[sarends]

I have a 95 540i/6 speed and it has very nice set of OEM Throwing Stars on it (love them dearly). This Winter I put on snows and took off the Throwing Star covers in order to protect them from the Denver, CO snow and ice etc.

Well, I quite like the looks of the Throwing Stars without the caps for something different - nice 5 spoke simple look! I have just left them the silvery/gray color and they look quite nice (now that they have been cleaned up)!

However, I was wondering if you E34 M5 boys have ever figured out something for a Center Cap? Right now it just looks a little too raw with the hub showing and all!

Thanks! Steve

 

[IvanDias]

I painted mine black, well, the alloy refurb place did for me, which makes them look kinda "industrial" and hides the centrepiece from looking out of place.

Otherwise, leave them bare!! That's what most others who have removed covers did. There doesn't seem much of a place for a centre cap to go in and stay in, yet still be easily removeable.

Regards

Ivan

 

[WMWNWMN]

I had one friend silicone a PVC pipe in the center and get one of those metal double stick tape wheel emblem roundels. you can find them at ebay or current BMW shops like modbargins.coms or the such.

I had a set of MVR replicas made by a company called Moven. the center caps fit perfect in my E34 M5 wheels. you might want to look them up.

or you can just measure the ID, then call a few wheel companies up (doesn't have to be for BMW) and ask if they have caps for that size

 

[sarends]

My PVC Pipe Center Caps 4 Naked Throwing Stars

I am pleased with this simple addition!

 

[Lantz]

Why do you guys remove the covers? I don't get it, without the covers the wheels look like a budget 17" rim...

N.B-just my opinion

Lantz

 

[sarends]

I am glad it is just your opinion. My opinion is they look like an industrial M Parallel.

Plus, it is winter here in CO and I don't want to scuff up the covers.

Why do you guys remove the covers? I don't get it, without the covers the wheels look like a budget 17" rim...

N.B-just my opinion

Lantz

 

[Lantz]

Lol an industrial M Parallel, to each their own I guess.

 

[IvanDias]

Mine are black because I wanted to be different (at school they always said I was 'special'), but at least I did this five years ago when black/grey was very rare indeed.

The rear covers on mine are removed completely. This is partly as the rear brakes do little of the really hard work so the limited cooling effect of the turbines is not really missed, but mainly because I run oversized rear tyres and the weight loss of the cover helps balance out the overall unsprung weight of the wheel.

The fronts are black all over, proper powdercoat, with the two piece turbine mechanism but missing the centre-caps, roundel and spring. The centre removal does not affect the cooling of the turbines and I prefer the very industrial look of the all-black design. Again the tiny weight saving of the centre caps helps offset the 245 instead of 235 front tyre.





My car was never a garage queen, so given the choice of a omgwtf car going past or just a tired M5, I'll take the former.


Regards

Ivan

 

[Lantz]

How does keeping the car original (ie leaving the covers on) make it just another "tired M5"? And taking them off turn it into an "omgwtf" car as you put it.

Surely it should be the other way round...

And as for saving weight here and there, by removing wheel covers and door cards, it just does not hold any water. The M5 is a heavy car and removing a wheel cover will not change that fact. The M5 is a highway cruiser, not a track car.

Anyways enough pointless arguing, time for a cigarette, judging by my post I think nicotine levels are dangerously low

Lantz

 

[mottati]

Steve, that car looks too clean for the middle of winter!

How are you enjoying the e34 after the e39. I still have both, but have toyed with the idea of trading the e39 in for a 'more interesting' e34, such as a 3.8 or perhaps a touring....
The e39 is just such a great day to day car, it's safe, and dare i say, if someone were to take me out on the roads, i'd feel less sad with one less e39 on the road (i feel bad saying that, but...). it's a bit more replaceable.
Mike

 

[IvanDias]

Oops! I think you thought I had Throwing Stars!



I said my car was no garage queen, so was already a tired looking vehicle, especially with the fade that brilliant-rot cars suffer from. So, with the black weird wheels it looks a little unusual and not just a tired M5.





There is quite a difference between reducing weight and reducing unsprung weight. I am not reducing weight.

I removed the rear turbines as I was using oversize rear tyres, so my rear wheels weigh with my tyres what a standard car weighs with the standard tyres and covers present.

This means my car has pretty much OEM unsprung weight despite my messing with the wheels.


Therefore I got a visual effect I liked, a unique car as no-one I have seen in the last six years has my colour and usage combination, plus I kept the handling as close as possible to factory.

Regards

Ivan

 

[nebpor]

Ivan, whilst I'm not arguing with your motives, the throwing stars weigh natch - surely they aren't that heavy that removing them means your larger wheels weigh same as the smaller??

Mine are off till the stars are refurbed, but I get more used to it every day!

 

[IvanDias]

Yes, you're right, only I don't have throwing stars!

I have the Turbines, so I have actually removed from the rear the inner fan, the outer fan/cover piece, centre-caps, roundel and spring. The complete assembly is heavier than you'd think.




To clarify, I am not after reducing total vehicle weight or unsprung weight at all, nor am I after making a big rear wheel weigh the same as a smaller front wheel.

I want to make a (9.0J wheel and big tyre minus cover) weigh the same as a (9.0J wheel with standard tyre with cover).

This is what I have pretty much achieved!


Regards

Ivan

 

[nebpor]

Ah got you - I only know how light a throwing star is.

As said, I understand your motives - I would be striving for the same if it was me in a similar position!

 

[Lantz]

Ivan whats the point of putting a bigger tyre on the back, will that not increase the cars tendency to understeer?

Not having a go at you here, just wondering how the handling is with a wider rear tyre.

Lantz

 

[IvanDias]

Pretty neutral, as I have a 20mm rear anti-rollbar (sway-bar) fitted* from a Touring (Bought new from BMW £70 $140).

I am not a good enough driver, nor have I anywhere near enough racing experience to say whether this is actually superior to the OEM setup when on a track at 10/10ths driving, therefore I've traditionally kept quiet about it.

I do find that the traction available when accelerating hard off roundabouts or down slip-roads (on-ramps) is superior to what it was before, but when the back does snap out it requires a faster response to catch it.

Therefore I may have a faster point-to-point road-car yet a slower track-car compared to standard, I could not say.

Kind Regards

Ivan





*My thinking thinking goes along the lines of;

BMW fitted 18mm to the 3.6 car when new, setting the car up as minor factory understeer for road safety with standard 235/40/17 at all four corners. This badly understeers with the optional wider 9.0J" rims which had 255/40/17.

In 1992/3 they then fitted the wider rear 17" wheels as standard, but changed the rollbar to 19mm to compensate, still leaving the car as quite biased towards understeer, as per normal with any normally sold road car.

As I have increased the rear tyres even more over factory default, I have added the 20mm bar to compensate. As the rigidity of the bar goes up non-linearly with diameter increase, (the 19mm to 20mm resistance to torque is more than the 18mm-19mm value), this dials out the understeer leaving a neutrally balanced car. That's Plan A, anyway!

Plan B? See Plan A.

The experiment is ongoing, as tyres perform different when new as when old, plus I've been through several different makes and compounds, all which takes time. I am well aware of Mr Farrell's oft quoted and correct maxim that Grip and Traction are not the same thing.

I continue to experiment as I know BMW had tyre price, longevity and NVH to consider with their factory choice, none of which bother me any. As 18 years have passed in tyre design and performance since my car rolled off the production line, I consider I have carte blanche to goof about!


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