[uucdigest] Tuesday, September 16 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6758
_________________________________________________________________ | | Search the ARCHIVES: | http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] | | Visit Richard Nott's Ultimate BMW Database: | http://www.bmwdatabase.com | | For all available Digest commands including unsubscribe/subscribe, | visit the BMW UUC Digest page: http://www.uucdigest.com | | Send SUBMISSIONS to [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Complaints? Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] if you must. | Technical Problems? Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: [uuc] Tire Patch Shape -- in the Snow [uuc] <e34> 94 540iA fuel filter mount problem Re: [uuc] Tire Patch Shape -- in the Snow Re: [uuc] wheel spinners Re: [uuc] wheel spinners Re: [uuc] wheel spinners RE: [uuc] Argh. Brake light on E39 2000 528iT Re: [uuc] Argh. Brake light on E39 2000 528iT ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 12:54:36 -0400 From: "Dorffer, Rich" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Tire Patch Shape -- in the Snow I recognize the fact that I am treading in dangerous waters with Gary D waiting on the sidelines, able to respond to any part of what Stan says with about 100 times better understanding of tire technology than I do, so, my apologies to Matt Malfa...... Stan says > > In rain, the issue is water evacuation and Gary's answer makes perfect sense > to me. Yes, but what Gary left out is any discussion of wet traction which has nothing to do with water evacuation. Water evacuation is more important once water exceeds a certain depth on the pavement. In mildly wet conditions, compound has more to do with traction than tread channels IMO. > (a lot snipped) > If you are on ice or hard packed snow, there will be little or > no benefit to the narrower tire. For the most part I would agree although I don't think you should forget that the contact patch is still the same size with a narrower tire. I would again state that the snow tires compound and siping (especially the small siping that is done to gain more edges within the contact patch) are most important for traction in hard packed snow and ice. Also, tires like the Nokian offer spiral siping which tries to gain more siping without as much given up to squishy/soft tires as the spiral sipe is supposedly more structural. You do sacrifice some cornering with a narrower tire (which benefits in heavier snow conditions which happens more than enough in my area to warrant narrower tires for winter), but lets be realistic, most of the winter, I am not looking for maximum cornering, I am looking to maintain traction in inclement conditions. I am more than willing to sacrifice some cornering on the on/off ramps and corners (<1% of my daily driving) for traction on the highways and byways. > What does this all mean? Think carefully before buying a narrow snow tire. > If it is a Q speed-rated tire (typical for a snow tire), you may find an > exacerbated loss in dry pavement capability and little or no benefit in > winter driving. A wider snow tire will give you better dry cornering and > equivalent winter performance except in deeper snow. At least that is my > best current opinion. I would generally agree, I just choose to give up a good bit of dry pavement capability (a majority of my winter driving) for more capability in inclement conditions where I will take as much traction as I can obtain short of studs. > BTW, I don't go with the idea of the narrower tire cutting through to the > solid surface below better. If that were the case, then the wider tire > would probably be better. A wider tire would have a more difficult time > cutting the snow out of the way, but at any given instant it would have a > larger area of freshly exposed "solid surface" (infinitesimal length X the > width of the tire). The solid surface would have much better traction, so > having a wider exposed area should be significant. I don't see how this jives with having equivalent contact patch size, regardless of the tire width so maybe I don't understand what you mean by "freshly exposed solid surface". I do believe there are benefits to a narrower tire as you don't give up any contact patch and you have greater ability to cut through to reach solid surfaces when the ground cover isn't hard (non-packed snow) at the expense of sidewall rigidity/cornering (and I already stated I am not going to be looking for significant cornering ability in the winter...colder temps, inclement weather, etc.). > P.S. When braking on snow, locked wheels (which utilize the wedge of snow > to slow the car) *can* sometimes brake as well or almost as well as ABS > brakes in snow or loose gravel. This presumes that the snow does not smear > into an icy surface under locked wheels, which is common but does not always > occur. On sheer ice, ABS tends to definitely be an impediment to braking. > The ABS cycles over and over trying to find traction that it is almost > nonexistent -- catching most, but missing some. Locked wheels will catch > 100% of every bit of traction they hit. Yes, but locked wheels do not give you the ability to steer...an important function yes? Regards, Rich - enjoys tire discussions as I always learn something new. What works for one person may not work for another. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 13:13:41 -0400 From: "Doug Foster" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <e34> 94 540iA fuel filter mount problem Okay, so I've been diving into the whole upgrade thing, and just completed putting new shocks, springs, strut bearings, and rear mounts into the 540. So, all of a sudden, I feel cocky and assume changing my fuel filter should be no problem compared to that. Ha! The gods frowned on me, and I broke off the 10mm bolt that holds the dual filter pack to the mount. The car has 113,000 miles on it, so I should have expected it. Now I have a problem. From what I can see, there is a nut on the back of the mount. I can't tell if that nut is welded on, or if it just has become rusted on. The bolt still sticks through the mount and out the backside of the nut. Does anybody know if it is just supposed to be a loose nut? If so, I can try and chisel it off the mount and get the bolt out. If it is welded on, I'm guessing I will need to buy/borrow a tap set, and drill it out and re-tap it or something. I'm a bit nervous drilling/chiseling in the area due to the fun combination of sparks and fuel, so I'm open to any suggestions at this point. Right now I'm safety wired in, but I don't think that's a good permanent solution. Thanks in advance for the help, Doug Foster 94 540iA, now with new Bilsteins and Bav Auto Springs ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 13:36:46 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Tire Patch Shape -- in the Snow Yes, a tire with more rubber area and less void has more traction on slightly wet pavement that a tire with less rubber area and more void. The optimum void to rubber varies with speed and water depth. A coarse road surface helps a bunch also. Hydroplaning reduces traction to nearly zero so that gets a high priority. Gary Derian > > Yes, but what Gary left out is any discussion of wet traction which has nothing to do with water evacuation. Water evacuation is more important once water exceeds a certain depth on the pavement. In mildly wet conditions, compound has more to do with traction than tread channels IMO. > Regards, > > Rich - enjoys tire discussions as I always learn something new. What works for one person may not work for another. > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 15:43:35 -0400 From: "Eurowerks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] wheel spinners Interesting note on Spinners- I heard the other day that Shaquille O'Neill actually holds that patent on these. May or may not be true, but from what I have seen in advertisements, it is possible. Kirk A. Gilchrist EURO-WERKS / Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo Service and Repair 8 South Highland St. / Winchester, KY 40391 / 859-745-0125 [EMAIL PROTECTED] / 888-522-0271 toll free ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 15:47:24 -0400 From: "Eurowerks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] wheel spinners I too have seen them on a E30 on the opposite side of the interstate. Looked VERY out of place on the car. But with all of the garden edging trim around the bottom of the car made to look like a spoiler kit, it was hard to tell that it was a BMW anyway. Kirk A. Gilchrist EURO-WERKS / Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo Service and Repair 8 South Highland St. / Winchester, KY 40391 / 859-745-0125 [EMAIL PROTECTED] / 888-522-0271 toll free ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 13:39:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Andre Yew <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] wheel spinners On Tue, 16 Sep 2003, Eurowerks wrote: > Interesting note on Spinners- I heard the other day that Shaquille O'Neill > actually holds that patent on these. Interesting. Here's a patent that sounds applicable: http://tinyurl.com/nlcs It's patent number 6,554,370. The patent doesn't name O'Neal as an inventor, but it's shocking to see a patent on this. - --Andre ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 17:03:35 -0400 From: "Dennis Liu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Argh. Brake light on E39 2000 528iT Follow-up question - I forgot to ask this yesterday.... When replacing the pads, I noticed that the rubber boot covering the piston on one front caliper had a small tear in it. After retracting the piston to put new pads in, the boot was so compressed, you couldn't see the tear. Query - how important is it to replace this boot? Will the brake dust destroy the seals on the piston? Secondary query - this SHOULD be covered under warranty, no? I have no idea how the boot could be torn; it seems like an awfully strange place for a tear to develop. If not, how difficult is it to replace the seal myself? thx, - --Dennis - -----Original Message----- From: Dennis Liu [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, September 15, 2003 7:13 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [uuc] Argh. Brake light on E39 2000 528iT Ah, magic! Your suggestion did exactly the trick, Brett. THANKS (as always). Next question - is the brake fluid reservoir gradated? How does one check the level of the fluid? I took apart the microfilter housing to get to the reservoir today, in order to open it up so that I could retract the pistons in the calipers, but I neglected to take a close look to see what the level of fluid is. I suppose I ought to flush the fluid anyway.... vty, - --Dennis - -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of KMS - Brett Anderson Sent: Monday, September 15, 2003 4:39 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [uuc] Argh. Brake light on E39 2000 528iT Is the light red or yellow? To clear the buffer, leave the ignition on for 30 seconds. If that doesn't turn the light out, check your brake fluid level, as the light does double duty. Brett Anderson KMS > -----Original Message----- > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Dennis Liu > Ok, as I wrote previously, the brake light lit up on my wife's 2000 528iT. > Ordered a set of brake pads, and just changed the FRONT pads. > Replaced the > front brake sensor wire. Did NOT replace the rear pads, as they > still have more than half thickness. > Brake light remains lit on the dash. Unplugged and replugged the > rear brake sensor wire. Light remains on. > Do I need to "reset" the instrument panel light? Doesn't the > brake warning light trigger when the wire grounds? ____________________________________ 100% Spam Control by SpamEnder Free Download and Trial http://www.spamender.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 17:23:18 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Argh. Brake light on E39 2000 528iT Very important. Water will get in a corrode the piston. Even moist air is enough, plus the brake fluid will absorb it and lose boiling point and cause more corrosion. Gary Derian > Follow-up question - I forgot to ask this yesterday.... > > When replacing the pads, I noticed that the rubber boot covering the piston > on one front caliper had a small tear in it. After retracting the piston to > put new pads in, the boot was so compressed, you couldn't see the tear. > > Query - how important is it to replace this boot? Will the brake dust > destroy the seals on the piston? > > Secondary query - this SHOULD be covered under warranty, no? I have no idea > how the boot could be torn; it seems like an awfully strange place for a > tear to develop. If not, how difficult is it to replace the seal myself? > > thx, > > --Dennis > > -----Original Message----- > From: Dennis Liu [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, September 15, 2003 7:13 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [uuc] Argh. Brake light on E39 2000 528iT > > > Ah, magic! Your suggestion did exactly the trick, Brett. THANKS (as > always). > > Next question - is the brake fluid reservoir gradated? How does one check > the level of the fluid? > > I took apart the microfilter housing to get to the reservoir today, in order > to open it up so that I could retract the pistons in the calipers, but I > neglected to take a close look to see what the level of fluid is. I suppose > I ought to flush the fluid anyway.... > > vty, > > --Dennis > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of KMS - Brett > Anderson > Sent: Monday, September 15, 2003 4:39 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [uuc] Argh. Brake light on E39 2000 528iT > > > Is the light red or yellow? > > To clear the buffer, leave the ignition on for 30 seconds. If that doesn't > turn the light out, check your brake fluid level, as the light does double > duty. > > Brett Anderson > KMS > > > > -----Original Message----- > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Dennis Liu > > Ok, as I wrote previously, the brake light lit up on my wife's 2000 528iT. > > Ordered a set of brake pads, and just changed the FRONT pads. > > Replaced the > > front brake sensor wire. Did NOT replace the rear pads, as they > > still have more than half thickness. > > Brake light remains lit on the dash. Unplugged and replugged the > > rear brake sensor wire. Light remains on. > > Do I need to "reset" the instrument panel light? Doesn't the > > brake warning light trigger when the wire grounds? > > ____________________________________ > 100% Spam Control by SpamEnder > Free Download and Trial > http://www.spamender.com/ > ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6758 *************************** | | In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. |________________________________________ | Please visit these UUC-approved BMW parts vendors/service providers: | (listed alphabetically) | | Autoscope-Motorsports - http://www.autoscope-motorsports.com | |==================================================== | | Koala MotorSport . BMW technical information, special tool sales/rental | http://www.koalamotorsport.com | |==================================================== | | Taylor BMW - http://www.taylorbmw.com - Doc Bimmer! | |==================================================== | Turner Motorsport Inc . 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