Bernooo's E92 M3 Clubsport Build

Still waiting on my cage from Pinnacle Motorsport, but some other parts have been sitting here and I figured I'd get a bulk of the work done now so I'm not slammed the day before the track day, as usual...

Went back down to European Auto Source and worked on the car with Steve and Brennan. By worked, I mean I took the wheels off, unboxed and photographed the parts and possibly removed the belly pan. Dad life!

I was excited to see the new StopTech ST40R Nickel kit. I went with ST40R front and rear because I'm confident they'll get the job done for me, especially since the 12 year old ST40 kit that came on the car was doing great. With my driving style being more time attack, I really don't see the need for the added heat dissipation benefits of running the ST60 up front, plus, the ST40 caliper with 355mm rotor is 10lbs lighter overall.

For pads, I'm going to keep running a mix of StopTech SR33 and SR32, front & rear. Really like this combo. Fluid is Motul 660 because I didn't have any Castrol SRF on hand.

Now, onto the photos...















With the brakes done, we moved onto the CAE shifter. I didn't buy the adjustable DSSR and ended up using the factory selector rod from an E46 non-M 6 speed. It's a bit longer than our stock rod and worked perfectly. Install wasn't too bad. Definitely going to clean up the console.

Driving is completely changed with the CAE. I'm really in awe of how fun it is driving manual with this motor and trans combo. The AKG 95A trans mounts are going to take some adjusting to... Lots of NVH, as expected, but hopefully it chills out a bit and maybe "settles." If not, I might try the Rev Shift 80A mounts.



Car is really coming along!

My new tires also showed up. 285/30/18 Falken RT660. I compared them to the 275/35 SUR4G's -- looking wide!

These will be fitted to a set of Titan7 TS-7's.

Looking good

@berns

This looks awesome! Is the CAE just as crisp and tight using the e46 selector?

I'm in the same boat waiting on the Pinnacle cage to come out of the powder coater for delivery. Jamie is probably tired of my "update inquiries".

DRLane wrote

@berns

This looks awesome! Is the CAE just as crisp and tight using the e46 selector?

I'm in the same boat waiting on the Pinnacle cage to come out of the powder coater for delivery. Jamie is probably tired of my "update inquiries".

I really can't say since I haven't driven one with the CAE rod, however, I was worried of it being too tight and too notchy, and from the advice of Jerrick @ JMP Autowerkz, he likes to use the stock selector rod in both the e9x and e46 M3's because they feel smoother.

I was going to use my stock rod, but it's pretty short and it would have meant cutting more of the center bridge under the console, so we found a quick solution. I'd recommend finding the e46 rod I used for the install and saving the $200+ from CAE.

And yeah, I'm sure Jamie is over us!! Sucks to wait on powdercoating, which is a quick process, but all good over here. Just not that excited about going back to the track without the bar and harness, so hopefully it works out.

slcook54 wrote

Any rubbing with the TS-7's and spacers? berns

I didn't really experience any rubbing other than full lock at low speeds with the 295/30 A052 on the TS-7's. No rubbing out back either. I don't anticipate it to be worse with 285 Falkens but we'll see.

berns wrote

DRLane wrote

@berns

This looks awesome! Is the CAE just as crisp and tight using the e46 selector?

I'm in the same boat waiting on the Pinnacle cage to come out of the powder coater for delivery. Jamie is probably tired of my "update inquiries".

I really can't say since I haven't driven one with the CAE rod, however, I was worried of it being too tight and too notchy, and from the advice of Jerrick @ JMP Autowerkz, he likes to use the stock selector rod in both the e9x and e46 M3's because they feel smoother.

I was going to use my stock rod, but it's pretty short and it would have meant cutting more of the center bridge under the console, so we found a quick solution. I'd recommend finding the e46 rod I used for the install and saving the $200+ from CAE.

And yeah, I'm sure Jamie is over us!! Sucks to wait on powdercoating, which is a quick process, but all good over here. Just not that excited about going back to the track without the bar and harness, so hopefully it works out.

Makes perfect sense regarding CAE. I need to get on ordering that. Btw those brakes look amazing! I just swapped from SRF to Endless 650 (also on ST bbk) and it was huge improvement on pedal firmness. Just something to consider in lieu of SRF.

berns wrote

Went back down to European Auto Source and worked on the car with Steve and Brennan

Delivered my car to Tom and Steve on Monday for some refresh and upgrades.

berns wrote

I didn't really experience any rubbing other than full lock at low speeds with the 295/30 A052 on the TS-7's. No rubbing out back either. I don't anticipate it to be worse with 285 Falkens but we'll see.

Sorry if you already mentioned this but I saw you are on MCS 1wnr. What spring configuration do you have in the front?

e36clubracer wrote

Sorry if you already mentioned this but I saw you are on MCS 1wnr. What spring configuration do you have in the front?

All good. Yeah, MCS 1WNR with 600/900 rates.
Front springs are Eibach 2.25" 600 lb 5" length with helpers.

berns wrote

Still waiting on my cage from Pinnacle Motorsport, but some other parts have been sitting here and I figured I'd get a bulk of the work done now so I'm not slammed the day before the track day, as usual...

Went back down to European Auto Source and worked on the car with Steve and Brennan. By worked, I mean I took the wheels off, unboxed and photographed the parts and possibly removed the belly pan. Dad life!

I was excited to see the new StopTech ST40R Nickel kit. I went with ST40R front and rear because I'm confident they'll get the job done for me, especially since the 12 year old ST40 kit that came on the car was doing great. With my driving style being more time attack, I really don't see the need for the added heat dissipation benefits of running the ST60 up front, plus, the ST40 caliper with 355mm rotor is 10lbs lighter overall.

For pads, I'm going to keep running a mix of StopTech SR33 and SR32, front & rear. Really like this combo. Fluid is Motul 660 because I didn't have any Castrol SRF on hand.

Now, onto the photos...
















With the brakes done, we moved onto the CAE shifter. I didn't buy the adjustable DSSR and ended up using the factory selector rod from an E46 non-M 6 speed. It's a bit longer than our stock rod and worked perfectly. Install wasn't too bad. Definitely going to clean up the console.

Driving is completely changed with the CAE. I'm really in awe of how fun it is driving manual with this motor and trans combo. The AKG 95A trans mounts are going to take some adjusting to... Lots of NVH, as expected, but hopefully it chills out a bit and maybe "settles." If not, I might try the Rev Shift 80A mounts.



Car is really coming along!

My new tires also showed up. 285/30/18 Falken RT660. I compared them to the 275/35 SUR4G's -- looking wide!

These will be fitted to a set of Titan7 TS-7's.

Looking at going RT660 as well! Can't wait to hear your feedback.

Wow this is Going to be another insane build!! Now that you've tried the CAE shifter how does it compare to the AKG shifter you had in the 135i?

st-pierre wrote

Wow this is Going to be another insane build!! Now that you've tried the CAE shifter how does it compare to the AKG shifter you had in the 135i?

Ha, I have no self control... But I am taking it kind of slow! I'll run out of major things to do pretty soon. The goal is to have the car stay at it's non-aero/NA/street tire/current weight for a while.

Then we'll see.

The CAE blows the AKG away in terms of feel and assertiveness. There's no wondering what gear you're going to, whether upshifting or downshifting. The leverage of the high stalk is insane too. It's definitely a bit much for the street, so that's where the AKG gets some credit. However, the transmission in the e9x M3 is so buttery smooth, so it's not really a big deal.

For the price, the AKG is an awesome shifter and it feels great on both track & street, but I always wished it was more direct and had some spring to it. By comparison, the CAE feels like a no-compromise, fully race-engineered part, designed to provide amazing feedback and precise control. I'd say it's worth every penny in that regard.

berns wrote

e36clubracer wrote

Sorry if you already mentioned this but I saw you are on MCS 1wnr. What spring configuration do you have in the front?

All good. Yeah, MCS 1WNR with 600/900 rates.
Front springs are Eibach 2.25" 600 lb 5" length with helpers.

https://i.imgur.com/Vq07pgyl.jpg

Do you feel like you're missing anything from the 1WNR setup that you'd get from a 2WNR setup (ceteris paribus) .. I know you were running remote (2-ways?) on your 135i

911r wrote

Do you feel like you're missing anything from the 1WNR setup that you'd get from a 2WNR setup (ceteris paribus) .. I know you were running remote (2-ways?) on your 135i

Before I say yes, I think it's important to note that the 1WNR is insanely impressive and capable for an "entry level" coilover, at least at the bottom of the list for MCS.

The most noticeable missing element is the compliancy over big bumps/curbs. Remote setups, especially the MCS units, simply have more real estate to bleed off pressure from big blows. A single contained damper just can't come close to that, and that's what you're paying for with a remote setup, among the ability for finer tuning with nitrogen pressure, etc...

I love how simple the 1WNR is, less for me to mess with, but I do miss having the confidence to smash curbs and rough sections on power without upsetting the car.

With that being said, I HAVEN'T touched my 1-ways. The knobs, while single adjustable, control both rebound & compression, and my setup has been out of the box at 10-clicks (16 total), so, pretty high. I've since turned it down on the street and it's been feeling great, so I'm curious if I can gain some softer compression and a bit more stability at a track like Buttonwillow. Time will tell.

Cannot wait for my StopTech Trophy's to arrive. They are like pieces of art.

berns wrote

911r wrote

Do you feel like you're missing anything from the 1WNR setup that you'd get from a 2WNR setup (ceteris paribus) .. I know you were running remote (2-ways?) on your 135i

Before I say yes, I think it's important to note that the 1WNR is insanely impressive and capable for an "entry level" coilover, at least at the bottom of the list for MCS.

The most noticeable missing element is the compliancy over big bumps/curbs. Remote setups, especially the MCS units, simply have more real estate to bleed off pressure from big blows. A single contained damper just can't come close to that, and that's what you're paying for with a remote setup, among the ability for finer tuning with nitrogen pressure, etc...

I love how simple the 1WNR is, less for me to mess with, but I do miss having the confidence to smash curbs and rough sections on power without upsetting the car.

With that being said, I HAVEN'T touched my 1-ways. The knobs, while single adjustable, control both rebound & compression, and my setup has been out of the box at 10-clicks (16 total), so, pretty high. I've since turned it down on the street and it's been feeling great, so I'm curious if I can gain some softer compression and a bit more stability at a track like Buttonwillow. Time will tell.

Thanks for the info, this is perfect!! The simplicity is what drew me to a 1WNR kit; I can barely comprehend 1-way coilovers, let alone figuring out how to properly adjust and fine tune 2/3 way dampers. Because I daily my car I've heavily considered 2WNRs with remote reservoirs simply because of the ride quality and compliancy over bumps. If the performance and ride quality is decent enough from 1WNRs I might just go with them and spend the savings elsewhere (brakes, wheels, other suspension stuff, etc).

The fronts are missing a piston

911r wrote

Thanks for the info, this is perfect!! The simplicity is what drew me to a 1WNR kit; I can barely comprehend 1-way coilovers, let alone figuring out how to properly adjust and fine tune 2/3 way dampers. Because I daily my car I've heavily concerned 2WNRs with remote reservoirs simply because of the ride quality and compliancy over bumps. If the performance and ride quality is decent enough from 1WNRs I might just go with them and spend the savings elsewhere (brakes, wheels, other suspension stuff, etc).

Really can't go wrong with MCS. Ride quality on the street is great, and will depend heavily on your spring setup as well. They are fully modular too -- so you can upgrade later on if you want to convert them to a remote setup.

@berns nice photo shoot of the new setup on the EAS Facebook page today

Tires on?
Pics?

StripclubDJ wrote

Tires on?
Pics?

Not going back down till the cage arrives. Time away from the baby is limited...
So next day will be cage, pass seat, harnesses, Titan7's & Falkens, and then I need to corner balance and align this thing. Know anyone?

I decided yesterday to spend a little time cleaning the interior up. As much as I want this thing to be as light as possible, I feel like if it's going to see street time, it should still be a nice car inside. Eventually, it'll be a track-only car, I'm sure, and at that time, i'll strip and gut the whole thing. But I don't really like the in-between, no rear interior, some front interior -- looks awful.

I removed the heavy foam and seatbelt butlers from the rear door interior panels, shaved about 5 lbs a side, they now weigh 11lbs together. Not terrible.
I'll add the rear bolsters back in too, and I'm going to fab up the lightest possible rear seat delete out of thin aluminum to keep it tidy back there once the cage is in.

The trunk is fully gutted... I'd like to remove the sound deadening on the rear bench, but that sounds like an annoying amount of work for minimal loss, so all this plus the passengers seat / slider / floor mount and harnesses and the car will probably be back around 3300lbs without me. The data will tell if this is really hurting me a lot or just marginally.

Loving this build! I am also considering the ST40 trophy kit on all 4 corners, did you happen to weigh those before putting them on?