Lsd swap?

i have a 2000 323 ci. im looking for an inexpensive limited slip swap and would like to know the best options. i have just began looking for diffs and i found one on cl for 150. this guy believes it came out of a e30 325i. i can do the work myself and the price seems worth the gamble but i figure id ask for reassurance.
Thanks.

Can someone else take this one.



The word that comes to mind starts with "S" and ends with "H".

uh... yeah rob i have searched.... looks like the e30 diff wouldnt work but im still having a rough time finding the best option and i am tired of single wheel burnouts. id really just appreciate a little advice. im new to the site and new to the car and would like to learn as much as possible...

Got it rob

no other diff will work without a custom subframe.

If you want a good option that you could possibly find for cheap. Get an oem e46 m3 sub-frame and diff. search on how to do it cause other things are needed. Or get a lsd for your car from a supplier.

done

Originally Posted by lowbluebimmer

uh... yeah rob i have searched.... looks like the e30 diff wouldnt work but im still having a rough time finding the best option and i am tired of single wheel burnouts. id really just appreciate a little advice. im new to the site and new to the car and would like to learn as much as possible...

Best advice you're going to get: quit doing burnouts or the next question you'll be asking is how to repair the subframe mounting points for less than $5000. Not only will this help keep you from ripping the rear subframe mounts out of the car, you'll also eliminate your "need" for an expensive custom LSD for a grand savings of between $5k-$8k.

Originally Posted by lowbluebimmer

i have a 2000 323 ci. im looking for an inexpensive limited slip swap and would like to know the best options. i have just began looking for diffs and i found one on cl for 150. this guy believes it came out of a e30 325i. i can do the work myself and the price seems worth the gamble but i figure id ask for reassurance.
Thanks.

Honestly, the ability to do burnouts in your Bimmer is quite expensive.

On the front side there's the cost of the LSD, getting it in the pumpkin, & then into the car. Easily $1800 to $2000 or more.

You could save a few bucks by installing an entire E46 M3 sub frame with 3.64 lsd. But your car doesn't rev to 8K RPM, plus it's a 5 speed, so personally I don't like that ratio. Then there's the hassle of finding a decent used piece at a reasonable price, and getting it installed.

Last, the sub frame issues. If you don't reenforce your sub frame (expensive), you'll likely tear it apart in a short period of time.

You just need to ask yourself this question: How DEEP are your pockets.


Good luck in your decision.

The word that comes to mind starts with "S" and ends with "H".

Originally Posted by mrshelley

damn, that shit is awesome :o

Sadly true that there appears to be no economical options for getting LSD's for non-M E46's. I'm annoyed to no end not to have one. I like my 330 well enough and I'm personally not interested in burnouts but driving on or near the limit with an open diff just isn't very rewarding. I should have researched more before I bought the car. I wrongly assumed swapping in different diffs would be as easy as it is on my E30. Not so. Not by a mile. I'm just learning really about my E46 but i can tell you TMS (turner motorsports) and diffsonline are popular sources but expect to be in for 2-3K in a hurry. As previously stated, using the entire rear end from an E46 M3 is another option but you will have to live with gearing that is probably ill-suited to your car or spend more money to change it's gearing. Someone on the forum is working on making an E30 diff work but it appears that is going to require lots of work.

Originally Posted by Driver08

Sadly true that there appears to be no economical options for getting LSD's for non-M E46's. I'm annoyed to no end not to have one. I like my 330 well enough and I'm personally not interested in burnouts but driving on or near the limit with an open diff just isn't very rewarding. I should have researched more before I bought the car. I wrongly assumed swapping in different diffs would be as easy as it is on my E30. Not so. Not by a mile. I'm just learning really about my E46 but i can tell you TMS (turner motorsports) and diffsonline are popular sources but expect to be in for 2-3K in a hurry. As previously stated, using the entire rear end from an E46 M3 is another option but you will have to live with gearing that is probably ill-suited to your car or spend more money to change it's gearing. Someone on the forum is working on making an E30 diff work but it appears that is going to require lots of work.

Hours of expensive measured machine work in alterations and custom little bits. Its fitted and not cheap at all. Ever single custom item is Billet one off made.

Not at all in the same cost category like bolting a random LSD into a e30.

photo album of what is involved if you are interested:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1128588...eat=directlink

If you own/work at a machine shop and can access all machines I can see this being affordable. Otherwise not really as I spent quite a lot of money to have billet parts built for me locally in the Bay Area

Wanganstyle, some really nice work there on the the dif. and on the E30. When I first found your dif. thread I was really hoping it was going to prove to be simple but as you say, ceretainly not the case. One of these days I'll just have to bit the bullet and pay for a Kaaz or something similar- hopefully used. I'll be following your E30 project with interest. Cheers.

The Wavetrac is a nice unit for a street car and the price is pretty good. But once you actually have the LSD unit, you need to install it into the case and that involves a bunch of extra work and cost to get it right. Setting up a diff properly is pretty easy, but there are some special tools (a pair of really beefy snap-ring pliers and a low inch-pounds torque wrench to name two) that you need to do it properly.

Yup, similar to Quaife in terms of price anyway. I'd need to figure out who to trust on the instal. I feel like options are slim in my town. That shouldnt be a problem for the original poster though.

Can always learn to do it yourself, that's what I did.

too true. I have managed to do a lot of my own work up to now on cars and bikes and I enjoy it. The dif would be a differnt ball of wax which is fine but it would carry a big penalty if I got it wrong. That said, if it proves the the most cost effective option then that is probably where i'll end up- and for the better ultimately.
Is there any machining that needs to be done to install the wavetrac or quaife? I some machining experience but it's pretty limited.

Originally Posted by Driver08

too true. I have managed to do a lot of my own work up to now on cars and bikes and I enjoy it. The dif would be a differnt ball of wax which is fine but it would carry a big penalty if I got it wrong. That said, if it proves the the most cost effective option then that is probably where i'll end up- and for the better ultimately.
Is there any machining that needs to be done to install the wavetrac or quaife? I some machining experience but it's pretty limited.

I don't believe so, assuming you are running sufficiently short gears. I think they both only fit in the stock case with a 3.07 or higher ratio but you'll want to ask the diff manufacturer.

The diff I set up had 3.38 gears but now has 3.23 gears and it fit in the stock case without any problem.

Sounds good. I'll be tempted to jump to 3.46 if I go this route. Thanks for the info.

Pretty sure I have a set of 3.46 gears around here if you want them. I know I still have 3.38s.

Originally Posted by Driver08

too true. I have managed to do a lot of my own work up to now on cars and bikes and I enjoy it. The dif would be a differnt ball of wax which is fine but it would carry a big penalty if I got it wrong. That said, if it proves the the most cost effective option then that is probably where i'll end up- and for the better ultimately.
Is there any machining that needs to be done to install the wavetrac or quaife? I some machining experience but it's pretty limited.

Yes, Milling of the case is required to install many of the Aftermarket LSD options. I believe Quaife makes a LSD center unit for 3.07 and lower, everyone else makes for 3,15 and higher only.

I made one E30 LSD diff with billet spacer for 2.93; milling was required:




This is OS Giken for e46 6 cylinder and /Z4 (3.46). Note milling required to fit the LSD capsule center:

thanks SoloII. Those gears should go to someone who can use them now. I'm just learning the options at this point. Was hoping machining was not required for most of these options. Oh well.