Tonight was nearly the end for project M3 Touring !!!!!!!!!

Post Tue May 16, 2006 10:14 pm

I've had some tough times putting this project together but tonight has got to be the WORST!

Today started out good, I planned to drop the car to the Guy to get the Manifolds, Exhaust and tyres on my split rims tonight and was feelin pretty good as the end was getting closer!.......or so I thought!

Started off badly as the fixed bar that we were using to tow the car (behind a transit connect) was attached and we started off, got about 3 feet and the thing in the bumber that the towing eye attaches to snapped and fucked the bumper.
Undeterred I whipped off the rest of the bumper and managed to connect the bar to what was left. so we set off on the 17 mile trip.

About a mile out the road everything was going fine then BANG! the back end locked and I started fishtailing all over both sides of the road. The guy pulling me (my brother in law) didnt notice any pull in the van but did notice when he saw me swinging all over the shop in BOTH his mirrors!

Eventually came to a hault and thought WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED!!!

looked around underneath but nothing obvious, then I noticed that the front wings had been "extended" out a bit with all the diving around behid the van.

I guarantee I was inches from hitting the verge and rolling it, which would probably have taken the van with it.

Had to call out the breakdown truck as it would not move.

So what went wrong? It is pissing down rain and I cant get it back into my garage to start the diagnosis. I really fucking hope it wasn't the LSD diff I bought off here that has gone tits up or I will be MAD.

I will try to have a look tomorrow night but has anyone else suffered this kind of rear wheel locking shit?

Sorry for the novel but i'm really fucked off, and to make things worse the pub is shut !

Post Tue May 16, 2006 10:20 pm

have you tried turning the diff out of gear at all? sounds like it might be the diff locked up..

solution.. give it all to me i'll give it a good home

Post Tue May 16, 2006 10:30 pm

Car was out of gear cause I was getting towed.

When we were taking it off the back of the breakdown it did move backwards a bit making a grinding noise then locked up again.

Sorry I aint in any mood for jokes as the car I've been working on for 9 months and spent a fortune on was nearly written off and so could I have been!

Post Tue May 16, 2006 10:33 pm

well if the car was neutral all that would be moving is the diff, prop, gearbox?

sounds more like locked diff

Post Tue May 16, 2006 10:34 pm

sorry dude

Does sound like the diff then if it was out of gear at the time.. the prop not got caught or anything daft?

Post Tue May 16, 2006 10:41 pm

or just a thought. I had it oce very rare but does happen, major CV joint failure on a half shaft where they lock up big time. My sport had this amd would not move forwards or backwards literally.

If u have a slipper which is tight too this could be it.

Post Tue May 16, 2006 11:03 pm

If the diff has locked, can I remove the back cover and see whats happened?

I take it if the diff has locked it's buggered and will be in a big mess inside?

Post Tue May 16, 2006 11:08 pm

i don't think u can get the back plates off with the diff in situ. Drain all the oil first if u do!

If u do take it out check the CV joints and see how subtle they are they should move as freely as your wrist or ankle say. Boot might of split etc

Post Tue May 16, 2006 11:46 pm

axle will drop rearwards if you remove cover in situ as rear cover incorporates mount with large bolt through?

doesnt really make a difference that its an lsd or open as its only the outputs that differ(and locked on an amount differential action)-did the unit have oil in,rebuilt or resealed recently?

by disconnecting prop,shafts etc,will be obvious.

Post Wed May 17, 2006 10:39 am

I will get the back end off the ground tonight and have a look.

It was a second hand diff from a zoner, don't know the history or if it had oil in or not as I was gonna do all the fluids at the same time.

It's never been driven yet, its just been towed.

Post Wed May 17, 2006 5:17 pm

sorry to hear this sandy,sounds like the diff is goosed to me.
Keep us posted,chin up mate ,hope you get it sorted.

Post Wed May 17, 2006 8:18 pm

If one of the Cv joints has locked(which is rare) then the other wheel would stop tuning too as u have a LSD so there is a possibility that this could be the cause but it is more than likely just the diff!

I left a 316i diff on my 325i conversion once and than went causing similar effects to what u have. Luckily i wasn't going too fast at the time!!!!

Post Wed May 17, 2006 8:29 pm

Really sorry to hear this mate, I hope it all has a happy ending, cos this is one awesome project.

Post Wed May 17, 2006 8:53 pm

Cheers for the moral support guys!

I feel a bit better tonight cause I got the car delivered on the back of a truck today.
When it was up in the air I removed the drive shafts from the diff and tie wrapped them up out of the way so the car could be moved around at the exhaust place. Didnt have much time to check anything though.

There was a bit of crunching as we pushed it so hopefully its a knackered driveshaft and not the diff. Ã‚£10 to fix instead of Ã‚£250 plus.

If it is the diff I think I would go for a professionally reconditioned one cause I dont want that happening to me again.......at any cost !

Anyway, in a weeks time I will have the car back with the exhaust done and my new rims on....which I'm sure will put a big smile back on my face!

Post Wed May 17, 2006 9:16 pm

Sorry to hear about the mishaps dude, keep in there, this is going to be something very special when its done

Andy

Post Mon May 22, 2006 5:47 pm

Id be guessing its the drive shaft(s).. If a diff goes.. it usually still turns a bit.. but under no load.. the only thing i can think of that would snafu the diff.. is if the diff is mega tight, and you held one wheel locked and then tried to spin the other.. As such.. you just have a diff lock where both wheels spin the same.. like a wleded diff. A drive shaft is my guess.

Thats the only thing that I can work out that would lock.. is it one or both sides? if its both.. im guessing its the prop shaft

Post Wed May 31, 2006 7:30 pm

Ok, looks like its the diff that went and nearly killed the car (and me!) when being towed. was down at the exhaust place today and had a look. Both driveshafts are disconnected and turning the prop made grinding noises come from the diff, then it sticks.

So can anyone suggest a company that can either fix and recondition the one I have or supply a new (rebuilt) one?

http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... 570#366570

Post Wed May 31, 2006 8:35 pm

What diff is this? A slipper or open? What ratio? Diff that was in the car, or one you fitted? Did it have oil in it?

Post Wed May 31, 2006 8:38 pm

It was an M3 3.25:1 one Brian that he fitted to the car as he's done an M3 coversion to the touring.

Post Wed May 31, 2006 8:58 pm

Widge is correct, an M3 3.25 LSD I bought off a zoner and fitted.

I feel a bit stoopid but I dont know if there is oil in the diff. I swapped out the output flanges and no oil leaked out (diff was level in the car) but was going check and fill everything up when I got the car back.

The car was only towed about a mile since the diff was fitted when something went bang?

Post Wed May 31, 2006 9:02 pm

Sounds like you are going to have to take it off the car and do some inspecting Sherlock!!
And then see if it can be rebuilt, or you'll be looking for another one.
Probably easier to buy a banger and drive it in to someones M3......... only kidding

Post Wed May 31, 2006 9:08 pm

Reason I ask is because I usually store diffs dry. They leak out of the vent, and diff oil is nasty sticky stuff.