>From: "william m driegert" <bdurgert_at_msn.com>
>Date: Fri, 23 Aug 96 05:55:57 UT
>Subject: Balanced Cars i.e. not supercharged cars
>

>i.e. How can I make my car accelerate faster?

Dinan just started work on a low compression piston version of the supercharger kit that is projected to make 425 HP. Should be available end of this year.

>I would like to know how much that floating caliper conversion costs.

The cost of the floating rotors (not calipers) are about $150 to 170 each. Your price will vary depending on source. The rotors are a bolt on replacement for the stock rotor.

>the stock design is already exceptional. I assume that the floating calipers
>are the same design used on the 321 hp M3 evo.

Yes, the floating rotors are from that source and have a BMW part No. The stock design is indeed exceptional and no improvement over stock will be noticed except at the track with repeated high speed use. Or perhaps on the Autobahn.

The best and most cost effective upgrade for me was the Dinan Stage 3 suspension. And I am a horsepower freak. No penalty for the street and works great at the track. The car is still much better than I am.

Chuck Quarton
'95 M3 - Dinan suspension and supercharger, Euro floating rotors From digest.v5.n138 Fri Aug 23 06:38:36 1996
From: "Carl Buckland" <buckland_at_xmission.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 18:46:38 +0000
Subject: Neutral cars, BIG tires

John Boy, the Car Professor says...

> From:          John Browne <johnbro_at_microsoft.com>

> To:            "'\"Carl Buckland\"  <buckland_at_xmission.com>'" <buckland_at_xmission.com>
> Subject:       yesterday
> Date:          Tue, 20 Aug 1996 14:43:16 -0700

> had a agreat track day at SIR. had changed the setup a little to
> make the car more neutral, was a trifle loose, could rotate it
> easily. Was great fun and we were cookin' by the end... Couple of
> times I came flying around turn 8/9 and saw the guy who runs the
> racing school there jumping up and down giving me two thumbs up so i
> guess he liked what he saw. all in all a good day.
>
> had to share it with you.
>
> cheers,
> john
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Dear John (I got one of those once),

I really enjoyed your article about your day at SIR. Sounds like you had a great day, and learned a lot about your car. (For those of you who don't know John, he is a gold plated character, and one hell-of-a-driver. First guy to really scare me on a test ride in a long time! PeeKay is a seriously fast car that he drives seriously fast every time he sits behind the wheel).

I agree with you that before you do *anything* you need to make sure that your car is corner balanced. Start with a neutral platform, then start dialing in the other elements. The most recent issue of Sportscar (the SCCA house rag) contains the fourth installment of "Chassis Setup," and corner balancing is stressed. I recently put my car on a set of super accurate corner scales, and was thrilled to find that my car (which I balanced by eye, by adjusting the coilovers) was really close: with a driver: 855lbs front left, 840 front right, 840 rear left, and 806 rear right.

I was not surprised that you had good results by softening both your front and rear sway bars. The stock sways on the M3 are too small, but many of the aftermarket swaybars , when set full stiff, will do all kinds of weird things to the handling. I had my rears set too stiff at Seattle, and I had so much oversteer that I could hardly keep the car on the course. It is easy to change swaybar settings, so I suggest that you (er, we, as I am still experimenting as well) try a combination of settings, test each one, make notes, and use those settings for the appropriate venue.

I agree with your assessment of your springs. They are WAY too stiff. Video of your car (I will send it to you as soon as I have a chance) show it literally bouncing. Also, my butt test told me they were stiff to the point of punishment. Call Roland at H&R Springs, 1-805-388-8111. I'll bet that he will have some suggestions. The springs that I am using are H&R, 340 lbs front (stock is 120?), and 380 lbs rear (stock is 340?). They give me a decent street ride, provide plenty of tire compliance, and seem to hold up to very hard track and autocross driving.

My next trick is going to be to go to MUCH bigger tires. I like BFG R1's, but they have hamstrung us by offering only 235/45/17 (too tall, changes the gearing on an already too tall geared car), or 245/45/17 (which rub on a lowered car, and have way too much sidewall height). We need 235/40/17, the stock size, for proper gearing, or 245/40/17. Hoosier offers the 245/40, but they are HUGE, and will require the mod's I mention above. I spoke personally to the BFG tire design guy, who says that they will offer the sizes that I want "within 18 months," but I can't wait that long. So, next year, I will be flaired, spacered and Hoosiered.

Hope to see you at Laguna or Sear Pt.,

Carl

Carl Buckland
1000 Boston Bldg
Nine Exchange Place
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
801-531-6686
Fax 531-6690
E Mail buckland_at_xmission.com