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      07-11-2016, 08:54 AM   #1
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First Mods and 5 Yr Plan

Hello all. First time post-er here.

I'm planning my first (not counting tires) set of mods for my M235. My impressions of the car while driving at Palmer in May were that it needs (as everyone says) to have the understeer addressed to help turn in and reduce tire wear. I also felt that it needed to feel more planted in some situations.

I absolutely love the car and want to invest in it as my long term track car but it also has to be my DD for the next 5 yrs (I commute 70 miles / day round trip into center city Philly). So I'm trying to manage decreasing DD comfort, cost, and increased track performance over time.

The car already has a port installed LSD and I'm running 245/17 Ventus RS3 V2 at the track.

Here's what I'm thinking for my first round of upgrades...

Hotchkis sway bars and end links
M3/M4 LCA Upgrade
Brake line upgrade
Turner Pedal Set

So future plans would be...

2017 - intercooler, intake, and tune
2018 - exhaust, front to back (the wife is not excited about this one)
2019 - coilovers, additional bushing upgrades?
2020 - seats/harness

Any additional thoughts on initial track upgrades i should do now? I have 2 events left this year - Lightning NJMP in August, and the Glen in September.
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      07-11-2016, 11:38 AM   #2
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Pads, lines, and fluid first.
Charge Pipe.
Than wheels and tires.
Suspension.
Than tune, than hw upgrades.
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      07-11-2016, 08:10 PM   #3
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I had no problems using the stock pads with upgraded fluid. In fact, I ran over 12 track days with the stock pads. I'm not saying that's ideal, but I think there's better money spent elsewhere.

We all know that the car lacks front camber. If you over drove the car at all, you will destroy any tire you put on there.

I think adding the M3/M4 LCA's is smart. This will give you at least some negative camber which will prevent you from blowing through tires.

I also like the idea of adding sway bars. The car has too much roll (IMHO) from the factory. Upgraded sway bars is in the top 3 for best upgrades on the F22 chassis (again IMO).

Last, I would look at getting a square wheel/tire set up. The car trends to understeer and again if over driven will destroy tires. Having a square set up on the car will help prevent unwanted understeer and make the car feel more neutral. Apex makes a good 18x8.5 set up that allows you to run a 235/40 tire without worrying about fender clearance, etc.

Overall, I think you have a really good plan. I'm always more apt to recommend safety items though over HP. I know it's your DD, but I'd consider a Simpson Hybrid Pro HANS sooner rather than later. It'll work with your factory 3pt belts too......the only HANS that does.

Good stuff!
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      07-11-2016, 08:48 PM   #4
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Thanks guys.

Brake lines (and upgraded fluid) are on the list for my first trip in for work.
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      07-12-2016, 08:09 PM   #5
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All good advice, safety, stopping, suspension, wheels/tires. Power is last.
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      08-12-2016, 02:17 PM   #6
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I second the recommendation for a Simpson HNR...especially if you ride along in friend's/instructor's race cars with full harnesses.

As for the car upgrade list, it looks like you've got all the right things on the list. Considering my impressions from all the mods I've done to my car over the past couple of years, I'd prioritize as follows:

Brakes:
High performance fluid
Track pads
Stainless steel lines

Suspension/Grip:
Vorshlag Camber plates
Square wheel/tire setup, as wide as you can fit
Sway bars/end links
Solid rear subframe bushings (install at the same time as sway bars, while rear subframe is down)
F8x LCAs, bushings/monoballs, etc
Coil overs (if budget allows, move up a few spots ; )

Power:
Turbo-back exhaust (including down pipe)
Intake
Intercooler

Other:
Seats and harnesses are great, but need to be researched and considered carefully, as not getting it right will leave you less safe than with the factory seats and 3-points belts
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      08-12-2016, 07:56 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m3cmm
Hello all. First time post-er here.

I'm planning my first (not counting tires) set of mods for my M235. My impressions of the car while driving at Palmer in May were that it needs (as everyone says) to have the understeer addressed to help turn in and reduce tire wear. I also felt that it needed to feel more planted in some situations.

I absolutely love the car and want to invest in it as my long term track car but it also has to be my DD for the next 5 yrs (I commute 70 miles / day round trip into center city Philly). So I'm trying to manage decreasing DD comfort, cost, and increased track performance over time.

The car already has a port installed LSD and I'm running 245/17 Ventus RS3 V2 at the track.

Here's what I'm thinking for my first round of upgrades...

Hotchkis sway bars and end links
M3/M4 LCA Upgrade
Brake line upgrade
Turner Pedal Set

So future plans would be...

2017 - intercooler, intake, and tune
2018 - exhaust, front to back (the wife is not excited about this one)
2019 - coilovers, additional bushing upgrades?
2020 - seats/harness

Any additional thoughts on initial track upgrades i should do now? I have 2 events left this year - Lightning NJMP in August, and the Glen in September.
I'm running the same tires and wheel diameter for track days. I assume you have a square setup. What cold/hot tire pressures are you using for track days?
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      08-13-2016, 07:24 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rich8566 View Post
What cold/hot tire pressures are you using for track days?
At Palmer I think I was running somewhere around 40 in front and 38 in rear hot. I'm going to have to experiment again next week though because I was messing with the them all weekend and my memory is a little hazy.
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      08-13-2016, 07:33 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DVC View Post
I second the recommendation for a Simpson HNR...especially if you ride along in friend's/instructor's race cars with full harnesses.
My helmet needs to be replaced next year, so I'll get a Hans compatible one (and device) next year.

The car goes Bimmerworks today! I ended up going down the Dinan road. Final list is:

Dinan sway bars
M3 LCAs
Tension strut bushings
Brake lines and fluid upgrade

I didn't think about subframe bushings. Maybe I can squeeze it in there since I'm doing the sway bars.

I did end up putting on the Dinan sport tune just for fun. It does add a very satisfying amount of power at a low cost. And I installed it in 5 minutes.
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      08-13-2016, 11:23 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m3cmm View Post
My helmet needs to be replaced next year, so I'll get a Hans compatible one (and device) next year.

The car goes Bimmerworks today! I ended up going down the Dinan road. Final list is:

Dinan sway bars
M3 LCAs
Tension strut bushings
Brake lines and fluid upgrade

I didn't think about subframe bushings. Maybe I can squeeze it in there since I'm doing the sway bars.

I did end up putting on the Dinan sport tune just for fun. It does add a very satisfying amount of power at a low cost. And I installed it in 5 minutes.
Can't go wrong with Dinan... Some say their tuning approach is conservative, but their sway bars, CAI, and tension strut monoball kit look great. I already have H&R sways and an aFe intake, but I do plan on getting their monoball kit shortly.

It's a pain in the neck to drop the rear subframe, so since you need to do it to install the rear sways, it's a no-brainer to upgrade the RSBs while you're in there... One of my favorite mods <my RSB review>

Also, I highly recommend camber plates for track work, as the extra front grip is a game-changer in unlocking the car's potential. We've been waiting for years for Vorshlag to develop their plates for F chassis cars (theirs are superior to Dinan's and everyone else's), and they finally just released them last week.
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Last edited by DVC; 08-14-2016 at 09:50 AM..
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      08-13-2016, 05:55 PM   #11
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The camber plates were a nightmare. Still sitting in a box and nothing i can do with them. a $500 Dinan paper weight.

Intake, fmic is rock solid tho. I'll sell them for 200$ if anyone wants them. PM me.
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      08-14-2016, 07:55 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m3cmm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rich8566 View Post
What cold/hot tire pressures are you using for track days?
At Palmer I think I was running somewhere around 40 in front and 38 in rear hot. I'm going to have to experiment again next week though because I was messing with the them all weekend and my memory is a little hazy.
I think you're spot on with the tire pressures. I also run 2 lbs more in the front to reduce understeer.
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