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yep, i replaced my stock ones that had roughly the same mileage and they were still good.Quote:
Originally Posted by san
for reference, i bought new TRW ZHP control arms (from FCP), they were the about $110/each - quality is all there (as it would be with a TRW product - they do some OEM stuff for BMW).
My SA (bad when I had one) said OEM FCABs tend to go around 60K miles.
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Those of you who track: how the hell do you fit in the car? I’m 5’9” and with my seat in the lowest position possible the helmet still grazes the headliner.
Gurney bubble mod?Quote:
Originally Posted by 704sw
You must have a long torso, I fit fine with a helmet and I"m 5'9"
Quote:
Originally Posted by 704sw
coupe vs sedan... coupes have a steeper rake to the windshield, and i bet the roof is actually a bit lower too (dang, i never measured when i had both here!).Quote:
Originally Posted by Sockethead
i'm 6'1", with a long torso, and i like a proper driving position, which makes coupes basically a no-go for me - my head will hit the roof during normal driving. with the seat in the same position in the sedan/Touring, i've got at least 1.5" of clearance between my head and the headliner.
now, coupes with a race seat, i could probably do. ;)
Yeah, it's very tough, especially being 6'1". Hell, I'm extremely uncomfortable just in a daily driving position. The steering column doesn't come out enough, so I have to sit upright to get closer to the wheel, making my head hit the roof even without a helmet and making the lower back hurt.Quote:
Originally Posted by 704sw
The only way I can make it work is if I tilt the seat back, which makes me reach for the steering wheel. It sucks!
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Get a convertible. :biggrin
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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7ff3333f95.jpg
Not allowed on track without roll bars...Quote:
Originally Posted by johnrando
You need a racing seat.Quote:
Originally Posted by 704sw
I don't have one in the ZHP but in my Mustang the race seat was at least an inch lower than OEM. I'm 6'2" so I needed all the headroom I could get.
didn't you try out that steering wheel extender? how was that?Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
also, what about moving the seat closer, then tilting the entire seat back? (well, essentially tilting the front of the seat bottom up, then reclining a bit.) this is how i found my ideal driving position in the E46. also, thigh extender out about halfway. my right knee is about 10mm from the lower corner of the dash (by the bottom left corner of the HVAC controls), steering wheel extended out all the way. i can rest my palm on top of the steering wheel (meaning i'm the correct distance from the wheel), and the seating position in relation to legs and arm reach feels natural and balanced (i.e., i don't feel like i'm "reaching out" for the steering wheel, or conversely, pushing away from it). also, lumbar out a bit, this helps with the arm reach too.
of course, i've just realized this is all moot because i have M3 seats, which appear to sit a bit lower than the stock sport seats. i guess you need to drive my car and see what you think. :)
The steering wheel extender isn't ideal for daily use. The stalks are way too far away. The buttons don't work because the harness isn't long enough. That can be fixed with an extended harness, but there is no OE type of fix for the stalk problem, or the fact that it looks like an afterthought. The revised version looks pretty good though. I think the one I tried was a pre-production model.
I've tried everything to get a comfortable seating position. I can't do what you suggested because the wheel is too far from me that way. The only way I can reach the wheel is to sit straight up and hit my head against the headliner.
A racing seat is out of the question. Way too uncomfortable for daily use.
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you need to try an M3 seat, then. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
They don't make 'em in Natural Brown!Quote:
Originally Posted by slater
Shredded M3 seat + Natty brown Lseat coverQuote:
Originally Posted by az3579
It's not an exact match.Quote:
Originally Posted by ZHPizza
but if it's more comfortable...?Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
Yeah, I know. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
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I do not like mismatching interiors.Quote:
Originally Posted by slater
fashion over function...Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...38/460/90d.jpg
Not entirely true.Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
I had a set of the Bride gias low max seats and hands down they were more comfortable then any factory seat. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e21d412b98.jpg
No, Peter - I prefer function AND form. I won't want to compromise. At least it's intact as it is now and looks the way it should.Quote:
Originally Posted by slater
One solution for me is to buy another car. The root cause of all of my problems is really the telescoping wheel not coming out enough. I don't want to sit straight up just to properly reach the wheel, even if my head doesn't hit the headliner as with an M3 seat, because my lower back hurts when sitting upright like that. An M3 seat isn't going to solve that problem.
A real solution to the problem without buying another car would be if someone figured out a way to mount the turn and wiper stalks on the extender, bringing them closer to the wheel, as well as figuring out how to make it not make the steering wheel wobble when installed. I'm not clever enough to figure that out, though.
There are exceptions to the comfort thing, sure. But, we're looking at a minimum of 2 grand for this setup.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vas
Those seats (for replicas, not sure if those can be trusted) are about 800 a pair , then another 200+ for each seat rail, plus the cost of someone even being able to source NB leather and then to reupholster them. I lose power adjustment and memory, which is not a huge deal, but the cost is still really high.
So, I'm stuck. Another car is not in the cards right now, so that means neither are reupholstered Bridge reps (including reupholstering the rest of the interior to match). I need to start saving up for a clutch and flywheel job...
but at what cost? of course we all want function AND form....but if you're not comfy, what's the point?Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
out of curiosity, have you driven anything that was comfy for you?
what about lumbar? does that not help?Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
and, i don't blame you for thinking that buying another car is the solution - i've bought 'new' cars because i just couldn't get comfy in the one i had. getting rear-ended 10 years ago was responsible for all of that. now, i'm finally comfy, so i'm staying put. but it's been a long road getting here.
what about trying that second iteration of the steering wheel extender - the one that's shallower? way cheaper than buying a new car.Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
Yes... All of the new BMWs I've driven allow me to have the perfect seating position.Quote:
Originally Posted by slater
Doesn't do anything for me, unfortunately.Quote:
what about lumbar? does that not help?
How much shallower is it? Just an extra inch or so would be enough to allow me some comfort. If it's north of 2 inches, I may run into the issue with the stalks. I think the original one is 2.5", right?Quote:
what about trying that second iteration of the steering wheel extender - the one that's shallower? way cheaper than buying a new car.
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I was about to say the knocking noise is gone, then I heard it again. It was during a u-turn at about 3/4ths completion, so I went around again. I didn't hear it at the other end of the street, but it repeated around the same spot. :|
Maybe it's coming from the passenger side.
0ahhh.... well, i guess it's time to go into mega-debt and get that F80 M3 CS. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
i believe so. i thought that the new one was 1.5" or 1.75"...Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
I thought the zhp was good but once I got in an f30/80, i was surprised how much more adjustable they are...Quote:
Originally Posted by az3579
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the seats definitely go a lot lower.Quote:
Originally Posted by san
I usually set my seat relatively higher so that’s not an issue for me in the zhp but the steering reaches out so much more on the f30/80.Quote:
Originally Posted by slater
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Well I found a seating position which allows enough clearance for a helmet and I don’t completely hate it. Just going to take some getting used to.
Weird. I have my seat all the way down and I still feel like I'm sitting up rather than in my car.Quote:
Originally Posted by san
When I went to m track days last year, the instructor there recommended the seat eight to be such that there is space for 4 fingers width wise between the top of the head and the roof. I tried it there and on my zhp and I do that with every car now...Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWCurves
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yep. i felt that a lot more in the coupe than in the sedan/Touring (with M3 seats in both) - in the Touring i'm just on that line of 'in/on' feeling. it's acceptable.Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWCurves
in the X3... the seating position is weird. BMW designed the ergonomics to be more 'command' seating, so optimally you sit more upright. i actually don't have my seat preset all the way down in that thing... when it's all the way down you just kinda feel weird.
well... you must be a lot shorter than william and i. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by san
with my M3 seat on the lowest setting (which it always is), and in 'proper' seat position, i can get two fingers in there. barely.
I’m 5’11.5”Quote:
Originally Posted by slater
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OK, so not that much shorter. but, 1.5", and i have a stupidly long torso. ape man.Quote:
Originally Posted by san
And I think I have relatively long legs, so that explains it [emoji4]Quote:
Originally Posted by slater
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Yup, I have a tall torso. All the way down in the M3 seats and I'll check today but I think I'm maybe 2 finger widths from the roof.Quote:
Originally Posted by san
I love how every time seating gets brought up it turns into an anatomical breakdown of everyone’s body type. I’ve only met a few of you, but I have a good idea of who does and doesn’t need extra bolstering, who has a babytown torso, who has long legs, and who has apelike long arms similar to Billy Corgan lol
We're just one big happy family :)
Why do I feel like the clown nose should seat better into my mirror? Random E46 thought while contemplating life, while waiting for my boy to get done lifting. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...900febbc8c.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...faf2c2308d.jpg