Philes' Forum by Vic Lucariello

Hello, Bimmerphiles! The NJ Chapter Driver School Committee has asked me to add ress a driver school tech issue, so that is what this month's forum is devoted t o.

In our 25 [!] years of running driver schools, we have learned of several on-tra ck component failures which we consider to be generic. In some cases, these fai lures have resulted in serious crashes, and in one case a driver sustained inj ury.

The E30 ['84-91 3-Series, including M3] cars utilize a sickle-shaped lower front control arm which is attached to the vehicle via two ball joints and a rubber- isolated mount. The non-M3 and early M3 models were equipped with Steel lower c ontrol arms while the later M3s were factory fitted with Aluminum arms. We beli eve that the Aluminum arms contain ball-studs of higher strength material. The Aluminum arms, which are specified as the replacement for all E30 M3s, can be u sed to replace the Steel arms in the other [non-ix] E30 cars.

There have been reports of sudden failures of the ball joint studs on Steel arm- equipped M3s which have seen a lot of track time. The failure can result in com plete loss of steering control. The nature and location of the failures makes i t highly impractical to either predict when failure might occur or to know when to replace the control arms as a preventative measure. It is doubtful that even the most rigorous pre-event safety inspection could identify ball-studs in dang er of imminent failure. We feel that any Steel arm-equipped E30 car, with the possible exception of the -ix [AWD]models, is susceptible to this type of failure when used for driver school or club race duty.

If you use or intend to use your E30 for driver schools, it is our recommendatio n that you replace your E30's Steel control arms with the later Aluminum arms. Although we are considering requiring all driver school E30s to have the Aluminu m arms, at present it is still only a recommendation. At this juncture, we have insufficient data to recommend how often to change the Aluminum arms.

E30 cars also experience cracking of the front subframe, or engine cradle, in th e areas where the inner ball joints attach to the subframe. Your pre-event safe ty inspection must examine the subframe for these cracks. Cracked subframes mus t be replaced or repaired/reinforced.

The design of the pre 1988 E30 cars' cooling system is such that the power steer ing pump pulley can contact the lower radiator hose if the engine mounts are det eriorated, weak or broken. Under extreme conditions, the pulley can actually c ut through the hose, resulting in loss of coolant, overheating, engine damage, etc. If the lost coolant ends up under someone's tires, a crash can result.

A 'fix' for this problem has been detailed in a previous column. Briefly, the f ix comprises installing new engine mounts and a slightly shorter power steering pump drive belt. This will result in less engine movement and more clearance be tween the pulley and the lower radiator hose. In addition, a small piece of the old hose can be wire-tied to the new hose in the vicinity of the pulley to serv e as an indicator of incipient contact.

If you have a pre 1988 E30 you use for track events or autocrossing, we recommend that you install the 'fix'. If your engine mounts are reasonably new, just in stall the shorter belt. Also, put a piece of old hose or something on the lower hose.

2002s with aftermarket front anti-roll bars experience cracking of the front sub frame in the areas where the anti-roll bar attaches. Under high cornering force s, the bar can detach from the subframe, causing a sudden, unexpected oversteer condition. A 'fix' comprises reinforcing the subframe tabs, which accept the ba r mounts. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to replace the subframe.

Anyone wishing to contribute to Philes' Forum should contact me via the info on the masthead. I'm interested in tech tips, repair/maintenance questions and/or tips, dealer horror stories, product evaluations, etc. Please call before 8 PM , and if you leave a message, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR WORK PHONE NUMBER. Also, plea se be patient, I try to return every phone call, but it sometimes takes awhile. The best way to contact me is via e-mail.

Copyright 1997 - V. M. Lucariello, PE