chit chat thread

[B C]

WIBimmers these past few weeks:

[Jdesign]

Very much so. Everyone is hopefully just in their garages working on stuff so diligently, that they haven't had time to post updates.

[Nick_F]

Ill be tackling some fun maintenance this weekend, trans and diff fluids and trying to raise the rear with some makeshift spacers. Exciting stuff. Hopefully it snows soon so I can actually get the snowboard out

[m42b32]

Jdesign said:

Very much so. Everyone is hopefully just in their garages working on stuff so diligently, that they haven't had time to post updates.

That's uh, exactly what I've been doing, obviously

[jc43089]

I haven't put my snow tires on yet.  So it is hiding in the garage.  Been busy working on house projects before baby 4 comes likely this week.  Gotta keep the nesting wife happy.   I do almost have a garage heater hooked up.  I will post pictures when it's done.  It's a sweet contraption.

[HipMF]

B C said:

WIBimmers these past few weeks:

I joined a makespace in Madison (the bodgery). Played around with the TIG welder a little, but haven't started any projects yet. Not sure I'm going to fit in well there, but it's something to do over the winter...

[Jdesign]

HipMF said:

I joined a makespace in Madison (the bodgery). Played around with the TIG welder a little, but haven't started any projects yet. Not sure I'm going to fit in well there, but it's something to do over the winter...

Nice! My friend Jesse goes there all the time. All he builds is crazy shit 24/7. He just build an adult Tree house this summer and it's pretty epic.

[P_Roloff]

The e30 got put into storage a few weekends ago, and other than the e34 seizing a front caliper I've been pretty radio silent. The formula car at school has been consuming a lot of time lately, we've been having throttle runaway issues and it's understandably been high priority.

[Boris3]

Racecar is in storage all happy with engine issues addressed and is waiting for me to spend more $$ on suspension and do some BFH fender adjustment to run 225s next season. The ZHP is digging having the garage space, and the 318is is all juiced up with the new battery and seems to handling the winter duties so far. We'll see what happens when temps drop into single digits.

[B C]

You seem to have gotten some good use from that 318is

[Nick_F]

Anybody have experience with Kummrow Automotive? I plan on going there for an alignment  pretty soon and from what I have seen they have good reviews

[SteelBlue]

Jdesign said:

Very much so. Everyone is hopefully just in their garages working on stuff so diligently, that they haven't had time to post updates.

Yeah...

[B C]

Nick_F said:

Anybody have experience with Kummrow Automotive? I plan on going there for an alignment  pretty soon and from what I have seen they have good reviews

Paging Father Hundley

@andyhundley

[jc43089]

Speaking of alignments, I have had an AWESOME morning.  Got to Olson Tire in town for 2 tires installed on my 1st gen Sienna and to fix the alignment from the last time which was not what i wanted.  In the meantime I had installed shims on the rear axle and installed camber bolts in the front to get the range needed.  I gave them their previous printout with notes on what I wanted, which was about -.5 camber in front and right at the minimum Toyota toe in spec which was .07 degrees.

After waiting 2 hours the guy comes out and tells me he just got it in and won't mount the tires because they are too big.  215/70R16, stock is about 2" smaller diameter but they are going on the back and I plan to sell this van soon and use the wheels/tires on my 2nd gen which the size is almost exactly the right diameter for.

So I say ok just get the alignment done how I asked and I will just buy the tires loose and bring them in off of the vehicle sometime.  Ok no problem, an hour and a half later they say all done and the alignment has better camber in the front but the toe is still .3 degrees total which I think is a little aggressive.  He gave me some BS about the tech not being able to adjust the TRE.  Well all 4 tie rod ends are brand new and coated in anti-seize as of 2 weeks ago, so that's pretty doubtful.   Also I met the tech who was working on it and he said nobody gave him any sheet from me with specs on it.

Questions for alignment guys @patsbimmer1

Instead of -.5 camber on both sides it's at .2 on the left and -.3 on the right.  I get that because it should track nicely on crowned roads, but before it was -1.2 on both sides and tracked straight so do I really want the cross camber like that?

Biggest question Do I really want .3 degrees total toe in in the front?  I'd rather my tires last than treat my minivan like it's a BMW so I feel like the Toyota range of .07 to some crazy high number is designed for safety at all costs of tire life.  The last tires had 6/32 on most of the tread width and the inside 1/4 was completely shot.  I don't know what the toe was before but it felt the same as it does now.  I don't know what it was because I replaced all 4 tie rod ends right before taking it in for the first alignment.

The rear started with about -1.2 camber so I installed .75 degree shims on both sides to get it down to -.4ish which I was happy with.  The toe was .22 on the left and -.08 on the right.  for a total toe in of .14 which I understood as being toe in.  I installed a .125 degree shim on the left with the thick side to the front to get it close to 0 total toe and improve the thrust angle.  The number went the wrong way so maybe I messed up and installed the shim backwards.  Do I understand correctly that a positive number is in and a negative number is out?

[damnboy037]

B C said:

Paging Father Hundley

@andyhundley

Is this the same Andy who works at Kummrow?

[Jdesign]

damnboy037 said:

Is this the same Andy who works at Kummrow?

Same @andyhundley, but different Kummrow.

[SteelBlue]

Was going to go to the Rose Bowl this year, but between game and plane ticket, plus everything else involved with traveling across the country, just not willing do dish out that much cash right now. Rest of my family is going, so I'll be temporarily moving into my parents house to take care of the dogs while they are gone for a week.

[Jdesign]

SteelBlue said:

Was going to go to the Rose Bowl this year, but between game and plane ticket, plus everything else involved with traveling across the country, just not willing do dish out that much cash right now. Rest of my family is going, so I'll be temporarily moving into my parents house to take care of the dogs while they are gone for a week.

So uh.. more money for car stuff?

[REKIII]

Jdesign said:

So uh.. more money for car stuff?

It would make sense to take the rosebowl budget and apply it directly to the car part fund.

[patsbimmer1]

My mother in law's bil got a 94 525i for free from the original owner out of Chicago.  Apparently he's known their family for some time and she called him because the car has been over heating and she doesn't want to fix it so she gave it to him. It is absolutely mint!  No rust, interior smells like new, the leather feels great and it has original wheels along with an aftermarket set.  It's an auto with 91k.  I'll be helping him do the water pump then he plans on taking it back to Texas where it'll serve as a weekend cruiser.