Top Tips for BMW drift prep ?? - Drifting forum

Lex · 29-02-2008, 23:47

Hi all,

The nice people from Performance BMW Mag are covering the next DWYB

they plan to do a 4 page feature similar the banzai write up

I suggested it may be a good idea to give readers some tips on effective 1st mods to help BMs skid

so over to you experts who have built BMW drift cars -

what were the 1st things you did to make your car more drifty ?

ideally want to get into a nice easily digestible list that i send send the editor along lines of

1. weld diff/ fancy 2way
2. remove excess weight
3. increase steering lock
4. update suspension
5. get a handbrake that works
6.

etc

any info or experience people have had drift BMs will be a great help as i want to be sure they get correct message

if you want to post links to project thread i will include them with the info im sending

cheers

Lex

**Paz** · 29-02-2008, 23:49

The interior of my Beemer is staying firmly in! Luxury is the key to good drifts!

sideways.taff · 29-02-2008, 23:53

I'm in the middle of getting my E30 touring up to BDC and badical pimp spec.

Lex · 29-02-2008, 23:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paz

The interior of my Beemer is staying firmly in! Luxury is the key to good drifts!

how bout for those starting with 318s etc - is it worth them taking stuff out or should they just get out there and skid ?

sideways.taff · 29-02-2008, 23:59

http://www.driftworks.com/forum/drif...0-touring.html

MJG · 01-03-2008, 00:01

Me too.

In this order, for most BMWs to make them drifty...

1) weld diff
2) strip interior
3) slam it
4) fit bucket seat

Same as any other car really

I don't see covering a DWYB being able to give readers technical knowledge about making BMWs drifty but it's just the basic logic really. Fitting diffs is crazy on BMWs unless you are spending £10k on one, but most BMWs can be made really competitive with only a few grand including car purchase generally lol.

Taff, stop trying to get a PBMW feature

I think generally as I say any drift technical "setup" can be applied to BMWs but with "fit a bigger engine" instead of "fit a bigger turbo".

sideways.taff · 01-03-2008, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJG

Taff, stop trying to get a PBMW feature

You know it makes sense!

MJG · 01-03-2008, 00:07

No, since you don't even like BMWs and can't even drift! Lol. Faker/Team Lifestyler chump

Now get back in the garage and punch and flare yourself to sleep.

sideways.taff · 01-03-2008, 00:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJG

No, since you don't even like BMWs and can't even drift! Lol. Faker/Team Lifestyler chump

Now get back in the garage and punch and flare yourself to sleep.

haha! blah blah blah you wannabe! When you grow up you want to be just like me, admit it!

gaz_moose · 01-03-2008, 00:18

features in magazines will be good for his portfolio innit.

green-giant · 01-03-2008, 00:20

ill donate my E36 318i if you want

aslong as you teach me to drift lol i wanna drift spec it anyway.....and i wanna do the march DWYB

MJG · 01-03-2008, 00:31

What are you on? They aren't going to use your car as a demo car, and you aren't going to learn to drift at one DWYB.

Daddy_D · 01-03-2008, 00:53

From my experience on a E36, if you like to make it not so much more drifty but rather less understeery, you must improve the chassi strength. When I had my car in a standard form it was all wobbly, soft, and very unpredictable. The first thing to do is buy yourself coilovers. This is not so much for the adjustable benefits, but because you can really slam the car without the need to cut coils, the springs them self are a lot stiffer grade than performance springs, shocks can be set to extremely hard, and if you are lucky some setups include the adjustable camber plates as standard. Next you want to invest in a front and rear strut brace. They will make sure each wheel feels what the other does and add strength as well. The second most important part, which will have big improvement on the feel of the car and precisely reduce understeer, is to replace you rear stabilizer bar (15mm all E36) to something along the lines of 25-30mm thick piece. I suggest you leave the front intact and just replace the bushes. Another chassi part that received a lot of praises is the X-brace that was originally found on convertibles, due to the lack of roof and too much flex, this improves the front turn in big time, plus it adds protection to your oil sump (MJG wink, wink). Of course refreshing the bushes is a very good thing, but it might be too technical and out of the price range for some drivers.

From here the rest of the modifications are found on any drift car, as you already mention, and some of them are essential such as a locked differential. Those are LSD/welded differential, stripped interior (plastic glass, no sunroof, no air con, no electric luxury, small battery, no bumper support, lightweight bonnet, doors, trunk,), bucket seat with harness, small steering wheel preferably with a spacer, short shift kit, camber arms, hydraulic handbrake, and after a while maybe some tunning done to the engine for power gains. The main thing to remember is that drifting is not about power like the track cars require.

MJG · 01-03-2008, 00:56

For the record, a bigger rear ARB does not reduce understeer. It increases oversteer. Reducing understeer is about removing the safety net BMW put in as standard. I dont think e36s are understeery anyway, they feel great.

And my oil sump has never broken despite being paper thin on occasion

green-giant · 01-03-2008, 01:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJG

What are you on? They aren't going to use your car as a demo car, and you aren't going to learn to drift at one DWYB.

mate i was joking and i never mentioned doing just 1 DWYB i said i wanted to do the march 1........like as a start perhaps???
it was a light hearted joke

MJG · 01-03-2008, 01:42

Well you will be punished for your crimes against humanity. You can start by putting a big gay wing and a 45deg wedge of plastic on your e36, as only then will you be taken seriously here. Thank you.

ren_juanjo · 01-03-2008, 01:44

buy lots of dishy wheels on ebay, is the usual way to succeed

Daddy_D · 01-03-2008, 02:16

MJG I agree. That is well said actually. And Ren, stop dreaming about deep dish wheels, it's time you get some nice ones already! I still haven't painted yours by the way and I'm already waiting on a deal for another set. I might be rolling on them for a while if I can get some 16" tyres. Ridding on the rim is not my thing. Here is what I'm negotiating on:
HIDEBEHIND.COM - BMW E36 16 wheel_front.jpg - anonymous image and movie hosting
HIDEBEHIND.COM - BMW E36 16 wheels.jpg - anonymous image and movie hosting

K10RFT · 01-03-2008, 07:37

handbrake-fit a drift button/hydro
run wider wheels at the front
m3 evo topmounts
steering wheel- either m siries one or a sparco etc

these are some of the best things i have done that i felt a actual differance with.

K

crazyenglishman. · 01-03-2008, 09:04

So how many bmw"s are gonna be drifting on the day then?
1. Me

29-02-2008, 23:47	#1 (permalink)
Lex DWYB.CO.UK Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Booostville Posts: 2,303	Top Tips for BMW drift prep ?? Hi all, The nice people from Performance BMW Mag are covering the next DWYB they plan to do a 4 page feature similar the banzai write up I suggested it may be a good idea to give readers some tips on effective 1st mods to help BMs skid so over to you experts who have built BMW drift cars - what were the 1st things you did to make your car more drifty ? ideally want to get into a nice easily digestible list that i send send the editor along lines of 1. weld diff/ fancy 2way 2. remove excess weight 3. increase steering lock 4. update suspension 5. get a handbrake that works 6. etc any info or experience people have had drift BMs will be a great help as i want to be sure they get correct message if you want to post links to project thread i will include them with the info im sending cheers Lex

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

29-02-2008, 23:49	#2 (permalink)
Paz -NIGHTSPIRIT FAMILY- Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Stoke-On-Trent Posts: 5,463	The interior of my Beemer is staying firmly in! Luxury is the key to good drifts!

29-02-2008, 23:53	#3 (permalink)
sideways.taff -NightWalkers- Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Wales Posts: 4,956	I'm in the middle of getting my E30 touring up to BDC and badical pimp spec.

29-02-2008, 23:59	#5 (permalink)
sideways.taff -NightWalkers- Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Wales Posts: 4,956	http://www.driftworks.com/forum/drif...0-touring.html

01-03-2008, 00:01	#6 (permalink)
MJG e30 of Death Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Derby, England Posts: 10,490	Me too. In this order, for most BMWs to make them drifty... 1) weld diff 2) strip interior 3) slam it 4) fit bucket seat Same as any other car really I don't see covering a DWYB being able to give readers technical knowledge about making BMWs drifty but it's just the basic logic really. Fitting diffs is crazy on BMWs unless you are spending £10k on one, but most BMWs can be made really competitive with only a few grand including car purchase generally lol. Taff, stop trying to get a PBMW feature I think generally as I say any drift technical "setup" can be applied to BMWs but with "fit a bigger engine" instead of "fit a bigger turbo".

01-03-2008, 00:07	#8 (permalink)
MJG e30 of Death Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Derby, England Posts: 10,490	No, since you don't even like BMWs and can't even drift! Lol. Faker/Team Lifestyler chump Now get back in the garage and punch and flare yourself to sleep.

01-03-2008, 00:18	#10 (permalink)
gaz_moose dorifto kingu! Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: under your bed Posts: 2,822	features in magazines will be good for his portfolio innit.

01-03-2008, 00:20	#11 (permalink)
green-giant tail slider Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Brighton(not the gay bit!) Posts: 92	ill donate my E36 318i if you want aslong as you teach me to drift lol i wanna drift spec it anyway.....and i wanna do the march DWYB

01-03-2008, 00:31	#12 (permalink)
MJG e30 of Death Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Derby, England Posts: 10,490	What are you on? They aren't going to use your car as a demo car, and you aren't going to learn to drift at one DWYB.

01-03-2008, 00:53	#13 (permalink)
Daddy_D D1 street king Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 904	From my experience on a E36, if you like to make it not so much more drifty but rather less understeery, you must improve the chassi strength. When I had my car in a standard form it was all wobbly, soft, and very unpredictable. The first thing to do is buy yourself coilovers. This is not so much for the adjustable benefits, but because you can really slam the car without the need to cut coils, the springs them self are a lot stiffer grade than performance springs, shocks can be set to extremely hard, and if you are lucky some setups include the adjustable camber plates as standard. Next you want to invest in a front and rear strut brace. They will make sure each wheel feels what the other does and add strength as well. The second most important part, which will have big improvement on the feel of the car and precisely reduce understeer, is to replace you rear stabilizer bar (15mm all E36) to something along the lines of 25-30mm thick piece. I suggest you leave the front intact and just replace the bushes. Another chassi part that received a lot of praises is the X-brace that was originally found on convertibles, due to the lack of roof and too much flex, this improves the front turn in big time, plus it adds protection to your oil sump (MJG wink, wink). Of course refreshing the bushes is a very good thing, but it might be too technical and out of the price range for some drivers. From here the rest of the modifications are found on any drift car, as you already mention, and some of them are essential such as a locked differential. Those are LSD/welded differential, stripped interior (plastic glass, no sunroof, no air con, no electric luxury, small battery, no bumper support, lightweight bonnet, doors, trunk,), bucket seat with harness, small steering wheel preferably with a spacer, short shift kit, camber arms, hydraulic handbrake, and after a while maybe some tunning done to the engine for power gains. The main thing to remember is that drifting is not about power like the track cars require.

01-03-2008, 00:56	#14 (permalink)
MJG e30 of Death Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Derby, England Posts: 10,490	For the record, a bigger rear ARB does not reduce understeer. It increases oversteer. Reducing understeer is about removing the safety net BMW put in as standard. I dont think e36s are understeery anyway, they feel great. And my oil sump has never broken despite being paper thin on occasion

01-03-2008, 01:42	#16 (permalink)
MJG e30 of Death Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Derby, England Posts: 10,490	Well you will be punished for your crimes against humanity. You can start by putting a big gay wing and a 45deg wedge of plastic on your e36, as only then will you be taken seriously here. Thank you.

01-03-2008, 01:44	#17 (permalink)
ren_juanjo buttercakes!! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: fife, scotlandshire Posts: 714	buy lots of dishy wheels on ebay, is the usual way to succeed

01-03-2008, 02:16	#18 (permalink)
Daddy_D D1 street king Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 904	MJG I agree. That is well said actually. And Ren, stop dreaming about deep dish wheels, it's time you get some nice ones already! I still haven't painted yours by the way and I'm already waiting on a deal for another set. I might be rolling on them for a while if I can get some 16" tyres. Ridding on the rim is not my thing. Here is what I'm negotiating on: HIDEBEHIND.COM - BMW E36 16 wheel_front.jpg - anonymous image and movie hosting HIDEBEHIND.COM - BMW E36 16 wheels.jpg - anonymous image and movie hosting

01-03-2008, 07:37	#19 (permalink)
K10RFT spl dori master Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: fife Posts: 332	handbrake-fit a drift button/hydro run wider wheels at the front m3 evo topmounts steering wheel- either m siries one or a sparco etc these are some of the best things i have done that i felt a actual differance with. K

01-03-2008, 09:04	#20 (permalink)
crazyenglishman. spl dori master Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: bedfordshire Posts: 263	So how many bmw"s are gonna be drifting on the day then? 1. Me