track day upgrades

[emac 9]

Hi everyone i am a brand new member and i am looking for your advice.

I have a 2002 540i Motorsport and have just signed up to give myself a good scare at a couple of trackdays. what bang for bucks improvements do you suggest [lets assume a budget of say $2500/ to $3000] thanks.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

Hi everyone i am a brand new member and i am looking for your advice.

I have a 2002 540i Motorsport and have just signed up to give myself a good scare at a couple of trackdays. what bang for bucks improvements do you suggest [lets assume a budget of say $2500/ to $3000] thanks.

people that race more than I do probably will give better advice.

really important to make sure all maintenance is up to date before you start "improving" the car. especially the cooling system, and if an automatic, the transmission oil and filter etc.

Then an LSD and/or some quality tyres and/or manual gearbox, if it doesnt have them already. other stuff will probably be over your budget

[BM WORLD 1283]

suspension and brakes first ,

you want all the suspension bushes and ball joints to be nice and tight ,recent wheel alignment

, newish sport shocks , maybe tighter springs ?

good brake pads /discs and brake fluid , otherwise a few fast laps and your brakes will be shot.

then semi slick tyres on some spare rims if there is any money left over

[Apex 693]

If it's your first time on track I would say keep the money and just go out and have fun, learn the track and better your driving skills.

[emac 9]

Thanks for all the advice. I do have some track experience [in single seaters] and i suspect i may catch the bug! i am just looking to get goodbang for my hard earned so please keep all the ideas coming [it really is a pity my kids are to old to sell for medical experiments]

I will post photos of the car real soon. Thanks.

[yng_750 247]

i took my 540i out.

upgrades i would do in order of importance.

1. cooling system to be tip top

2. manual box including new oil

3. brake upgrade, not sure of options but mine did one lap of taupo and were cooked, pads and fluid will help but its still a heavy car so dont expect them to last for more than a 10 min stint at best.

4. lsd.

5. stiffer suspension bushes, i felt the car moving alot on the suspension from and rear, not alot available for these cars.

6. fast steering rack, again probably hard but it has a slow as hell rack, i was working hard to catch powerslides because it take alot to get to full lock.

for continued track use buy an e36, for a one or two off just do good maintenance and drive within the limits of it being a luxury barge, fun but slow.

[Ultrarandom 3]

Main thing to focus on a minimum is brake maintenance, as Brent said your brakes will give out after a few laps otherwise, so new brake fluid and new pads+rotors if not an upgrade.
then suspension, LSD and transmission+cooling maintenance.

[jom 98]

Get one of these

http://www.cg-lock.com/index.html

You'll stop trying to hang on to the steering wheel and find out what the car is really doing.

[yng_750 247]

Those things are stupid, i have used one and it just added discomfort, not to mention frayed the sh*t out of the seatbelt within 4-5 uses.

a proper seat with fitted bolsters is all that is needed.

Also if you crash only the chest part goes tight, not flash on you ribs and neck to take all the impact.

[Apex 693]

Thanks for all the advice. I do have some track experience [in single seaters] and i suspect i may catch the bug! i am just looking to get goodbang for my hard earned so please keep all the ideas coming [it really is a pity my kids are to old to sell for medical experiments]

I will post photos of the car real soon. Thanks.

Good. If you have track experience you will quickly discover the 540i is not a track car and the M badge may as well represent some sort of discount at Mc Donald's drive through... this will become apparent after two hard laps when the brakes fade and you realize that Honda Civics are lapping you.

As stated a general maintenance check would be advised, at the most I would upgrade the brake fluid, but even then it will still be awful if you try and push it and ultimately you could wreck the brakes (warp/eat disks and pads) as they are just not made for the track.

In all honesty you would need to spend more like $15k on a 540i to have it tolerable on track and thrashing it on a track could only be bad for it...maybe save the money in-case you break something!

I don't mean to be so negative but some cars are simply not cut out for track work, taking the 540i to a track is like a entering Sumo in a marathon.

Edited September 30, 2013 by apex

[M5V8 337]

from someone whom's tracked their e39. $1500 in brakes later. Probably wont do that again.

[Apex 693]

Or you could just not brake! I took my E60 545i M to Taupo for a laugh and after realizing it was not cut out for it I simply resorted to going slow into corners and drifting out, could drift the 545i from turn one through to turn 5, needed new tyres afterwards though and the people in Audi's got scared.

[M5V8 337]

this is what I resorted to also

[emac 9]

ok bigger budget n maybe a different car!

[M5V8 337]

sorry we don't want to put you off track days. they are a great place to hone your driving skills.

Go. Do it.

Just take it easy on the brakes. Make sure the rest of the car has had a good service. warm the tyres up and cool the car down. Don't try for lap times.

my last effort. slow in. fast out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaO6KnkMUrk

Edited October 1, 2013 by M5V8

[yng_750 247]

I was comfortable taking mine to the track even though it was my only transport as i trusted it not to break, it was always a slide around have fun not a proper go fast track day.

You will spend probably 10K just overcoming the weight difference back to a 328i.

better to get a 328i and modify it.

if you are looking for cheap fun you can buy a cheap 328i for just your modification budget for the 540i.

[emac 9]

OH i intend to have fun "slow in fast out" great advice. thanks

[jom 98]

Those things are stupid, i have used one and it just added discomfort, not to mention frayed the sh*t out of the seatbelt within 4-5 uses.

a proper seat with fitted bolsters is all that is needed.

Also if you crash only the chest part goes tight, not flash on you ribs and neck to take all the impact.

OK, I was just offering the cheap option.

How about a removable harness?

https://www.schrothracing.com/tuning/quick-fit/qf-bmw

[Eagle 1662]

Get some good race fluid like Motul RBF600 and some decent front pads like Pagid S,RS blues,1166's etc, shouldnt cost you more than $500 and the rest of car should handle providing its upto standard.

My experience tracking 5\7 series BMW's ive never had any real brake issues doing the usual 5\6 lap stints, most have pretty standard cars with race brake fluid & OEM pads and i dont show any mercy.

While your 540i aint going to break any records your driving skill counts a good chuck too. Ive shown up quite a few should be faster cars with my 80's luxury sedan and had people come upto me surprised by it, i dont regard myself as the best around but ive always pushed to the limit and never held back.

[emac 9]

nice n noted

[Neal 544]

Get some re11s or Toyo 555s and some harder pads and have a ball.

Tirerack.com for your tires if going re11s

[Ugan 41]

-Considering you have purchased a 540i which is essentially a rapid cross country ground coverer rather than a screaming track hack and I doubt you want to seriously spend large amounts of money making it one, IF you do buy an M3.(you still want to stay in German company).

-If your 540i is a factory spec Motorsport and not one that has been fettled with aftermarket parts to try and make it a motorsport then you will have a good base to start with.

- Spend you 3K ensuring your car is in tip top shape suspension transmission etc.

Credibility - I have taken my 06 1.8T Quattro, Airtrek Turbo(with the high suspension lol), legacy Gt and these are not track cars BUT you will be able to go way faster than you can legally go on the road in a safe and controlled environment.

Edited October 2, 2013 by Allycat

[hybrid 1043]

All great advice in here .. I had the same problems with my 330i. Not quite as bad, its the reason I bought the e30 to do with it what I did.. I ended up with the bug,

[M5V8 337]

there's no auto ban on track days .......

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

I cant believe ill say it but...

have done a few track days mostly in my automatic 550i Touring, yes a manual would be unquestionsably better for track work, but nothing "wrong" with the BMW automatics.

Obviously you will be putting it in Sport mode and using the gear selector shifting for the car, leaving it in Drive would be stupid. They seem to lock up the tourque converter when not shifting so is much like a manual in that you can power out of corners without it flaring like it would in Drive.

And the brakes in that car are fine too, its a wagon with a V12 in it, quite a bit heavier than a "normal" E34, but race fluid and otherwise stock brakes and its fine. you will only be doing 3 or 4 hot laps before cooling the car again anyways.