CoconutPete drops the rear subframe

[CoconutPete]

How hard did you look?
https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-Z3-M_C...h/52108410323/
https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-Z3-M_C...h/52108410324/

Still, tough to drop $350-$700 on new foam when a shop can just rebuild it cheaper.

Whoa! I could not find these back when I was looking. Really I'd probably just be needing the bottom foam on the drivers side. Of course on top of that I'd need to pay for custom re-covering. What are you forking over for that?

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Sorry I'm late to comment. If you're talking about the drive shaft to diff flange, I used a crow's foot very successfully.

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For now I just tightened them until my lips turned purple, but you're totally right about the crows foot. I'm going to pick up a set this weekend.

[cyberman]

Are they replicating the foam for you? Like a custom job?

I have a friend who's lived in this area since birth. He restores all kind of things. Right now he's supercharging a Spitfire so he can bump horsepower from 50 to maybe 65-70. And, he has a friend, an old geezer with a warehouse full of foam who's been doing seats for his whole life. And, yes, he does a custom job. In some respects, it's good to live in the heartland as there are guys like that still around although they're a dying breed. Similarly, the franchises and most local companies quoted $700 per window to do my house. I found a 75 year old workhorse happy to do it for $350/window. But that foam S8ilver is an attractive option and I'll talk to the upholster about it. Or, with new foam and seat covers, maybe I could do the job myself.

[IndianaRoadster]

In the past some of the guys on the fourm have talked about professional upholsters using steam to rejuvenize foam. They say the steam brings it back to original form.

[s8ilver]

Whoa! I could not find these back when I was looking. Really I'd probably just be needing the bottom foam on the drivers side. Of course on top of that I'd need to pay for custom re-covering. What are you forking over for that?

I'm undecided what my plan is here. My DS bottom foam is pretty worn and flattened on outer edge at 163k miles. I try not to sit to put more stress on it as it's worn through to the bar, but the leather hasn't split yet and I don't care enough yet. The idea of taking my seat apart myself to replace the foam doesn't sound appealing to me at all. I do have a pair of M seats in the basement, but they're Imola. I'll figure something out in the spring. Or not.

[CoconutPete]

Well, there was a quick break in the weather today, so I got to take her out for just a few minutes. Honestly, I was driving around thinking "yeah, she feels pretty crisp, but not a world of difference".

Then I had to take a quick left from a stop sign into a lot of traffic.

WHOA! THAT'S where you feel it! The sharp turns. The "wiggle" is gone!

I'm going to re-torque some stuff and hopefully get a longer ride in this weekend.

Indiana: I have also seen the "puff the foam back up with steam" videos and tried it with mixed success when I had my seat cover off.

I took the seat cover off the drivers side to put a new seatbelt guide on and to solder the wire for the heated seat. I was thinking that putting it back on would be easy. Instead I have a whole new appreciation for automotive upholstery...

I may just take the "easy" way out and put the passenger side up in the storage loft I just built and pick up another R100 for the passenger side, but I do want to do something with the stock seats at some point...

[ProductUser]

Your response is common from others, including myself, when all of those bits are replaced. I also re-torqued everything after some miles, just to be sure. To take it to another level, I also put anti-tamper (white nail polish) marks on all of the nuts and bolts. A side-effect my my aircraft days, those anti-tamper marks make for a quick inspection

[BimmerBreaker]

I mark all the bolts I touch with paint pen when reinstalled. That way I know at a quick glance if anything has come loose, re-torqueing should not be necessary if torqued to the correct specs the first time

[ProductUser]

I mark all the bolts I touch with paint pen when reinstalled. That way I know at a quick glance if anything has come loose, re-torqueing should not be necessary if torqued to the correct specs the first time

Memory issues, old age...I re-torqued just in case

[CoconutPete]

Two of the allen bolts on the subframe brackets lined up perfectly with the white marks once I snugged them down. I actually let out an "oh yeah!" from underneath the car.