Alright NE'ers....time for a head count...some of you may have seen this thread....

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=220264&page=1&pp=25

Sheridan and I have already chimed in...our fine state is getting trashed!

I'd be mad if I was in Grand Island too!!!

but let's not rip the whole state a new one!!!!

I gave him the option of actually driving his car and he bagged on MAM. Sure MAM isn’t coolest track around but it’s a damn fine one and it’s right here. …but to compare it to his incestuous grandma?

I’m figuring he is just a big whiner and he wouldn’t be happy no matter where he was. Unless he’s in jail or on probation he can move to where ever he wants.

S

he's also still in high school, which explains A LOT!

If he doesn't want to play, let him be.

Somebody forgot to take his pill this morning.

Anything exciting happened at MAM last weekend (other than the not so friedly mother nature)?

Indi,
Nice sig !!

Pretty uneventfull weekend. The storm Saturday was nasty.

The only cars off and stuck in the mud were either P-cars or NSX's. If they would put the motors in the right place maybe none of that would happen.

Molly's drivers side window broke so between storms we scrambled to get it fixed, which we did.

Bruce busted his fan and schroud so he spent most of Saturday fixing that.

I gave the guys in the 330's a good fight.

I instructed in 3 E46 M3's (kinda wanting one now...)

I think I broke my transmission. It's popping out of 4th gear. I won't get a chance to check it out until the middle of July so maybe it will heal itself?

S

Sorry to hear...maybe it's a linkage issue?

Indi and Adam... we're (Justin, I and others) heading to scribner for a quick 'lets see what they will do' drag run this Friday.... any interest? I'm gonna see how long it takes to get my 3700 # sled out of the hole. :D I know it's not real racing, but it should be fun.

It looks like I'll be back in town late thursday, so I might be in... are the girls going along??? and what are the helmet rules??? (I might try to take the 68... :devillook)

has anywone called jeff??? I'd like to see his short-times with those steam-rollers on!!!

Girls: Probably not, they are talking about a 'girls night'

Helmet: Unknown, assume can borrow/rent since Hertzler must have.

Thursday return: Is that good news?!

Helmet: you have to have a helmet and they don't let you share which SUCKS!! Steve has one from his rocket de crotch which i'll be using unless i can't race then someone else can use it. not sure if anyone has one that i know of to be borrowed but i'll check around.

who all will need one?

I will fo sho. Shoot, could've borrowed one from Jason if I'd known...little late to book up to louisville now.

have fun guys, wedding rehersal friday night for my college roomie!

guys, I will be coming back through omaha... the club has 3 or 4 extras we can borrow... well, at least the "club members" can! :D:D:D

I will try to get ahold of sheridan and pick them up...

in that case i'll borrow one and Armen can use Steve's, but that will still leave greg without one if he decides to run.

rice, rice baby!

PS. someone want to call jeff and let him know the details, I can PM his cell/home #...

of just post it one the yahoo group...

Sorry to hear...maybe it's a linkage issue?

Indi and Adam... we're (Justin, I and others) heading to scribner for a quick 'lets see what they will do' drag run this Friday.... any interest? I'm gonna see how long it takes to get my 3700 # sled out of the hole. :D I know it's not real racing, but it should be fun.

Armen,

I don't think I'll be able to make it this time. Maybe at some other times. You guys have fun!

I won't be there, or so it appears...

I PMed jeff's #s to armen, hopefully they can get the helmet thing worked out... or someone can just PM sheridan...

I talked to Jeff earlier, and he's out of town tomorrow, and I have to go to louisville tonight to get a helmet myself. My louisville connection might have 2, I'll hope for the best.

if you can find sheridan's #, he might be able to help you...

i'm still workin on my last source too!!

Bruce????? and Jeff has his own...

Hollingsworth has one too...

We are ready to roll. Everyone has a helmet. Trailer is secured and so far everyone's car is still running!! :D

Well, almost. Greg decided to try and replace his wheel bearing last night, and then found out that it required a factory-specific tool, or a large cutting torch and a lot of skill. He's got the Benz today and is trying to find a shop/dealer to pull the rest of the old bearing off, and then hopefully slap the new assembly together real quick.

Is anybody concerned about the weather? I looked but didn't see a phone # on the website. It looks like it's clearing up now with no further rain predicted, but will they still run tonight?

Well, got the digicam. Still clear out there..hopefully it'll be dry enough they will run.

I'm still opting on going and I will be helping Greg at 5:00 hopefully we can slap it together quick like. I heard rain was suppose to be done early afternoon so onward!! :D

sooooo...how'd it go????????

on my end, the rehersal dinner was cool, I actually got something I'll use! a best buy gift card! woo hoo!!!!! it beats cuff links!

a) I'm home
b) awaiting results!!!

I don't think anyone wants to share results but I guess I will. I shouldn't be horribly disapointed but here are the reasons I am:

1)they ran people through slower than crap (pissed me off a bit)
2)spent $20 got 2 runs!!!!! (pissed me off alot)
3)rain
4)horrible 60ft. times didn't get a good launch mainly because the track was stickier than last time and mix that in with only 2 runs

"good" news

1)fastest 1/4 mile time i've ever got 15.607@89.62 -- prior was 15.702
2)fastest trap speed i've ever gotten - 15.658@91.39mph
3)actually had faster 1/8 spd and 1/4 spd than a '96 Rustang GT 5-spd, just obviously he has been drag racing much more than I have and outlaunched me with a 2.221 60ft while I bogged my motor and ran a 2.541 60ft. I would have had a 15.2xx and beat a "muscle" car but those the lack of runs leads me back to high 15s instead!!

Definately want to go back with cool weather again and actually get my money's worth and get my low 15!! :D

5 hours of effort and $40 for 32.1 seconds of racing, 4.2 seconds of which actually involved skill. I'll stick to autocrossing, I think.

My excuses for my horrible 60' times (2.6s):

a) My car is a boat
b) My rear suspension is not meant for launching
c) I couldn't hear anything
d) I couldn't feel anything
e) I have never drag raced before
f) I basically suck

actually, that would be 5.2 seconds of "actual skill"

and there is no reason for you not to get that thing into the 15.5s with some tires and a freshened rear-end...

my car comes out of the hole VERY nicely... if I had an LSD, it would be wicked!

oh, and with those 60-fts, two things:

a) you staged WAY too deep
b) more revs...

Yeah, I staged pretty deep. But that's like an ice cube hitting the titanic, man, I got bigger problems than that. :D Like my math skillz. :(

More revs = Wheel hop city. See: First run
More clutch slipping = still slow. See: Can't hear/feel (second run)

"Freshened"? You mean "3.64"? 'Cause then I would just have to shift again, which would be counter-productive. The LSD seems to be plenty tight (shocking!), I never have peg-leg issues, even in corners.

Your car still weighs 600 pounds less than mine. :D And, overall, E28s don't put up very good times either, because they don't come out of the hole all that well as compared to stick-axle beasts and other drag-oreinted cars.

The E28s come out of the hole well, they are just less aerodynamic than even an open-top Z3.... so above about 50 it gets ugly!

Wheel-hop begins at what launch rpm?

How are you letting the clutch out at launch? Drop, feather, modulate, etc???

What size, type, and psi in the rear tires?

Track temps and elevation?

Shift rpms on upshifts, 1-2, 2-3, etc?

What are your stock gears?

1) 1500RPM if you drop the clutch too fast. Anything above 2800 is either useless wheelspin or nasty wheelhop, depending on surface and other conditions. Clutch takeup modulation obviously plays a huge part.

2) I haven't gotten that nailed down, because the line between effective feathering and total clutch disintegration is very thin, especially with a stock clutch that probably has 70 or 80k on it now. It is not very grabby anyway, and goes away quickly.

3) 225/60/15, 32psi, Goodyear Eagle something-or-other-all-seasons

4) COLD. Probably 50 degrees or less. We're not very high here. :D

5) Shifted about 6300RPM in each gear, which I'm thinking was too high. I'm tempted to short-shift 1-2 especially.

6) 3.46 LSD

YOU RAN AT 32 POUNDS!!!!

methinks you need an E28 flywheel

that track is over 2000ft actually.

3.46??? I thought it was 3.15 or 3.25???? I'm pulling more RPM than you with the same transmission and tires that are close.... at least I thought I was...

1) 1500RPM if you drop the clutch too fast. Anything above 2800 is either useless wheelspin or nasty wheelhop, depending on surface and other conditions. Clutch takeup modulation obviously plays a huge part.

2) I haven't gotten that nailed down, because the line between effective feathering and total clutch disintegration is very thin, especially with a stock clutch that probably has 70 or 80k on it now. It is not very grabby anyway, and goes away quickly.

3) 225/60/15, 32psi, Goodyear Eagle something-or-other-all-seasons

4) COLD. Probably 50 degrees or less. We're not very high here. :D

5) Shifted about 6300RPM in each gear, which I'm thinking was too high. I'm tempted to short-shift 1-2 especially.

6) 3.46 LSD


Never drop the clutch, bad for the car, bad for good short times. You gotta get a feel for where it's gonna grab, and hang there until the light goes green. If the tires start to slip, modulate in just a tad, but in a smooth/fluid motion, not herky-jerky.

If the clutch starts to slip, go with it, unless none of the lights on the tree have started, then start over.

You wanna be at the brink of wheelspin, and at the highest rpm possible at launch, the only way to do that is let the clutch take the beating for those few seconds before launch. Not an eternity.

32 psi is part of the problem, so is the all -seasons part. Do you have summer tires you run, or are these your all-year-rounders??

Try 25 psi rear to start, and get the fronts up to at least 45 psi (less rolling resistance). A bigger contact patch out back (and 60 series rubber should allow for that with deflation) will allow you to launch higher before wheelspin occurs.

Take 1st to redline, 2nd 150-200 rpm shy of redline. Do you need 4th for the 1/4 mile run, or do you finish in 3rd gear?

With 3.46's, a little traction at launch, even with an open diff, 2.1-2.2 60' times are not unrealistic, and remember with every 1 tenth in your 60' time = .15 - .25 in your ET...

I know the theory of launching, it's the execution I don't have much experience with. The other problem is that the clutch won't really take much of a beating. It's just too soft.

I know you don't want to drop the clutch, I'm just saying that wheel hop is available at basically any RPM and it's pretty severe.

These are the only tires I have at the moment, and I had to drive home on them, so I wasn't going to air them down-up and have to drive home 75 miles like that. I did have my air bubble with me, but with the way the evening was going, I wasn't going to mess with it.

I was trapping at 89 mph, very top of 3rd. Not sure if getting back into the torque band in 4th is worth the shift time, but I suspect it's not, so I stayed.

So, you're saying to ride the clutch just below the engagement point during the wait after both parties have staged? I was going to the desired RPM and then not moving the clutch from off of the floor until the middle yellow light.

Also, how do you deal with the not-being-able-to-hear-or-feel anything? My launch technique is very "analog" based on what I hear and feel, and with a 600 HP alky-burning 10-second truck next to me, that was all out the window.

Hearing is always an issue at the strip, you gotta get the "feel" part down, and the only way to get that is by doing it... a lot...

It's second nature to me, but I've been doing it for 18 yrs and about 8800 runs under my belt...

You might need a new clutch, too... With the tire pressures, get a good gauge and a good pump. Adjust them at the track, put them back to OEM for the ride home.

At most strips, you pull in, you're ready, I bring the revs up, clutch fully to the floor, nice and even, I slowly let the clutch out to just about engagement, level off the rpms where they should be (which might take a bunch of runs to find that point on that day, at that track, in that given day, by the way), tweek my clutch engagement to the very brink of grabbing, all while watching the lights...

It takes practice to do well...