BE Bearings Installed and Cooling / Track impressions

[ganz]

As a follow on to my thread about the Do88 dct cooler install I also wanted to report on the results of a rod bearing install. My 2011 E90 M3 which came into my life around 2016 has been an incredible daily and I had racked up almost 22K miles in two years. I wanted to take the car to its first trackday but at 52K miles and nearly 8 years since its build date I felt that it was a risk to run the motor hard without changing the bearings. I have been absorbing as much as I can from fellow members and trying to identify the "best of breed" parts to install. I am also a cheapskate so thanks to the many members and vendors on the board who have helped me out!

I consulted with Jeef at SD Garage in Escondido and we settled on the BE Bearings and ARP Bolt combination. Golan at AutoTalent was also a great help. Those in the market for BEs should be aware that there may be a long wait if on backordered. While we were at it I also picked up the Vibra-technics engine mounts which seemed like a good middle ground between stock and more racey mounts.

Anyway the pics:

Hello, my preciousss


SD Garage doing open heart surgery


The OE Bearings.


Looking through the Rod Bearing threads I always thought people were exaggerating the wear but looking closely at mine I could see slight grooves on the top shells which was really shocking. I'm glad we went with the "extra clearance" BE's because the wear was exactly where the extra clearance would be.

So after an additional 5K miles and trackdays at Buttonwillow and Streets of Willow I can report that the car ran very well. While both days were not too warm the engine temps stayed seemed to hover in the 220-240 mark. There was small traces of power steering fluid but definitely not the spray spewage that I had before. DCT never complained and shifted smooth and fast throughout the day. Being an older car, there was always a little more vibration in the cabin than I liked and for me the Vibra Technics actually reduced NVH. The shifts also felt more "solid" but maybe it's mental.

So do you need bearings? I can't say. There is another forum member who has run his 2013 E92 on stock bearings on multiple HPDEs with no issues. It's just with my E90's age and mileage I figured my odds were marginally worse. Ultimately it is peace of mind and I can finally stop visiting the rod bearing threads - which is priceless, really.

On track the car is such a blast to drive. For middle-of-the-pack guys like me the car's forgiving and predictable nature make it easier to learn. I also finally tried DSC off for the first time and there is gold in them thar hills, folks. I didn't realize how intrusive the traction control can be on throttle and even braking into certain corners. In some ways I almost felt like I was developing some bad habits with it on. I will still leave it on for first sessions in the future to help build confidence but experiencing the car in its raw form has been eye opening.

The E9X M3 may not be the fastest thing out there but it's just so rewarding. The balance, the sound, the everyday usability. There just are not many cars like these available for the money. It may be a couple of months before my next event, but hopefully I will bump into some fellow socal members in the future. Thanks for reading!

Parting shots:
About to be swallowed by a SS 1LE (very fast)

[waiuphigh]

Thanks for sharing your experience!
I'm going down a similar path with my E90 and your post is reassuring.

It's going under the knife for BE bearing installation and the vibra-technic mounts this Thursday at Sonic Motorsports in SJ. Can't wait to get this bearing fear out of my head !!!

[AutoTalent]

Glad you are enjoying my friend!

[vincE92M3]

Thanks for the write up! I'm looking at this exact RB configuration for my M as well.

[tdott]

Awesome, enjoy it to the fullest!

[NeverL8]

How much did they charge you for labor?

[ganz]

Thanks Russ. Jeef is comparable to the popular SoCal Shops in terms of pricing but it's nice to know the owner of the shop is doing the work. I'd reach out to him via PM or look up SD Garage on Yelp.

[ganz]

Just a quick update, I had an opportunity to cross a bucket list item off and did a trackday at Laguna Seca. I did a lot of simulation driving in advance of the event but in real life the track's elevation change is something else.

Jeef swapped my OEM exhaust back on due to the now super strict 90 db limit. It did seem like some guys were able to do the lift off trick to bypass the sound check but being my first (and likely only) time I didn't want to risk it.

I also went with a square 10.5 wheel setup from Titan7 and 275/35 Bridgestone RE71Rs. Track is brutal on brakes but the car never skipped a beat even with the much higher speeds. Transmission was happy up or down shifting. I was touching 8K rpm much more frequently and temps were good.

Started again with a couple sessions in M mode and finished the rest of the day DSC Off and again found more time with the traction control off. Met some other great people there and learned a lot. SpeedSF ran an excellent track day.



And the requisite corkscrew picture:

[Timujin]

Awesome

[kikkoman]

Car looks great! Mind sharing what suspension and camber settings you're running with those wheel & tire setup?

[ganz]

Originally Posted by kikkoman

Car looks great! Mind sharing what suspension and camber settings you're running with those wheel & tire setup?

Happy to. Suspension is Ohlins Road and Track with Ground Control camber plates. On track days I run 5 clicks from full stiff on the front and back. Alignment is set the front at -2.7 degrees with a 7 degree caster and 0 toe. Rear was -1.8 degrees with 0.10 toe. Ride height is more of your choosing but I would say it is about as much as a swift spring would drop.

The car also has h&r front sway. I forget which setting for the link or if there even is a setting. Sorry!

For anyone copying my settings let me state that I asked for neutral handling from the alignment shop. With these settings my car will rotate on corner entry depending on the amount of trail braking I apply. It gives me the ability to point the car through the corner early , avoid mid corner steering adjustments and make it easier to transition to the throttle on exit. Not sure if I am making sense to anyone but just fair warning that I like the feeling of "backing it into" a corner which is what this setup does very predictably.

Happy track days!

[kyippee]

It was good to meet you at Laguna Seca, glad to hear all is well lately. Those Virbra Technic mounts.. still feeling good about them? NVH not becoming a pain over time?

[ganz]

Originally Posted by kpewpew

It was good to meet you at Laguna Seca, glad to hear all is well lately. Those Virbra Technic mounts.. still feeling good about them? NVH not becoming a pain over time?

Always a pleasure meeting other m3post members! You NorCal folks are very lucky to be near such amazing tracks. =) You have a sweet ride too!

Since the engine mount install I have put about 4K miles on the car. My impression is that it still feels about the same. To be honest, every driveline / suspension mod has added a super tiny amount of NVH but once you have done enough of those you do start to feel it more than stock. I also have the MFactory one piece carbon driveshaft so some might say the whole setup feels "direct". Others might say its like the feeling of a cellphone on vibrate through a pair of shorts and sweatpants (in no particular order).