Chadillac2000's 2016 BMW M5 Competition Build Thread

[code7rpd]

Great thread!

[Fast.F10]

What is this little knob for?

[chadillac2000]

Originally Posted by Fast.F10

What is this little knob for?

Mentioned it an earlier post in this thread -- the previous owner had installed an aftermarket sound system and that was for being able to adjust the bass output from the subwoofer. Have my eye out for a set of the No Longer Available carbon fiber trim to replace the existing aluminum trim with, but $$$.

[Fast.F10]

Originally Posted by chadillac2000

Mentioned it an earlier post in this thread -- the previous owner had installed an aftermarket sound system and that was for being able to adjust the bass output from the subwoofer. Have my eye out for a set of the No Longer Available carbon fiber trim to replace the existing aluminum trim with.

Figured as much.

[Steve Miller]

Beautiful car. Incredible how the 14's still look like new. Just curious, weren't you nervous buying an M5 without having your mechanic go through it first?

[chadillac2000]

Originally Posted by Steve Miller

Beautiful car. Incredible how the 14's still look like new. Just curious, weren't you nervous buying an M5 without having your mechanic go through it first?

The F10 body, especially the LCI version, does look very current. Love how aggressive these sit -- especially when lowered.

I was a bit nervous, but did a lot of homework before pulling the trigger, and the history looked right. I also have done quite a bit of repair work to BMWs over the year, so I figured I'd be able to handle most of the small things. Luckily, it all turned out good. This car appears to have been taken care of and only used occasionally.

[chadillac2000]

A small update for the M5 incoming...

Ever since installing the Dinan carbon fiber intakes, the plastic engine cover seemed slightly out of place.





Suprisingly, the only carbon fiber option seemed to be from AFE. I've actually ran some of their intakes in the past with good success, but was somewhat hesitant to pull the trigger on their matte carbon fiber cover at $600ish.

Earlier versions of the AFE cover had come in glossy carbon fiber, which would have matched the Dinan intakes nicely, but now it seems they only offered the matte version because the glossy ones were yellowing over time; or at least that's what I've read. I looked everywhere for pictures showing the Dinan carbon fiber intakes compared to the AFE matte carbon fiber, but couldn't find anything definitive.

Eventually the temptation was too strong and I decided to order one for myself to see.







All in all, it's a really nice looking piece. This is much heavier and sturdier than the stock piece and feels well constructed. I had originally been worried about the AFE logo printed in silver (doesn't seem removable), but it's positioned so far towards the firewall, that it's barely visible. The OEM hardware swapped right over. Maybe it was worth the premium after all.



As far as the finish comparison to the Dinan intakes, it's slightly off, but not enough to make me go back to stock. The underside of the cover would have been a much closer match, but I bet the underside will show discoloration quicker than the top side.







I haven't driven the M5 very much over the past few months. It's definitely spent more time on the trickle charger than the road -- the weather here has been really rough lately with tons of rain, ice, snow, and salted roads. But on a more positive note, the wheels/tires I plan on installing for the warmer months ahead have arrived -- here's a small teaser:

[chadillac2000]

This weekend saw the M5 come out of hibernation from a life attached to a trickle charger and into a beautiful spring evening to shake out the cobwebs. This also meant bolting up the new wheel and tire setup. I'd painstakingly put these components together, hoping for a certain look and driving experience, and obsessing over the details. It turned out exactly as I'd hoped without any compromises to functionality.

While the 343M still look great, and I don't intend on getting rid of mine, there is something about a BBS wheel on a BMW.

The front set up is a polished black BBS CH-R 20 x 9 29mm offset with a Michelin PS4S 265/35/20 and a 12mm spacer.

The rears are polished black BBS CH-R rears 20 x 10.5, 35mm offset with a Michelin PS4S 305/30/20 and a 12mm spacer.

This car was just aligned at BMW on the Dinan sleeve kit and there is absolutely no rubbing under any condition. I'm extremely pleased with the stance and the performance jump from my previous tire setup to the 265/305 Michelin PS4S tires far exceeded my expectations. Overall grip through tight mountain roads was incredible and the new alignment specs have helped turn in as well. Just a completely different car following the alignment and tires alone.

[co_pa]

set-up look great, chad. i imagine the wider track and rear tires help hook up better.
questions, of course: you drove for a bit without an alignment? did you have your BMW dealer align to the dinan specs?

[chadillac2000]

Originally Posted by co_pa

set-up look great, chad. i imagine the wider track and rear tires help hook up better.
questions, of course: you drove for a bit without an alignment? did you have your BMW dealer align to the dinan specs?

Thank you sir! Hope the bump stops arrived in short time so you could complete your Dinan sleeve install.

The wider and stickier tires definitely helped a ton.

And yes, I drove for about 1,000 miles without an alignment while I was getting ride height dialed in. It still performed great on the Nitto tires on stock alignment, but just transformed completely after the upgrade. I had BMW align as close to the Dinan specs as possible knowing that I'd need their camber arms to get the full amount of camber they called for. From what I recall, they got everything in spec except for they couldn't achieve the camber called for in the front. It still appears to have more than what I entered with.

[black_F10M5]

Originally Posted by chadillac2000

A small update for the M5 incoming...

Ever since installing the Dinan carbon fiber intakes, the plastic engine cover seemed slightly out of place.

Suprisingly, the only carbon fiber option seemed to be from AFE. I've actually ran some of their intakes in the past with good success, but was somewhat hesitant to pull the trigger on their matte carbon fiber cover at $600ish.

Earlier versions of the AFE cover had come in glossy carbon fiber, which would have matched the Dinan intakes nicely, but now it seems they only offered the matte version because the glossy ones were yellowing over time; or at least that's what I've read. I looked everywhere for pictures showing the Dinan carbon fiber intakes compared to the AFE matte carbon fiber, but couldn't find anything definitive.

[/img]

Great writeup. I have been contemplating the AFE engine cover as well but hate the logo. From your pics, it does not stick out as much as I expected. Also thinking of some type of vinyl overlay up top to hid it. Autotecknic used to offer a similar cover with no logo but unfortunately it was discontinued a few years ago.

Great choice on your wheels too. Your car is super clean and the mods are well thought out. Enjoy it!

[chadillac2000]

Originally Posted by black_F10M5

Great writeup. I have been contemplating the AFE engine cover as well but hate the logo. From your pics, it does not stick out as much as I expected. Also thinking of some type of vinyl overlay up top to hid it. Autotecknic used to offer a similar cover with no logo but unfortunately it was discontinued a few years ago.

Great choice on your wheels too. Your car is super clean and the mods are well thought out. Enjoy it!

Thank you sir.

More recently I have considered getting the AFE cover wrapped gloss white or having it sprayed with a glossy clear. The mismatched carbon fiber isn't that noticeable, but my OCD won't allow me to ignore it.

[co_pa]

Originally Posted by chadillac2000

Thank you sir! Hope the bump stops arrived in short time so you could complete your Dinan sleeve install.

The wider and stickier tires definitely helped a ton.

And yes, I drove for about 1,000 miles without an alignment while I was getting ride height dialed in. It still performed great on the Nitto tires on stock alignment, but just transformed completely after the upgrade. I had BMW align as close to the Dinan specs as possible knowing that I'd need their camber arms to get the full amount of camber they called for. From what I recall, they got everything in spec except for they couldn't achieve the camber called for in the front. It still appears to have more than what I entered with.

night and day performance between the nittos and ps4! glad to see it all come together well for you, man.

after the bump stop fail all is coming together. i should be ready to share my progress this weekend after a good wash.

i've generally had good success on other cars and will probably follow your lead on dealership for alignment. thanks for confirming the front camber; i didn't think the specs they provided was attainable without new arms.

cheers on another great mod!

[vafan13]

I'm about to take mine in for an alignment, as I still haven't done it after the KW V3 install. It's annoying that they didn't fit eccentric bolts to adjust front camber. In case anyone is thinking of buying the camber arms from Dinan, they are the exact same thing as what can be bought as regular OEM parts, except dinan slapped on a $340 premium.

I also wonder whether if one can't get the front to the -1.3 Dinan specifies, if one should also be toning down the rear camber slightly.


OEM version of the negative camber arms:

https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-part...rm-31127849503

https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-part...rm-31127849504

[some_idiot]

Beautiful car and great thread. Thanks for sharing.

[DarksideM5]

Originally Posted by chadillac2000

This weekend saw the M5 come out of hibernation from a life attached to a trickle charger and into a beautiful spring evening to shake out the cobwebs. This also meant bolting up the new wheel and tire setup. I'd painstakingly put these components together, hoping for a certain look and driving experience, and obsessing over the details. It turned out exactly as I'd hoped without any compromises to functionality.

While the 343M still look great, and I don't intend on getting rid of mine, there is something about a BBS wheel on a BMW.

The front set up is a polished black BBS CH-R 20 x 9 29mm offset with a Michelin PS4S 265/35/20 and a 12mm spacer.

The rears are polished black BBS CH-R rears 20 x 10.5, 35mm offset with a Michelin PS4S 305/30/20 and a 12mm spacer.

This car was just aligned at BMW on the Dinan sleeve kit and there is absolutely no rubbing under any condition. I'm extremely pleased with the stance and the performance jump from my previous tire setup to the 265/305 Michelin PS4S tires far exceeded my expectations. Overall grip through tight mountain roads was incredible and the new alignment specs have helped turn in as well. Just a completely different car following the alignment and tires alone.

Your M5 looks awesome!
I'm also looking at buying the same wheels, but don't know if those are heavier than stock 343 wheels. Do you know the weight difference and which are heavier?

[chadillac2000]

Originally Posted by DarksideM5

Your M5 looks awesome!
I'm also looking at buying the same wheels, but don't know if those are heavier than stock 343 wheels. Do you know the weight difference and which are heavier?

Thank you sir! Yes, the cast BBS CH-R are heavier than the forged 343M wheels.

The stock 343M rears are 25.8 pounds and fronts are 24.7 pounds.

BBS CH-R rears are 29 pounds and fronts are 28 pounds.

For what it's worth, my butt dyno couldn't tell any difference.

[DarksideM5]

Originally Posted by chadillac2000

Thank you sir! Yes, the cast BBS CH-R are heavier than the forged 343M wheels.

The stock 343M rears are 25.8 pounds and fronts are 24.7 pounds.

BBS CH-R rears are 29 pounds and fronts are 28 pounds.

For what it's worth, my butt dyno couldn't tell any difference.

That’s not bad. I think I might just pull the trigger on those wheels. Thank you for the info!

[chadillac2000]

Small update: No news has been good in this case. I've put 5,000 miles on the car since purchasing it last year with no issues so far. I changed the oil once with an OEM filter and Motul X-Cess 5W-40. And the car just passed inspection in NC with no issues despite being fully catless.

[Blaxwil]

Originally Posted by chadillac2000

Small update: No news has been good in this case. I've put 5,000 miles on the car since purchasing it last year with no issues so far. I changed the oil once with an OEM filter and Motul X-Cess 5W-40. And the car just passed inspection in NC with no issues despite being fully catless.

Nice update. It's about time to shut her down for the winter as it gets cold in North Carolina.

[chadillac2000]

Originally Posted by Blaxwil

Nice update. It's about time to shut her down for the winter as it gets cold in North Carolina.

It does get cold, but I typically don't give my vehicles any breaks during the lower temperatures. In Asheville we only get snow a few times a season usually, so salt isn't really a concern. I plan on driving this one throughout the winter.

I've been daily driving the car for the past month or so, which involves about 300 miles a week for work. It's been incredible so far getting to spend so much seat time in this thing. It never fails to disappoint and is extremely practical for every day usage.

Because of the increased use however, I had the pleasure of doing my second oil change on this car. I've been using 4-5k oil change intervals, and have been using an OEM filter and Motul X-Cess 5W-40, which I've had great success with in the past. The odometer is about to cross 48,000 miles which means I've put about 7,500 miles since purchase.

[chadillac2000]

It's been 2.5 months since my last update, and I've only driven the M5 a handful of times in that span. The weather here in North Carolina has been unpredictable and the roads have seen quite a bit of salt over the past few weeks, so I’ve been reluctant to drive as much as normal. But in that time, I’ve been busy online collecting parts that I can install this spring - some larger than others.

The big ticket item this time was a set of custom Alpine White finished CSF charge coolers. The OEM charge coolers had always been an unsightly item in the engine bay for me, but getting an improvement in efficiency is the ultimate goal. Don’t get me wrong, not a great bang for your buck purchase, but these things look absolutely killer. There are other, less expensive options that essentially do the same thing, but I wanted something proven.

From my initial email to CSF, I had these in my hands less than 2 weeks later. Very impressed with these guys and the top-notch quality is quite clear -- both the charge coolers themselves, as well as the powder coat job and color match. This is what $2,495 + $200 custom color upcharge will get you.











And since I’ll have to disassemble the couplers on the charge pipes I installed recently to get these in, I followed the advice of Doctor_X and picked up some black t-bolt clamps from Race Part Solutions to complete the look. In addition to the charge pipe clamps, I also picked up some larger ones to replace the larger factory clamps on the intake tubes. About $135 for all these, so also not cheap.





As I’ve detailed on this very thread, I have been somewhat dissatisfied with the AFE carbon fiber engine cover. Not because of quality or anything like that, but because the matte finish didn’t match up with the other gloss carbon components I have. Painted covers or gloss carbon fiber covers are nearly non-existent for the F10 M5. I had ambitions of either having it sprayed with a clear coat, and even explored custom painting it Alpine White, but advised not to as the paint would bubble over time. In a eureka moment, I removed the cover and just tried to give it a 3 step polish to get rid of the matte finish. Success at last. After about an hour with some different products and my random orbital, I had a nearly identical match to the Dinan carbon fiber.







I was also able to remove about 95% of the AFE logo, which went a long way in obtaining the look I wanted. It does have a ghost image of the logo at certain angles, but only if you’re looking for it.





In a further attempt to make some small cosmetic modifications, I purchased some of the Goldenwrench classic silver caps for the oil, coolant, and fuel caps. These are not a full replacement, but simply 3M over the existing caps. I was skeptical, but these look great, fit perfectly, and achieved exactly what I was looking for. IND offers Alpine White painted options, but I didn’t want to go overboard with the paint matching; and they were much more expensive. I ordered the charge cooler cap too, but it did not fit, as the F80 and F10 are different. The coolant, oil, and fuel caps all fit great.





And lastly, I was able to track down a replacement trim piece to get rid of the audio control knob installed by a previous owner, but will miss the questions about what the knob did from everyone that noticed it.



I have a few more items that should get delivered soon that I want to do at the same time as the charge coolers, including a front carbon lip from RW Carbon, so stay tuned for more updates over the coming weeks.