Tech Articles

Rennline Pedal Kit DIY – E46 M3

Rennline Pedal Kit DIY – E46 M3

Rennline’s rubber grip aluminum pedal covers are the ultimate interior upgrade for any performance automobile. No other pedal on the market gives you the flexibility of adding and removing throttle extensions to fine tune your individual ergonomic preference. Rennline has taken this pedal design to the next level by utilizing rubber grips that can easily be replaced if needed. Each pedal set comes with 8 replacement rubber grips or can be purchased separately at any time. Rennline pedal sets are constructed of anodized aircraft grade aluminum and all stainless steel hardware.

Big thanks to our friends Bryan and Josh for bringing us this awesome DIY video of the Rennline 3 Series Pedal Kit getting installed in an E46 M3. Shoutout to Bryan (@shadesbro) for for providing the car and buying the best pedal pedal set on the market. Also, we would like to thank Josh (@therealswiper) for the amazing product photos and video.

Be sure to check out his YouTube page: ‘Joshua Walling‘ for more awesome install videos!

Click HERE to see if we make a pedal set for your make/model.

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Preparing Your Car for a Day at the Track

Preparing Your Car for a Day at the Track

Regardless of whether it’s your first time at the track or you’re a seasoned pro, getting both yourself and your car ready for the day is essential. You’re about to embark on a mission of putting your body, mind, and car through extreme challenges that you both may not be accustomed to. You need to make sure your car is ready for everything the track has to throw at it because the last thing you need to worry about is your brakes failing as you pass marker two on the brake zone before turn one.

This simple checklist should be everything you need to bring your car to its first track day:

Preparing Yourself

1. Protective Clothing

Even if it isn’t specified for the event you’re attending, it’s a very good idea to wear a helmet and fire retardant clothing such as a racing suit.

2. Shoe Choice

A specific racing shoe is the best bet, which have very thin soles with no overhang. Second choice would be a thin soled trainer.

3. Mentality

Ease into it – find the racing lines and braking points, and gradually build up speed.

4. Walk the Track

The best way to familiarize yourself with the corners and the racing line is to walk the track first and picture where your braking, apex and turn in points could be.

Preparing Your Car

1. Maintenance

  • Brake fluid should be relatively new.
  • Make sure oil, water and other fluid levels are topped off.
  • Take a look at the wear levels of brake pads and discs.
  • Check the tire tread depth.
  • Check to make sure all the nuts and bolts are tightened.

2. Fuel

Many drivers use a higher octane fuel when competing or attending track days – these fuels give more bang for your buck and can aid performance but tend to be more expensive. Don’t brim your car when fueling – leave just the right amount to see you through the day. Excess fuel is heavy and can be detrimental to lap times – it can also slosh around if you don’t have a baffled tank, causing unnecessary weight transfers which unsettle the car.

3. Tire Pressures

At the very least, match the manufacturers guidelines, and as a rule of thumb, increasing by 5-10% should provide a better turn in and be generally more suited to track conditions. Experiment here, and take notes – eventually you’ll find pressures which will give you a good compromise between grip, predictability at the limit and turn in. Pressure increases with temperature, so bear this in mind if you’ll be doing a large number of laps – if you’re doing short runs, you can probably get away with slightly higher pressures.

4. Empty the Cockpit

This should really go without saying but take out everything including the spare wheel, jack, luggage, coins, rubbish, children, seats etc. This reduction in weight can make the difference between winning and losing. In addition, you don’t want things rattling around while you’re trying to concentrate, and in an accident anything that’s left in the car is likely to hit you on the back of the head.

5. Clean Radiator

If you’re doing sustained laps, you’ll need all of your car’s cooling ability. If you have a turbo-charged engine, you’ll probably have several radiators and intercoolers, all of which need a steady supply of air. Some cars have number plates which partially obstruct the radiator’s precious air flow, so remember take these off to give a bit of extra cooling.

6. Driving Position

When getting ready for the track you should adjust your seat to a much more upright position than you may use when driving on the road. You should be able to rest your wrists comfortably on the top of the steering wheel while keeping a slight bend in your arms. This may mean moving closer to the wheel than you normally would which can feel strange at first, but will give you maximum control.

7. Warm Up Car

It makes sense to get your car up to operating temperature before you start driving it hard – this will thin out the oil and let the engine expand and free up, which will make it more efficient and place less strain on the moving parts. Keep an eye on the water and oil temperatures to make sure the extra load isn’t causing it to overheat.

If you want to learn more about driving techniques and tips for driving on the track, head over to drivingfast.net for more information.

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991 Bumper Removal Video

991 Bumper Removal Video

Looking for Rennline grill screens for your Porsche 911, but not sure how to remove your bumper to install them?  We used a 991.1 Turbo to demonstrate how easy it is to do in your garage without a lift.  Check it out here, and give us a call if you have any questions, or to place an order!

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Customer Install Video of RS Style Door Pulls

Customer Install Video of RS Style Door Pulls

Check out this awesome video of our customer Andrew Cunningham showing you how to install RS Style Door Pulls on his MKV Jetta. Available for MKIV, MKV, MKVI, and MKVII (coming soon), we have this in stock and ready to ship. Check out all of our fit and color options here.

 

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A Modern Mini Cooper Born to Rally

A Modern Mini Cooper Born to Rally

As many of us can attest, life sometimes gets in the way of your favorite motorsport, whether it is auto-x, rally-x, track days, or even concours events. Patrick Munhall, a fellow New Englander, had such a break from rally-x; one that lasted almost 10 years. His triumphant return to gravel came behind the wheel of his R53 Mini Cooper, which isn’t the typical AWD monster that likely comes to mind when discussing rally racing. Built upon a solid chassis with good basic dynamics, Patrick’s success since rejoining the sport has proved the Mini is capable of succeeding in a diverse range of motorsport environments. However, that success has not come free, and this Mini has been torture tested throughout New England as the chassis, suspension, engine and under body protection have been fine tuned for competition in the New England Region SCCA Rally-X series.

Patrick's R53 Rally Mini Cooper

Patrick and his BDC Enterprises Inc. sponsored Mini in mid season form chasing the more powerful AWD cars- and catching more than a few!

 

Almost any experienced driver will tell you that seat time is the most important factor in dropping lap times, and although rally-x is no different, the abuse that a car takes during an event often requires additional vehicle preparation. And that is where Rennline enters this story. Patrick first tried fabricating his own skid plate, and although sturdy enough for most disciplines, during his second event at New England Dragway he managed to catch the front edge in a covered hole and literally folded it in half!

 

First attempt at a homemade skid plate that failed and was replaced with a Rennline skid plate

The Mini’s first skid plate that met its demise at the hands of a rather large hole at NE Dragway

 

A photo of the total failure of Patrick's homemade skid plate

Unfortunately it wasn’t quite up to task when Patrick found a hidden rut on course

 

A Rennline skid plate purchased for Patrick's rally Mini Cooper

Time for a little upgrade! Rennline skid plate ready to go in and provide some protection!

 

Rennline Skid plate installed in Pat's R53 rally Mini

Our skid plates feature OEM quality fit and finish, and are manufactured right here in Vermont from heavy duty aluminum

As their first season progressed Patrick and the Mini came into their own, going from 3rd in a small field of entries in their first event to a 2nd place finish by their 3rd event. Had it not been for a cone that jumped out into the middle of the course causing a penalty, they would have found themselves in first after the final run of the day. Results like that make you want more of everything, and so the modifications began piling on. To maximize grip Quaife provided one of their legendary torque biasing limited slip differentials (LSD) which can transfer power from wheel-to-wheel based on the amount of slip it senses by using a series of helical gears to transfer load to the wheel with the most grip.

 

A quaife differential ready for installation in the Mini's transmission

The Quaife arrives!

 

The new differential being pressed together

Time to keep those wheels spinning in unison!

To keep the engine firmly connected to the drivetrain a Valeo flywheel and clutch package was added along with refreshed axles to deal with the strain of competition. To get a rally-appropriate ride height Patrick fabricated 1/2″ spacers for the strut mounts which raise the ride height of the Mini that same 1/2″. Powerflex control arm bushings stiffen the suspension and help to retain as much of the factory suspension geometry as possible, and a BSH lower engine mount reduces the amount the engine and transmission can move as they hammer through gravel, mud, snow and muck in pursuit of victory. Most importantly these modifications were carefully chosen to compliment the already agile and able Mini chassis without adding any exotic or expensive parts to the mix.

Custom strut mounts for lifting the mini

Custom strut mounts to help gain the Mini some ground clearance

 

Rear suspension with custom strut mounts installed

Suspension back in, ready to rock and roll- literally

 

With the handling well sorted and the mini protected, it was time to turn attention add some power by turning up the boost in this little Mini. A Way Motor Works supercharger pulley was installed which is 15% smaller in diameter resulting in a supercharger that spins faster and creates more boost pressure across the rev range. An Ireland Engineering exhaust minimizes exhaust back pressure allowing the engine to breathe easier at these power levels. Way Motor Works claims up to 20hp from this modification alone, but when you’re on rally style surfaces power is nothing if you can’t put it down. To that end Patrick runs Black Rocket Rally Tires on gravel surfaces and switches to Bridgestone Blizzaks for the ice and snow events that cover half of the year’s schedule here in New England.

 

The R53 Rally Mini on its gravel setup

Gravel setup

 

The R53 Rally Mini on its snow and ice setup

Winter mode aka 6 months out of the year

 

Finally it was time to turn attention to the interior because to be fast you need to be in the correct environment both mentally and physically. Again a few choice modifications were planned to enhance the Mini without ruining its inherent strengths. A set of our Rennline track mats were installed to enhance footwork and keep the footwells clear of debris that could lodge itself in, behind, and around the pedals. An OMP wheel helps navigate turns faster and helps reorient the wheel when things get get a little too crazy. A Megan Racing short shifter reduces the length of gear changes and adds accuracy to the feel of the transmission. This winter saw the installation of Sparco race seats for both the driver and anyone brave enough to strap themselves in next door, which will come in handy during events like the Vermont Winter Rally which is organized by local rally legend John Buffum.

 

Rennline Track Mats and Sparco Seats in this Mini

Sparco race buckets and Rennline Track Mats make for a race friendly interior

 

A picture of Patrick's proper racecar interior

All business, no frills; just the things a pilot needs for some full-speed fun

 

For his time, effort, and dedication Patrick has been rewarded with a Mini that can go toe to toe against more powerful and grippier cars on almost any terrain. We are just happy we were able to help him in his goal of improving the reliability and drivability of this cool little car. With our ever expanding line of Mini Cooper parts and Patrick’s desire to continue improving the car and his skills, we are sure there will be another update coming in the near future. If you are attending a New England rally cross event in the coming months, keep an eye out for Patrick and his Mini atop the podium!

 

Patrick's BDC Enterprises sponsored Mini ready for the 2016 season

Patrick has his Mini fine tuned and ready to vie for the title in the 2016 season

 

Race car life!

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“Minor weight reduction” aka making the car faster, handle better, and easier to drive all at once

 

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