Project E36 M3: Part 1 – Taming the Wobbly Beast

,

Removing OEM FCABs doesn't have an easy solution as it does with the RTABs, so without proper tools, the easiest thing to do is find someone with old OE housings and pre-install new bushings.  You'll need a hydraulic press, though, in order to get them into the “lollypop” housings.

With new bushings in place, the car was feeling the way a stock E36 M3 should.  A decent ride, very nice steering feel and great overall balance on the street.  

E36 M3 stock cosmos blackThe car as it sat the day I picked it up… With factory 17” x 7.5” wheels in the front and 17” x 8.5” in the rear.

I’m not a fan of staggered wheels, but I wasn’t ready for a full set of anything new just yet.  I’ve always been a fan of the M Contour look, and those are the wheels that came on the car, so it meant that I was just an internet post away from a non-staggered setup.  The only thing missing now?  Tires!  

Michelin Pilot Super Sports PSS happy boyAnd here they are! 245/40-17 Michelin Pilot Supersports.  I had heard some fantastic feedback from fellow racers who were using them as their street tires, and the more I researched, the more excited I was to try them out.  Almost as excited as face hovering in the tires above. 
 
E36 M3 alignment rack AutoTechWith just two days until the car's first track event, and all the rehab we could fit in for now, it was time to get it aligned by Kendall at AutoTech Service Center.  

Even with a mostly stock suspension, I really didn't want to head out to the track with a factory alignment, as I knew it would be push city.  The wider footprint with 245s up front would help, but a bit of negative camber would go a longer way still, so we installed a couple of Bimmerworld camber shims.  This was an incredibly easy and basic way to get to -2.0 degrees.  More was possible, but pointless for now.  My old RE lightweight 10mm spacers came in handy, though, as they helped to prevent the tires from touching the struts (not necessary without camber shims).

Having been close to 12 years since I spent much time in a stock E36 M3, I had completely forgotten how good these cars are when stock.  I can't claim “bone stock” since I upgraded the bushings, had a square wheel setup, a little negative camber and non-factory dampers, but this was still a testament to how fantastic the chassis is “out of the box.”

E36 M3 on track in rainThe fact that it was a torrential downpour on the first day probably helped with my opinion, though.  The soft suspension made for a very well-balanced car in the wet, with just enough body roll to make for significant grip.  The Michelin PSS tires were freaking magic in the rain, too.
 
 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*