[Supernaut]

Nice review. Thanks for taking the time to post it. I've been off the track for a couple years after a medical issue and then mechanical stuff, so I'm looking forward to getting back. I'll need to address the camber issue one way or another, but other than that, planning brake fluid, pads and eventually a square setup.

[Liquidpaper]

Just a quick note -- videos are now up. Enjoy!

[gaijin]

Watching this most recent video really takes it home how good these M235i are track-side. Thanks for sharing and again, keep them coming.

Feedbacks on the P3 Vent gauge?

[dharo1]

Thanks for sharing

[Liquidpaper]

Originally Posted by gaijin

Watching this most recent video really takes it home how good these M235i are track-side. Thanks for sharing and again, keep them coming.

Feedbacks on the P3 Vent gauge?

Its very nice -- looks stock and provides some very important information (oil temp mostly).

However, it does take up the OBD II port, which I would like to use for data logging. I am foolishly hopeful that the forthcoming iDrive store will have an app for displaying all of this information on the iDrive screen, so I can just the OBD II for telemetry data. A man can dream....

[Supernaut]

Originally Posted by Liquidpaper

Its very nice -- looks stock and provides some very important information (oil temp mostly).

However, it does take up the OBD II port, which I would like to use for data logging. I am foolishly hopeful that the forthcoming iDrive store will have an app for displaying all of this information on the iDrive screen, so I can just the OBD II for telemetry data. A man can dream....

Have you tried a splitter for the OBD port?

[Liquidpaper]

Originally Posted by Supernaut

Have you tried a splitter for the OBD port?

I did not know those exited. I will now...

[Iceman51sn]

Great videos!! Thanks for sharing. Watching them makes me even more excited for my first track day in the 235. Heading to Willow Springs myself in about a month.

[Pparana]

What camber and castor are you running in the front, and in the rear? Installing my plates this week.

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by Pparana

What camber and castor are you running in the front, and in the rear? Installing my plates this week.

how much is the installation?
and the plates?

[Liquidpaper]

Originally Posted by Iceman51sn

Great videos!! Thanks for sharing. Watching them makes me even more excited for my first track day in the 235. Heading to Willow Springs myself in about a month.

Who are you running with?

Originally Posted by Pparana

What camber and castor are you running in the front, and in the rear? Installing my plates this week.

I am running F 2.25, R 2.65, 1/16 toe in, and stock caster (I have camber plates, not caster/camber plates).

[Liquidpaper]

Originally Posted by pikcachu

how much is the installation?
and the plates?

The GC plates were around $550. Installation was $200.

[Iceman51sn]

Originally Posted by Liquidpaper

Who are you running with?

I'm registering with Extreme Speed.

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by Liquidpaper

The GC plates were around $550. Installation was $200.

this includes alignment ?

[Liquidpaper]

Originally Posted by pikcachu

this includes alignment ?

Yep.

[pikcachu]

I really wish I could get away with the M3 LCAs.....

[Anderw]

looks fun!

[Pparana]

Originally Posted by Liquidpaper

Who are you running with?



I am running F 2.25, R 2.65, 1/16 toe in, and stock caster (I have camber plates, not caster/camber plates).

I have the plates, yet to install. Doing sways, rear diff and plates this weekend. Does the additional rear introduce too much understeer or do you feel the car is well balanced? I was thinking of 2.5 front, 2.25 r toe in front no toe rear. I am still running stock tires sizes staggered, so I think I have to make some adjustments for understeer.

Thanks!

[Liquidpaper]

Originally Posted by Pparana

I have the plates, yet to install. Doing sways, rear diff and plates this weekend. Does the additional rear introduce too much understeer or do you feel the car is well balanced? I was thinking of 2.5 front, 2.25 r toe in front no toe rear. I am still running stock tires sizes staggered, so I think I have to make some adjustments for understeer.

Thanks!

So, I obviously am NOT an expert, but here is my take on it:

The car doesn't push that much stock (as far as street cars go). Even before I got anything done, it would push, but it was never to a silly degree.

That being said, after I got my alignment done with the plates, the car is now neutral. It will oversteer or understeer, depending on your throttle input. However, right when I got the car on the track (after my few upgrades) I felt like the car was really loose -- I was playing "catch the tail" all morning. Once I settled down and started to relax and feel the car out, that wasn't really a problem anymore, but that was my initial impression. I think that has more to do with me than the car, though.

With respect to your setup, if you are going to still drive the car on the street, I think 2.5 front is just about the maximum you're going to want to run on the street. Any more and you're going to have some effed up tire wear. Further, youre probably going to be playing "catch the tail" pretty badly with that much front camber. I would recommend starting at lower number at first (closer to 2, but not under 2) and see how it feels. If it still pushes, then get it tweaked. If you go to a track and your car is way too loose, its going to ruin your day, and track time is like gold. At 2 deg negative camber, you will not be pushing nearly as much as you were, if at all. So, I'd personally start closer to there.

With regard to your rear, I don't think you're going to want so much camber. Its not as important in the rear, and if you go in too much, you're going to have straight line traction issues. I'm at 1.65, and I might bump it to 1.75 or 1.8 simply to tuck my rear wheels in (just a little bit of poke, 8.5 ET 38 in the rear).

Again, YMMV, and I am no expert. Take the car to a reputable race alignment shop and see what they recommend. That's what I did. To an extent, it's personal preference.

In all honestly, I did this mostly for cost-saving purposes. Street tires do not last long on a track without negative camber (at least in the front). Turns out it also greatly enhanced my cornering/handling capabilities.

What diff are you installing? The MP LSD? That's my next upgrade for sure.

[Liquidpaper]

Update -- action shot added in OP.

[hoppy6698]

Originally Posted by Liquidpaper

Update -- action shot added in OP.

OP - can you link where you got the camber plates? I'm doing my first track events this summer, already have the SS brake lines and ATE fluid. MP LSD was port installed. My only concern is preserving the PSS set as long as possible. $900 per set is not cheap to replace, as you noted. But once the OEM PSS set is gone, I may move to something more track oriented on the stock wheels, like RE-11s or the Direzza's.

Thanks for the notes and write up!

[Liquidpaper]

Originally Posted by hoppy6698

OP - can you link where you got the camber plates? I'm doing my first track events this summer, already have the SS brake lines and ATE fluid. MP LSD was port installed. My only concern is preserving the PSS set as long as possible. $900 per set is not cheap to replace, as you noted. But once the OEM PSS set is gone, I may move to something more track oriented on the stock wheels, like RE-11s or the Direzza's.

Thanks for the notes and write up!

The plates are actually the F30 plates, which are almost a direct fit for our suspension.

http://www.ground-control-store.com/.../II=975/CA=182

The only modification that you will need to make is that there is a washer between the top of the strut and the bottom of the plate/hat which does not fit over this weird lip on the top of our struts. The washer will need to be machined out (with a drill or something) a bit in order to get an exact fit.

Also, please make sure the wiring for your adaptive dampers is on the side of the strut tower, and not the top. If it comes out of the top, these plates will not work. If it is on the side, it will work.

Your MPSS should last a while with proper alignment. Not necessarily as long as a Potenza, Direzza, RD08, or RS3, but a decent while.