[Achtung_M3]

I recently completed my first track day in my '22 G80 M3 6MT and while I was pleasantly surprised by how well the car was able to handle the track and the high temps on the brakes/wheels, I know I need to make a few modifications to prepare the car to get the most out of the vehicle.

What are the essential modifications that need to be on the consistent track day enthusiast M3/M4?

While essentially remaining "budget friendly", it seems that a set of HAS springs, some track pads, and high temp fluids at a minimum however what are those brands/products and where are the best locations to purchase them? What are the consensus best? Can we get a running list?

[beachBmmr]

Originally Posted by Achtung_M3

I recently completed my first track day in my '22 G80 M3 6MT and while I was pleasantly surprised by how well the car was able to handle the track and the high temps on the brakes/wheels, I know I need to make a few modifications to prepare the car to get the most out of the vehicle.

What are the essential modifications that need to be on the consistent track day enthusiast M3/M4?

While essentially remaining "budget friendly", it seems that a set of HAS springs, some track pads, and high temp fluids at a minimum however what are those brands/products and where are the best locations to purchase them? What are the consensus best? Can we get a running list?

Do not put HAS springs on your car for track purposes. It messes with the dampening and reduces suspension travel range.


Essentials for tracking regularly in order.

Brake Fluid (motul or srf)

Brake pads (cobalt or pagid)

Camber plates (unless you like buying tires every 5 sessions)

Track alignment (high neg camber, and some front toe out)( i have a lifetime alignment at my local firestone and the tech is very good dialing in what I want)

Second set of track tires, but would wait for better wheel options to do 295 or 305 square (using spacers up front)

When they're available giro-disc two piece rotors

Brake cooling (speed engineering)

If youre really going deep (Im getting there)

Monoball conversions
Lower control arms and tie rod ends
Sway bar end links

Coilovers

Track slicks

What did I leave off

[Achtung_M3]

Thanks for the reply. If HAS isn’t the best option, what is? KW v4? The stock car just looks like it’s screaming for suspension upgrades.

[beachBmmr]

Originally Posted by Achtung_M3

Thanks for the reply. If HAS isn’t the best option, what is? KW v4? The stock car just looks like it’s screaming for suspension upgrades.

Unless your planning on dialing suspension rebound and compression, get a 2 way coil over. You will go from a progressive spring to a linear spring matched to then dampening rate. You will ruin your street ride though.

Lowering springs will have you running on the bump stops on track, and the kw has is way too soft for track. Get a set of eibachs if you're dead set on lowering but it will still be wearing your dampers out prematurely

Paging jetbill

[BulkBen]

Originally Posted by beachBmmr

Unless your planning on dialing suspension rebound and compression, get a 2 way coil over. You will go from a progressive spring to a linear spring matched to then dampening rate. You will ruin your street ride though.

Lowering springs will have you running on the bump stops on track, and the kw has is way too soft for track. Get a set of eibachs if you're dead set on lowering but it will still be wearing your dampers out prematurely

Paging jetbill

Your first post is great as you give lots of really good advice, but I disagree about not running lowered springs.

In my experience having tracked cars with stock and lowered springs, the firmer spring rates from lowered springs means they are less likely to bottom than stock springs, not more.

In addition to that the car sits a lot flatter, with the lower center of gravity and less weight transfer, helping corner speed.

If there was a scenario where lowered springs ran the same rates you would be spot on, but it would be very rare for aftermarket springs not to run stiffer rates.

[SYT_Shadow]

Besides track pads and fresh fluid, the biggest bogey are camber plates. An absolute must on tracked cars.

I would not touch the suspension unless you're ready to spend real money. The stock suspension is great and you'll need something serious to upgrade. The KW-HAS / whatever is not going to make a difference, as it already didn't make a difference in the F8X. The dampers are your limitation, not the springs.

TCK makes a ~3k suspension for different generation M3s. In an E46 his suspension shaves 8 seconds, in an E9X it shaved 4 seconds, in an F8X it's 2 seconds and in a G8X... looks like he isn't proposing a suspension at all.
(approximated times)

Look at the costs for a high quality suspension. Dampers may be 6k, and springs are 0.6k for the 4 corners. That should tell us all that 'upgrading springs' on a stock suspension does basically zero

[McLaren720s]

I've tracked the RWD G82 on MSS HAS and have not noticed any negative impact compared to stock suspension but admittedly haven't noticed a positive impact either.
If it wasn't for looks, I wouldn't have changed the factory suspension as I think it's fantastic.
As of now, I'm happy with the MSS HAS since I'm not willing to spend 5k on Coilovers with my intermediate driving skills. The car is already way faster than me even stock. Need to improve the driver first.

[McLaren720s]

Originally Posted by beachBmmr

Do not put HAS springs on your car for track purposes. It messes with the dampening and reduces suspension travel range.


Essentials for tracking regularly in order.

Brake Fluid (motul or srf)

Brake pads (cobalt or pagid)

Camber plates (unless you like buying tires every 5 sessions)

Track alignment (high neg camber, and some front toe out)( i have a lifetime alignment at my local firestone and the tech is very good dialing in what I want)

Second set of track tires, but would wait for better wheel options to do 295 or 305 square (using spacers up front)

When they're available giro-disc two piece rotors

Brake cooling (speed engineering)

If youre really going deep (Im getting there)

Monoball conversions
Lower control arms and tie rod ends
Sway bar end links

Coilovers

Track slicks

What did I leave off

On the RWD G82 I went with 0 front toe alignment. I'm about to get an alignment soon on the XDrive before my first ever track day with it and I wonder if I should go with a small amount of toe out for it.

Any opinion or suggestions? I haven't tracked the XDrive or any AWD car before.

[beachBmmr]

Originally Posted by McLaren720s

On the RWD G82 I went with 0 front toe alignment. I'm about to get an alignment soon on the XDrive before my first ever track day with it and I wonder if I should go with a small amount of toe out for it.

Any opinion or suggestions? I haven't tracked the XDrive or any AWD car before.

On AWD idk…a little out definitely livened up steering, but I am not sure how it will translate on powered wheels. 1/8th out was mild, Im going to try a little more and see how understeer is in the turns. I guess you could always flip off 4wd if it behaves weird under power.

Tram-lining was brutal in the street with the track alignment tho.

[McLaren720s]

Originally Posted by beachBmmr

On AWD idk…a little out definitely livened up steering, but I am not sure how it will translate on powered wheels. 1/8th out was mild, Im going to try a little more and see how understeer is in the turns. I guess you could always flip off 4wd if it behaves weird under power.

Tram-lining was brutal in the street with the track alignment tho.

I could try a small toe out or just got zero front toe again which I liked in the past and is very common on tracked cars. It's pretty neutral.

This is what I was running on the RWD

[beachBmmr]

Originally Posted by McLaren720s

I could try a small toe out or just got zero front toe again which I liked in the past and is very common on tracked cars. It's pretty neutral.

This is what I was running on the RWD

Up to you, I like less rear toe and more camber. without it I wear the rear outer shoulders. Toe in scrubs out-to-in, so theres that too, its about tire life in track.

I might keep it neutral in awd so as not to introduce ghost steering in the straights. Toe out makes the car tramline a bit more without drive wheels, so unless you can change it quickly probably bettering off zero or toe in. (At least you fixed your crooked steering wheel from the factory with the uneven toe up front.

I also sit in it and that evens up out the camber aide to side when measuring..205lbs in one side matters.

[Achtung_M3]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Besides track pads and fresh fluid, the biggest bogey are camber plates. An absolute must on tracked cars.

I would not touch the suspension unless you're ready to spend real money. The stock suspension is great and you'll need something serious to upgrade. The KW-HAS / whatever is not going to make a difference, as it already didn't make a difference in the F8X. The dampers are your limitation, not the springs.

TCK makes a ~3k suspension for different generation M3s. In an E46 his suspension shaves 8 seconds, in an E9X it shaved 4 seconds, in an F8X it's 2 seconds and in a G8X... looks like he isn't proposing a suspension at all.
(approximated times)

Look at the costs for a high quality suspension. Dampers may be 6k, and springs are 0.6k for the 4 corners. That should tell us all that 'upgrading springs' on a stock suspension does basically zero

So then should I jump to KW v4 and Millway Camber plates? Would that be too aggressive for a mainly street car?

When these pads and fluids need to get swapped, I was going swap the brake pads and fluids.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by Achtung_M3

So then should I jump to KW v4 and Millway Camber plates? Would that be too aggressive for a mainly street car?

When these pads and fluids need to get swapped, I was going swap the brake pads and fluids.

I wouldn't run a camber plate on a pure street car, it is always noisier.

If you really want to upgrade the suspension for track use I'd start with a MCS 1W. Still, it was reported that someone did a 2:01 at VIR in a stock G8X with Hoosier A7s, so if that is true I wouldn't touch the suspension unless it is a track focused car

[BMWRacer523]

Originally Posted by McLaren720s

I've tracked the RWD G82 on MSS HAS and have not noticed any negative impact compared to stock suspension but admittedly haven't noticed a positive impact either.
If it wasn't for looks, I wouldn't have changed the factory suspension as I think it's fantastic.
As of now, I'm happy with the MSS HAS since I'm not willing to spend 5k on Coilovers with my intermediate driving skills. The car is already way faster than me even stock. Need to improve the driver first.

I've tracked my car back to back stock vs MSS HAS in the last month and no negative impact. Of course I did not slam it down either. I did add camber plates when I did the MSS and I do notice some slight NVH on the road but on track the setup was awesome.

[Celticsfan34life]

Originally Posted by beachBmmr

Do not put HAS springs on your car for track purposes. It messes with the dampening and reduces suspension travel range.


Essentials for tracking regularly in order.

Brake Fluid (motul or srf)

Brake pads (cobalt or pagid)

Camber plates (unless you like buying tires every 5 sessions)

Track alignment (high neg camber, and some front toe out)( i have a lifetime alignment at my local firestone and the tech is very good dialing in what I want)

Second set of track tires, but would wait for better wheel options to do 295 or 305 square (using spacers up front)

When they're available giro-disc two piece rotors

Brake cooling (speed engineering)

If youre really going deep (Im getting there)

Monoball conversions
Lower control arms and tie rod ends
Sway bar end links

Coilovers

Track slicks

What did I leave off

What do you think about Carbotech pads? Pagid are great pads but I've always used carbos. Only one other person on here Ive seen use them.

[pinky_chi]

Originally Posted by BMWRacer523

I've tracked my car back to back stock vs MSS HAS in the last month and no negative impact. Of course I did not slam it down either. I did add camber plates when I did the MSS and I do notice some slight NVH on the road but on track the setup was awesome.

What ride height did you set your MSS springs too? Did you notice any difference in front/rear balance? And which camber plates did you use?

[BMWRacer523]

Originally Posted by pinky_chi

What ride height did you set your MSS springs too? Did you notice any difference in front/rear balance? And which camber plates did you use?

I kept the same front/rear rake. I didn't feel any significant difference in balance although I was pushing the car more than with the stock setup on track. I will post pics and some measurements soon.

Camber plates are millways street plates. Pretty happy with them as they only introduced a tiny bit more nvh. Would recommend to keep tire wear reasonable.

Even though my car is my "daily" I do not commute in it as I work from home. We also have 2 other cars. Will probably do 1 track event a month during the next few months as my schedule permits. So this setup is optimal for me.

[pinky_chi]

Originally Posted by BMWRacer523

I kept the same front/rear rake. I didn't feel any significant difference in balance although I was pushing the car more than with the stock setup on track. I will post pics and some measurements soon.

Camber plates are millways street plates. Pretty happy with them as they only introduced a tiny bit more nvh. Would recommend to keep tire wear reasonable.

Even though my car is my "daily" I do not commute in it as I work from home. We also have 2 other cars. Will probably do 1 track event a month during the next few months as my schedule permits. So this setup is optimal for me.

Oh nice thats good to hear. I plan on going a similar route as well, 4-5 track days a year with maybe 7-8 autocross weekends. I have my first track day this Saturday, running stock except for tires. I will probably get the millway street plates right after.

[BMWRacer523]

Originally Posted by pinky_chi

Oh nice thats good to hear. I plan on going a similar route as well, 4-5 track days a year with maybe 7-8 autocross weekends. I have my first track day this Saturday, running stock except for tires. I will probably get the millway street plates right after.

What tires are you going to be running?

[pinky_chi]

Originally Posted by BMWRacer523

What tires are you going to be running?

Kumho V730's in 275/35 square.

[PLF69]

Bumping an old thread to see where everyone one is at today,

I just installed Monoballs and have to say it would be a priority to do on the G8X, the confidence you gain in the steering is eye opener, can't wait to experience it on track.

I was thinking about rear toe links to help with rear end stability, what do you guys think ?

[BMWRacer523]

Originally Posted by PLF69

Bumping an old thread to see where everyone one is at today,

I just installed Monoballs and have to say it would be a priority to do on the G8X, the confidence you gain in the steering is eye opener, can't wait to experience it on track.

I was thinking about rear toe links to help with rear end stability, what do you guys think ?

You'll have to let us know. I don't have any confidence issues with the steering as is on track.