First Day back with new setup

[Cpt_Rum-bo]

I have a 2010 135i, FBO tuned by myself with Cobb for now. Track day map is E30 detuned to about 370whp. Suspension is stock, tyres are squared 255/35/18 Federal RS-R racing on stock 261M wheels.

I've done a couple track days before, this is the first one with the new tyre setup. Extra rubber up front definitely helps with the understeer, but the lack of camber and compression under load of the fronts just does not help at all.

I like to make changes one at a time to get a clear idea of the effect, so will be doing camber plates next as that's all my budget allows.

Vid of the first session last Sunday with the new rubber:

[dcaron9999]

Congrats on the nice and smooth steering wheel inputs!

Please list your mods on your car so far, and alignments specs, as a reference for others.

To answer your PM question, camber plates will definitely help to reduce understeer some more. You should be able to set camber close to 3.x*. I have -3.2* and 0 toe dialed in on the front of my 135i, but using M3 front control arms, Ground Control camber plates, and 10 mm spacers. Like youself, I use stock rear style 261 wheels at the four corners.

This setup greatly reduced understeer at medium and high speed corners. In slow corners, your tire footprint is reduced because the outer edge does not contact the ground. Therefore, you will still experience a certain level of understeer. You can compensate by practising trailbraking until late Apex, which will transfer some weight to the front, and help you gain a little more front grip, and save your tires.

What also helped me this year is Swift Spec-R springs and Bilstein B8 dampers. These are cost effective and provide max wheel/tire clearance. This upgrade transformed the car. Car is now flat - much less lean and weight transfer in curves or during hard braking/acceleration. This also helped reduced understeer. Im still on stock Sway bars too.

Surprised you are able to fit a square 255/35R18 tire setup on your 135i, and this with stock camber! Care to share how you achieved that feat?

[suspenceful]

Originally Posted by dcaron9999

Surprised you are able to fit a square 255/35R18 tire setup on your 135i, and this with stock camber! Care to share how you achieved that feat?

Plus the Federal 595-RSR run wide... I hear their 255 is more like a 270.

I was looking at these tires, what do you think of them as far as grip and wear?

[chris82]

Might want to add a beefier sway bar up front to combat the roll and corresponding loss of camber. But by all means, don't stray over your budget haha, that's never good

[Cpt_Rum-bo]

Mods:
Engine: BMS DCI // Chargepipe // Mech 5" IC // VRSF Catless DP // Muffer delete // NGK 1-step colder plugs // my own E30 tune targetting around 370whp
Suspension: Stock // Front Camber -0.9, Rear -1.6 // 0 Toe // 6.5 Caster // 12mm spacers up front
Wheels: 261M (front and rear)
Other: Motul Rb 600 Brake Fluid

I'm not getting any rubbing so far.

I'll need to find a pic of how they look. In terms of the tyre. I absolutely love them. If I don't over drive them, they don't get very greasy and their grip is excellent. When compared to the cost, they're hard to beat. Will know more as I get more track days on them.

My next mod will be a more durable brake pad and the camber plates. Towards the end of each 25-min session I was getting brake fade, so had to extend my braking points.

[Cpt_Rum-bo]

Front wheels

[Cpt_Rum-bo]

Has anyone ever tried these? http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E82-135...ers/ES2877835/

[_Ryan_]

Originally Posted by Cpt_Rum-bo

Has anyone ever tried these? http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E82-135...ers/ES2877835/

I run B14 with linear swift springs and vorshlag camber plates.
B14 from NH-Tuning.
The rest from Harold at HPA.

I wouldn't run anything else on a car which sees 30k km per year.