So... what alignment specs are you guys running to optimize grip? I just test drove my E46 and it’s so much worse than my FC. I’ve got an alignment appointment scheduled on Thursday so hopefully that helps
It’s just feels like it has no forward bite. It’s sort of hard to explain. You know how you can go in to a corner hot, get on the handbrake to get out to an outer zone, pop the clutch and get on throttle and normally it’ll stay on that line/ on the track? Mine won’t. It’ll just walk off the track backwards while spinning the tires forward. I run the same line in the RX7 and nail the zone so I know (well, I assume) it’s not something in the way I’m driving.
Why degrees? People don't have Hunter racks at the track, they have toe plates. I hate it when people quote degrees. I have to do a bunch of trig to figure out what they mean in "real numbers."
Degrees for camber is easy of course, and what the heck else would you do really, but for toe... Good old inches baby! Even centimeters or millimeters would be fine with me.
Last edited by tptrsn; 11-07-2017 at 08:38 AM.
Because your toe plates might be different than mine. Or you use the lower notches while I use the upper notches. Degrees are exact while inches can vary depending on your method of measurement.
Status: Someone put glitter in my oil. Wait. Why's all my oil outside the engine? What's that knocking?
If you trig that out you'll see the differences are absolutely minimal, and are far less than what you can control while adjusting or can notice behind the wheel.
That's just like... you're opinion man.
Status: Someone put glitter in my oil. Wait. Why's all my oil outside the engine? What's that knocking?
Different camber plates or height of notches shouldn’t matter when it’s in inches though, 1/2” of difference measured 1” off the ground is going to be 1/2” of difference measured 6” off the ground aswell, as were only referring to the difference between measurements and not saying “oh it’s 78.500 at the front of the tire and 78.000 at the rear” right?
I really just wanted degrees because it's easier for me. I didn't want this to become a thing <_<. Height isn't the issue, the distance between the measurement points left to right is. If your toe plates upper notches are 12 inches apart and the bottom are 11 inches apart, you'll get differing degrees for the same inch values. But tptrsn's point is that the difference will be something like 0.001" and really doesn't matter in variance between toe plate manufacturers. And he's right. I just prefer seeing degrees than inches as I'm normally on laser alignment machines instead of toe plates.
Status: Someone put glitter in my oil. Wait. Why's all my oil outside the engine? What's that knocking?
I couldn't find a gif of scarjo scratching near her crotch.
Status: Someone put glitter in my oil. Wait. Why's all my oil outside the engine? What's that knocking?
Last edited by Jaze; 11-08-2017 at 09:24 PM.
I called Fortune auto and gave them a sheet with all the build specs on my car and this is what they recommended. The BCs that we’re on the car previously (I have not driven on the fortunes yet) were either 8k or 12k. 80% sure they were 12k
I'm not sure if you have a special recipe for your rear end, or who you spoke to or what the circumstances are but if you have a stock 328i those rates in my opinion are incorrect according to the motion ratios of the car and based on my experiences with e36s. Feel free to call them back and say you have a concern about your specs after speaking with Jaze of BWS and they will look it over for you again. If you aren't getting where you want, just ask to speak with Jaze, I can explain further. BTW I am also assuming you have a OEM style rear suspension.
To be honest, during that build we didn't have all of the information available now and I haven't been "in to" drifting in a good 5 years but a 10/14k and 12/16k set up for me felt fantastic when it was putting out 450ish whp. Bear in mind it wasn't a dedicated drift car and style was just as important as performance...maybe it took priority when looking back.
If i were doing it all over today, i'd have to play with the fronts along the lines of 8 or 9k with a 14k rear spring and a ridiculously high rear ride height. Mike explained these theories in the thread, and I have been using that formula for close to 7 years at this point with a damn near 100% success rate.
One of my good buddy's car Frank (e36 Hater) runs a 14k rear spring, tall ass drag radials, my special grip shock valving, and I haven't seen an e36 come close to gripping like that. He is a roll racer, not a drifter but I believe we can take some principles from that and apply it to drifting rather easily. My first test if I had to take Frank's car and drift is to see if a lower rear rate would grip/smoke/forward bite more. After all, those drag tires provide a shit ton of mechanical grip which is possible is compensating for the stiffer rates. My hypothesis is that it would create more smoke and be marginally more stable in transition (while using appropriate drift tires), Mike's test of going from 16k to 10k is conclusive with that but I would need to be doing all the testing myself with my own set of variables before I can speak as confidently as i would like on the subject after so many years.
I could go on and on about this LOL.
And you should, he is a very smart Gentleman when it comes to suspension. I sit directly in front of him every work day, and pick his brain a lot.
Last edited by Jaze; 11-09-2017 at 07:09 PM.
I just double checked the email, it is from Matt. I have an E46 with an LS6/T56, full cage, tube front, tube rear, rear mounted rad, rear mounted water pump, and battery relocated to inside the cabin. I also have carbon / kevlar quarter panels, a carbon decklid, and lexan rear window. I just assumed it was something to do with the weight differences from a stock E46. I have not driven on the fortunes yet at all, I wrecked the car on BCs and got the fortunes.
That is quite the extensive mod list! I was under the impression it was a stock body, I would 100% trust Matt's suggestion as my suggestions/advice definitely did not take any of that in to account. I am speaking strictly from a stock body stand point. Once you do get out there with the car, feel free to ask for Matt for fine tuning. I wouldn't mind looking it over for you either, just ask Matt to run it by me and we can maximize this anti squat thing for you.
I was planning on just going to Matt when i ordered my 510s for the E46. 10/14 sounds nice to me. lil bit softer in the rear to make up for the slight front heaviness of the E46.
Tell Matt kiki says hi.
Status: Someone put glitter in my oil. Wait. Why's all my oil outside the engine? What's that knocking?
Those if you running 2.5id coilover springs in the rear of your e46's. What rate are you running and what length? I'm thinking about doing 5" 650's. My lowering springs are too soft and I get a ton of squat in the rear under power. I'm thinking 6" coils may be too tall.
Edit: based on some of these posts, should I be trying to find something heavier than 650's? 16kg is nearly 900lb/in. Are the UCA's not breaking with that much rate?
Last edited by welchct; 11-10-2017 at 08:05 PM.
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