BMW 3 series tuning.

BMW 3 series

The BMW 3 series was first launched in 1975 with the E21, however it was not until 1982 the 3 series was a success with all the E30.

In particular the Ultimate Driving Machine really kicked things off in 1985 with the E30 M3 which was produced as a race car for the road.

This was because BMW wanted to compete in touring car racing.

After this success, 3 more lucrative generations have followed.

BMWs naturally have very good suspension, especially thanks to the 50: 50 weight distribution found through the entire range.

Tuning articles and tips

But any suspension setup can be improved upon. A good beginning to a suspension overhaul will be to install a pair of adjustable coil overs. These are available in many varieties from eBay specials to high-end track setups.

When installing coil overs, be sure to select some adjustable top mounts as well. This should help you gain camber and castor. If you plan to go extremely low, generally the lower the greater, however some models demand a sump guard. If ride comfort is vital to your everyday journey then we recommend you go for a pair of lowering springs instead as being a coil over setup can be very stiff.

Stunning handling and a great range of engines clearly mark the 3 series BMW out from the competition as a drivers car.

BMW 3 Series Tuning

You will notice that older BMWs need more work to get the nearly all of out of them as parts have endured more wear due to their life span. Especially pay attention to the bushes. The better the bushes, the stiffer the ride will likely be. Powerflex give a great selection of polyurethane bushes (poly bushes) for all BMWs that will stiffen up the help and ride handling.

Anti-roll bars are also a great way of improving how the car handles as chassis roll is reduced through hard cornering. Adjustable setups can be purchased and are very beneficial if the car is used both on the road and also on the track. Strut braces are an easy modification that helps reduce chassis flex. Front and rear strut braces will make sure the car stays stable at top speed.

An important part for any project is making the sure the vehicle stops. Luckily BMWs let you swap parts from other BMWs to create a bigger, better setup. An example of it becomes an E46 330i brakes being applied to an E36. Just be sure the correct master servo and cylinder are used otherwise the middle pedal won’t do anything whatsoever! If you want serious brakes though, many setups are available.

Grooved and drilled discs are a smart idea to stop brake allow and fade up rated cooling. These characteristics are answer to track cars, but can be too much for a daily drive car as brakes might not exactly reach optimum temperature quick enough. Brake pads are also important and should be chosen wisely depending on what the car is used for.

By using a pad made for track use may not be perfect for road visa and utilize-versa. A simple but effective way to improve braking is usually to install some stainless steel brake lines. These reduce any flex from the lines and don’t corrode like OEM ones do. This will improve the feel in the brakes in every setup.

Now we go to the exciting part of any BMW 3 Series project, more power! Exhaust systems are an effective way of increasing throttle response and adding a number of extra horses. Pipe diameter is the key element in choosing your exhaust system. The right size for an M3 will no doubt be too large for a smaller powered version.

BMW 3 series engine

For example, the optimum exhaust size for any 318is is 2.25 inches, nevertheless the M3 utilizes a 3 inch diameter. This is to achieve the best flow rate vs back pressure. Induction kits can achieve good power gains across the range, but make sure to use a heat shield around enclosed filter as heat soak mean a loss in power.

Smaller engines can achieve similar gains with just a panel filter, however. Throttle bodies can also be an important part of adding power to your 3 Series.

Big bore throttle bodies (BBTBs) or individual throttle bodies (ITBs) help deliver more power and a better throttle response to your BMW. By getting a remap done, once you’ve finished with your power modifications then make sure you take advantage.

This may ensure that there no flat spots meaning drivability is in it’s best and power is increased further. When you have a smaller engined BMW, nearly as good gains are around for most engines, especially diesels, Don’t be put off. A turbo or supercharger may be the path to take if it isn’t enough for you.

Styling is probably the most enjoyable part of a 3 Series project. There are so many parts to select from you will spend hours looking and planning. Non-Mtec models may benefit from an Mtec conversion and Mtec models may be inspired by many aftermarket manufacturers including Alpina, AC and Hartge Schnitzer.

The greatest choice you can expect to make throughout your 3 Series project is the thing that wheels to choose. TorqueCars recommends going for lightweight wheels to maximise performance. This means avoiding replica wheels as they are usually heavier than standard wheels.

A common wheel choice is to get 5 Series rims onto a 3 Series. When you purchase this route then make sure a spigot ring is commonly used to reduce centre bore size. Otherwise you will endure wheel wobble.

BMW 3 series

To ensure you select a good base for your project be sure to check the rear arches for rust as replacements will be expensive.

If equipped, VANOS., other areas to check on are the wiring contained inside the boot harness as tear and wear may cause electrical problems, the Nikasil issue found with Nickel lined alloy blocks, exhaust manifolds.

Passing your driving test and getting your driver’s license opens so many new doors – it brings independence, freedom and not to mention added expense. Finally you will be able to check out the motors at www.downtownnissan.com having a view to really driving one home, not merely dreaming of “if only” . . .

Here are a few tips which could help to make passing your driver’s test a reality sooner rather than later.

The first thing you’ve got to do is to successfully negotiate the written driver’s test. This can be very tricky indeed; some of the questions will definitely attempt to catch you. Make sure that you are ready for this test by reading your Drivers Manual (for your residence State) from cover to take and cover at least one of the practice tests before the real thing. Pay particular attention to details like the meanings of road signs, speed limits, rules of the Highway, stopping distances and the distances where you should signal before making a turn. These are typically multiple choice but several of the questions are really tricky so watch out.

Upon having safely passed and negotiated the written driver’s test you can go on to accept practical part of the examination. You will likely have had hours of practice with an instructor and / or long suffering family member. If you have only driven with a member of family then you are strongly advised to take some lessons with an instructor to the fine tuning of your driving (and test passing) skills.

One of the biggest challenges which face many new drivers is parallel parking, especially as they will be feeling more than a little nervous and even the most proficient “parkers” can find themselves in difficulty within this rather tricky maneuver.

The best way to get better at something is usually to practice – there actually is no replacement for it. When you are not positive about your parallel parking skills then practice, practice again and practice a little bit more until you no longer worry about it and can practice it with your eyes closed (not literally you realize).

A few other activities to keep in mind include;

• Ensure that your car is within good working order and that all lights, – brake lights, head signal and lights lights work correctly. Make sure that your wipers work too.

• If at all possible try and drive the route of your test before you actually take your test. Doing this you’ll be capable of see the different speed limits, potential driving hazards etc.

Before your test begins, • Be sure that you park your vehicle in the right spot. There is generally a designated parking space so be sure to make use of it.

• Listen very carefully to everything that the examiner says. Only do as your examiner asks, will not do any illegal maneuvers and don’t be tempted to rush to attempt to beat the lights.

• Be aware of not driving too slowly. Try to keep with 5 miles per hour in the speed limit wherever you drive. Driving too slowly is almost as bad as driving too rapidly and breaking the speed limit.

• Ensure that you pay extra attention to specific zones, school zones etc. Also pay particular awareness of no turning on reds etc. Your examiner will be watching carefully to ascertain if you adhere to all of these things.

Once you have passed your test explore the great motors at http://www.downtownnissan.com – there’s guaranteed to something there to tempt you.

An overview of induction kits

Their business and the theory behind them, as induction kits are most likely one of the most popular modifications for car tuning projects we thought we should add a introductory article to describe what they are.

An induction kit is fairly simply an air filter. Most cars have air filters mounted in an air box. These filters are generally constructed of paper which filters out the particles from the air and prevents these from getting into the engine. The airboxes are designed to reduce the noise of the engine and have various vanes and angles cut to maximise this noise reduction.

Because the air is not really flowing freely through the filter there is potentially a loss in power due to the turbulence due to all that sound deadening. To make up for this loss of power the air filter surface area is significantly larger than the intake tubes so manufactures have effectively closed the gap between, noise reduction and gratifaction.

Induction kits

When it comes to car tuning noise reduction is often the last thing on peoples mind. Swapping out your restrictive air box by having an open filter helps to enhance the flow of air in to the engine and fully releases the induction roar, a noise linked to tuners cars the world over.

The induction kit is quite simply an open air filter shaped like a cone, dome or tube.

So it would appear that induction kits can be a win/win situation. There are some downsides, however. As being the filter is sited inside the warm engine bay it will suck in warm air which carries less oxygen. Thankfully after a mile or so the air temperature within the engine bay is much reduced and closer to ambient temperatures. Fitting a cold air feed pipe taking air from outside the engine bay will help to counter this problem.

Engines with induction kits fitted typically begin to see the power gains quite high in the RPM range. However low end power can be compromised. In small engines the outcome of an induction kit can be a noticeable loss of low end power. If you want to use the top end of the RPM range at all times, like you would in a race environment, but on the street this is just not viable, this is fine. Fuel usage would be much higher and you will be creating a noise nuisance to your neighbours.

Induction kits flow superior to paper elements partly mainly because they do less filtering. Induction kits continue to be efficient filters but they are not going to be as good as an OEM paper filter.

Do induction kits always add power?

NO – typically power gains are toward the best end from the RPM range and some engines will show an electrical loss, especially low down.

Do induction kits add fuel economy?

So round town you could notice a small improvement in MPG nevertheless the induction roar promotes a heavier driving style which negates this, by sucking in warm engine bay air the engine will make use of less fuel. Engines could be a little more efficient with induction kits so pull in more air. This generally means you will get more power from your fuel but if you adjusted your driving style, to use less throttle and settled to your previous power figures, you will get improved mpg with induction kits.

Are all induction kits a similar?

No, quality varies considerably. We recommend filters that happen to be using a cotton gauze filtration medium. Some kits come with high flow air air and boxes intakes designed particularly for a car and those will usually out perform basic filter only kits.

Are induction kits hard to fit?

Induction kits are very easy to fit. You may need to cut a pipe or two but a majority of kits might be fitted in 4 minutes with just a screwdriver.

I fitted an induction kit and I have flat spots?

Wait for quite a while. Modern engines may need to get used to the new air-flow characteristics. They will likely auto trim the fueling based on lambda readings. If after a tank of fuel you still get flat spots then you can examine your fuel delivery. Running lean can be a problem and several have noted that fitting a sports exhaust will further improve things.