Track forum general chit chat.

[danvitmon]

Originally Posted by sperkins

Same here. Blew 95 on a 92 day. I have an MS intake as well, so there was some induction noise added in there. Keep in mind air temp, specifically in those cold Monterey mornings, will play a part with how the sound is picked up by the mic. In the future, I will only sign up for 100db plus days at Laguna.

That's so strange! I have an MS intake as well and would go track right every single time, sometimes staying on the curbing even by the sound station. Maybe the Valvetronic forward resonated setup is slightly quieter? Unsure. I posted a youtube video of my POV of the sessions so you can see what RPM I am at compared to yours. Weird!

[P1zzaboy]

Around here Tremblant is strictly enforced 92dB. I have not been ok with RPI Catless x-pipe + oem muffler, but have been fine since I swapped to catted AFE xpipe. Night and day difference, and still sounds nice when I put back my meisterchaft muffler

[omgzirra_exe]

the trick is to use NT01 and make tie fighter sounds that overwhelm your exhaust.

[jmeenach]

Finally upgraded my front lip from some ebay junk that the previous owner installed to the Ridgeline Motorsport GTS 5-piece lip that I shared a few weeks ago. Fitment required a little massaging, but honestly, it fits better than expected.

The bad news: this FRP lower tray is rather brittle for the use I have for this car and I already have a crack from barely grazing a speedbump in my parking garage that is unavoidable. The good news (I guess): They sell replacement parts and they offered me a discount on the replacement lower tray compared to what they would normally charge. The better news (hopefully): I'm working on scanning the lower tray with a friend that has a 3D printer that he has used for multiple motorsport aero parts so I can make something more robust. That'll take a few months before I have the time to complete that project, but that should help in the long run. Depending on cost, I may be able to create a few replacement pieces for others as well.

[IMG]M3-8-13-24 by Jaryd Meenach, on Flickr[/IMG]

[tsk94]

I posted over in the Suspension section for the Strom Upright thread, but figured I'd throw it in here as well.

Looking for some insight from those that installed the strom uprights on their car. How much less static negative camber are you guys running compared to before? I would typically run around -3.5* to -3.8* in my old car, but not sure where I should start with the uprights installed on the new car I'm building.

Any input would be appreciated

[Bimmer Barney]

Got to do some standing mile runway/airstrip runs this weekend. Running all seasons (so launch control was useless), I hit a top speed of 174.

Had a number of runs with my friend who has an F80 M3CS. Surprisingly I was hanging through 1-4 gears but 5-7 gears he would walk hard. His top speed was 185.

I got to drive his. The torque advantage is noticeable and it felt great. The E90 feels more visceral. Part of that is because it just is, but also it’s older and less refined. I daily my E90 and could see the F80 CS as a replacement some day.

[sperkins]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Barney

Got to do some standing mile runway/airstrip runs this weekend. Running all seasons (so launch control was useless), I hit a top speed of 174.

Had a number of runs with my friend who has an F80 M3CS. Surprisingly I was hanging through 1-4 gears but 5-7 gears he would walk hard. His top speed was 185.

I got to drive his. The torque advantage is noticeable and it felt great. The E90 feels more visceral. Part of that is because it just is, but also it’s older and less refined. I daily my E90 and could see the F80 CS as a replacement some day.

Sounds like a rush! I've always wanted to do something like that.
I'm sure you've seen the video of the guy on the Autobahn reaching high 190's in our cars--- that would be next level.

[Bimmer Barney]

[1FastSicilian]

hey fellas, finally doing my subframe and diff mounts soon so preparing to buy everything..

I dont want any diff whine... should I just go with solid subframe and refresh the OEM diff mounts?

car is DCT with 77k miles.. no issues with clunks or anything now, I just want to do the preventative stuff.

[omgzirra_exe]

Originally Posted by 1FastSicilian

hey fellas, finally doing my subframe and diff mounts soon so preparing to buy everything..

I dont want any diff whine... should I just go with solid subframe and refresh the OEM diff mounts?

car is DCT with 77k miles.. no issues with clunks or anything now, I just want to do the preventative stuff.

yeap.

solid sub frame with oem diff bushing is the recipe for a 'street' car

might as well address your rear suspension bushings if possible.

also buy all new hardware. some will say not needed.. so you can make that your choice. at least replace the diff mount bolt. that can break off.. randomly.

[RalliartRsX]

Originally Posted by 1FastSicilian

hey fellas, finally doing my subframe and diff mounts soon so preparing to buy everything..

I dont want any diff whine... should I just go with solid subframe and refresh the OEM diff mounts?

car is DCT with 77k miles.. no issues with clunks or anything now, I just want to do the preventative stuff.

The drivetrain needs some compliance. There's zero reason to solid mount the diff....or gearbox for that fact

Solid subframe, OEM or slightly harder durometer diff bushing to keep it both civilized and allow complaince

The oem diff bushing are actually really good for a dual duty car

[1FastSicilian]

Originally Posted by RalliartRsX

The drivetrain needs some compliance. There's zero reason to solid mount the diff....or gearbox for that fact

Solid subframe, OEM or slightly harder durometer diff bushing to keep it both civilized and allow complaince

The oem diff bushing are actually really good for a dual duty car

Thanks!

I'll end up doing solid and new OEM diff mounts.. I assume all 3 are the same mounts? Can anyone verify this?

[Redd]

Originally Posted by 1FastSicilian

Thanks!

I'll end up doing solid and new OEM diff mounts.. I assume all 3 are the same mounts? Can anyone verify this?

You mean the diff mounts? No - the two rear mounts are the same. The front mount is different.

[1FastSicilian]

Originally Posted by Redd

You mean the diff mounts? No - the two rear mounts are the same. The front mount is different.

Thanks, looking at FCP and they only offer the rear mounts...

I wonder how it would be if I did the 2 new rear oem mounts and front in PF purple.....

[Redd]

Originally Posted by 1FastSicilian

Thanks, looking at FCP and they only offer the rear mounts...

I wonder how it would be if I did the 2 new rear oem mounts and front in PF purple.....

Sorry I got it reversed. The two front ones are same, the rear one (foam) is different. Both are available on FCP.

Front (need 2x) - https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...ng-33312284019

Rear (need 1x) - https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...ng-33312283384

I've not seen any reviews about mixing the stock mounts with PU. However if I were to guess, I would say that the rear one is where diff whine comes from and that's probably why BMW used foam on that mount.

Good luck.

[mikerunt]

Anyone have experience with Blacksheep Motorsports in Austin?

I also posted on the f8x channel

[Estragon]

I'm a Bay Area transplant so have had access to some pretty good shops over the years. I checked out various shops in Austin when we arrived and ended up going with Mike at Blacksheep Motorsports. He's very knowledgeable and absolutely meticulous in his work, though he's not cheap. He also tracks an E90 M3, I believe.

[Cmassey3]

Just got back from VIR in my first session in B group. Even though I technically improved, I didn't improve as much as I felt like I should've. Carrying much more pace feels like I'm resetting the learning curve as I start to hit the mental blocks again and fall back to mistakes. Hitting a consistent 2:25-2:26 which is ok, but I'd rather be on the other side of 2:20. I think the PSS limits are really becoming apparent now.

I think I've earned 200tw tires for the next season along with springs and camber plates. Also LFB sans-harness is workout.

How have y'all worked through mental barriers and non-linear progression in the run groups?

[Ximian]

Originally Posted by Cmassey3

How have y'all worked through mental barriers and non-linear progression in the run groups?

At the intermediate level, you're still driving sloppy and over-driving, but seeing better lap times so it feels like an improvement.

After a few events in Advanced where you set a PB or two then end up driving seconds slower per lap after that, it feels like you're not improving and even getting worse sometimes. However, your driving should be smoother, more precise, and in control. I look back on videos where I drove my fastest laps but were very sloppy and can now do them on cooldown lap pace. I also look back on some videos and wonder why I can't drive that quickly anymore, even though it feels the same while driving.

What helped me was doing events at other tracks. Taking a break from my home track to go to different ones helped with a new perspective on what's holding me back.

However, if you've also have some mental barriers after an mechanical failure on track causing an incident, that's a tough one. Still trying to figure out how to get over that. Probably needs more time to forget about it.

[Cmassey3]

Originally Posted by Ximian

At the intermediate level, you're still driving sloppy and over-driving, but seeing better lap times so it feels like an improvement.

After a few events in Advanced where you set a PB or two then end up driving seconds slower per lap after that, it feels like you're not improving and even getting worse sometimes. However, your driving should be smoother, more precise, and in control. I look back on videos where I drove my fastest laps but were very sloppy and can now do them on cooldown lap pace. I also look back on some videos and wonder why I can't drive that quickly anymore, even though it feels the same while driving.

What helped me was doing events at other tracks. Taking a break from my home track to go to different ones helped with a new perspective on what's holding me back.

However, if you've also have some mental barriers after an mechanical failure on track causing an incident, that's a tough one. Still trying to figure out how to get over that. Probably needs more time to forget about it.

That's some good perspective, I do want to add more tracks to my list since I've only done VIR so far. I've got a truck now though, so that opens up a lot of other tracks. I think I'm learning how not great I am and that can be demoralizing, but also fuel for getting better.

[omgzirra_exe]

Originally Posted by Cmassey3

How have y'all worked through mental barriers and non-linear progression in the run groups?

Once I switched away from street tires, my confidence improved significantly.

When I was using street tires, I felt like I was holding myself back, especially when pushing harder into corners or exits. Braking was particularly tricky—I couldn’t go as late or as deep as I wanted without worrying about the limitations of the tires.

Switching tires made a big difference in how aggressively I could approach those situations.

But I also never really chased lap times, unless I had a fresh set of tires. My focus was always on consistency, which helped me gradually improve my lap times over time.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by Cmassey3

How have y'all worked through mental barriers and non-linear progression in the run groups?

Data is the key (like from an AIM Solo 2 DL tied into the CAN bus). If you can see in clear terms that your gas and brake behaviors are not optimal, you can set out to work on that. The same thing goes with seeing your minimum cornering speeds, seeing where you brake on the track, how you turn the steering wheel, etc.

If you can find a better driver than you that you trust, you can get them to drive your car the same day you’re driving, collect the data and compare it with your driving. Getting someone else’s data from a different car is only so useful given that their car will always have a different setup than yours, or maybe be from a different day with different conditions. Weather plays a huge part in the lap times you can achieve.

Hiring a quality instructor can have tangible benefits.

What holds most people back is not being comfortable with a car that is at or beyond its limits. It can be scary and dangerous to be initially exploring those limits on an active racetrack with others around. I always recommend people spend time on a skid pad to push the car around and really explore the world beyond the grip limit to learn how to control the car when you push beyond what the tires can do. Learning what YOUR car feels like as it’s about to lose grip and being competent about how to handle it are some of the most valuable things you can learn. And ultimately, these skills will lead to faster lap times.

Unfortunately, many tracks on the East Coast don’t lend themselves to experimentation. The price for getting it wrong at Road Atlanta, VIR and Watkins Glen can be high if you end up off track. In California, tracks like Buttonwillow and Chuckwalla are much more forgiving if you experiment and get it wrong—you just end up in the desert instead of a wall.

The other thing that nets faster lap times is the car being consistent. What I mean by this is that the car needs to have proper equipment on it that performs consistently lap after lap. For example, a car with a crappy brake setup will act differently under various brake presses due to fluid boiling or pads overheating. If you’re trying to do a hot lap and every time you press the brake something different happens, good luck with figuring out late braking into corners. But if you know that the brake system will be there for you, acting in a consistent way on every brake press, you will be more willing to dive late on the brakes. (Braking later is one of the quickest ways to pickup time on a track, but it comes with risks.)

As amateur drivers, we can get stuck with behaviors that feel normal and comfortable. And usually, these behaviors are sub-optimal. But breaking from these habits takes specific effort. On my end, I was away from Motorsport for basically a year and-a-half with my cracked engine block. There is no doubt that I’ve lost significant driving edge in my time away. And getting myself back up to speed has not been as quick as I would have thought—especially being willing to brake late. It’s going to take some patience.