Upgrading the E36 M3 Brakes May 4, 2007
Fortunately, the well-documented check engine light maladies that are frequently mentioned with this car, have been largely absent, and it has provided years of care-free ownership.
For a few years now, this 1997 BMW M3 has been lurking in the shadows here at GRM. This car, a one family, two owner, 117,000 mile example was purchased nearly new in 1998 by associate publisher, Joe Gearin’s Dad. This example is a luxury model, which means it has a slotted front grill (instead of mesh), power seats (non-Vader type), and all the bells and whistles like the trip computer, wood door pulls and console surround, and a sunroof.
This M3 has lead a pretty pampered life, with only occasional track and autocross use. Joe’s Dad also spent way too many weekend days waxing, and polishing, so the paintwork has held up very well to time, and the elements. Modifications have been mild, such as a Turner cold air intake, and we have tried various short shifters in the car. Besides that, she is just an honest, well loved E36 M3. Fortunately, the well-documented check engine light maladies that are frequently mentioned with this car, have been largely absent, and it has provided years of care-free ownership. (knocking on wood!)
Due to the age, and occasionally enthusiastic use of the car, a brake upgrade was in order. While the stock M3 brakes are pretty darn stout for a production vehicle, we had noticed a bit of fade while at the track. We originally considered going to a big brake kit, but since this isn’t going to be a dedicated track car, we decided to go a different route.
Most big brake kits necessitate a change to a larger wheel to clear the larger calipers. We like the looks of the M3’s M-Contour wheel, and already had two sets of these wheels, one for street use, and the other set shod with race rubber. We decided for our uses, a stock sized rotor replacement would be the best way to go. Fortunately, Racing Brake makes a nice 2-piece rotor upgrade for a variety of applications, including the E36 M3.
Racingbrake claims that their patented center-mounted rotor assembly allows for better airflow from both the inboard and outboard sides of the rotor. This, they claim, balances the stress, and heat loads under heaving braking. The rotors also feature patented convergent vanes that are said to promote more efficient air flow and even temperatures across the disk’s surface. These slotted, and drilled, replacement rotors are designed for occasional track day, autocross, and enthusiast uses. Perfect for our application. While these rotors aren’t cheap ($568.42 front set) they cost a bunch less than a big brake upgrade, and seemed to be exactly what we needed.
Once they arrived, we were impressed with the high quality materials. They slip on just as easily as a stock rotor, and actually save a little weight due to the aluminum rotor hat. We haven’t had a chance to hit the track yet with our new rotors, but judging by the massive air channels, and quality construction, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a decrease in brake fade. They also are just plain beautiful to look at, without making the car a Bling machine.
Because the M3 is mainly a street car, we decided to check out Hawk Performance’s new ceramic brake pads while changing the rotors. These pads slot between their stock replacement pads, ad their more aggressive XP+ line of pads. They claim the ceramic produces much less dust, and noise than a traditional high performance pad, while providing much of the bite, and stopping power. The pads listed for $83.00 for the fronts, and $68.00 for the rear pads.
Once installed we found them to be virtually silent in all situations, and although no one will mistake the pedal feel for a race pad, they bite solidly, and have a nice progressive feel to them. As a nice bonus, we have noticed nearly no dusting since the installation. When we head to the track, the XP+ pads are waiting, but for street use the ceramic pads are more than up to the task.
Soon we will be upgrading the dampers, and adding some suspension links and a front bar to take away a little of the M3’s inherent low speed understeer. After that, the famous rear-subframe mounts are scheduled to be reinforced, just in case. Stay tuned!
Attitude Adjustment Feb 18, 2008
As our car is a daily driver/occasional autocrosser/track day car, we decided to forgo the radical coil over and stiff spring options on the market, and instead follow a more balanced, less aggressive path.
One of the reasons the E36 M3 was showered with accolades upon its introduction in the 1995 model year was its handling balance. While those enthusiasts that spend more time on track than the street may find the stock suspension settings a bit soft, most folks would agree that the BMW chassis engineers came up with a pretty fantastic ride and handling balance right out of the box.
Our M3 has been putting smiles on our faces for the last 11 years, but time ravages all things, and BMW suspensions are not immune to this. With over 120K on the clock and more than a decade of riding on the same suspenders, the time has come for a bit of freshening up. Fortunately, the aftermarket abounds with good suspension choices for this popular car. As our car is a daily driver/occasional autocrosser/track day car, we decided to forgo the radical coil over and stiff spring options on the market, and instead follow a more balanced, less aggressive path.
During our occasional track day and autocross adventures, we have noticed a bit of body roll that was dialed into the M3's suspension settings from the factory. The fairly thin (24mm)front anti-roll bar was the most likely culprit. We have rectified this by purchasing an Eibach 26mm bar from the nice folks at VAC Motorsports. VAC has built up a strong reputation in BMW circles through the years, and they carry everything from complete, ready-to-race engines to shifter knobs. A quick phone call, and our shiny new bar was on its way.
We have also found that swaybars, like most other components, have a bit of variation from the factory. Because we are a bit concerned about upsetting the M3's great balance, we opted to contact the folks at Powergrid, Inc. to check out their adjustable anti-roll bar end links. They claim these adjustable THK resin ball stud-links have very low friction in the joint and offer up to 50 degrees of articulation. This eliminates binding and allows for smooth transitions. These links should eliminate pre-loading the sway bar, ensuring that our BMW will turn right as well as it turns left.
With the end links and anti-roll bar taken care of, it came time to choose suspenders. We decided to keep with the theme of adjustability and fine-tuning, so we opted for Koni adjustable strut inserts up front. TC Kline offers a slight modification to the rear Koni suspenders that allows for external adjustment to the rear suspenders as well as the fronts. With this level of fine tuning available, we hope to be able to improve the M3's handling, while retaining it's wonderful balance, and comfort levels. As this car is used frequently, it encounters pot holes, steep driveways, and parking lots. We have decided, for now, to keep the stock springs in the car to retain it's ride hight, and comfortable ride. We may decide to change to firmer springs later, but first we are curious to see how the car responds to track use with the new set up. We can always change to more aggressive springs later.
Stay tuned as we make these changes, and head out to the track to record our progress.
New Suspenders Jul 24, 2008
This installation, while straightforward, was a bit more complicated than we had first anticipated. Here is the quick rundown of how we installed a damper, sway bar, and end link on our M3.
Although installing struts and shocks on a car isn’t rocket science, an experienced hand is always welcome. While we were tackling the transformation of our M3, we asked longtime friend and BMW guru Rennie Bryant to lend a helping hand.
It was a good thing we called Rennie, because this installation, while straightforward, was a bit more complicated than we had first anticipated. Here is the quick rundown of how we installed a damper, sway bar, and end link on our M3.
First step was to unbolt and remove the strut housing. We held the brake assembly in place with a trusty wire hanger. We removed the spring using a commercial spring compressor. While holding the damper in a vice, we drilled a small hole through it to drain the oil and release pressure. Once the oil had been drained, we flipped the strut upside down and used a pipe cutter to release the strut from the housing. We drilled another hole at the bottom of the strut to free the damper from its assembly. Now the old damper could be removed.
The hat of the strut assembly was then scraped with a screwdriver to free the drainage canals. We then drained the remaining strut oil into a proper container for disposal. With the housing scraped and cleaned, the new damper was inserted.
Before installing the new damper, we needed to clean the strut top bearings. We then put the entire assembly back together.
The rear suspenders were as worn as the front units. The old shock mounts were worn out, so we installed new billet upper shock mounts, as well as a new 26mm Eibach front bar and THK Powergrid adjustable end links. The Powergrid end links have less resistance to movement than the stock pieces, aiding steering feel. These can also be adjusted, so with a driver in the car, we adjusted the end links to fine-tune the anti-roll bar.
With the new equipment installed, the M3 was a joy to drive on track at BMW’s performance center in South Carolina. Read all about it in the October 2008 GRM.