Finding a Real Solution to the BMW S54 Rod Bearing Failure
When we first began looking at the S54 knowing its history of rod bearing failure we immediately noticed how small the rod bearings were compared to other engines we’d built. To be more specific, the width of them is relatively narrow compared to other engines that are designed to make that much power. When you…
Read MoreE46 325i Sedan Complete M3 Conversion S54 Swap
We recently completed an S54 swap into an E46 325i sedan for a customer. The goal was to create a car that looked like a stock 3 series from the outside but had all the performance of an M3 and I believe we hit that goal. From what I’ve seen most of the swaps have…
Read MoreE46 BMW Rear Subframe Reinforcement
Similar to the E36 BMW the E46 series chassis was cursed with thin sheet metal in some vital areas. The rear subframe, particularly on the early produced non-M 3 Series, often rips from the mounting points over time. While BMW made a recall kit for the E36 chassis they didn’t do so for the…
Read MoreE30 BMW Rear Subframe Modification for Toe and Camber Adjustment
The method for modifying the E30 subframe to allow for camber and toe adjustment is nothing new, we’ve been doing this for years since the E30 has been raced for so many years now. However we noticed that we get lots of E30’s on our alignment rack that haven’t had this modification done properly so…
Read MoreBuilding BMW Engines for Club Racing Competition and Power to Weight Ratio Classes
Selecting the right engine platform for a club racing car is one of the biggest decisions a racer will have to make. In the last few years most of the competitive classes have shifted towards the power to weight ratio method of classification. For some engines and chassis this has been great, but for others…
Read MoreE36 and E46 Front Strut Tower Crack Repair and Reinforcement
Similar to the issues that the E36 and E46 rear subframe mounts have, the front strut towers are notorious for cracking. We find this happens often especially when using coil overs with camber plates and stiff springs. This particular car had some cheap aftermarket camber plates installed with a fairly poor design. The flaw we…
Read MoreBMW Race Car Aerodynamics Part 3: Diffusers, Rear Wings, Venturi Tunnels, Underbodies
Finally we can focus on the areas of the car that really tie the whole system together. As we’ve discussed before its crucial that the car be considered as a complete aerodynamic system, not as separate components. Whenever a single component is changed, one has to consider how that affects flow in other regions. To…
Read MoreE36 BMW Rear Subframe Reinforcement
In the never ending pursuit of creating a strong and light unibody chassis BMW occasionally makes mistakes. The E36 chassis has a few structural weak points, the front strut towers, the rear subframe mounts are some of the most common failures. In order to keep the frame as light as possible BMW used some thin…
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