Author: Hank Wallace

Lana didn’t get to finish her afternoon runs at the 1st BMW event because the left front wheel bearing started to make noise. A few days after the event I brought the car to Nick at Ace Performance Systems to have both front wheel bearings replaced. Nick is a BMW Technical Training specialist, is BMW Master Level 1 certified and an all-around great guy.

While there, I mounted some tires and Nick also installed the UUC underdrive pulleys. I had been planning on installing them myself, but Nick has all of the right tools and is a much better mechanic than I will ever be. I haven’t had the car on a dyno since last year and can’t provide any accurate “before and after” results, but UUC Motorwerks claims a 4-11 hp increase. The M3 can use every bit in it’s battle with the Evo and STi in the SCCA STU Class.

Both of the fog light lenses are cracked, one of them has a broken bulb and I am tired of taping them for each event. The solution? I ordered this set of fog light covers from Turner Motorsport and will install them tonight. They should be more durable than the fog lights (I know, stop hitting cones..) and I never turn the fog lights on anyway.

Some other STU competitors have suggested that I will have to tape weights to them so that they weigh the same as a fog light. Wait! I can replace the whole front bumper with an aftermarket one, but I can’t replace the fog lights without equalizing the weight?! That doesn’t make sense. I think an “aftermarket” bumper made out of carbon fiber might be in my future. LOL.

The new H&R springs from AllSprings.com have arrived. Last year we used 500 lb/in front and 600 lb/in rear springs. By the end of the season, I was sure that we needed stiffer springs. The car was leaning too much and the rear tires were rubbing the inside of the rear fenders after approx 2” of wheel travel. After doing a lot of research on what other people have used, what worked and what didn’t, we decided to try spring rates of 110 N/mm (621 lb/in) front and 140 N/mm (799 lb/in) rear. This is somewhat stiffer than what most others have used, but not as stiff as what some very knowledgeable sources suggested.

They should be installed tomorrow and ready for the first BMW event this weekend.