The BMW UUC Digest Volume 2 : Issue 112 : "text" Format Messages in this Issue: Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Re: [personal] Re: RE>Misguided R&D Re: [personal] Re: RE>Misguided R&D Re: [personal] E36: Max spacer size with standard lug bolts? Re: RE>Misguided R&D Re: RE>Misguided R&D Spring compressors [uuc] re: sway bars (from last week!)
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 06:12:43 -0800 From: Avinash Heroor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Mike, It's the same cloaking device that comes standard with every BMW motorcycle! Must' ve been a mixup at the factory or something :) Best, Avi. >For some reason these past couple months, I came so >close to being side swiped by someone not looking over >their shoulder. In fact, one time I was equally side >by side to one car. Geez. Am I invisible? Do M >Coupes come with a cloaking device? If it does, how >do you turn it off? ;) > >Mike > > > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 09:32:40 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I was thinking about this yesterday as I was driving home in the lumbering Chevy Trailblazer loaner from the Saab dealer (funny enough this same vehicle will carry the 9-7 moniker with a Saab roundel eventually). Anyway, this gawdawful POS is very difficult to see vehicles on the rear quarters with. Even with a quick, over-the-shoulder check, I missed more than one car there. My friend's Silverado SS is even much worse.....entire busses could disappear! Anyway, this system seems like it may cause more harm than good IMHO. Here's why: this thing is either going to alert the other car by flashing something or alert the driver by a buzzer or something. Fact of the matter, somebody is going to be surprised, which will inevitably lead to a completely stupid reaction with 99% of people. Since this kind of thing is more likely to happen on a high-speed thoroughfare, this will worsen the results of the knee-jerk reaction of whichever person is alerted. I think we should start with banning stupidity & then follow up with the SUV. I'm sorry, but that Trailblazer is simply the worst vehicle on the road. The tie rods must be made of rubberbands. The steering is awful. The vehicle has no good reflexes for ANYTHING. I would say that fairly, it is less than half able to avoid the same accident as my Saab. Furthermore, it's difficult to see out of & to see stuff around you & is so big it makes people around you not able to see stuff. This vehicle seriously makes the road a less safe place for it's occupants & the occupants of every vehicle around it. Lee > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 16:51 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [UUC] Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> > > > What's the problem? The problem is that most drivers are too > lazy to turn > their heads and look. It requires the use of numerous > muscles and takes > their concentration off of their cell phone calls. > > Scott Miller > GGC BMW CCA > 1990 325i <-- old intake gaskets, exhaust gaskets, fuel > lines, vacuum hoses, didn't flush cooling system - > timing belt, tensioner, water pump replaced last year > > >Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 07:42:09 -0800 (PST) > >From: Brad Couvillon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Subject: Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> > >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > >What's the problem, again, with just looking over your > >shoulder before you change lanes? > > > >It kills me how car companies spend so much time and > >effort on electronic gimmicks that're just going to > >have more and more problems as time goes by. > > > >Brad "Shifty" Couvillon > >'87 528e <-- new timing belt, tensioner, water pump, > >vacuum hoses, intake gaskets, exhaust gaskets, fuel > >lines, flushed cooling system > > > Search the > ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ______________________________________________________________ > ____________ > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of > the BMW CCA. > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 09:38:21 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> The majority of the driving public buys cars with side view mirrors?????? When did this happen? Next you'll be telling me that these cars have the turn-signal option & an acclerator pedal too. Lee > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Steve Tymoszuk > Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 16:11 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [UUC] Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> > > > But remember, checking mirrors or looking over a shoulder can be a > challenge when talking on a cell phone. Not to mention the > fact that the > majority of the driving public has no idea how side view > mirrors should be > adjusted to begin with. > > -Steve > > At 02:42 PM 3/29/2004, Marco Romani wrote: > >Even though I > >am fairly religious on checking my mirrors and I have them > set up correctly > > > Search the > ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ______________________________________________________________ > ____________ > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of > the BMW CCA. > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 09:50:18 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I like the guys who go blasting at 40mph or so between rows of stopped traffic...... Last summer we were out at, like 6am on a Sunday on the ATL autobahn. It's a nice, straight 4-lane wide median-divided hwy that is, um unpatrolled, at that time. We were blasting down this road, generally mis-behaving on track tires, at around the top speed of the car, which one might hypothesize would be in the low 140's. One on each side, two sport bikes blast past so fast that they're gone from sight within about 30 seconds. A few seconds after that we pass a group of about 10. Well, it only takes less than a minute for them to swarm, & I mean swarm, past at prolly 30-40mph faster......we decided it was time for breakfast after that. Lee > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of willie yeo > Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 15:01 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [UUC] Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> > > > I almost ran over a motorcycle couple months back. In > LA, bikers zip between lanes especially during traffic > jams. In stop and go traffic, I did a quick check on > my side mirror to make sure no one is in the blind > spot. But that is not sufficient when the bikes are > moving a lot faster. Now I check my rearview mirror > first. > > Oh..occasionally you will see bikers poping a wheelie > on the carpool lanes during rush hours going 60-70 > mph.. > > --- Marco Romani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I think this would be most useful for avoiding > > motorcycles. Even though I > > am fairly religious on checking my mirrors and I > > have them set up correctly > > and they are HUGE (Chebby Avalanche) I come close to > > wiping out a motorcycle > > at least once a month. Part of it is that in CA > > donorcycles can split lanes > > at their whim.... > > > > Marco > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf > > Of Mike Hsu > > Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 11:26 AM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: [personal] Re: [UUC] Misguided R&D: Blind > > Spot Detector > > <non-BMW> > > > > > > For some reason these past couple months, I came so > > close to being side swiped by someone not looking > > over > > their shoulder. In fact, one time I was equally > > side > > by side to one car. Geez. Am I invisible? Do M > > Coupes come with a cloaking device? If it does, how > > do you turn it off? ;) > > > > Mike > > > > --- Scott & Charlotte Miller > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > > > An article from our local newspaper is attributed > > to > > > Jim Mateja of the > > > Chicago Tribune. It says that Ford is developing > > a > > > blind spot > > > detector using "magneto-resistive sensors" - metal > > > detectors. Sensors > > > have been mounted under the corners of the rear > > > bumper of their Ford > > > Explorer test bed. Here's why it won't work: > > > > > > "When turn signals are engaged, the sensors in the > > > bumper determine > > > whether there is a vehicle next to you in the > > right > > > or left lane." > > > And, "If a vehicle is there and in the blind spot, > > a > > > turn-signal > > > indicator in the sideview mirror turns from orange > > > to red as an > > > initial warning." > > > > > > First of all, by my own unofficial estimate, fewer > > > than 15% of the > > > driving population uses their turn signals. > > Second, > > > if the sideview > > > mirrors were properly adjusted and the driver were > > > using them, then > > > they would see the car in the "blind" spot in the > > > mirror, and they > > > wouldn't need a colored flashing indicator to tell > > > them that a car was > > > there. > > > > > > More often than not, drivers change lanes or > > > initiate turns without > > > signalling or looking at the other lane. So this > > > technology is wasted > > > on the U.S. driving public. > > > > > > 'Nuff said. Not that this won't start a heated > > > discussion about my > > > statistical methods or something. > > > > > > Scott Miller > > > GGC BMW CCA > > > > > > > > > > > > Search the > > > > > > ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > ____________ > > > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, > > > founder of the BMW CCA. > > > > > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and > > > home of the Ultimate > > > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > > > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com > > > > > > __________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on > > time. > > http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html > > Search the > > > ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > ____________ > > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, > > founder of the BMW CCA. > > > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and > > home of the Ultimate > > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com > > > > Search the > > > ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________ > ____________ > > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, > > founder of the BMW CCA. > > > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and > > home of the Ultimate > > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. > http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html > Search the > ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ______________________________________________________________ > ____________ > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of > the BMW CCA. > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 10:22:11 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> One of the places I notice this kind of behavior most is in regards to safety. As most know, I spend quite a bit of my time in pretty dangerous industrial environments. While things like OSHA regs are well-meaning, I think they also cause problems. For those who are unfamiliar, OSHA has regulations for just about everything, from how high you can be on a ladder without a safety harness (6ft & the harness is a whole book of regs) to how long you can spend in said environment during a day, week, month. Anyway, there are stacks & stacks of this stuff to learn. Problem is most people don't want to use their brains, so they just follow the rules & apply absolutely ZERO common sense or attention to detail. These people usually get hurt. I've even seen morons point out that he is following the rules, sees a potential hazard not covered, bitch about it & then go do it anyway.....and get hurt.....bad......and sue! The last plant I was in got an award for complaince to OSHA regs & yet they still averaged 4-5 lost time injuries per month. The same thing goes for all these nannies in cars. People just assume that this & that are taken care of & now I don't even have to think, or pay attention or use my brain. The more cars do, the less the average person is going to do & the less safe they are going to be overall. After working in Asia, I initially thought that they were just haphazard, crazy or imprudent. Fact of the matter is that they don't have all these rules (workplace) & I've seen absolutely crazy things done--but hey, they're not getting hurt as much (or killed)....why, because they don't have the rules (or a good attourney), they have to think for themselves & they pay attention & apply common sense.....even when climbing 40ft high on a flexy bamboo ladder. Naturally, there are also plenty of people there who are stupid & do stupid things, but Darwinism seems to work for them....... Lee->has a big 'ol barrel of clorine, but nobody'll let me pour it in the gene pool > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Jason Knight > Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 21:14 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [UUC] Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> > > > Reminds me of a sig I was going to use: > > "Programming today is a race between software engineers > striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the > Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the > Universe is winning." > > I suppose it applies to most fields though, apparently > including automotive > engineering. But I agree with Bora that safety improvements > for the masses > are a good thing. I pride myself on being an alert, cautious, and > communicative driver, but I still have lapses in thinking and > judgement from > time to time; perhaps one of these newfangled things will > come in handy that > one time I have an oopsy. > > Jason > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Robinson, Lee > Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 8:00 AM > To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' > Subject: Re: [UUC] Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> > > > Like the adage: "make it more idiot-proof & people will become bigger > idiots." > > I see this at work all the time. The more you do to help > make someone's job > safer, easier, more efficient, the less they use their brain. > > Consumers seem to want more & features that take having to > drive out of > driving. It would be a lot less stressful if they'd just > take the bus. Oh, > wait, there'd have to be busses to take. > > Lee->would take the bus if there was one..... > > Search the > ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ______________________________________________________________ > ____________ > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of > the BMW CCA. > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 06:49:49 -0800 (PST) From: Gary Derian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Misguided R&D: Blind Spot Detector <non-BMW> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> If we ban stupidity, then most other problems will fade away. Let me know your plan to ban stupidity. Gary Derian > > I think we should start with banning stupidity & > then follow up with the > > Lee ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 07:03:15 -0800 From: "Marco Romani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [personal] Re: RE>Misguided R&D Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Are talking about a MIRV or something else? to try and big this back to BMWC - anyone see the new 6er yet. So far it the best of the Bangle era. In black it's gorgeous. Marco -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Sean Cordone Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 7:31 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [personal] Re: [UUC] RE>Misguided R&D I got a similar story from a Russian physicist I worked for as an undergraduate. It seems that by the '70s the USSR was having a hard time matching the precision guidance systems in US ICBMs, so, with perfect Cold War logic, they started packaging multiple "cluster" warheads with their erratic guidance systems to ensure target destruction. Anybody who's seen the example at the Air & Space Museum in DC will know what I'm talking about. Simple, if terrifying, solution to the problem. --SC ----- Original Message ----- From: Harvey Chao <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 18:26:38 -0800 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [UUC] RE>Misguided R&D > There is a story goin' 'round that NASA, in the early days of manned > space flight, discovered that ball point pens would not work in zero > gravity etc. > > So - NASA spent untold BIG BUCKS to develop a ball point pen that would > write in zero gravity, upside down, . . . . > - > - > - > - > - > The Russians had the same problem, so their solution was to use a > pencil! -- _____________________________________________________________ Web-based SMS services available at http://www.operamail.com. >From your mailbox to local or overseas cell phones. Powered by Outblaze Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________________________________ In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 07:11:06 -0800 From: "Marco Romani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [personal] Re: RE>Misguided R&D Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> too early in the in quasi correct English my post should have been --- Are you talking about a MIRV or something else? To try and bring this back to BMWC - has anyone seen the new 6er yet? So far it is the best of the Bangle era. In black it's gorgeous. Marco functionally illiterate before the first cup of java -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Marco Romani Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 7:03 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [personal] Re: [UUC] RE>Misguided R&D Are talking about a MIRV or something else? to try and big this back to BMWC - anyone see the new 6er yet. So far it the best of the Bangle era. In black it's gorgeous. Marco -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Sean Cordone Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 7:31 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [personal] Re: [UUC] RE>Misguided R&D I got a similar story from a Russian physicist I worked for as an undergraduate. It seems that by the '70s the USSR was having a hard time matching the precision guidance systems in US ICBMs, so, with perfect Cold War logic, they started packaging multiple "cluster" warheads with their erratic guidance systems to ensure target destruction. Anybody who's seen the example at the Air & Space Museum in DC will know what I'm talking about. Simple, if terrifying, solution to the problem. --SC ----- Original Message ----- From: Harvey Chao <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 18:26:38 -0800 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [UUC] RE>Misguided R&D > There is a story goin' 'round that NASA, in the early days of manned > space flight, discovered that ball point pens would not work in zero > gravity etc. > > So - NASA spent untold BIG BUCKS to develop a ball point pen that would > write in zero gravity, upside down, . . . . > - > - > - > - > - > The Russians had the same problem, so their solution was to use a > pencil! -- _____________________________________________________________ Web-based SMS services available at http://www.operamail.com. >From your mailbox to local or overseas cell phones. Powered by Outblaze Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________________________________ In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________________________________ In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 07:07:35 -0800 From: "Marco Romani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [personal] E36: Max spacer size with standard lug bolts? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> probably 0mm. The thinnest spacers I've seen are 5mm and IMHO at that point you need longer lug bolts. The length of the lug bolt is pretty critical - too long -- they go right through the rotor/hub assembly and prevent the wheel from turning. Too short - not a pretty picture. When I was using lug bolts I had different lengths for each set or wheels and spacer combos - then I started using lug studs. I most have a couple of hundred lug bolts in my garage. Granted, the studs are ugly, but on a race car who cares. Marco -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Pavel Tcholakov Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 3:23 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [personal] [UUC] E36: Max spacer size with standard lug bolts? What is the maximum spacer that can be used with the standard lug bolts that come with E36s? It probably depends on the thickness of the wheel, what about OEM BMW 15" wheels? Are OEM 16" any thicker? Thanks in advance, Pavel Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________________________________ In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 07:09:16 -0800 (PST) From: Brad Couvillon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: RE>Misguided R&D Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To be honest, I have no idea. I don't even think she told us how it solved the problem. Her point wasn't what solved the problem but rather how NASA spends insane amounts of money to come up with complex solutions to simple problems. Brad Couvillon --- Gary Derian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Did the caulk prevent the electrons from leaking? > Gary Derian __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 10:30:03 -0500 (GMT-05:00) From: Brian Daley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: RE>Misguided R&D Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Oh, come on! If they don't spend all of the money they might not get their automatic budget increase next year. Then they might have to give some of the money back to the taxpayers to spend on boring stuff like mortgage payments, diapers, and (OBMWC) maintenance on their BMWs... Brian '94 325ic (kinda spendy lately with a new clutch, brakes, shocks, and tires in the last few months - and that's with my own "free" labor) -----Original Message----- From: Brad Couvillon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Mar 30, 2004 10:09 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [UUC] RE>Misguided R&D To be honest, I have no idea. I don't even think she told us how it solved the problem. Her point wasn't what solved the problem but rather how NASA spends insane amounts of money to come up with complex solutions to simple problems. Brad Couvillon ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 07:11:01 -0800 From: John Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Spring compressors Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Okay, I've had it. I've got four cars (including two Bimmers) with strut or strut-like suspension elements. I'm tired of either (a) struggling with the hooks-on-threaded-rod-type spring compressors or (b) shaping my work-on-the-car schedule around being able to haul them to a shop for the benchwork. So, it's time to get a REAL strut compressor. Anyone got any thoughts as to the right one? Branick 7200? RTI SC-10FP? Something else entirely? Wall-mounted desirable, air-operated would be great, big levers also fine, pricing I see on the Branick is about as much as I want to spend. Thoughts? John. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 09:50:33 -0600 From: "Bredle, Donald L." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] re: sway bars (from last week!) Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sorry to be so slow responding to last week's thread on sway bars, but I've been busy with shocks, springs, and an alignment :) let me see...I've got my eye on some new UUC swaybars, but instead of buying new ones... if I have M3 type strut tubes (which I now do, thanks to TCKline :)) on my '96 328i, would the best solution be to keep my front sway bar, which is already 25mm, though rusty, and try to add the M3 end links which would attach it up to the strut instead of down to the control arm? Or is the end/shape of an M3 bar otherwise different from the end of the 328i version? Also, I suppose the old rubber sway bar bushings would need to be replaced with urethane ones. Is there a similar way to stiffen the rear on the 328i without buying a new bar? The current one is about 19mm. Do I even want to stiffen the rear sway bar, given 500lb springs and Koni SA shocks up into solid mounts, and urethane rear trailing arm bushings? Thanks, Don Bredle re: //M3 swaybar alternatives: Chet, Great timing for your post, and exactly right you are. Currently the M3 is on ramps getting a 94 325i 4 door sedan front swaybar. This 325i bar is a mm thicker than the E36 3.2 liter //M3 stock. The equivalent of increasing the thickness of a control arm mounted bar by 1.5-2mm. Since these are frequent stock take offs, they're cheap (~$50. or less) and readily available too. The intention is to make the car as flat or flatter with R compound tires at the limits as it was with street tires before. The extra bit of front end push the bigger bar will cause is easily dialed out by lowering the rear tire pressure by ~2-4 psi. There is a limit to how much the //M3 strut tube mounts can handle without extra reinforcing. I've seen stock //M3 mounting tabs ripped by a 26 mm S package bar. Barry >Here's a rare example where M3 folks might try factory non-M >parts when looking for an upgrade ------------------------------ End of [bmwuucdigest] digest(13 messages) **********
