E34 Weight Catalogue

[TGreene]

Weight is almost always a consideration when making modifications to our cars. I have a lot of parts on hand and I think compiling all of the data that we can will help others make decisions in the future with their cars. If you have an accurate scale, please contribute what you can.

MASTER LIST:

S38 Engine:
Complete E34 M5 3.8 Air Intake Plenum: 18.5 lbs (TGreene)

M30 Engine:
Alternator: 7.40 kg (TGreene)
A/C Compressor: 8.50 kg (TGreene)

Interior:
Nappa Leather Electric Sport Seat (non-heated): 63.0 lbs (TGreene)
Nappa Leather Electric Sport Seat (heated) 60.5 lbs (93FIM5)
Cloth Manual Sport Seat 48.0 lbs (93FIM5)


Brakes:
E34 M5 Stock 315 Rotor (used): 19.7 lbs (TGreene)

Wheels:
Painted Throwing Star Cover: 2.0 lbs (TGreene)


Drivetrain:



Leather Electric Sport Seat - 63lbs

Throwing Star Cover - 2lbs

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

[moroza]

What a great idea!

I recently took my wagon to a scrapyard (to buy scrap for unrelated projects, not to sell it), and was surprised that it was only 3860 with me (130), a bed (perhaps 30), and a half tank of gas (~80#), or right around 3620# empty. I thought it was a lot heavier, like 3800 empty. But I did remove a lot of weight during the build. Here's what I've got; unfortunately, none of these are better than 10% precise:

S6S 420G without clutch, shifter, or giubo: 93#
Medium-case diff without output flanges: 90#
Large-case diff without output flanges: 100#
Auto trans out of a 530iT: 150#
Dual-mass flywheel off an M62B44: 44#
UUC flywheel for 280mm clutch: 15#
Manual comfort seats: 30# each
Power comfort seats: about 45# each
Touring sunroof frame and motors (but not panels): about 20#
Early ASC hydro unit: 15#
E31 4-piston calipers, unloaded: 7.5# each
E34 525/530/535 front calipers, unloaded: about 9# each
E31 1-piston calipers, unloaded: about 12# each

[shogun]

you know that all weights are in bmwfans, provided the part has a p/n? Example http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E3...elocity_joint/

[TGreene]

you know that all weights are in bmwfans, provided the part has a p/n? Example http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E3...elocity_joint/

It's a very useful website but a lot of the parts are broken down so far where it is easier to throw it on the scale than it is to add up all of the components. A good example is the seat, or the sunroof cassette, or the brake calipers. Also, there is always doubt so I prefer to verify myself when I can.

[moroza]

you know that all weights are in bmwfans, provided the part has a p/n? Example http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E3...elocity_joint/

I did not know about this, thanks!

Some of the numbers are inconsistent (and some just wrong; my 530iT auto trans did not weigh 86kg/190lb) but this is pretty cool.

[ross1]

I did not know about this, thanks!

Some of the numbers are inconsistent (and some just wrong; my 530iT auto trans did not weigh 86kg/190lb) but this is pretty cool.

I think the weights listed are "shipping weight"

[TGreene]

M30 Alternator: 7.40 kg

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

M30 A/C Compressor: 8.50 kg

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

Battery: 21.35 kb

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

535i Cats: 18.55kg

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

[moroza]

Pounds in the first post and kilograms in the second? Consistency, please...

[TGreene]

Pounds in the first post and kilograms in the second? Consistency, please...

Yeah, I know. Scale reads lbs to the 10th and kg to the 100th, didn't realize the difference on the first few.

[sugaki]

I weighed the M-systems (forged) with throwing star covers at 22 pounds

[TGreene]

I weighed the M-systems (forged) with throwing star covers at 22 pounds

Really makes those ARC-8s that Apex makes appealing, huh? I think they are 17 or 18. That combined with some aluminum brake calipers could be ~10lbs of unsprung weight per front corner, ~8lbs rear and 36lbs lost overall. On my list.

[Neel]

tires also vary in weight between brands.

[93FIM5]

Manual cloth sport seat weight.

Manual_Seat_Weigh_1 by 93FIM5, on Flickr

Manual_Seat_Weigh_2 by 93FIM5, on Flickr

48lbs or ~22kg

Electric leather sport seat weight with heating.

Electric_Seat_Weigh_1 by 93FIM5, on Flickr

Electric_Seat_Weigh_2 by 93FIM5, on Flickr

60.5lbs or ~ 27.5kg

-Greg

[sugaki]

Oh wow, not as much difference between manual and electric as I thought. Thanks for weighing those!

Really makes those ARC-8s that Apex makes appealing, huh? I think they are 17 or 18. That combined with some aluminum brake calipers could be ~10lbs of unsprung weight per front corner, ~8lbs rear and 36lbs lost overall. On my list.

I should've weighed the Euro M5 brakes/calipers, but they felt like bricks so I decided the Brembo GTs already on the car were better (something like 11 lbs?). Weight savings canceled out by my BBS wheels, weighing in at a surprisingly portly 24 lbs.

[TGreene]

Uploading pictures now but was surprised to see a 5lb weight savings when swapping the convention front suspension assembly for the BC coilovers I've been waiting to install. Weighed them with the front rotors because the alignment screw took about 3 hours of work today and still would not come off. No sensors, no end links, just the hubs, dust shield and front rotor:

1994 M5 with BavAuto Springs and Bilstein Sport Struts - 50.8lbs
1995 540i with BC Coilovers installed - 45.6lbs

10lbs of unsprung weight thrown in as a bonus? Not bad at all.

[ross1]

Uploading pictures now but was surprised to see a 5lb weight savings when swapping the convention front suspension assembly for the BC coilovers I've been waiting to install. Weighed them with the front rotors because the alignment screw took about 3 hours of work today and still would not come off. No sensors, no end links, just the hubs, dust shield and front rotor:

1994 M5 with BavAuto Springs and Bilstein Sport Struts - 50.8lbs
1995 540i with BC Coilovers installed - 45.6lbs

10lbs of unsprung weight thrown in as a bonus? Not bad at all.

I'm done struggling with those little @*%!ers, if they are stripped out and don't give quickly a good rap with a dead blow hammer to the back of the rotor will break them out. There isn't much metal in that part and it simply leaves hole the size of the recess for the screw head. The screw can then be addressed by other methods.

[BleedsBlue]

I should've weighed the Euro M5 brakes/calipers, but they felt like bricks so I decided the Brembo GTs already on the car were better (something like 11 lbs?). Weight savings canceled out by my BBS wheels, weighing in at a surprisingly portly 24 lbs.

I have those numbers, and a few others I should add to this thread. Ideally we can run everything through Trevor in the first post so there is a concise list, not spread out...

The late-'95 345mm rotor is 20#, about 0.5# lighter than the regular 315mm M5 rotor. The ATE four piston is 14.75#, however, super chunky. Were your GTs the F40 design, I'm guessing? Most E34 GT kits seemed to have been F40 calipers.

BBS wheels are typically quite heavy, even race wheels like E88s. They make up for it in durability.

Uploading pictures now but was surprised to see a 5lb weight savings when swapping the convention front suspension assembly for the BC coilovers I've been waiting to install. Weighed them with the front rotors because the alignment screw took about 3 hours of work today and still would not come off. No sensors, no end links, just the hubs, dust shield and front rotor:

1994 M5 with BavAuto Springs and Bilstein Sport Struts - 50.8lbs
1995 540i with BC Coilovers installed - 45.6lbs

10lbs of unsprung weight thrown in as a bonus? Not bad at all.

That's a good data point! My coil overs certainly look lighter than the stock-sized shocks and struts.

As a rule I stopped re-installing rotor set screws years ago.

[tantumaude]

Full set of front M5 N'ring brake bits (calipers, pads and rotors) was just under 83 lbs.

[sugaki]

Think Brembo GT brakes (F40, 332mm rotors) weigh somewhere around 50 lbs.

[TGreene]

Sorry moroza, but did these with pounds again. Next time =p

E34 M5 Front strut assembly with stock rotor. BavAuto springs and Bilstein struts: 50.8 lbs
Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

BC Coilovers on an E34 540i hub, with stock E34 M5 front rotor (to compare with above): 45.6 lbs

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

Used E34 M5 stock front rotor: 19.7 lbs

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

E38 M-Parallel 18x8 with Hancook Ventus: 44.9 lbs

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

E34 M5 Naked M-System 17x8 with _ : 42.3 lbs

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

E34 M5 3.8 Complete Air Intake Plenum: 18.5 lbs

Untitled by Trevor, on Flickr

[moroza]

I'm done struggling with those little @*%!ers, if they are stripped out and don't give quickly a good rap with a dead blow hammer to the back of the rotor will break them out. There isn't much metal in that part and it simply leaves hole the size of the recess for the screw head. The screw can then be addressed by other methods.

I did this once and put a huge crack in the rotor (which I was replacing anyway).

Anti-seize is your friend (also apply it to balljoint studs). And remember that impact works better than slow-n-steady cranking.

And if it's any consolation, some genius at Honda in the 90's decided that a Phillips head was appropriate for a brake rotor set screw. If you think BMW's allen-heads are fun, try one of those. From the east coast. Previously serviced by Janky Lube.

I weighed some stuff today on a mediocre digital bathroom scale that measures in pounds, precise to 0.2#. Accuracy and precision are not the same thing, but it seems ok.

Assembled strut with 525i brake rotor and swaybar link: 52.0#, 23.6kg (components add up to 51.8#, 23.5kg)
" minus spring, rotor, and top hat: 25.6#, 11.6kg
Spring: 7.0#, 3.2kg (BMWfans.info gives 6.8#, 3.1kg)
Rotor: 16.2#, 7.4kg (" 16.5#, 7.5kg)
Top hat with pad and hardware: 3.0#, 1.4kg
Knuckle with control arms (alu lowers) and tierod: 12.0#, 5.5kg
15x7 basketweave with 205/65 tire: 37.2#, 16.9kg
" with centercap and lug bolts: 38.0#, 17.3kg
15x7 OE steelie with 205/65 tire and no cap or bolts: 39.0#, 17.7kg

Attempt to calculate unsprung weight:

Assuming my previous 9#/4.1kg for loaded 525i front calipers is correct, and using half the weight of the springs and control arms, and ignoring brake lines, swaybar, and ABS sensor (which are unsprung weight), and also ignoring the shock pin (which is sprung, weighs roughly the same as the other things we're ignoring, so fudgingly cancels them out), that gives a front corner unsprung weight on a stock 525i/530i/535i of... 98.3 pounds, or 44.7kg (the kg masses above don't add up to match, due to rounding)

[m60power]

Thread bump:

Here are some items I weighed when doing my E32 740 manual swap. I used a bathroom scale so the weight might not be super accurate

• TTV Racing 265mm single mass flywheel (E34 540i) = 17.6 lbs
• Stock E34 540i 265mm dual mass LUK/Sachs flywheel = 32.1 lbs
• Stock E34 540i Sachs pressure plate, 265mm = 18.1 lbs