E30 welded diff

[Barx325i]

Not sure on the law surrounding welded diffs

Obviously.

but as far as insurance is concerned, instant void, which in the eyes of the law means you lose your car, a big fine & 6 points..

Absolute rubbish. Total tosh.

We had an E30 impounded which had one fitted - and when we picked it up from the police they didn't mention a damn thing - after they'd driven it themselves down 20+ miles of Pembrokeshire's scariest roads.

I'm sure they would have mentioned summat. After all, they mentioned the rear tyres.

Stop talking crap on subjects you know naff-all about.

When it comes to setting a car up for 'fast-road' use or whatever crap it is you are a professional in then we'll ALL pay attention.

At the moment you're just making a gibbon of yourself.

Whatev's dude, talk to your insurance company and discover the truth yourself.

FACT, if either the police or an insurance assessor discovered your diff is welded and you hadn't declared the modification, your insurance is most definitely instantly voidy void void. Lets face it, it's not something they're going to clock onto in a hurry, unless they've good reason to invistigate it won't be long before both insurance companies and police will be actively looking for this mod.

No you're right I'm not sure on the legailty of a welded diff, but I am 100% positive your insurance is void - do the math.

[drew555]

Ah right, so you're arguing 'declared mods' and not welded diffs in particular?

The one that was impounded had it declared as a mod (was declared as a '100% locked sport diff', not a 'welder'). Along with the coilover conversion and various other bitz' n' shizzle.

Try hitting up the insurance companies yourself before you get all 'factual'.

And btw - a LOT of pure drag cars (mainly on the 'hot rod' scene) run a 'spool' diff - basically the same arrangement you get with a welder but with shinier bits.

Declared as a mod, insured and not an issue.

Now, please, do some math.

[Flump]

Welders are infact fine with insurace, had the welder on my 190e declaired, had to explaine what it was to the poor bloke but they (tesco) were fine with it, put my premium up by £13, thats all.
As far as they are concerend its an after market diff, same as say fitting a two way.

[drew555]

[Duke137]

its not a major suprise the police didnt notice though they dont seem that clued up

If the scaremongering from 'authorities on the subject' here are to believed it's amazing that the po-po got it back to the pound.

Shouldn't they be on fire in a playgroup after the diff raped them off the road for backing off in a corner?

Ah yeah - advanced drivers, innit...

This thread is great, why did the E30 get impounded out of curiosity?

[VW-will]

Welded diffs are awesome, LSD and open IMO are just as dangerous! Try a bit of 'skidding with a open it'll drop 1 wheel unless your carrying loads of speed by what time your in a ditch any way, LSD's have been known to drop 1 wheel also - barrier finder! Welded diff IMO is better, more drive out of corners under hard acceleration all be it a bit sideways, will never drop 1 wheel and throw you into a barrier if you know how to drive. Its his car his diff his lisence if he wishes to weld it then do be it, I know in my new e30 my welded diff is going straight back in, a "1 tire fire diff" isn't for me I know that for sure!

[yung-gun]

[Gibson]

Of course welding a diff and declaring it as standard is illegal. The same as fitting a set of alloys and declaring it standard voids your insurance, infact. even if you dont declare factory options that renders your insurance void. Properly declared there is not a thing wrong with a welded or locked diff. You cant say otherwise because you have not driven one. I have, for years. I win.

You clearly have not got the foggiest what you are on about. The welded diff is not to force the back of the car to skid out on every corner. It is about making it more predictable when you want it to step out (IE on track, at a drift day) I am so used to my welder now that the unpredictable nature of an open diffed car when it steps out is a bit unnerving.

Also, notice we have not resorted to name calling like you. You dont have to call someone a "retard" when you are right. Because it obvious to the general population that the person you just ruined is the retard.

[navi]

Welded diffs are awesome, LSD and open IMO are just as dangerous! Try a bit of 'skidding with a open it'll drop 1 wheel unless your carrying loads of speed by what time your in a ditch any way, LSD's have been known to drop 1 wheel also - barrier finder! Welded diff IMO is better, more drive out of corners under hard acceleration all be it a bit sideways, will never drop 1 wheel and throw you into a barrier if you know how to drive. Its his car his diff his lisence if he wishes to weld it then do be it, I know in my new e30 my welded diff is going straight back in, a "1 tire fire diff" isn't for me I know that for sure!

so what happens then if mid way into a corner under power at speed with a welded diff a drive shaft snaps due to it being under so much load,with a hair line crack due to keep being twisted all the time,the car will suddenly become totaly unbalanced out of control,and no you will not catch it and bring back under conrol,at least with a lsd it will slip witch you can control both with the throttle and steering.i know some lad one local with a e30 running a 2.8+a welded diff(that keeps brakeing shafts,wonder why?)all insured as a 1.6 auto!cant wait to see that smashed up.throw the book at him.twats like that causes problems for otheirs who know how modify cars safely&corretly

[Flump]

What if your gearbox locks up at speed, what if your brakes fail just as you need them, what if chuck norris shows up and rapes your nan?
These are also irrelivent questions.

[Gibson]

The car with the welder will instantly become 1 wheel drive. Will be just as controllable as an open diffed car because when you are caning an open diffed car it is often 1 wheel drive when 1 wheel breaks traction!

If you are trying to tell me and open or lsd wont ever break shafts, what planet are you from?

I have only ever broken a shaft once, that was on track giving it death. Thats how i know EXACTLY how a car will handle that situation you described above.

Also i checked with my trade policy when i had it (any car, any modification) welded diff was perfectly fine.

[yung-gun]

Anything can happen as flump said. but like we've all been saying, it's our choice. Not yours!

[VW-will]

Welded diffs are awesome, LSD and open IMO are just as dangerous! Try a bit of 'skidding with a open it'll drop 1 wheel unless your carrying loads of speed by what time your in a ditch any way, LSD's have been known to drop 1 wheel also - barrier finder! Welded diff IMO is better, more drive out of corners under hard acceleration all be it a bit sideways, will never drop 1 wheel and throw you into a barrier if you know how to drive. Its his car his diff his lisence if he wishes to weld it then do be it, I know in my new e30 my welded diff is going straight back in, a "1 tire fire diff" isn't for me I know that for sure!

so what happens then if mid way into a corner under power at speed with a welded diff a drive shaft snaps due to it being under so much load,with a hair line crack due to keep being twisted all the time,the car will suddenly become totaly unbalanced out of control,and no you will not catch it and bring back under conrol,at least with a lsd it will slip witch you can control both with the throttle and steering.i know some lad one local with a e30 running a 2.8+a welded diff(that keeps brakeing shafts,wonder why?)all insured as a 1.6 auto!cant wait to see that smashed up.throw the book at him.twats like th
at causes problems for otheirs who know how modify cars safely&corretly

I can assure you that twat with the white 1.6 auto was insured correctly. neither did it keep breaking shafts, it broke 1 shaft and as it was welded the car still drove home, like to see you open diff lads or LSD boys drive home when a shaft breaks..... Sorry, you'd be stuck wouldn't you?

[Flump]

[BATTS91]

^^^^^ how would you know if this lad had beoke shafts unless he told you and i know for a fact he didnt nazi , how about you weld the diff on your "sport" and give it a go ! maybe santapod see how many shafts you dont break and how much fun and diffrent and more responsive your car is ;)

[BATTS91]

that was to navi not vw-will

[bimmaman]

[drew555]

:edit: Took so long to type loads of people got in first

Relatively long story, but this is what we could make out from the information we were given (I was only present for a portion of it (the tug and aftermath), but it was all discussed to great lengths for some time afterwards).

Dude got reported for some 'spirited driving' by a concerned citizen. Dude gets pulled over a little later (from a group of cars travelling together) and told that 'because his car had got a 'welded diff' they needed to impound it'. He could go to the pound to pick it up later. They left with the car and he had to get a lift home to get his paperwork and then on to the cop-shop.

A couple of hours of fucking about later he went and collected it. Took his license/MOT/Insurance stuff with him but they only wanted I.D. and to mention the rear tyres were getting low.

Not that long a story actually...

But the point is, the car had a welded diff. The copper knew it had a welded diff (how he found out we never knew). Yet no ticket - not even a bollocking was forthcoming.

Now given that (according to Zone wisdom) welded diffs are dangerous, illegal and will voidity-void-void your insurance policy and the police will butt-rape you would they have let him take it?

Again - I insist that this thread is full of mistruths, bullcrap and half-known guess-facts and anyone who listens to it is a fool to themselves.

Here are the verifiable facts:

Welded diffs ARE legal (assuming that as with all modifications it is declared to the insurance company).

Welded diffs DO effect handling. They make a car understeer initially and when provoked allow a rear-end slide (or 'drift' if you're a hooligan) to be maintained. The effect on tyre wear is negligible when you drive the way I do.

Welded diffs WILL get you funny looks in car parks and comments like 'You're car's broke, mister', usually by ignorant know-it-alls (such as this thread has demonstrated) who think that they're helping. They're not. The inner tyre WILL hop n' skip - but to a lot of people that run welders, it's as entertaining as a dump valve to a JDM bummer.

Welded diffs WILL prematurely wear out your bushes and mountings - but we accept this in the same way anyone who raises the rev limit on their engine accepts that the engine will live less long or anyone who tunes their engine accepts that their clutch will probably be next.

Welded diffs WILL always annoy purists, faggots and fan boy sceners - they polish their cars on a weekly basis - we skid ours about like idiots. Horses for courses innit. We don't call you an idiot for getting an erection over a mint 1995-spec facelift smiley M-TEC tyt3 y0 GDM GEnUUUiiiiNNNEE splitter. We don't get it, but we don't suggest that you're retarded either.

Oh - and a welded diff makes you look cool, gives you a 12" knob and the ability to shoot sperm that can melt through steel.

That's facts folks - argue all you like, that's just how it is.

I know you're not going to accept any of this - but hey, I've done my bit for educating the uneducatable

[drew555]

Oh, and...

so what happens then if mid way into a corner under power at speed with a welded diff a drive shaft snaps due to it being under so much load,with a hair line crack due to keep being twisted all the time,the car will suddenly become totaly unbalanced out of control,and no you will not catch it and bring back under conrol,at least with a lsd it will slip witch you can control both with the throttle and steering.i know some lad one local with a e30 running a 2.8+a welded diff(that keeps brakeing shafts,wonder why?)all insured as a 1.6 auto!cant wait to see that smashed up.throw the book at him.twats like that causes problems for otheirs who know how modify cars safely&corretly

WTF?

Keyboard broken or retarded or full of INTERNET RAAAAGE?

:edit: navi - you seem to be a total dick. please go away.

[Barx325i]

gotta say, that if you stated to your insurance company 'err is it ok if I fit this diff I welded up' the answer would be a no.

Custard test on the declared mods...

Not sure where your stereotype is headed, my iS is a rusty shite heap, with 240k on the clock, no interior, it gets oily bits chucked in where the passenger and rear seats should be, I only bothered fixing the central locking recently. the interior light doesn't work, nor does the clock, it needs oil regularly, the diff whines, sometimes the wipers don't work and blows the dash lights - generally it rattles and squeeks down the road like. It's pretty far from what you're portraying, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

So you skid around like idiots?

Your words dude

Oh and in terms of the law, if you initiate a slide or just slide, on a public road you're contraveining the road traffic act, you may just get away with a section 59, but more likely a 'due care' charge, or 'not in proper control'

[DanThe]

Lets have some pics of these gangsta slammed skidder heaps

[Grrrmachine]

Lets have some pics of these gangsta slammed skidder heaps

[Barx325i]

I'm all for having the relevant skills, so if you do hit a patch of oil, you can opposite lock in a fraction of a second, catch doom prematurely and be on your way. It's helped me on a number of occasions..

In this sense, respect is due for being among the very few people on the road who can control their car when the sh7t hits the fan.

Most e30'ists are in the same boat, so you're no hero, believe me.

Here, I saved you the bother of searching:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MONSTER-ENERG ... 0862832282

[Barx325i]

Lets have some pics of these gangsta slammed skidder heaps

A mate of mine did EXACTLY this years back, it was right outside a school, at kicking out time, a couple of hundred yards from his parents house, scary scary stuff - it was by definition, 'wrapped'

Still to this day he won't let me scan the photo's

[TouringTash]

Relatively long story, but this is what we could make out from the information we were given (I was only present for a portion of it (the tug and aftermath), but it was all discussed to great lengths for some time afterwards).

But the point is, the car had a welded diff. The copper knew it had a welded diff (how he found out we never knew). Yet no ticket - not even a bollocking was forthcoming.

Apart from when the police take matters into their own hands do the police get to say what,who or when is prosecuted?
That you will find is the job of the CPS in the first instance fella.

I'm happy to discuss differing interpretations of what Law and legal mean. I doubt you even understand the first idea of who you are in regards to legal and Lawful and there is a very large distinction between the two once you know your rights.
PM me and we'll go from there if you so desire, I'm not up for a shouting match just an open minded exchange of views.

[BATTS91]

so if i was to weld my diff and turn up at bbb's bbq on saturday everyone would call me a coont ???

[Barx325i]

yeah mate, coooooont !!!

[drew555]

Apart from when the police take matters into their own hands do the police get to say what,who or when is prosecuted?
That you will find is the job of the CPS in the first instance fella.

Huh? I have no idea. I'm no legal expert - just saying what I saw. And that's by no means the only set of cops I've known that were as stupid as regards the law as I am.

The sort of cops who will go to town on you for dodgy fonts on number plates but happily ignore 'dangerous' diffs.

I'm happy to discuss differing interpretations of what Law and legal mean. I doubt you even understand the first idea of who you are in regards to legal and Lawful and there is a very large distinction between the two once you know your rights.

Bollocks to interpretations - I don't care much for the difference in legal and lawful, and I bet a very large proportion of the general public are the same.

Disclaimer: If this really is an important thing, please feel free to educate me.

As far as I'm concerned something that is either illegal or unlawful is something I'll get cop-raped for if I get caught at it, and hence will probably try to avoid.

So - now we've gone from nitpicking over whether it's diffs or declaring them to insurance companies that's the problem to differing interpretations of the law.

I'll amend my previous statement:

Welded diffs will not get you ass-humped by the people that drive traffic police cars, however the people in the Astras will probably have to keep you by the side of the road for 45 minutes until a traffic cop has confirmed that it is, indeed, allowed to be on the road.

Welded diffs ARE a pretty daft mod if you aren't a drifter. Just ask Jamie...

Better?

PM me and we'll go from there if you so desire, I'm not up for a shouting match just an open minded exchange of views.

Like I said - differing interpretations of the law don't really interest me, I'm interested in what's gonna get me nicked, taken to court and in the end throughly violated.

[BATTS91]

yeah mate, coooooont !!!

if i wernt soo skint id do it ! coz im a coont and id never takerge welded diff out after lol ( have to tax n mot my van = no money for me!)

[drew555]

gotta say, that if you stated to your insurance company 'err is it ok if I fit this diff I welded up' the answer would be a no.

Again - an opinion. Means nothing because it's based on nothing.

Custard test on the declared mods...

I don't know what that means. Sounds sexual. I hope it's not.

Not sure where your stereotype is headed,

Stereotypical E30 zoner who spends more time polishing his car than driving it, covets oem over anything else, thinks anything with a welded diff is retarded but happily spends thousands of pounds on the right trim clips, thinks the//M logo should be on the bible, can't abide anything even slightly bodgificated, would rather stand in a field looking at their car with their fellow anorak adorned brethren comparing genuine this with oem that while calling anyone even slightly under the mental age of 78 a dickhead while fingering his genuine BMW keyfob while gently repeating 'precious... my preeecious' under his breath.... and most of all being so entirely self obsessed and self congratulatory that it doesn't even start to enter there head that there is a possibility however slight that their opinion may not be entirely correct and anyone who says otherwise is branded a heretic and a retard.

That's where. Hey, every bugger else thinks it, I just said it. Even if it's wrong (I don't spend enough time here to know for sure - that's why I love stereotypes - they don't have to be right).

my iS is a rusty shite heap, with 240k on the clock, no interior, it gets oily bits chucked in where the passenger and rear seats should be, I only bothered fixing the central locking recently. the interior light doesn't work, nor does the clock, it needs oil regularly, the diff whines, sometimes the wipers don't work and blows the dash lights - generally it rattles and squeeks down the road like. It's pretty far from what you're portraying, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Top man yerself

So you skid around like idiots?

Your words dude

I do. Many others do. Some of us are getting quite good though. J_K did real well in the BDC the other week.

Oh and in terms of the law, if you initiate a slide or just slide, on a public road you're contraveining the road traffic act, you may just get away with a section 59, but more likely a 'due care' charge, or 'not in proper control'

More crap I'll have you know (difference between lawful and legal aside). My mother and my missus both have been caught out in spinning cars (mayyybe 10 years or so apart). My mum in a Capri in the snow and my missus in a Cavalier in the rain. Both were witnessed by policepeeps, both were spoken to by said policepeeps and neither felt they were in any trouble. Cops wanted to know if they were OK.

So yeah, accidents will happen - it's just convincing the cops it was an accident. Doing a slide will get you in trouble. End of story. Having oversteer happens - ask anyone who'd demolished a 205 GTI due to lift-off oversteer and cops can generally tell the difference. If you get caught doing 3 smoky laps of a roundabout, you'll get hammered, welded diff, LSD or choco-diff.

If you're gonna correct me, get it right.

[BATTS91]

lmao !!! stereotype nail on head!!

[Barx325i]

custard simply means photographing evidence along side a tin of birds custard, having the effect of solidifying photographic evidence.

Seriously, if you so much as break traction in view of the police, it's a charge, schimples.

It's different when your mum pirouettes a capri, I'd hand her a badge of honour and inspect the tires.. I wouldn't be checking the diff for bits of snapped off mig wire

I demolished a 306, awful brakes meant I rearranged the rear of a 406 coupe. The lift off oversteer was ace.. P600's FTW

[Grrrmachine]

Stereotypical E30 zoner who spends more time polishing his car than driving it, covets oem over anything else, thinks anything with a welded diff is retarded but happily spends thousands of pounds on the right trim clips, thinks the//M logo should be on the bible, can't abide anything even slightly bodgificated, would rather stand in a field looking at their car with their fellow anorak adorned brethren comparing genuine this with oem that while calling anyone even slightly under the mental age of 78 a dickhead while fingering his genuine BMW keyfob while gently repeating 'precious... my preeecious' under his breath.... and most of all being so entirely self obsessed and self congratulatory that it doesn't even start to enter there head that there is a possibility however slight that their opinion may not be entirely correct and anyone who says otherwise is branded a heretic and a retard.

I don't think that describes any E30 owner ever, let alone a zoner, and certainly not a "stereotype".

There are OEM homos, there are drift slags, there are council-tat obsessed rude boys and there are even people who like bronzit, but I don't think you can lump everyone who doesn't appreciate welded diffs into such an asinine image as you've portrayed.

There are plenty on here with lowered cars, putting their suspension outside the limits set by BMW at the factory. And as a recent poll showed, people with lowered cars are the norm on here rather than the exception. The fact that the Zone also has an extensive part dedicated to engine swaps also lays to rest your theory that this site is the home of garage queens, anoraks and keyring coveters.

It's purely the comments that a big of mig weld on the cogs makes a diff not only equal to an LSD but far superior that mark this entire thread as ludicrous. If that were the case, the new M5 would have a live axle since it's cheap, simple and strong.

But it doesn't, because in Europe we have corners.

[TouringTash]

Like I said - differing interpretations of the law don't really interest me, I'm interested in what's gonna get me nicked, taken to court and in the end throughly violated.

Exactly my point, who wants to end up getting bent over and shafted by the judicial system.
And with the police having to be accountable ie getting enough arrests/fines or basically using what they can to get us to cough up more money (haven't you noticed the cutbacks in services?) its going to happen more and more for the smallest of offences.

Any simple minded plod could start a process that ends with you getting shafted, hopefully you won't drive like a twa7 on the public highway and discover what can be brought against anyone who pisses them off enough.
Have an accident and the third party knows how to go through the civil courts and you could end up loosing a great deal more.

[Barx325i]

not only the stress of a court appearance, but several magistrates, a clerk, the bobbies court time all at the expense of the tax payer