Spx E92 Track Build Journal

[DRLane]

Originally Posted by tlrid3r

how's the fitment on the top near the window glass, is there any gaps?
considering getting a set

Close but definitely not oem. The gap is largest at the end close to the latch.

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by DRLane

Close but definitely not oem. The gap is largest at the end close to the latch.

How's the gap around the upper speaker? That's my biggest gripe with the Fiberlab card fitment.

[DRLane]

Originally Posted by spxxx

How's the gap around the upper speaker? That's my biggest gripe with the Fiberlab card fitment.

Looks good to me . Again my car serves a specific purpose vs looking beautiful. So it's tough. Also that speaker is empty it's just the housing to fill the hole.

Edit: added pics

[gtenedio]

what canards do you have

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by gtenedio

what canards do you have

Pretty sure they're from eBay, I've been practicing mending/laying CF so I just added some additional epoxy layers and they've held up great lol

[okusa]

Anyone know a weight figure on full weight OEM E90 doors?

[spxxx]

2023 New Year update! With Q4 bonus season upon me, I decided to be an idiot and pickup a few goodies for the car / garage... I guess I can blame this financial debauchery on sleep deprivation due to a sleepless newborn but this should make maintenance much easier and maybe shave a few tenths.

I'm not sure how I've gone through ~20 cars (all self maintained) and not invested in QuickJacks but I'm beyond stoked for the (rest of) the new 5000TL to arrive this week, assuming FedEx doesn't sh1t the bed per usual... As one side lift is MIA.



Also on the garage front, I stumbled upon some Proform wireless scales at a good price. With the QuickJacks, String Box, scales and turn plates I should be able to dial in decently accurate DIY alignments/corner balancing at home. I've never corner balanced this car so this will be interesting, one of the weaker points of my car has been alignment so I'm hoping this helps!



And here's the weight with 3/4 of a tank... Goal is 3250# in Q1 w/ a half tank.



And finally a few goodies for the car:

I worked with Tony @ TC Design on a set of MCS 2 Way Remote shocks, should be here in 2 weeks. Cannot wait to dial these in, I've never owned 2 way shocks so I'm eager to pretend that curbs no longer exist on track. I really hope they're as magic as everyone says. I plan to build a nitrogen filler/regulator... if anyone has tips please DM me. (Stock BW photo).



Few other things going on such as the Dodson DCT pan which should fix the fluid starvation issue and help with temps. I also picked up a TopSpeed Xpipe (eBay) to replace the Bomiz unit that was paired with a Megan exhaust when I bought the car. Honestly this setup sounded pretty good but the X-Pipe is super heavy. This TopSpeed X-Pipe weighed in at 18.3lbs and cost $699, really can't beat that IMO. Ran this TopSpeed X on my first E92 and fitment was perfect but it was REAL loud... The only lighter option is going Titanium which is a $2k+ investment for 10lbs savings.





Goal for this month in the diet department is to pull another 20lbs from the car. So far I've managed to get 8lbs from rear deck shelf and another 2.5lbs of sound deadening. Deleted radio since I have no speakers and replaced it with a carbon panel for my GoPro remote and future #racecar shit. Hoping that the X-Pipe weight makes up for the MCS canister weight & heavier APR wing.



Stoked for 2023 and more PBs! First event of the year will likely be Buttonwillow on 1/27 with SDC, shooting for a 1:53 this year at BW. Think it's doable after shaving nearly 2 seconds with just the new 3.45 gearing at Sonoma. Not to mention the larger APR GT-250 and MCS 2 Ways that will be on soon. Seems like the ROI of future upgrades will diminish significantly as most of the low hanging fruit is gone. One last wish-list item is a BW race splitter and/or MKRennsport Custom Race wing (GT-250 size & only ~7lbs) but this will have to wait.

2023 goal for the car is to lose as much weight as possible while keeping AC & front "interior" intact, likely gutting the door shells, trunk reinforcement, passenger airbags and any other ideas I get from Beefy.

[leftfootbr8king]

I put together a nitro fill unit for my Moton 2 way remotes. Dm inbound.

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by leftfootbr8king

I put together a nitro fill unit for my Moton 2 way remotes. Dm inbound.

Thank you sir! I just realized that MCS is sending me the fill tool but I'll need to piece together a regulator tool.

I'll text ya a bit later tonight once I get the kids down and have some free time / tomorrow.


Cheers!

[spxxx]

Decided against Dodson as they pulled quite the bait and switch with their DCT pan. Online product images show large baffles and extended pickup but what arrived was a slightly deeper pan with ZERO baffles or pickup changes. Luckily, spooni had an extra Slon pan that he wasn't going to install so we figured out a little trade.

I've also had a lot of free time in the mornings and nights during my paternity leave which I've spent working on some weight reduction. I weighed in at 3333lbs with a 1/4 tank last week (~3260 dry). I've decided that I'm leaving headliner, front carpet, AC and heater so there's not a ton of low hanging fruit

I finished gutting the trunk, removing sound deadening/amplifier and gutted part of the door interior frame which surprisingly got the car down to 3280lbs with 3/4 tank. This should put me right above #3200 dry weight before installing the new MKRennsport Race Wing which will drop another 12-15lbs vs the APR GT-250 brick. Pretty happy with the weight since for an iDrive/DCT car! My next project is to thin the wiring harness (mainly stereo and audio cables). Also, FYI gutting the doors is as painful and annoying as that picture makes it look, I got a total of 12lbs out from the doors while leaving the main crash bar.

My MCS 2WR & Nitro tank should arrive by the 20th which will give me time to get them installed and hopefully allow for a quick test drive in the mountains before Buttonwillow on the 27th with SDC! (Assuming it ever stops raining in CA).

+ I got to check out the new TCDesign E46 racecar, it's insane! 2600lbs with 315 Hoosiers square. Flossman wide body, Drenth Sequential, MCS 3 ways, built S54

[spxxx]

This is definitely the biggest/most expensive update (hopefully ever) since purchase. TLDR; installed MCS 2 Ways, AP 9668's, APR GT250, Slon DCT Pan and ran a 1:53.73 @ BWRP CW13 & 1:55.9 @ Thunderhill this weekend. APs work really really well, 3.45 gears and MCS 2 Ways make this chassis a total weapon. Anyone on the fence re: shorter gears... get them now.

Anyhow... My 6 week "off season" was focused on the AP upgrade, MCS 2 Ways, APR GT250 & Slon DCT Pan. Finished installing them the night before my shakedown at BW on Friday. I decided to be a crazy person and run BW + Thunderhill the same weekend.

The APs arrived first, shout out to OG Shark for hooking it up and getting them shipped to me within 4 days. I've always loved the the ST40R kit but the APs are on a totally different level, the design is incredible. I didn't plan this upgrade but the ST40's weren't totally confidence inspiring and with 2 kiddos, my perception of acceptable risk is much lower... I got these installed quickly and kept my ST40R rears on the car (didn't seem to impact bias).

The Slon pan went on really easily (or so I thought) few install notes for others: Be sure to let the old pan fully drain for 12+ hours as you need a dry/clean surface for the gasket maker to seal properly. Slon sent some Loctite 574 Anaerobic sealant but it seems that this was expired and didn't cure properly, I ended up fixing it with Loctite 518. The anaerobic sealant will only dry in the absence of oxygen, once the pan touches the DCT it'll start to cure so you need torque it immediately (6.6ft/lbs). I also highly suggest getting the banjo filler so you can get the extra 1.5L in without jacking up the passenger side to fill it.

The other big change to the car are the MCS 2WR, I decided to keep my rates at 625/900. Tony at TCDesign hooked it up but they were shipped directly to me so I needed to build a nitro filler system to refill reservoirs after install. This was way easier than expected as I bought the MCS filler tool (kinda wish I built my own as their gauge is tiny). You just need a tank (20cuft), dual stage nitrogen regulator, 1/4" hose, high pressure valve & Schrader valve to connect to the MCS filler - if anyone wants the parts list just hit me up!

I was lazy and didn't want to tow so I drove the E92 down to Buttonwillow Fri morning to run with SDC. First session had awful traffic but managed a 1:54.16 without pushing which is 1.5sec faster than my last PB so I was pretty confident that I could get into the low-53's or even 52's. This was my first time driving the 3.45 gears which put me in 4th gear for many of the corners that were previously 3rd. I dropped bump down a bit and the car felt even more composed over the curbs, these shocks are legit magic. I laid down a few high 1:53's with a PB of 1:53.73. It's pretty crazy watching the in-car video, much less drama / oversteer vs the old setup.

Unfortunately after my 2nd session I found a small DCT leak and really didn't want to be stuck in BW so I packed it up. After watching in-car I've set my CW13 goal at 1:51.xx now that I have the suggested settings from MCS and know where I can take full advantage of the aero, shocks & gearing. I'm definitely lifting too much through bus stop and taking a suboptimal line into Phil Hill.

I had such a blast on Friday but was pretty upset I wasn't able to run the whole day so I decided to run T-Hill Saturday night about 8 hours before I had to get on the road. I arrived to a full downpour. This is where the MCS really surprised me, I dropped compression and rebound down near full soft. Combined with the RE71RS, the car had way more grip than it should have on a wet track. Managed a 2:02.0 on a wet track and a 1:55.8 once the track was mostly dry after lunch.

Now it's time to prep for SpeedSF Challenge @ Sonoma on the 11th. My PB there without the recent mods puts me within 1sec of the S3 lap record so it should be a good event!

[spxxx]

Finally uploaded some in-car video from Sonoma in Dec. & Buttonwillow on 1/27.

https://youtu.be/olyG6r7qoH8

https://youtu.be/sylW9I_DQEU

[derbo]

so fast.

[MaX PL]

What is the red valve and chuck you use to go from yellow hose to MCS tool?

I have the two stage regulator, 1/4" refrigeration hose, and MCS tool. Need to get a bottle and whichever adapter or fittings to go from 1/4" refrigeration hose to MCS tool. Looks like I need the chuck like you have as theres a schrader valve in the MCS tool, but what's the purpose of what looks like a valve with red handle?

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by derbo

so fast.

I'm trying! The car definitely still has more in it though

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by MaX PL

What is the red valve and chuck you use to go from yellow hose to MCS tool?

I have the two stage regulator, 1/4" refrigeration hose, and MCS tool. Need to get a bottle and whichever adapter or fittings to go from 1/4" refrigeration hose to MCS tool. Looks like I need the chuck like you have as theres a schrader valve in the MCS tool, but what's the purpose of what looks like a valve with red handle?

Honestly, I don't think it's necessary but I previously added an additional (more precise) gauge where that valve is due to the tiny gauge on my regulator/MCS filler being hard to read. Your setup seems fine, any Ace should have the 1/4 flare to NPT adapter you need!

[jmeenach]

Originally Posted by spxxx

Gonna complain to Tire Rack and see if they'll warranty the 2 fronts haha.

NexenSport-R tires are en route... We'll see how they do this weekend at Buttonwillow if I can make it.

I've had four friends run into issues with their RT660 tires; all within the last 60 days or so. Wondering if there were a few bad "batches" or if Falken changed the structure of the tire...

I know a couple people swapped over to the Nankang AR-1 with good results. I haven't tried them myself, but they seem to be a good bang for your buck tire from what I've read.

[sc_tr0jan_m3]

The AR1 tires a junk. They heat cycle out so quick.

[spxxx]

Originally Posted by sc_tr0jan_m3

The AR1 tires a junk. They heat cycle out so quick.

That's what I've heard, I'm on the RE71RS crack pipe now anyway so I'm a happy camper

[tsk94]

Originally Posted by sc_tr0jan_m3

The AR1 tires a junk. They heat cycle out so quick.

I've used a few sets of AR1's, mainly because nothing else was available at the time in the sizes I needed. Conclusion - AR1's suck.
Buy NT01 or RR's if you want a <100tw tire that wears well, doesn't grease up and is decently quick. Otherwise, Hoosiers/Slicks or a good 200tw tire.

[sc_tr0jan_m3]

Originally Posted by tsk94

I've used a few sets of AR1's, mainly because nothing else was available at the time in the sizes I needed. Conclusion - AR1's suck.
Buy NT01 or RR's if you want a <100tw tire that wears well, doesn't grease up and is decently quick. Otherwise, Hoosiers/Slicks or a good 200tw tire.

Yep. Even the conti ECF 200 tw tire is a better tire than the AR1’s

[spxxx]

Quick Update: Got another BW event under my belt after installing the MCS 2WR, 3.45 Gears & AP brakes! I can say this this car is totally transformed with these mods. Instead of drifting my way through laps to barely hit PBs I've been able to shave full seconds off each event as I get the shocks dialed in for my driving style and the track.

Anyhow, I decided to run Buttonwillow with Speed District at 7pm the night before. I drove the E92 4hrs (with 4 wheels riding shotgun) and thankfully arrived in time for session 1! decided to run my MCS settings from my 1:53 PB lap for my first session but lowered the Nitro Pressure closer to MCS'S suggested PSI. I sent it on lap 3 hoping the tires had heat in them and was running a perfect lap until... I entered Sunset with a predictive 1:50.xx annnnd blew the exit by getting on power way too early which cost me almost a second. That curbing is getting absurd.

Beat my previous PB by 1.5sec with a 1:51.8 so I'm a very happy camper! Never thought I'd be running anywhere near these times in my garage built E92 with a DIY alignment lol... I know there are faster folks out there but my in-car video looks effortless compared to my previous setup with very little oversteer correction. I spent the rest of the day tuning my shocks and ran consistent 1:52 - 1:53.5's but my original setup seemed best so I'll be going back soon to try and run the elusive sub-50 lap!

Also ran into Gabe dogbone - I haven't seen the car in person since around GTA 2019, such a wild build and makes going S/C'er + Aero so tempting! Good hangs with track rats and PBs, can't complain!

As far as next steps, I'm still not totally happy with the feel of the car with understeer in slow corners & some body roll during fast transiting which is keeping me from staying flat through bus stop. Next steps are bumping up the rear spring rates (or increasing nitro pressure) and possibly tightening the front sway bar. Also thanks to spooni I'll finally be fancy like everyone else and swap out my Megan Muffler for an Akra so I don't want to kill myself every time I drive on the freeway

https://youtu.be/Jcw2z_4GJOI