▀▄ eas - e92 M3 Progress/Buildup Journal

[FrenchBoy]

Originally Posted by duk

man that looks great but a lot of work to change out to a SSK

+1

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by duk

man that looks great but a lot of work to change out to a SSK

+2. My stock shifter is perfectly fine, long-throws and all, except the 1-2 shift. It feels like crap, even at leisure speeds (haven't ventured above 6K rpm yet, and always shift gently). I'm at 1,500 miles now, but mostly highway, so I don't consider the tranny broken-in yet; hope it gets better with miles. I have no doubt it'd grind if I was to shift aggressively now, like many others report. Don't understand why. All other gear shifts feel fine, including 3-2 and 4-2, but 1-2 feels notchy as hell, like something is blocking the 1-2 gate, and you hit either the left or right of it; plain weird. Every once in a long while I get it right, but man, it's just by accident. It does improve a little when fully hot, which made me wonder if it'd benefit from Redline MTL oil, like my new Accord 6MT did (they use the same special MTL oil).

Does anybody know what might be the problem with 1-2??? I suspect it's not the shifter but a burr on the gate, or something inside the tranny, like a synchro. My worry is if it's something wrong with the tranny and we have an A/F shifter, we might be f***ed. Or be forced to change it back before taking car in; what a PITA that would be. Comments welcome folks.

[King Tut]

Originally Posted by duk

man that looks great but a lot of work to change out to a SSK

That looks way easier than the E46 M3 where you have to worry about the bitch pin.

[J08M3]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Does anybody know what might be the problem with 1-2??? I suspect it's not the shifter but a burr on the gate, or something inside the tranny, like a synchro. My worry is if it's something wrong with the tranny and we have an A/F shifter, we might be f***ed. Or be forced to change it back before taking car in; what a PITA that would be. Comments welcome folks.

I'm guessing most dealerships would probably never realize it's an aftermarket SSk instead of the original.

But I'm with you that it's not the shifter that causes the difficult 1-2

[ebohon]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

+2. My stock shifter is perfectly fine, long-throws and all, except the 1-2 shift. It feels like crap, even at leisure speeds (haven't ventured above 6K rpm yet, and always shift gently). I'm at 1,500 miles now, but mostly highway, so I don't consider the tranny broken-in yet; hope it gets better with miles. I have no doubt it'd grind if I was to shift aggressively now, like many others report. Don't understand why. All other gear shifts feel fine, including 3-2 and 4-2, but 1-2 feels notchy as hell, like something is blocking the 1-2 gate, and you hit either the left or right of it; plain weird. Every once in a long while I get it right, but man, it's just by accident. It does improve a little when fully hot, which made me wonder if it'd benefit from Redline MTL oil, like my new Accord 6MT did (they use the same special MTL oil).

Does anybody know what might be the problem with 1-2??? I suspect it's not the shifter but a burr on the gate, or something inside the tranny, like a synchro. My worry is if it's something wrong with the tranny and we have an A/F shifter, we might be f***ed. Or be forced to change it back before taking car in; what a PITA that would be. Comments welcome folks.

The tranny/shifting breaks in nicely. I had similar concerns and read others say it would break in but was hesistant to beleive them. Give it a few Ks and you will see/feel the difference. My 1st and 2nd were not smooth at all so much that I would often wonder if I was putting it in R instead of 1st.

I looked at different SSKs on-line and noticed that they differ in height. It would be good to try these before deciding which one is best for feel, etc. But the install looks like a ton of work as a DYI.

[tom @ eas]

Next on the list was brakes.

We've always been a big fan of AP Racing BBK systems. AP Racing brake discs are made from the highest quality cast iron. Curved vane technology is used to shed internal heat, and the optimized cross-drilled and slotted face pattern is developed to increase pad bite and improve cooling. Each hole is radiused, not chamfered, to reduce noise and increase fatigue strength.

The new 7100/7150 AP kits were also designed to fit behind stock 18" wheels and clear without the need for spacers, which is an added plus when our M3 starts seeing more track use.

The AP Racing engineers are the same ones who manufacture the OE brakes for Ascari, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Caparo, Farbio, GTA, Holden HSV, Koenigsegg, Lotus, McLaren, Morgan, Noble, Pagani, Rossion, Seat, Spyker, Tramontana, Ultima, Zolfe and other limited, high-end exotic supercars.

Strap Drive Systems

The Strap Drive System (Patent Pending) has been developed by AP Racing both for Road and Race applications. The standard fitment discs on many performance cars can suffer from brake vibrations caused by disc distortion. This generally occurs on fast road and track installations.



On many performance cars the typical standard disc will be a heavy duty ventilated single piece casting. Couple this type of rigid disc to a standard hub and wheel bearing and the result is any hub distortion / run out will transfer onto the disc brake faces. This eventually results in brake vibrations, usually picked up through the steering wheel.



The strap drive system offers a new take on the floating systems already in the market place. Strap drive uses a series of stainless steel straps to locate the disc to the mounting bell, producing a flexible coupling between the hub and the disc faces. This allows the disc to run true in the caliper under all conditions and also permits the disc to expand and contract without being restricted. Some current replacement discs in the market place have evolved from Motorsport applications, they typically use a drive bobbin to provide some disc float and were devised to reduce pad knock off on race cars. This system can work on a road application but there are some major drawbacks that the Strap Drive has overcome with its simplicity.

Bobbin float discs rely on a series of drive bobbins moving freely in drive slots. This movement can create wear during service and promote noise. The slots can fill up with road & brake debris causing them to seize. AP Racings strap couplings can't suffer from any of these drawbacks. Therefore service life, brake noise and also brake pedal travel are all improved.

A few other M3s running AP brakes

M3 GT4


BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team




The follow kit is to be covered on our installation:

AP Racing - AP7100 6-piston Front Big Brake Kit for e9x M3 - 368mm with red calipers
AP Racing - AP7150 4-piston Rear Big Brake Kit for e9x M3 - 356mm with red calipers

AP7100/7150 Specs (taken from our website)
- Fits behind OE 18” & 19” wheels
- Compatible with OE ABS, Traction Control and Stability systems and factory master cylinder.
- High-strength, lightweight, pressure-cast aluminum alloy body
- 2-piece design for maximum rigidity in a streetable caliper
- Fixed radial mount for best pedal feel
- 6 sequential pistons to minimize pad taper and maximize pad area
- Anti-knock back features for a consistent, firm pedal
- Dust seals for everyday driving
- Available in red or black

AP Racing Discs
- Directional curved vanes for maximum cooling
- 2-piece modular design with aluminum alloy hat to handle the heat
- Cross-drilled AND slotted for aggressive pad bite and additional cooling
- Slotted-only optional for heavy track use

Brake Pads
- Now featuring the ultimate in high-performance street and track day use
- Virtually fade-free Mintex Xtreme Motorsport Pad Compound
- Consistent coefficient of friction cold to over 1300F
- Linear response and quick release
- Easier on discs than many current “high-performance” compounds
- Lowest noise
- Competition compounds also available

2-piece disc assembly
- Aluminum hat for reduced weight and better thermal conductivity
- Fixed bobbin or full-float mounting
- Curved vane venting for maximum internal cooling
- Cross-drilled and slotted for best street performance
- Slotted-only available for heavy track day use
- 1- piece rotor option available in select kits

[tom @ eas]

After contact with Brake Pros (AP Racing USA), we were able to schedule our M3 in for test fitment as the caliper brackets were not completed yet with final measurements needed to be taken and custom machined.

A couple of weeks later, our new brakes arrived:



Let's begin:

Front Caliper Fitment




























Rear caliper fitment








Brake Pad sensor modification

[tom @ eas]

Stock Front Rotor - 22.6lbs


Stock Rear Rotor - 20lb


Stock Front Caliper - 14.5lb


Stock Rear Caliper - 11.25lb


AP7100 Front Rotor - 22.15lbs


AP7150 Rear Rotor - 18.20lbs


AP7100 Front Caliper - 10.25lb


AP7150 Rear Caliper - 9.85lb


AP7100 Front Caliper Bracket - 1.80lb


AP7150 Front Caliper Bracket - 1.25lb


Results:

Total Rotor/Caliper Weight (stock system) - 136.70lb
Total Rotor/Caliper Weight (AP 7100/7150 AP BBK Brake System) - 127.0lb

Total Weight Savings - 9.70lb

[tom @ eas]

AP Racing 7100R Front Brake Upgrade


AP Racing 7150R Rear Brake Upgrade


Side view:



New wheels/rubber to be installed next as it's getting close to track time.

[Green///Hell]

Nice install, those brakes are awesome. Good thing they'll be on track, it sucks when they go onto a show car

[King Tut]

Very baller. Do want, but don't see spending the money on it.

[MatthewDavid]

Can you PM me the price of your matte carbon trim kit for my 2008 E92 M3? Don't see it on your site. Just want to replace the existing pieces.

[MJC///M3]

Originally Posted by ISFail

Well done sir, one of the dopest M cars I've seen

+1 That M3 is boss.

[david @ eas]

Originally Posted by TraydenBellean

Can you PM me the price of your matte carbon trim kit for my 2008 E92 M3? Don't see it on your site. Just want to replace the existing pieces.

Not for sale at this time unfortunately.

[tom @ eas]

New shoes were installed for last weekend's SoCal Euro event as we were invited to participate in Yokohama's booth on display.

Yokohama ADVAN AD08s:





Sticking max rubber underneath the fenders was on the agenda, we decided on the VMR CSL Ultra-Staggered fitment. With our new partnership with Yokohama tire, it was time for the new AD08 lineup to be tested out.

Wheel specs:

Front: 19x9.5" VMR CSL, Matte Black
Rear: 19x10.0" VMR CSL, Matte Black

Tire Specs:

Front: 265/30-19 Yokohama ADVAN AD08
Rear: 295/30-19 Yokohama ADVAN AD08

Pictures at the event (thanks to sard for photos):





Money shot:


More to come.

[E90///M3`]

nice! IMHO, just not feeling the red caliper against the color of the body

[datbimmerdoe]

+1 That money shot is $$$$$$$$$$$

[BMWDEMON]

nice pics and update! The BBK is very, very nice! MOney shot for the new rubber would have been smokage though!

M!

[rbk1115]

Tom - The E92 looks great. That is some serious meat on those wheels. I did not have time to go to the Q for the meet this past weekend, I'll have to catch you guys next time!

[tom @ eas]

Another quick shot before the new tires were installed:

[Mossive]

you guys make some of the sexiest m3's out there

[tom @ eas]

Did a quick photoshoot for VMR today with the Matte Black V713s that will be coming out soon:

















Wheels are V713s with 19x8.5 fronts and 19x9.5" rears wrapped in Yokohama ADVAN AD08 rubber (245/35-19 & 275/30-19).

Wheels will be removed and up for sale soon on a separate thread.

In the meantime, enjoy!