chassis reinforcement

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ross2009
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:13 pm

apart from the normal and various chassis plates you can buy what else can be strengthened on the e30 i see some people weld tubes inbetween the trailing arms?not sure what thats meant to counter

anyone know any other strengthening tips front and rear ?

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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:28 pm

you have to do some serious thinking when looking at "re-inforcing", you should not really just start welding bits in here and there.

i've seen the tube weld'd on the trailing arms, and im not sure what its meant to do.......

when you re-inforce a part/section, you also have to think about where the stress's will go that were once taken up by the part /section you have just re-inforced.

there was once a "fad" amoung the jap scene, where some would fit a front strut to the top of the suspesion struts, as everyone else would, but some bright spark started to make a strut that you could also bolt to the front bulkhead/firewall of the car body. This stiffened up the front end, but over time, the stress's caused the bulkhead/firewall to fracture.......
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:33 pm

i dont intend to just weld bits in im interested in to what would help make things a little stronger im going the twin eared diff route
so thinking would the standard bolt holes for the diff be ok as they are or plate it up so the bolt area would be thicker
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:35 pm

there is a thread about somewhere about the Twin ear diff fitting.......

ill see if i can find it....
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:39 pm

that side of it is sorted im gonna be using a e28 m5 large case diff a 750i rear cover and a e36 twin ear bracket
and will be cutting out the old cross beam that holds the diff mount and renewing with a nice bit of box section
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:39 pm

here we go

this should give you some ideas...

http://www.vorshlag.com/forums/showthread.php?p=55434
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:41 pm

read that many times along time ago but that is basically what i will be doing

i really need to know what things let go under unforseen stresses
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:43 pm

There was a thread on here where someone had used to go from the top diff mount on the subframe and gone down to the main subframe which I thought was a good idea.
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:44 pm

maxfield wrote:There was a thread on here where someone had used to go from the top diff mount on the subframe and gone down to the main subframe which I thought was a good idea.
not quite sure in what way you mean max but ill keep looking :)
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:58 pm

a roll cage pushed out over the chassis legs/ back end etc would stiffen it up no?
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:59 pm

thats the only thing i really would like to avoid a roll cage as i dont want it to look like a track car
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:09 pm

Have a look down the page. That's what I mean abou the axle

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... =eccentric
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:27 pm

things like that thats what i need to know nice find max
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:52 pm

The braced trailing arms are how the early DTM/Grp A cars were built, basically using standard but strengthened arms. The later cars used tubular type trailing arms...
http://www.s14.net/jakesdtmtours/suspension.html

People copy the braced arms as the DTM bods must of thought it necessary for beasting around a track back in the day.
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Post Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:59 pm

argh I see well that might be an idea to do aswell then I think I'm gonna need to do
as much little bits as possible
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:47 am

With the rear trailing arms isnt there issue's with it fouling on something of done wrong?

I've reinforced the ARB mount on the front, reinforced engine mounts with a plate on the inside. Rear ARB reinforced mounts that bolt to the boot floor and I think thats it.

I've seen the diff mount/hanger torn of on some higher powered E30's, welding a plate to the top could help here? Could look at reinforcing the steering mounts also.
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:58 am

rear diff carrier won't be a problem as its all coming out anyway
well I'm running near on 400 bhp in mine now as it's is and I don't have any problems I'm going to be building a engine this year and do a transplant next winter this is what all this is in aid off as its going to be putting out some serious torque
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 11:05 am

And you have the twin ear your going to do, slight detail I forgot about when replying :p

You could get the top mount reinforcement plates also.

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/BMW-E30 ... -kits.aspx
That should give you an idea for some of the above that I mentioned in my previous post.

---edit---

Cap top mount reinforcement plates also
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 11:39 am

yeah diff wise is all covered interesting about on the grp a m3 they raise the diff up and bolt it thro the rear floor pan that's an Idea I like but if I'm going twin ear I don't suppose it needs to be that good

yeah I've seen all the plates you can buy to weld in which I will be doing aswell
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:00 pm

just seen this i will be going out for popcorn and watching with a keen eye to se where this is going

and of course shouting for progress reports lol
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:01 pm

wont be for a while yet kev my man but if you think what its like now is good you just wait lol
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:30 pm

I am running a z3m rear set up, the half shafts/cv joints and bearings seem big/beefier than standard e30 rears,(posibly to take the extra output of a s50 3.2). Maybe someone on here can confirm?
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:31 pm

my drive shafts wont be a problem lol there rated at 1500 bhp they wont brake
Last edited by ross2009 on Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:33 pm

I hear you!
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:35 pm

look see winkeye

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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:16 pm

ross2009 wrote:my drive shafts wont be a problem lol there rated at 1500 bhp they wont brake

What about if you hook up the turbo ? :)
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:17 pm

pacerpete wrote:
ross2009 wrote:my drive shafts wont be a problem lol there rated at 1500 bhp they wont brake

What about if you hook up the turbo ? :)
sorry pete dont get ya ?
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Post Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:43 pm

ross2009 wrote:look see winkeye

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HAHAHA they are excellent about as fat as my propshaft lol ,I need to get me some of them i bet i cant afford them lol
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Post Tue Feb 05, 2013 6:03 am

lol yeah pretty expensive I bought them from a guy that drag races a e30 but because he was changing his drive chain he no longer needed them I think he paid over 1000 quid to have them made I got them for about 300 I think
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Post Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:50 pm

you have pm.
2.8 development thread http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=170822

m3.3.1 m20 thread - now running, chip needed - any volunteers?
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... =viewtopic&
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Post Thu Feb 07, 2013 6:15 am

replied :)
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Post Thu Feb 07, 2013 6:24 am

pacerpete wrote:
ross2009 wrote:my drive shafts wont be a problem lol there rated at 1500 bhp they wont brake

What about if you hook up the turbo ? :)
Boosted innit winkeye
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Post Thu Feb 07, 2013 6:45 am

piss taker :D
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