Damo's E86 for road and track - 2 year Update/Spec post
- Thread starter damocell
- Start date
I've been looking at those recently. Upgrade over poly? I've heard they do add to NVH but I'm not sure how much.
You know what they say, cheap brakes make the best brakes....
Bear with me on this one, but I think my brake setup is (hopefully) finally finished. I'm sure some of you will think I'm a bit nuts for this one. But I decided to go ahead in the interest of science, and I'm more than prepared to lose the money I spent on these if they are a pile of s**t.
Fitted my BBK a couple of weeks ago and have been running it to see how well it works. So far so good. It's a replica of the current AP CP9200 caliper which I've christened the AB caliper (due to where I bought them from
)
It's a 4-pot calliper with 345x28 2 piece discs.
When I say replica, they are the EXACT same dimensions and spookily the EXACT same weight that AP quotes. They can also use the same pads, seals, pistons and bleed nipples as the genuine APs.
The kit was a full BBK, bells, brackets, calipers, discs, lines and pads. Fitting was straightforward once I'd trimmed the backing plate and taken a small protrusion off the hub.
But, they leaked from the threads of all four bleed nipples. Turns out that whilst they are a replica AP, the manufacturer didn't supply the correct AP style bleed nipples with O rings. Once I'd sourced some of those from Frentech they no longer leak.
After I discovered they leaked, I disassembled both calipers, checked everything and rebuilt them just so I was happy they were ok to put on the car.
In terms of weight, the whole setup is 4kg lighter per side than the stock setup and a lot larger, obviously.
Now they are fitted the pedal is super firm, although I will be changing the pads for peace of mind. So far I'm pleased. They look great, function as they should and hopefully won't be putting me through a wall anytime soon.
They need a full outing on track and I'll update on that as soon as I can.
So the fronts are 4 pot 345mm and the rears are 345mm 2 pots. Should be more than enough stopping power now......so long as they work. Can't see why they won't, but I'll be keeping a VERY close eye on them.
In other news, the China parts keep coming.... new WedsSport replica wheels 18x8.5 et35 wrapped in the brand new Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo tyres 255 all round are now on the car. These weighed in at 8.6kg per wheel and are flow-formed for a little added strength. In the interest of science, I'll be smashing kerbs to see if they stand up to some abuse
Bear with me on this one, but I think my brake setup is (hopefully) finally finished. I'm sure some of you will think I'm a bit nuts for this one. But I decided to go ahead in the interest of science, and I'm more than prepared to lose the money I spent on these if they are a pile of s**t.
Fitted my BBK a couple of weeks ago and have been running it to see how well it works. So far so good. It's a replica of the current AP CP9200 caliper which I've christened the AB caliper (due to where I bought them from
It's a 4-pot calliper with 345x28 2 piece discs.
When I say replica, they are the EXACT same dimensions and spookily the EXACT same weight that AP quotes. They can also use the same pads, seals, pistons and bleed nipples as the genuine APs.
The kit was a full BBK, bells, brackets, calipers, discs, lines and pads. Fitting was straightforward once I'd trimmed the backing plate and taken a small protrusion off the hub.
But, they leaked from the threads of all four bleed nipples. Turns out that whilst they are a replica AP, the manufacturer didn't supply the correct AP style bleed nipples with O rings. Once I'd sourced some of those from Frentech they no longer leak.
After I discovered they leaked, I disassembled both calipers, checked everything and rebuilt them just so I was happy they were ok to put on the car.
In terms of weight, the whole setup is 4kg lighter per side than the stock setup and a lot larger, obviously.
Now they are fitted the pedal is super firm, although I will be changing the pads for peace of mind. So far I'm pleased. They look great, function as they should and hopefully won't be putting me through a wall anytime soon.
They need a full outing on track and I'll update on that as soon as I can.
So the fronts are 4 pot 345mm and the rears are 345mm 2 pots. Should be more than enough stopping power now......so long as they work. Can't see why they won't, but I'll be keeping a VERY close eye on them.
In other news, the China parts keep coming.... new WedsSport replica wheels 18x8.5 et35 wrapped in the brand new Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo tyres 255 all round are now on the car. These weighed in at 8.6kg per wheel and are flow-formed for a little added strength. In the interest of science, I'll be smashing kerbs to see if they stand up to some abuse
Attachments
Meant to be much better than poly in terms of the range of movement they allow.
Poly does not seem to be recommended by the E46 guys. They seem to like either the spherical bushes, or standard with rtab limiters.
Long time since I've posted and there have been a few changes to the car.
Did a successful track day at Donington; the new Alibaba brakes worked brilliantly all day! very pleased with them and their performance so far.
Fitted a full KW V3 Coilover setup from an E46 M3 to see how the fitment went; fronts were perfect, rears had quite a bit of droop. From this, I sold the KW and ordered some new coilovers based on the fact that E46 M3 ones do fit, and there is more choice on the market.
Untitled by Damien Bower, on Flickr
Also I fitted my hydraulic steering setup using a E46 purple tag rack and a power steering pump from a Porsche Cup Car (also used in the Vauxhall Zafira!) A couple of teething problems getting the correct fuse, but it works well and is way better than the crappy electric setup. More precise, better feedback and zero wandering, but heavier at lower speed, which I don't mind. I will get round to doing a video on how this was fitted, but it's quite a cheap swap, costing about £350 in total
Untitled by Damien Bower, on Flickr
After some feedback from a pro racing driver, I also decided to rebuild and change the ramp angles in my LSD. I was running a 30:60 degree setup which was locking too aggressively, giving the car too much traction and not enough rotation. After reading up on the process, I decided to tackle it myself. Luckily the pressure plates in my LSD had the required 45:45 ramp angles as well, so I took it all apart (on my really clean driveway
) and rebuilt it. I also reduced the preload to aid rotation. So far so good, and the car definitely rotates better on throttle so it seems to have worked
Untitled by Damien Bower, on Flickr
Untitled by Damien Bower, on Flickr
I also managed a track evening at 3 Sisters too in the pouring rain, which went well
Outside of that, I needed to fit a new passenger front wheel bearing as the Febi one I fitted last year is toast after 8 track days and 9000 miles and I've bought some seats even though I swore I wouldn't make this an uncomfortable track car
On to Croft next week and then prepping for the Ring trip in October
Oh...and I think I've snapped my handbrake cables
Did a successful track day at Donington; the new Alibaba brakes worked brilliantly all day! very pleased with them and their performance so far.
Fitted a full KW V3 Coilover setup from an E46 M3 to see how the fitment went; fronts were perfect, rears had quite a bit of droop. From this, I sold the KW and ordered some new coilovers based on the fact that E46 M3 ones do fit, and there is more choice on the market.
Untitled by Damien Bower, on FlickrAlso I fitted my hydraulic steering setup using a E46 purple tag rack and a power steering pump from a Porsche Cup Car (also used in the Vauxhall Zafira!) A couple of teething problems getting the correct fuse, but it works well and is way better than the crappy electric setup. More precise, better feedback and zero wandering, but heavier at lower speed, which I don't mind. I will get round to doing a video on how this was fitted, but it's quite a cheap swap, costing about £350 in total
Untitled by Damien Bower, on FlickrAfter some feedback from a pro racing driver, I also decided to rebuild and change the ramp angles in my LSD. I was running a 30:60 degree setup which was locking too aggressively, giving the car too much traction and not enough rotation. After reading up on the process, I decided to tackle it myself. Luckily the pressure plates in my LSD had the required 45:45 ramp angles as well, so I took it all apart (on my really clean driveway
) and rebuilt it. I also reduced the preload to aid rotation. So far so good, and the car definitely rotates better on throttle so it seems to have workedUntitled by Damien Bower, on FlickrUntitled by Damien Bower, on FlickrI also managed a track evening at 3 Sisters too in the pouring rain, which went well
Outside of that, I needed to fit a new passenger front wheel bearing as the Febi one I fitted last year is toast after 8 track days and 9000 miles and I've bought some seats even though I swore I wouldn't make this an uncomfortable track car
On to Croft next week and then prepping for the Ring trip in October
Oh...and I think I've snapped my handbrake cables
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North West Surrey
Very curious to learn more about this.
My '03 Z4 has a very light sticky steering on the really hot summer days (we're talking the 30c days) and when parked outside. Although I've noticed just sticking one of those sun shades / reflectors behind the windscreen seems to prevent it.
But anyways, that and the supposedly better steering feel has put a hydraulic conversion somewhere in the low priority / fun upgrade list of things to do.
Great thread - really appreciate the effort in sharing.
NGL, I've had a bit of a nightmare with this.
I decided to replace them with ST XTA 3 Plus from an E46 M3. They are a 3-way adjustable damper based on the KW Clubsport V4's and a relative bargain at £2000. Unfortunately, after 9 weeks (I was told 10 days) and them still not being put into production by KW, I've had to cancel the order and rethink my options.
The main issue is that I sold my YSR's to a mate, so the cart has been sat on axle stands......
I've had to go for a set of BC DS (ordered 3 days ago) as these were the only ones I could guarantee would be here in time for a trip to the Ring in a few weeks. They arrive in a couple of days' time.
Only good thing is I'll be able to answer the question of "are BC's better than Yellowspeed"
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Crackin day at Croft recently! Don't hear much about the circuit on the track day scene, but I bloody loved it! Fast, challenging and a bit scary.
Car performed very well; it was still on the YSR coilovers with shot rear dampers, but the LSD ramp angle changes have really made the car rotate much better. It felt way more agile but still with a lot of traction.
The only issue I saw in the video was a slightly higher coolant temp than I would have liked at 108 degrees after a long run
Best lap of the day was a 1:39, which I'm pretty happy with given that it was my first time and on road tyres
Hydraulic electric steering has made a hell of a difference. More stable at speed, tonnes more feedback nad as the car moves and loses grip it is way more natural to catch little slides on the limit. No big drifts yet so I can't comment on that yet.
The tyres seemed to hold up fairly ok even on a longer run and the car felt great. One thing that really helped was the new seat. Although I thought the M Sport seats were good, you can't beat a fixed-back bucket on track
Unfortunately, I've managed to crack a front disc. The brakes got so hot my high-temp stickers and aluminium bells have changed colour to a quite nice gold/bronze! I'm reliably informed (from two UK brake specialists) this is due to me not bedding the brakes in properly before the Donington track day and nothing to do with the fact I bought them from Alibaba......we'll see. Especially as I've bought replacement rotors from the same vendor
Full 4th session video
So Ring trip fast approaching....things to do
New MAF
Fit new BC DS Coilovers
Alignment....again
Fit new brake rotors....and bed them in properly
Swap high-pressure hose on steering for a more robust solution (will talk about that once done)
Fix rattle from gear knob
Fix GM5 module
Clay and polish the car, cause it needs it
Sort third rear brake light which is coming out
Perhaps overhaul the cooling system
Loads of stuff to do, but, I am loving how the car is driving now. Finally starting to feel like the car I wanted.
Car performed very well; it was still on the YSR coilovers with shot rear dampers, but the LSD ramp angle changes have really made the car rotate much better. It felt way more agile but still with a lot of traction.
The only issue I saw in the video was a slightly higher coolant temp than I would have liked at 108 degrees after a long run
Best lap of the day was a 1:39, which I'm pretty happy with given that it was my first time and on road tyres
Hydraulic electric steering has made a hell of a difference. More stable at speed, tonnes more feedback nad as the car moves and loses grip it is way more natural to catch little slides on the limit. No big drifts yet so I can't comment on that yet.
The tyres seemed to hold up fairly ok even on a longer run and the car felt great. One thing that really helped was the new seat. Although I thought the M Sport seats were good, you can't beat a fixed-back bucket on track
Unfortunately, I've managed to crack a front disc. The brakes got so hot my high-temp stickers and aluminium bells have changed colour to a quite nice gold/bronze! I'm reliably informed (from two UK brake specialists) this is due to me not bedding the brakes in properly before the Donington track day and nothing to do with the fact I bought them from Alibaba......we'll see. Especially as I've bought replacement rotors from the same vendor
Full 4th session video
So Ring trip fast approaching....things to do
New MAF
Fit new BC DS Coilovers
Alignment....again
Fit new brake rotors....and bed them in properly
Swap high-pressure hose on steering for a more robust solution (will talk about that once done)
Fix rattle from gear knob
Fix GM5 module
Clay and polish the car, cause it needs it
Sort third rear brake light which is coming out
Perhaps overhaul the cooling system
Loads of stuff to do, but, I am loving how the car is driving now. Finally starting to feel like the car I wanted.
The goal with this build was to have a fun track car that could also do road miles in relative comfort, but above all, it was fun and gave close to the same feeling as my E92 M3 track car. 2 years into the build, I feel like I am finally approaching that point.
As it is almost exactly 2 years since I bought the car, I thought it about time for a full update/list of the spec/work that's been carried out.
Engine
N54 Inlet manifold and throttle body with modification to plumb catch can in
Fully enclosed cone filter CAI
Oil catch can
One-step cooler NGK spark plugs
BimmWorks remap with 7600rpm rev limit - Claims to be 300bhp in their literature; I guesstimate it at 280/285bhp
19-row oil cooler with N54 oil thermostat and housing
Steering
E46 purple tag hydraulic rack
TRW electric power steering pump
AN6 lines
Transmission
AliExpress CoolerWorx-style short shifter with reverse lockout
BMW ZF plated LSD – 45-degree ramp angles with 3 clutch packs
3.73 Final drive ratio
Powerflex diff bushes
Brakes
Front AP style BBK – 345mm 2-piece curved vane rotors EBC SR-11 pads
Rear M135i 345mm OEM discs with 2-pot Brembo calipers, EBC RP-1 pads
ATE Typ 200 brake fluid
Mike Hodgson fog light cooling ducts with 50mm piping to front discs
Braided hoses front and rear
Suspension Front
E46 BC Racing DS digressive valved coilovers 8kg front springs
E46 M3 Cabriolet 27mm front anti-roll bar
Poly ARB bushes
Adjustable length drop links
Super Pro offset rear bush
Meyle HD Arms/bushes
Suspension Rear
E46 BC Racing DS digressive valved coilovers 12kg rear springs
FAG Uniballs top and bottom of outer hubs
FullFLo inner upper Poly bushes
Adjustable rear lower camber arms with poly bushes
Bevinsee solid aluminium subframe bushes
Powerflex RTAB
Powerflex ARB bushes on 19mm MSport rear bar
Wheels/Tyres
18x8.5j et35 front and rear Wedssport flow-formed copies 8.6kg each
255/35 Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo tyres
62mm Wheel stud and nut kit
Interior
Partially stripped rear
Sparco QRT-R driver's seat
Sparco Evo L passenger seat
NS Trim Alcantara and genuine BMW carbon leather gearshift boot and elbow pad
3-port USB charger adaptor hard-wired in glove box
Bluetooth adaptor behind stereo
Maintenance
All Elring oil cooler/filter housing gaskets changed
New Elring valve cover gasket
All 4 wheel bearings changed for FAG or SKF
New rear hubs
New ATE brake master cylinder
Replaced DSC pump
New starter motor
New driveshafts
New propshaft donut
New exhaust gaskets
Refurbished and painted rear subframe
4 oil/filter changes 5w40
Castrol 75w140 LSD oil
Gearbox oil changes Motul 75w90
New windscreen and rubber surround
So far, the total spend stands at £11,164 including the car. I've removed consumables from that, like oil/filters, brake pads/discs/fluids, as those are just par for the course. I've also deducted any parts I've sold or moved on from the total running cost. To be honest, for the spec, I'm pretty bloody pleased, as I have included the parts I haven't yet fitted, like the turbo manifold and turbo. It also includes multiple sets of wheels and every single part/bolt etc bought over the past two years
At this point, the car is fun, laps fairly well, is relatively easy to drive, and can be pushed quite hard. I've a load of work still to do, and some I keep putting off......like the rusty "lightweight" rear arches, but I prefer to spend money on bits that make it lap more consistently or in a more fun manner. I'll get around to bodywork in time
As it is almost exactly 2 years since I bought the car, I thought it about time for a full update/list of the spec/work that's been carried out.
Engine
N54 Inlet manifold and throttle body with modification to plumb catch can in
Fully enclosed cone filter CAI
Oil catch can
One-step cooler NGK spark plugs
BimmWorks remap with 7600rpm rev limit - Claims to be 300bhp in their literature; I guesstimate it at 280/285bhp
19-row oil cooler with N54 oil thermostat and housing
Steering
E46 purple tag hydraulic rack
TRW electric power steering pump
AN6 lines
Transmission
AliExpress CoolerWorx-style short shifter with reverse lockout
BMW ZF plated LSD – 45-degree ramp angles with 3 clutch packs
3.73 Final drive ratio
Powerflex diff bushes
Brakes
Front AP style BBK – 345mm 2-piece curved vane rotors EBC SR-11 pads
Rear M135i 345mm OEM discs with 2-pot Brembo calipers, EBC RP-1 pads
ATE Typ 200 brake fluid
Mike Hodgson fog light cooling ducts with 50mm piping to front discs
Braided hoses front and rear
Suspension Front
E46 BC Racing DS digressive valved coilovers 8kg front springs
E46 M3 Cabriolet 27mm front anti-roll bar
Poly ARB bushes
Adjustable length drop links
Super Pro offset rear bush
Meyle HD Arms/bushes
Suspension Rear
E46 BC Racing DS digressive valved coilovers 12kg rear springs
FAG Uniballs top and bottom of outer hubs
FullFLo inner upper Poly bushes
Adjustable rear lower camber arms with poly bushes
Bevinsee solid aluminium subframe bushes
Powerflex RTAB
Powerflex ARB bushes on 19mm MSport rear bar
Wheels/Tyres
18x8.5j et35 front and rear Wedssport flow-formed copies 8.6kg each
255/35 Bridgestone Potenza Sport Evo tyres
62mm Wheel stud and nut kit
Interior
Partially stripped rear
Sparco QRT-R driver's seat
Sparco Evo L passenger seat
NS Trim Alcantara and genuine BMW carbon leather gearshift boot and elbow pad
3-port USB charger adaptor hard-wired in glove box
Bluetooth adaptor behind stereo
Maintenance
All Elring oil cooler/filter housing gaskets changed
New Elring valve cover gasket
All 4 wheel bearings changed for FAG or SKF
New rear hubs
New ATE brake master cylinder
Replaced DSC pump
New starter motor
New driveshafts
New propshaft donut
New exhaust gaskets
Refurbished and painted rear subframe
4 oil/filter changes 5w40
Castrol 75w140 LSD oil
Gearbox oil changes Motul 75w90
New windscreen and rubber surround
So far, the total spend stands at £11,164 including the car. I've removed consumables from that, like oil/filters, brake pads/discs/fluids, as those are just par for the course. I've also deducted any parts I've sold or moved on from the total running cost. To be honest, for the spec, I'm pretty bloody pleased, as I have included the parts I haven't yet fitted, like the turbo manifold and turbo. It also includes multiple sets of wheels and every single part/bolt etc bought over the past two years
At this point, the car is fun, laps fairly well, is relatively easy to drive, and can be pushed quite hard. I've a load of work still to do, and some I keep putting off......like the rusty "lightweight" rear arches, but I prefer to spend money on bits that make it lap more consistently or in a more fun manner. I'll get around to bodywork in time
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