06-28-2020, 09:31 AM | #1 |
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2016 BSM F80 M3 Track Only Build Journal
Figured it was time to start a build journal as I thought the mods would be enough... until the next one. This was my wife's daily now dedicated track vehicle so all posts are written through her feedback/comments. Also a good read to show that anyone can start doing track days as long as you start slow and take your time to learn the track and your car!
Jan 1st 2016 - Purchased the car new as part of dealer inventory. Actually, traded our 2015 MG on SO for this BSM on Black. March of 2016, it hit the track completely stock with 1500miles on the odometer with Bluegrass Bimmers BMW CCA HPDE at NCM Motorsports Park. Needless to say, it was a blast and the weaknesses of this street car soon itself evident. Let the mods begin. IMG_2998 by D S, on Flickr IMG_2994 by D S, on Flickr June 2016 - First thing was to get some of the roll out of her. An H&R swaybar was installed up front... https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1272785 Career changes and traveling put a hold on tracking until the following year. Mar 2017 - Did a lead & follow HPDI day at NCM and found the sway bar was not nearly enough to get the roll out of the car and the shoulders of the stock MPS3s were getting worn alarmingly fast. Aug 2017 - TC Kline DA coilovers installed. TC set the camber plates at max negative. Front and rear toe was set per BMW factory which is slightly in. https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1414910 ED6F13C7-51BC-4CEA-B106-26C85B56943B by D S, on Flickr Oct 2017 - Lead & follow day at NCM to shake down the new suspension. Tire wear looked great! The car was transformed and the new confidence allowed more speed which proved the factory pads were inadequate for track use. 2C52F775-1FFF-4193-B3A5-BB8A30496044 by D S, on Flickr Oct 2017 - Hawk DTC-70 brake pads installed prior to a track weekend with Bluegrass Bimmers at NCM. Unfortunately, cold weather, too much camber, MPS3s, and unfamiliar braking feel made for a not so nice weekend with a couple of tank slappers that robbed her confidence in the car. F1CFDBA7-CDD3-4DD7-97C7-0B1022857E3D by D S, on Flickr June 2018 - After some discussion with TC Kline, we decided to put the camber in the middle setting and give it a shot. Another lead & follow day at NCM. And her confidence was back! But this time, the stock MP3s were toast. Aug 2018 - 265/35 & 285/35 Bridestone RE71Rs were fitted on the stock 19" 437M rims. A new chapter started with an HPDE hosted my NCM. The tires put her confidence above and beyond anything before. Coupled with DTC-70s and an alignment that inspired confidence, lap times became the focus of attention! Oct 2018 - The RE71Rs in front needed to be flipped after the previous weekend. One more event before the end of the season bumped her into intermediate group with laptimes at NCM around 2:30. 2019 - 9 track events and approved for Advance Solo. 7 at NCM, 1 at Mid-Ohio, and 1 at Putnam Park. No setup changes. Same alignment with a bit of toe in front and rear. TCK camber plates at middle setting. Damper settings were still set at basically full soft per TCK street settings. Front RE71Rs would only last 5-6 days, Rears were lasting 9-10 days. Lap times kept dropping with a fastest time of 2:27 at NCM. Apr 2019 - NCM Corvette Bash HPDE. After driving with full DSC on since this point, her instructor commented how she can apply gas a bit earlier on track out. She explained and demonstrated that her foot was on the floor and the car wasn't responding. She mustered the courage to try MDM for the first time and quickly realized how restrictive the traction control system was. She also found that US MDM was not as free as she would like so a coding session with Alex at Alpine gave her the following track specific coding items. She Intentionally left out GTS steering and the car does not have EDC. These are the settings she still runs today, even the Putnam spin below. FYI... she leaves steering in Comfort after trying the other options. GTS traction GTS differential GTS transmission Juluy 2019 - NCM HPDE with 1010ths Motorsports Aug 2019 - Mid Ohio HPDE with Buckeye Bimmers. Her favorite track! 2398AD41-A55D-4949-A7AE-69AD2382BB84 by D S, on Flickr Sep 2019 - Finally set alignment to zero toe in front! Noticed more stability while car is under steering load. Putnam Park HPDE with Windy City Bimmers. With increasing confidence and an off friendly track. She went off on 3 occasions with not damage. This was her first time at Putnam and really learned the limits of the car and her ability. Best lap of 1:21 with traffic. Below are 3 laps from Putnam with the 2nd lap being fastest and the 3rd lap being one with a spin in Turn Ended the season with a new found respect for safety. Also, the RE71Rs and stock brakes were beginning to show their limits. Dec-Mar 2020 - Installation of the Black Friday spending spree. Dinan Monoballs in the front tension struts https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...1660889&page=2 BAE4A196-DBDA-4152-8483-17C04C987CBF by D S, on Flickr 3E888AD5-368C-43B1-A3C9-629DB79F3DF8 by D S, on Flickr AP Racing BBK 9668/9449 with DSUNO pads Motorsport Hardward wheel studs (2nd set after 3 years) 8A5047AB-D4C6-4603-AC4A-8697B5B89EDE by D S, on Flickr 7368ABE6-8690-4119-985A-4C5F9C988F10 by D S, on Flickr Sparco QRT-R seats with QRT-600 side mounts Schroth Enduro 6-points https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1683863 1433575E-0588-4045-A01A-AA045C8B7ED5 by D S, on Flickr Apex FL-5 18x10et25 and 18x11et44 Toyo Proxes RR 275/35 and 305/35 5CE3CF09-535E-478E-A9B0-8474E7DAADA8 by D S, on Flickr 00F85B82-2F0A-43A2-9781-4E1A580EFF35 by D S, on Flickr 69B4DC57-61E4-454A-99A2-19FDC4830B21 by D S, on Flickr Mar 2020 - Custom half cage and rear bulkhead by Mark McMahan B275C2B4-A7C7-4D0C-9199-8F1D6B80C551 by D S, on Flickr 5FBBBC1C-B1D2-4D82-AEA5-40004B65E4B9 by D S, on Flickr 6A10649E-0739-42AB-B036-AD1FF9AB5D09 by D S, on Flickr June 2020 - Shake down run at NCM after the off season mods and of course the lifting of the COVID19 closures. The monoballs gives the front more presence and a planted feel. But now the rear feels so distance, more numb. Need to look at Dinan or SPL toe link arms. With such large rubber in the back, there may be some slight deflection on track out as well. After driving with a 6-point harness and HANS, you feel naked driving or even riding as passenger without. The car is planted but lap times are still a couple seconds off last years best. AP Racing brakes are amazing! But not sure I'm in love with DSUNO's, she kinda misses the slightly softer less rotor friendly feel of DTC-70s. Toyo RRs can definitely handle being over driven and even abused with brake tests. However, haven't quite yet capitalized on there extra grip yet. Butt dyno is programmed at RE71R limits I suppose. Also, may look at raising ride height but not sure as it seems the car is getting into the front bump stops a bit more than before going over the table top at NCM.
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06-28-2020, 02:28 PM | #2 |
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Incredible build and details. Thanks so kindly for sharing! Regarding your FL-5, did the setup require spacers for inner clearance? Considering similar setup; although was informed that the APEX 18" may require spacers if aftermarket suspension was used. Running KW V3s; perhaps it's just the KWs. Appreciate your insights. Many thanks!
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06-28-2020, 02:34 PM | #3 | |
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This is the Apex test fitment that was done to create the 18x11et44 wheel for our cars. Also note, per Toyo, a 275/35 RR is 12.3" wide. A Nitto NT-01 is 12.32" wide. A Toyo RR is 12.4" wide which is what Apex used being slightly wider than the NT-01.
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06-28-2020, 05:50 PM | #4 | |
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06-30-2020, 06:31 AM | #6 |
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APR GTC-250 wing and front wind splitter already eyeballed. APR typically has a good Black Friday sale so that will be on next winters list.
Not yet ready to strip out the interior! Still detail it like it's a weekend car although the track rash is beginning to show.
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07-04-2020, 07:09 PM | #8 |
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AP Racing brakes are unreal with 1.1G of consistent braking force. Still want to move back to Hawk DTC-70s though and see how that feels. Pushing a bit harder with the setup. Moved front sway from full stiff to middle setting (one side in forward hole in sway bar). Best effort of the day here at 2:24.57
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07-24-2020, 05:41 AM | #11 |
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Somewhat track related. But the featured photo on the next TC Kline ad in the next Roundel show my F80 (wife driving) and E36 at NCM Motorsports Park. Pretty cool to have your car in an ad like this!
tck ad by D S, on Flickr
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07-25-2020, 10:14 AM | #12 |
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This is awesome. A real track build M. Well done and keep it up!
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08-06-2020, 07:17 AM | #13 |
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Removed the squishy rubber bushing'd rear toe arms and replaced with some SPL units. Not really sure what improvement I'm looking for here. There are times on track that I feel the rear is not doing what I think it should do.
IMG_7183[1] by D S, on Flickr IMG_7182[1] by D S, on Flickr IMG_7181[1] by D S, on Flickr
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08-13-2020, 08:07 AM | #14 |
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Got the alignment done.
-4.2 in front! Had to slot the TC camber plate on one side so they would be equal. Otherwise, there would have been a 0.5deg difference. SPL rear toe arms were worth it! No wiggle from the rear on acceleration anymore! Getting the rear end out feels more stable and throttle modulation does what's it's supposed to rather than SURPRISE rear is stepping out or we've got grip. Too much camber?.. maybe. But it felt great on NCM's skidpad even in the damp. Track test coming soon! IMG_7197 by D S, on Flickr IMG_7196 by D S, on Flickr IMG_7195 by D S, on Flickr IMG_7194 by D S, on Flickr
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08-31-2020, 06:32 AM | #15 |
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Well, -4.2 camber in the front was too much. The inside of the tires were visibly wearing faster than the rest. I think this was primarily caused under braking. Turn in was amazingly sharp. But the understeer we were trying to improve was still there. Applying throttle allows the front to bite again.
We think the ride height is too low with only 1/2" of shock travel up front with the car at rest. During high G high speed turns, the bump stops engage effectively increased spring rate and causing the push. I raised ride height in the front a total of a 1/2" and also raised the rear 5/16". This maintains 3/4" rake measured at the rocker ends and 11/16" measured at the jack pads. I guess the new ride height also allows for aero hardware this coming winter. Also, this car had around a 0.25 deg mis-match with camber using TC Kline camber plates. This equates to a 6mm difference measured at the top of the strut. A call into TC netted a pair of slotted camber plates. Likely one of the few to have slotted TCK plates. I roughed these in using the iPhone app. Basically, the LH is 6mm further to the outside of the car than the RH. F3BDDC6C-3DB6-4704-9D8E-534B93860277 by D S, on Flickr 21FE7610-42BE-4315-B927-73C11D24D528 by D S, on Flickr
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09-01-2020, 05:55 PM | #16 |
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Very nice! Looks like fun to drive!
Quick Q on the seats. Do you guys still drive it on the street? If so, are you using the harnesses for your seat belts or the 3 point seat belt? Reason I ask is that I can't see the seat belt receptacle. |
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09-01-2020, 06:41 PM | #17 | |
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If you look at the seat installation thread, I used to have 3 points. I had to use VAC lap belt mounts and a receptacle from the back seat of a BMW X1 I believe? Then I bought seat belt extenders to make it easier. Kind of a sloppy solution and unsure of it's true effectiveness in a crash. https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1683863
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09-03-2020, 12:33 PM | #18 |
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dialed in!
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09-03-2020, 01:10 PM | #20 |
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Awesome build with a lot of helpful information. Thanks for posting!
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09-03-2020, 01:14 PM | #21 |
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That's a fun evolution for the build. It must be great for her to grow with the car, adds a lot of confidence when you tweak one component.
Making the jump from a summer performance tire to the RR takes a bit. I'm now 6 heat cycles into my first set, and the last session I think I was finally consistently pushing past the limits of the memorized summer tire, and not even scratching the surface of the RR. The good news is the RR does seem to communicate pretty well at low to medium speeds, a few corners where I pushed the front too hard and it squealed quite audibly before it broke. |
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09-03-2020, 01:56 PM | #22 |
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After a shakedown, the car is as good as it's going to be on it's present component setup. Full setup sheet attached. The car is very compliant with the tabletop and any curbing no problem whatsoever. Stiffening the front bar made an improvement to how the car behaves as well as increasing compression up front. Everyone that has driven the car wishes it could be stiffer, but I think it is limited by relatively soft spring rates! TC Kine is truly a master at the dual duty machine. But for strict tract duty on Toyo RRs, it needs more. But then again, TC's personal GTS has the same 600lbs springs in the rear with everything else stock GTS and he's running Hoosiers.
The RRs feel best between 36-38 hot. 34 they feel mushy, past 39 they feel slippery. The toe in at the rear has made the rear the most solid it has ever been. No longer are we always trying to tune the rear to be stable. Maybe the toe arms helped as well there. The rear is so stable that now the front doesn't seem to match. Maybe a whisper of toe in up front would help but I think it just takes a bit of time to get used to the new setup. Matched personal best easily on back to back laps. A little bit of understeer is present that can be corrected a few different ways, all part of driver development and learning. Either 1) let of the gas and let the rear catch up, 2) open the wheel a bit and use the curbing if needed, or 3) give it more gas and get some weight off the front and let the diff do some of the work. The F80 feels easier to drive than my E36. Toss either car around, trail brake too much, go in too hot, completely miss the turn in, the car just does what you want it to. She is also actively trail braking and what fun to back it into a corner and a simple wheel correct, brake release, or throttle application gets you online (or offline) with no drama. Getting a car to handle the way you want takes time and change. We are so so glad that we have people like TC Kline and Mitch Wright (GM at NCM and FIA racer) who took the time out of their busy lives to sit with us, drive the car, work through the setup changes, and give us advice and concur on the changes needed. I told her that through better or worse, this car has never wronged you. And indeed, couldn't think of a better platform for her to track with, especially at a track like NCM. f80 setup by D S, on Flickr
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