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1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

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  • 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class


    2007 Nationals set-up, with 18x10 D-Force wheels and 265/35/18 Bridgestone RE01R tires

    The car that started it all! We'll outline our setup with this car. Realize that we're constantly developing on it, so things may change and not be immediately updated. Some people keep all these deep dark secrets about their setups. We won't do that. If we sell you a part and it doesn't make you faster, well, you won't be happy will you? So we'll let you know everything that we've done and why we think it works better than anything on the market.

    1997 BMW M3, no options car with Alcantara cloth interior (rare), 119k miles

    Weight: 2990 lbs with stock seats (2006 Nationals), 2948 lbs with race seats (at 2005 and 2007 Nationals).

    Accolades (so far):
    • 2007 STU Ladies National Championship, Amy Fair
    • 2006 STU Ladies National Championship, Amy Fair
    • 2006 STU Open 2nd Place, 2005 STU 6th place, Terry Fair
    • 2005 STU Open TToD Day 1, Brian Hanchey, driver couldn't hold it together Day 2



    Early 2007 season set-up, with 17x9 D-Force wheels (16.6 lbs) and 255/40/17 Yokohama Advan AD07s (probably the best wheel/tire combo we ran on the car)

    Goals:
    • Daily drive-able
    • To be the best handling BMW on street tires
    • Product tester
    • SCCA and BMW autocross competitive
    • Following the matra of "doing what works, not what's popular"


    2006 set-up shown, with 17x9.5" CCW custom wheels (20.4 pounds each)

    The Basics
    • AST 4300 Coilovers, triple adjustable (have used TCKline Koni doubles, AST 4100 singles and AST 4200 Doubles)
    • Vorshlag camber plates
    • Vorshlag Poly motor mounts (have also used Nylon)
    • Vorshlag 80/60 Stud Kit with black lug nuts
    • Vorshlag RTAB limiters
    • AST Rear monoball shock mounts
    • 100 N/mm (~575 lb/in) Front Springs (up from 90 N/mm)
    • 750 lb/in Rear Springs
    • 27 mm front RD sway bar (mid-setting)
    • 22 mm rear Dinan sway bar (full soft)
    • D-Force LTW5, 18x10 wheels with 18mm spacers up front, 5mm rear
    • Bridgestone RE01R tires in 265/35/18 size, shaved to 4/32" (switched form 255/40/17 Yokohama AD07)
    • Mason Engineering Aluminum one piece front strut brace
    • Mason Engineering Aluminum one piece rear strut brace
    • Mason Engineering adjustable sway bar end links
    • Fair Designs homemade cold air intake (don't laugh)
    • Dinan software
    • UUC tranny mounts
    • UUC DSS shifter arm
    • Header back custom exhaust. 2-2.5" high flow cats into 1 3" with a resonator and Flowmaster
    • All other bushings are new stock replacements
    • Euro floating rotors with Hawk HPS brake pads
    • Sabelt "H Type" harness
    Alignment
    • Front
      • 1/8" total toe-in allows for 1/8" toe out at the track
      • Street camber -2.3 degrees, -4.0 at the track
      • Caster ~5.5 degrees, set lower to get more camber.
    • Rear
      • 1/4" total toe-in
      • This toe allows you to put power down even when running big rear springs like we are.
      • -2.0 degrees of camber




    (pictures and updates added by Fair)
    Last edited by Fair!; 11-25-2007, 09:12 PM.
    Brian Hanchey
    AST Suspension - USA

  • #2
    Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

    We took this car to the BMW club meeting last night. With the new AST suspension, it rides like a Cadillac!! I can't believe it. 117k miles, suspension is "as quiet as a mouse", not rattles in the whole car. Sunday we'll see if the AST suspension performs. Unfortunately this event is at the tight Pennington Field which always seems to favor AWD cars, but we'll see. The Fairs will have to work their magic.
    Brian Hanchey
    AST Suspension - USA

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

      We put the AST double adjustable prototypes on the M3 this weekend. Compression adjustment is awesome and came in handy with a rainy Saturday (see blog entry). We also replaced the 90 N/mm springs with 100 N/mm springs in the front. Car is working great!
      Brian Hanchey
      AST Suspension - USA

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

        Wow, blown away with the performance of the AST doubles. Having the ability to dump all compression for a rainy, bumpy course made a huge difference at Mineral Wells - giving me a 3-4 second lead after 4 runs in the drizzle. There was also a huge bump at the finish corner I could take WOT that put most drivers into a spin or a wider line avoiding - big monotube pistons can soak up these high speed bumps like NOTHING else. =)

        On Sunday we played with real compression settings and my inexperience allowed me to set one side different from the other, which rightfully made the car handle differently side to side. Load gun, aim at foot, shoot.

        When I didn't have the shocks set bass-akwards the car felt better than ever, with my second run Sunday at TMS good for 8th in PAX. Feel good about the M3's chances this year, if we can get the good tires for it.

        Bridgestone only makes a 245 in 17" (cheap at $147/ea - $25 rebate) so the 265/35/18 is the only choice ($249/ea!?). This will require 18" wheels, fender rolling up front, and some luck. Wheels are inbound: 18x9 and 18x10 LTWs by D-Force.
        Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
        2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
        EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class



          Brian Hanchey
          AST Suspension - USA

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

            Brian... how difficult is it to get to the adjusters on the front / rear? The rear looks pretty easy from the photo... but I can't quite tell where the adjuster is on (what I beleive) is the photo of the front strut.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

              Originally posted by John in Houston
              Brian... how difficult is it to get to the adjusters on the front / rear? The rear looks pretty easy from the photo... but I can't quite tell where the adjuster is on (what I beleive) is the photo of the front strut.
              It is on the bottom of the strut. Turn the wheel, reach in and adjust it.
              Brian Hanchey
              AST Suspension - USA

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

                Originally posted by hancheyb
                It is on the bottom of the strut. Turn the wheel, reach in and adjust it.
                Ahhh... now I see. Looking at the photo it looks like it is on the swaybar tab (WTF?)... but it's really 2 struts in the photo and the 'tab' is the lower mount for the spindle. Got it. Thanks!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

                  Lots of new mods this weekend. (4) new 18x10 D-Force wheels, (4) new 265/35/18 Bridgestone RE-01Rs, new mega-wing. I am installing that now...

                  Posting pictures soon. Amy and I are autocrossing it tomorrow at LaGrave, Hanchey will be in the STi with (4) all new springs/rates.
                  Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
                  2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
                  EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

                    Dibs on this car whenever y'all end up buying a boost buggy!!
                    2001 Jeep Wrangler
                    2001 Dodge 2500 Cummins

                    BMW E36 DIY's:
                    Front LCA Bushing Swap
                    E36 Custom Cat Back
                    M3 Limited Slip Diff Repair
                    Diff Swap

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

                      Picked up the 265/35/18 Bridgestones yesterday, now shaved to 4/32". Should work a lot better now that the funky mold released and more than half of the rubber is all shaved off.

                      Paul and I fought the heat and worked on the front suspension last night - the AST 4300 triple adjustable shocks are now partially installed. Hanchey came by to supervise and so he could look at the mounting options for the reservoirs. I think they are going to mount onto the swaybar end links for now - so they will "follow the strut" under movement. We also discussed a slight change to the hose design and possible dry-break quick connects (which are a big cost adder but would make mounting the reservoirs in the engine bay a lot easier).

                      The switch away from the prototype 4200 doubles allowed more backspace clearance for the 18x10 wheel and I could finally use the new 18mm hubcentric spacers Brian ordered. Looks like the tire will tuck in better under the now "rolled flat" front fender lips. Lots more to do this week to be ready for the Divisional!
                      Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
                      2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
                      EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

                        New mods: http://vorshlag.smugmug.com/gallery/1050842#184112796


                        AST 4300 Triples (reservoir mounted minutes later by Hanchey)


                        31.5 pounds for the all steel OEM trunk!


                        Only to be replaced by an identical trunk with about 10 more pounds added...


                        Hammer/Dolly "pinched flat" front fender lips - more legal than fender rolling. 18x10s with 265s fit very nicely now!

                        Now that there are production strut bodies on the front the 18x10 wheels tuck in a bit more, and with the new 18mm spacers and pinched fender lips, we should have more than enough room for the fattie 265 tires. The rear fit with tons of room, and I am going to "pinch" the rear lips in like up front then "de-flare" the slightly bowed-out fender contours (happens from using a fender rolling tool).

                        Thanks to Paul and Hanchey for helping tonight! It was hotter than hell but we got it knocked out. I spent most of the time soldering wires inside the trunk, adding modular connectors to 20 wires so that the original trunk can quickly be swapped back on and all of the many circuits in the trunk can still function.

                        This wing is to never see street use - its 2 Fast 2 Furious! But hell, what if it works? I figured it can't hurt, and the psychological effect is enormous. Its B-I-G big! Big like a pickle big.

                        edit: no, I'm not painting the trunk. Its only on there for events up until Nationals, then it goes back onto the XP3 car for good (well, until we can afford a 7 pound CF trunk!). The XP car's flares showed up today, too. W00t!
                        Last edited by Fair!; 08-15-2007, 12:04 AM.
                        Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
                        2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
                        EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class


                          This picture was from earlier in 2007 when the M3 still had 17x9 D-Force wheels and some (old) Yokohama AD07s in 255/40/17. Probably its fastest iteration, but one that didn't win very many races. I think that was a combination of factors - mostly tires that had lost their grip, but also some funky alignment settings, insufficient set-up time with new shocks/springs, and some poor driving.

                          The site above, Gulf Greyhound Park in Houston, was particularly unfavorable to this set-up (we ran it there twice and did poorly both times) but I think that was a case of a very odd racing surface, as all of the home field racers did very well there.

                          If we had it all to do over again, I would run these wheels and the 255 Yokohamas at Nationals instead of the wider, heavier 18x10s and 265 Bridgestones. Either that or I would run the 265 Yokohamas on the 18x10s and push the fenders out enough to clearance them (that fender lip rule is very gray). Hindsight is 20-20, remember?
                          Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
                          2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
                          EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

                            I know weight is king with you guys, so have you considered swapping to the US headlamp assemblies? I know the low beams are not that great, but the lenses are plastic instead of glass and they wouldnt have the leveling motors or glass and stamped metal projectors like the European lamps.

                            If you still wanted better lighting performance, but with a bit less weight, maybe try the ZKW reflector lamps?

                            02 Golf TDI 306,000 miles

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: 1997 BMW M3, SCCA STU and BMW G Class

                              Originally posted by HIDGolf View Post
                              I know weight is king with you guys, so have you considered swapping to the US headlamp assemblies? I know the low beams are not that great, but the lenses are plastic instead of glass and they wouldnt have the leveling motors or glass and stamped metal projectors like the European lamps.

                              If you still wanted better lighting performance, but with a bit less weight, maybe try the ZKW reflector lamps?

                              Yea, if the car was still being raced we'd want to swap back to the plastic headlights. But our M3 is currently doing street duty 100% of the time, and the glass/projector lights provide a lot more light at night...
                              Terry Fair - www.vorshlag.com
                              2018 GT / S550 Dev + 2013 FR-S / 86 Dev + 2011 GT / S197 Dev + C4 Corvette Dev
                              EVO X Dev + 2007 Z06 / C6 Dev + BMW E46 Dev + C5 Corvette Dev

                              Comment

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