My E90 M3 Dedicated Track build (with pix!)

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by rcracin

I think i'm going to race karts instead of the m3. shit sounds like to much work lol

haha!

Yeah, the leak down test is interesting. I'm definitely going to pursue that. And I think my fluids (aside from motor oil) need a little freshening up.

I have to say, the car has run so well over the last 5 years on the track. I credit BMW for putting together a car that has been able to handle all the track duty. Ironically, that long term reliability can give you a sense of complacency a little bit in terms of maintenance. But the car is aging, so I'm feeling the urgency to do what is necessary to keep it running properly. I'm eager to learn, but there are a lot of different systems in the car to worry about.

I'm fascinated by these Time Attack teams that show up with like a crew of 6 people, and they're running around the car all day doing tech tweaks and setup changes and this and that. Are they all paid to be there?? Man I wish I could have a bunch of people running around my car! It gets lonely…..You know, you show up at a Time Attack with a sedan that's not a Subaru, no one wants to be your friend….even the photographers mostly ignore you…. (Actually, I have a funny photo to share from the Time Attack. I'll post it soon.)

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by Richbot

So yeah. Leakdown. Which is of course a super fun time on an 8cylinder engine with two cylinders buried under the dashboard, but hey, you asked

Does it help that my dash is gutted and fairly easy to remove?

[Richbot]

heh, no, leakdown test is done through the spark plug holes. You pressurize each cylinder with air with the valves closed and see how much leaks past the various sealing surfaces, and how fast.

[dogbone]

(From Saturday's GTA event)

Oh sure, it always starts out so mellow and friendly:



But then it turns to this!! haha! Oh man----he got me really good. And then when I tried to unscrew the top of my champagne, my hands were wet and I couldn't open the damn thing! And I love the dude on the right who is ignoring everything and drinking straight out of the bottle!! Good times!!



The photographers at GTA take very nice pictures.



Photos: @snapsstudio #snapsstudio @globaltimeattack #globaltimeattack

[///Mobbin]

Good times and cool in-car pic!

[dapopa9]

Originally Posted by dogbone

I'm fascinated by these Time Attack teams that show up with like a crew of 6 people, and they're running around the car all day doing tech tweaks and setup changes and this and that. Are they all paid to be there??

Haha so well said! I've always wondered that same thing as I'm usually flying solo at there as well. I always find it a bit amusing also when those teams are 5+ seconds off pace from the lead cars.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by dapopa9

….I'm usually flying solo at there as well. I always find it a bit amusing also when those teams are 5+ seconds off pace from the lead cars.

hehe it's definitely interesting to see a team of 6 people fussing over what turns out to be a slow car. When I see a team of people running around a car all day, I have expectations that the car is going to perform. When it doesn't perform, then I start wondering…..what the heck are they DOING? Why are they all here? And why am I sitting here like an idiot all by myself??

I'm glad to see that the 14 year-old kid with the full-on Lambo race car is getting faster. Talk about crazy rigs and lots of people running around! That is QUITE the scene. Video camera crews following him around, endless pictures, girls, instructors, tech crew, people on race radios, piles of fresh slicks, massive trailer with the boy's name splashed along the entire side…..all this at a random Speed District HPDE….hehe pretty crazy.

[maicol76]

I always read your post with good impression.

After removing stock electric devices like audio panel, A/C unit, display, CIC module in trunk & etc, is there something(like coding) to need for normal operation on track?

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by maicol76

I always read your post with good impression.

After removing stock electric devices like audio panel, A/C unit, display, CIC module in trunk & etc, is there something(like coding) to need for normal operation on track?

Thanks!

I talked to Racewerkz, the shop that gutted the car, and they confirmed that no coding is necessary for the electric stuff.

[maicol76]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Thanks!

I talked to Racewerkz, the shop that gutted the car, and they confirmed that no coding is necessary for the electric stuff.

I got it. Thanks

[dogbone]

One minor update to note: After the initial install of the canards, it seemed that they were extremely flexible. It took no effort at all to move them up and down. So, I asked Racewerkz to figure out how to make them more rigid. This is the result and I'm quite happy with the canard setup now. This brace that they made out of Inconel makes the canards VERY stiff.

To be honest, I don't really feel the canards up there. I drove them like this at Buttonwillow last week. But I will say, the front of the car is feeling pretty good---nice and grippy overall at the moment. I will get another crack at it in a couple weeks at Chuckwalla. I may even experiment with putting more Angle of Attack on the rear wing.

[Richbot]

rad...inconel is an interesting material choice though, planning on tracking the car on the surface of Mercury?

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by Richbot

rad...inconel is an interesting material choice though, planning on tracking the car on the surface of Mercury?

hehe it's light, it's strong......and----most importantly I think they had some lying around in the shop from another job....

But it sure sounds cool doesn't it?

[Datka]

Originally Posted by dogbone

One minor update to note: After the initial install of the canards, it seemed that they were extremely flexible. It took no effort at all to move them up and down. So, I asked Racewerkz to figure out how to make them more rigid. This is the result and I'm quite happy with the canard setup now. This brace that they made out of Inconel makes the canards VERY stiff.

To be honest, I don't really feel the canards up there. I drove them like this at Buttonwillow last week. But I will say, the front of the car is feeling pretty good---nice and grippy overall at the moment. I will get another crack at it in a couple weeks at Chuckwalla. I may even experiment with putting more Angle of Attack on the rear wing.

What kind of splitter is that? Looks like you added some kind of extension to the regular splitter. Can you clarify how is it done?
I have a front splitter now but its not really functional.
looks like yours but without extension.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by Datka

What kind of splitter is that? Looks like you added some kind of extension to the regular splitter. Can you clarify how is it done?
I have a front splitter now but its not really functional.
looks like yours but without extension.

The first item below the bumper is a carbon lip. It's a generic brand piece I found on the forum. The lip is there for two reasons:

-fill in the bottom of the bumper
-provide a flat bottom for the Splitter to attach to.

The thin flat carbon piece that sticks out on the bottom is an APR splitter. It's attached to both the carbon lip and the bottom side of the car. The splitter is also stabilized by the metal arms that come from the bumper. They prevent the splitter from deflecting under high wind loads. The setup is QUITE effective. I drove the car with the wing, but without the front lip/splitter combo. The car would understeer like crazy on high speed rounders. Now the car feels very very stable on high speed rounders. The canards are mostly flavor, but I am starting to believe that at high speeds, they have a small positive effect, which honestly was all I was hoping for. Let me tell you, any small positive effect at the limit is welcome!

APR makes two kinds of splitters:
-the one I got which is fairly reasonably priced. It's ability to resist flex is only moderate at best. The stabilizing arms are very necessary.
-a honeycomb splitter. That thing is quite expensive. But you could stand on it once installed without issue. Very stiff.

I've seen homemade plywood splitters that are super stiff. Cheap and stiff. Good combo for what many consider to be a consumable piece if you go off hard enough. I've been lucky with my splitter so far. I've been off half a dozen times and it's been fine.

Here's another angle on the front to help show my setup:

[Datka]

Thanks Dogbone. Here it is:
http://moddiction.com/apr-performanc...i-1797863.aspx
APR front wind splitter/undertray
I was going to buy gt4 splitter that is functional but expensive.
This is great as its relatively cheap, comes with supportive rods and also as an undertray allows for smoother air flow below the front bumper.

[dogbone]

(I thought I posted earlier, but I got distracted and never hit send when we were talking about Inconel.)

Regarding the canards, I was scrounging around through my AIM data from the Speed District Buttonwillow day on 9/23. It turns out I rolled through the apex of Riverside on one lap at 101.7mph. That's 1.4mph faster than I've ever gone through that section. And it was 80ºF and I was on 12th heat cycle R1S. And I never remember feeling like I was over pushing the car---meaning it wasn't massively understeering away from me. Previously, it took all the courage I had to get through that apex at 100.3mph.

So, I have to update my initial thoughts on the canards and say, I think on high speed rounders, the canards are doing something positive.

Next up is Chuckwalla on 10-15/16. Lots of rounders but not super high speeds----usually 70-80mph on the rounders. Will be interesting to see what it feels like. I'm actually thinking of bumping the rear wing AOA to a more aggressive setting for just that track. I was losing the tail of the car last time I was there. I'm curious if I can get the rear to plant better with more wing.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by Datka

Thanks Dogbone. Here it is:
http://moddiction.com/apr-performanc...i-1797863.aspx
APR front wind splitter/undertray
I was going to buy gt4 splitter that is functional but expensive.
This is great as its relatively cheap, comes with supportive rods and also as an undertray allows for smoother air flow below the front bumper.

Yup that's the one. I am very happy with my APR splitter. It transformed the front end of the car.

[Datka]

dogbone, how did you attach those support rods on the bumper side?
Looks like bumper cover needs to be removed for this job...

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by Datka

dogbone, how did you attach those support rods on the bumper side?
Looks like bumper cover needs to be removed for this job...

I decided that the two canards on the side of the bumper were too flexible. I didn't think they would hold up properly under 140mph winds. I wanted them to be stiffer. So the race shop created those metal support straps to make the canards very solid. It works very well. The canards are very solid now.

As far as how----they look riveted in.

[Datka]

Originally Posted by dogbone

I decided that the two canards on the side of the bumper were too flexible. I didn't think they would hold up properly under 140mph winds. I wanted them to be stiffer. So the race shop created those metal support straps to make the canards very solid. It works very well. The canards are very solid now.

As far as how----they look riveted in.

Not on the side. Metal rods that support the APR splitter I am talking about How are they attached on the bumper side?

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by Datka

Not on the side. Metal rods that support the APR splitter I am talking about How are they attached on the bumper side?

To be honest, I didn't see the connecting hardware before it was installed. Racewerkz Engineering has done all the aero work on the car. Perhaps they can answer your questions.