WTB: E39 540i motorsport

[Olaf 3318]

On 9/13/2017 at 9:12 PM, NZ BMW said:

I believe the 530i also had aluminium suspension components as opposed to the heavier steel ones in the 540i.

 

16 hours ago, dirtydoogle said:

The 540 has aluminium suspension components 

I think you chaps will find both have aluminium suspension and steering components.  The 540 shares many with the M5.  A quick check of FCP parts pages for 530i and 540i confirms this.

[Olaf 3318]

8 hours ago, Dr. M said:

Had to be an 8 for me in the end....picked up this one last night. Not a motorsport but much too tidy to walk away from.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1416212371

Looks superb.  And hey, the most important part of ///M sport can be retrofitted; the suspension.  So if you are servicing the suspension at 160k, you get your springs and ARBs from Brent or Ray, buy your new bushes and, ///M sport shocks to suit, bingo. 

Happy wafting! Im on "my first V8" and loving it, despite (around town) it's like going out with that girlfriend you used to have that can't pass a bar without going in. 

[qube 3570]

i would get the timing chain guides sorted way before any suspension work though..

[dirtydoogle 383]

7 hours ago, Olaf said:

 

I think you chaps will find both have aluminium suspension and steering components.  The 540 shares many with the M5.  A quick check of FCP parts pages for 530i and 540i confirms this.

Correct 

However if memory serves me right the 530 does not have the alloy shocks. 

Both are nice cars regardless 

[B.M.W Ltd 950]

1 hour ago, qube said:

i would get the timing chain guides sorted way before any suspension work though..

Really ??

[qube 3570]

What's the point of spending money to upgrade to msport suspension if you don't know the engine is gonna last? Of course there are safety components in the suspension that may require urgent attention but the above posts are talking about changing to msport shocks etc not maintenance.

[Olaf 3318]

7 minutes ago, qube said:

What's the point of spending money to upgrade to msport suspension if you don't know the engine is gonna last? Of course there are safety components in the suspension that may require urgent attention but the above posts are talking about changing to msport shocks etc not maintenance.

selective understanding and personal bias shining through there, Kyu.  

the key word was "if"; there was no need to preface this with "if you've already done...".

NOBODY suggested retrofitting MSport suspension at the expense of, or in preference to, essential maintenance.  nobody.

[Eagle 1662]

Id replace the chain tensioner for piece of mind but i doubt many would replace the guides unless they were an issue.

[Dr. M 10]

On 9/16/2017 at 10:25 AM, Eagle said:

Id replace the chain tensioner for piece of mind but i doubt many would replace the guides unless they were an issue.

Thanks for bringing this up; my understanding was the guides don't need doing until about 250k's (car has 155 currently). 

Quick thoughts on the timing of these?

[aja540i 1906]

Mine were only just hanging on at 280 k, did them while engine was out to do oil seperator. Does depend a bit on how car is used and looked after.

[Dr. M 10]

On 2017-9-15 at 5:55 AM, Olaf said:

Looks superb.  And hey, the most important part of ///M sport can be retrofitted; the suspension.  So if you are servicing the suspension at 160k, you get your springs and ARBs from Brent or Ray, buy your new bushes and, ///M sport shocks to suit, bingo. 

Happy wafting! Im on "my first V8" and loving it, despite (around town) it's like going out with that girlfriend you used to have that can't pass a bar without going in. 

Thanks! 

M-sport retrofit or H&R springs? 

[Olaf 3318]

H&R Sportsprings are an entirely different question/consideration.  If you were looking to get a motorsport ride and handling when you were doing a suspension service, it's "BMW Lego".  Shocks, springs, ARB's, bushes to suit all from the parts catalogue.

If you were wanting to *modify* your suspension - with a specific outcome in mind - you'd be considering which springs, which shocks to work with (damp) those springs, and which ARBs to match the rate you've selected.

I understand many people use H&Rs with Bilstein Sports... on a thread for my 545i where I was considering what to do, @3pedals made a delightfully clear descriptions of the shortcomings and features of the usual H&R + Bilstein solutions.  

I did H&R Sportsprings on my Volvo, as I needed to replace self-levelling nivomat rears that were NLA.  Sportsprings are very good on the highway firm and progressive.  Round town, a bit too firm, at least for the Volvo application.  And I should have gone for different shocks (I went Sachs OEM; the springs were supposed to be just fine with standard shocks).  Based on my own experience, I'd not be blindly going with H&R on a BMW of mine for street use, as my family will soon let me know if it's too firm.

If I was avoiding MSport I'd probably be going KoniSport with Eibach, though I'd need to be sure it wasn't too low  (Eibachs are usually -30 to -45mm drop), and ensure I matched with the right ARB's.  

YMMV,  HTH /

[Eagle 1662]

19 hours ago, Dr. M said:

Thanks for bringing this up; my understanding was the guides don't need doing until about 250k's (car has 155 currently). 

Quick thoughts on the timing of these?

+1 to what Andrew said, BMW increasing service intervals didn't help . Most of the ones ive noticed for sale with broken guides were usually at the 200k-300k mark.and always were the TU motors.