New BWM & Gravel Roads?

[M3_Convertible]

hi.

i was wondering, how harmful would the gravel be on a brand new m3... say, going 100 KM/H on this particular highway in australia (called the surf coast high way), for about half an hour up and half an hour back?

Would there be dints or scratches on the car? I don't know how much of an issue it would be, or even if it is an issue or not to take a new car on gravel road. What would be the payload in doing something like this?

Thanks, newbie.

 

[Wadula]

it doesn't matter if it is a new or a 1 year old car. gravel is gravel and dints are dints. the age of the car makes no difference on how easy the paint gets scratches.
the only thing is, with a new car it hurts more than with a 15 years old car.

 

[skandalous]

I know on the gravel road near my house it hurts me to go above 25-30. I just hear all the rocks bangin the underside of my car, and then occasionally you'll hear some get kicked up and bang the side of your car. It tears me apart knowing all that stuff is just having it's way with my car. And my car is only a '92 325i, not a brand new M3.

 

[Kirby]

If you go faster than 10 - 15 kmh YOU'LL BE SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is this a one-time thing (take anther car!) or regular trips? If it is a regular thing, in the US 3M makes a protective film that you apply to the body to protect it from this type of stuff.

Also - remeber that vehicles IN FRONT of you will kick up stuff and launch it at your front end!

 

[M3_Convertible]

hey guys, thanks for the enlightenment, much appreciated. i was just speaking to a good friend of mine about this, he claims that the scratches or dints would only be underneath the car, and that it is not possible for the side or the 'body' of the car (where the paintjob is) to get scratched.

Main reason for this being, the tires are inside the car (not sticking out outside of the body) so it would only project the gravel underneath the car (not the side(ie, doors . panels on the side)).

What are your thoughts on this, any response or thought is appreciated.

Also, the road is gravel (lightly) not a true dirt road where you can take dirt bikes or anything (smiles).

cheers from melbourne australia.

 

[Wadula]

does the car get wet and dirty on sides after it rained? can you see where the dirty water dreid out and left the dusty traces? well? replace water with gravel and you see where the gravel will hit your car....just because the tires are covered by the febders it doesn't mean the water/grave does not get to the paint, the water shows it.

 

[sudds]

noooooo dont do it, its just not worth it

 

[PuShAkOv]

no flim wluod pecrtot you form a dnit.

 

[M3_Convertible]

But but but... water splashes, rocks don't... I am under the impression after having discussed this with a good friend of mine that the sides of the car couldn't get scratched or dinted, and the gravel it squirted out underneath the car... and that the wheelarch goes over the tire, so it shoudln't be able to go around and hti the side. Also, the side skirts... which prevent the stones from getting up. Correct me if i am mistaken, this is just the impression we have and are trying to figure out which is correct. It seems near impossible for the tires to be able to cary the stoned around the bottom body of the car (side skirts and wheelarcs) and onto the body of the car (unless you are doing burnouts or something).

The only way I see the car getting damaged is from the front, and that is if i drive too close to another car (which I won't).

Please advise, thanks .

 

[VANCE]

sounds like you have it figured out...

 

[Big Daddy]

Like Wadula explained. Notice where the water splashes and leaves dirt thrown from the tires near and at the rear opening of the wheel wells? When you turn your wheel slightly (in some cases without even turning) rocks will be thrown against the body outside near the wheel openings. I had a 97 Z3 2.8 that I took on a gravel road. less than 15 mph on occassion and it dam near sandblasted the paint from the fenders just in front of the rear wheel openings (rocks thrown back from the front tires).

 

[Bryan330i]

I sure would never do it. I drive daily through a very small section of unpaved road due to construction, and I mean this is only like 10-15 feet and I crawl along. I am not kidding, I go like 5-10 MPH tops.

 

[Big Daddy]

since my last experience I would never do it again if I did not have too. If I had to I'd follow Bryan330i's advice...S...L...O...W!

 

[bahnstormer]

y risk it? its also no the best thing for your tires...
and u want to go 50mph here? u'll be clenching your teeth as the
inside fender well gets abused.
rocks can catch in the brake caliper too causing damage, noise and
bad things. rent an suv for the day.

 

[codex57]

Big Daddy explained it well. If you turn, the rocks you kick up will hit the side of your car. Granted, the front should stay moderately clean, but if you're driving where there's gravel, the surface is likely dusty and uneven. So, at 100km/hr, you'll likely bottom out and scrape your bumper too. I wouldn't treat my new M3 like a rally car.

 

[Kirby]

You're assuming that any debris (pebbles, stones. rocks) is thrown directly off the tire, hits the inner fender and falls straight down to the road and lays there? That isn't what happens.

The debris will get kicked up by the tire at high speed. The debris will spin from the energy passed to it. Some of it will hit the road while spinning. Other debris will hit the wheel well and fall down to the road. The spin will then cause some of the debis to spin away from the car, but some of the debris will bounce straight back up relative to the road. But your car has traveled a few inches further than the debris, and PING! into the body of the car.

It's the exact same principle as putting spin on a basketball when you do a bounce pass. Front spin causes the ball to bounce low and forward, enough backspin causes the ball to bounce almost straight up. Your stones (no pun intended! ) will do the same thing.

 

[bonzo]

Why even take the chance on an expensive car like the M3 Convert. Thre must be many naked women at the far end of that gravel pit!!!