E46 M3 CS Modification Time!

E46 M3 CS Modification Time!

Author
Discussion

CraigNicol

Original Poster:

46 posts

208 months

Tuesday 9th September 2008
quotequote all
Hi Guys!

Had my E46 M3 CS for around 4 months now, its just reached 50k on the clock but is still under BMW warranty. Having completed a few trackdays and a trip to the ring i've decided to invest a little in the suspension etc since i WILL be keeping it for a good while.

I've decided to do things in stages: First of all a Carbonio Air Intake is a must! Just for the note alone it seems to be worth the money!

On the handling side of things.....with time I want to move onto cups, i presume these fit my CS wheels? (The reason i ask is that they are 265 on the rear compared with the 255's i have on at the mo?)

Only wanting to spend around 700 sheet at the mo, i've decided my best option would be Eibach springs, uprated rogue rear shocker mounts(a week point of E46's?), powerflex bushes and Eibach Anti-roll bars.

Thats what i've kinda worked out myself by reading through various sites etc on the net.....any thoughts?

Are these mods a good call?

Any suggestions/comments welcome!

dan101smith

16,857 posts

217 months

Tuesday 9th September 2008
quotequote all
What's your aim for the car? If you want it to be a real track focussed car, then don't bother with the Eibach springs - you'll have to go for coilovers to achieve that.

I'd suggest that if you don't want to splurge on coilovers now, upgrade the brakes - braided lines/5.1 fluid/pagid pads are a fine upgrade, and the best thing short of a BBK.

Ultimately, you'll want uprated ARBs, coilovers and a BBK for stopping and handling, then a CF air box and live map for more power.

Might sound odd, but a harness would also make a big difference, as staying put in the seat can be a problem with standard seatbelts!

RatBoy M3CS

1,490 posts

202 months

Wednesday 10th September 2008
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Touch base if your looking for a track set of bits.. i'm movng my car on soon.. and could have a complete set of track goodies for your CS..

Its a massive improvement to the stock car.. I can hold on to the stock gt3 Porsches now.. wink

Cork M3

28 posts

198 months

Wednesday 10th September 2008
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Hi Rat Boy,

I'm looking for some uprated suspension and Ap's if you're getting rid of them. Send me a mail to msajda@yahoo.com.

Kind Regards

Mark

CraigNicol

Original Poster:

46 posts

208 months

Wednesday 10th September 2008
quotequote all
Cheers Ratboy,

I was nearly smoking the standard GT3's at the ring with a stock CS....they are made for the place.
GT3 RS seems to be the weapon of choice round there!
Attached is my onboard vid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX4UHu26fbE

Give me an email with prices for your bits and bobs.
craignicol@marathonoil.com

RatBoy M3CS

1,490 posts

202 months

Wednesday 10th September 2008
quotequote all
Sure... i will be in touch soon if my car doesnt sell as it is.. and i will have the kit up for grabs.. the brakes are something else.. really.. on RS29 fronts.. coilovers are a must.. and if you dont want to kill your front tyres in an afternoon, turret tops also..;)

CraigNicol

Original Poster:

46 posts

208 months

Wednesday 10th September 2008
quotequote all
I'd love coilovers and Ap's but buying all of that together at the mo would skin me!

What do you suggest setup wise with standard suspension?
Eibach Springs , Powerflex bush kit, anti-roll kit and perhaps some spacers for the front i was thinking? Feel the front track would improve with being a little wider?

Would these mods do for now?

Then after that the brakes are a must! What you getting next? Your car sounds mint!

Edited by CraigNicol on Wednesday 10th September 22:57

RatBoy M3CS

1,490 posts

202 months

Thursday 11th September 2008
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I would suggest you wait till the pennies in the pot are enough to get some decent suspension.. If you go for the springs only, it wont be much better, you will be back to change the dampers at some point and you will have to pay for the labour and geo all over again..!

From my exp the brakes / dampers / springs / turret tops ( for the track ) is all you need on the CS..
I would not go with all the bushes, FARBS and RARBS either.. its a step too far for a road car.. it will shake you fillings out..

I've beaten many GT3's, and a few RS's round Silverstone in this trim.. you can nail pretty much anything on the brakes outside of ceramic shod cars..and even some of those too..

1st thing to do and by far the cheapest is some 10mm track spacers on the front.
Some DS2500 road / track front pads then a pair of 235 section front tyres.

Next up a pair of CSL front rims, these 2 mods combined make a huge difference to the steering and front end grip.. get shot of the 225 fronts, go 265rr / 235 fr.. same as CSL..

Then hold tight and save your pennies for the brakes and suspension to turn it into a proper track toy..

Edited by RatBoy M3CS on Thursday 11th September 10:43

CraigNicol

Original Poster:

46 posts

208 months

Wednesday 24th September 2008
quotequote all
Thanks for all the advice chaps.

Just picked my car up this afternoon from the garage.
I've ended up with Ap racing's finest front and rear (In red), 10 mm spacers and Eibach springs for now.....its looking mint!