amount of setup, but I'm definitely going to give him the benefit of the doubt as he is a pro in this field and I know fuck all comparatively, lol.

[Obioban]

Given that FCM only uses Bilsteins last time I checked, does this mean you're ditching your Ohlins setup completely? Are you going with revalved B6 shocks or something from the Bilstein motorsport catalog?

FCM's insistence on Bilstein dampers is a weird stance (heh) to me given I can't imagine something like 2WR MCS shocks not blowing them out of the water with the same amount of setup, but I'm definitely going to give him the benefit of the doubt as he is a pro in this field and I know fuck all comparatively, lol.

I'm going to use the H&R coilovers, as those use a non adjustable bilstein shock, but are height adjustable (corner balancable).

I had quad adjustable, remote reservoir JRZs and Motons on our e36 race car and was never particularly impressed. Conversely, moving the Ohlins to be flat ride was an absurd improvement that blew my mind. So… going whole hog, and trying the shock setup to match.

[Obioban]

Pictures just came in from last weekends NJMSP event...