BMW LSD's and wear..

[Bob_S]

Just something to think about nexttime you buy a mint as new LSD

The youngest LSD will now be around 16 years old..
and have 10 hours of lock-up from new.

so 10 hours divided by the 16 years it's been on the road? = 0.625 HRS
lets get it into weeks, so thats 52 dividing the hours by nmumber of months gives me .012 of an hour of lock up each week thats around 43 seconds.

Remember that for an LSD clutch pack to wear it does not have to be fully engaged so all those little seconds of loss of grip soon add up.. Which is why I believe that any diff over £250 is over priced as you have to also think about if the diff will need a rebuild soon which as we all know aren't something you can do at home with tyre levers and breaker bars.. unless your chuck norris

[Pal318is]

Chuck Norris can do anything...you got that right Rob

A little off topic, but I will txt you back about the rims...sorry fella been a little busy

Pal

[Dave_M3]

Well, my Diff is 16 or 17 years old and it's extremely tight, was off an automatic though to be far

An LSD is an LSD in fairness.
Even if it's abit worn, it'll still be better than nothing imo.

Get onto Quaife altogether, if you think they'll be so much more value than any diff for sale here.

Who gives a sh!t what price people ask for things, If it's too dear, people won't buy it.
Then they'll reduce the price as the time passes until it does sell.

[march109]

If you dont want to pa it then don't they are priced at £250 because thats market value for one, and the market value is dictated by supply and demand.

A new quaiffe lsd will cost you £700 if your lucky enough to find one in the UK for sale that will fit the e30, they are out there though, more £Â£'s if you import it.

A rebuild will also cost you a fair amount of wonga so IMO regardless of what you think £250 for a working diff withought a hint of whine is a good investment. Especially as they can only get rarer there won't be any more being made and more often than not broken ones are scrapped instead of rebuild because its cheaper. In not so many years time you'll be wishing you put your hand in your pocket and bought a few spares.

[Bob_S]

march if I had another barn I'd spend more money ;)

[RapidE30]

My diff has whined like mad since I had the car..... or is it the lay-shaft / thrust bearing..... or is it the gearbox? I don't know.

Either way, none of the sounds have got any worse in the 5000 miles I've done in it, so I'm glad haven't had to pay out for a new diff!

[d6dph]

Bob, You have too much time on your hands!!

[Bob_S]

rapid e30... you dont drive hard enough lol.. lsd's are a special type of diff mate normal diffs are about 50 quid or there abouts, normal diff's are related to as open and are pretty robust even without oil!

Dave.. It's a hard life mate I have to keep my brain active while I while away the hours driving around the country to do silly jobs.. like 190 miles to change a light bulb!

[RapidE30]

The diff on mine is an LSD as I've checked the code on it.

One new noise drowns out the last, so although my wagon sounds like it's on it's last legs it goes and feels far from it!

As for not driving hard enough..... lol

[Bob_S]

it's only £250 anyway I have had an is and 2.5 without lsd's and they have been fine

[Demlotcrew]

Bob just buy some new cluches about £110 from ford for four!

You dont even need to take the diff off the car

Or buy a brand new diff of me for £666

Andrew

[Pal318is]

Or buy a brand new diff of me for £666

Andrew

[Bob_S]

andy what diff is that mate? will call you at some point i've been thinking about wrongness!!

sorry pal not ignoring you frgot to post a reply.. yes mate alls good just let me know my mate ;)

[Pal318is]

andy what diff is that mate? will call you at some point i've been thinking about wrongness!!

sorry pal not ignoring you frgot to post a reply.. yes mate alls good just let me know my mate ;)

Sorted Mate

Pal

[hoshy]

Bob just buy some new cluches about £110 from ford for four!

You dont even need to take the diff off the car

Or buy a brand new diff of me for £666

Andrew

Are you saying I can swap the clutch packs while it's in the car.. Is that something I could really do for myself? surely not?

[Bob_S]

what he is saying is that you can take the clutch pack unit out of diff while the casing is still on the car I think

[hoshy]

interesting. that might be a better option when I send it off for rebuild

[Bob_S]

you want to drain it, undo rear cover drop off the drive shafts pop the flanges off then undo the 4 bolts on those rings on the side remove them and the centre will fall out once these have been removed, make sure that you dont lose the spacers on the left and right and make sure eveything goes back how it was

please be aware that i am no mechanic just know how to strip a diff

[hoshy]

fair enough.

I was convinced for a while my diff was shagged cos it was so tightly locked but recently I was under the car and needed to turn the prop, surprisingly I was now able to turn the diff the free wheel with the other on the ground, previously I'm sure I couldn't do this.

It still creaks around corners though. But despite all that it tends to lock up ok.

god knows how many hours it's got on it mind.

[Karan]

if ure serious about having a PROPER diff not a pansy stock one you should really consider a kaaz or cusco diff priced from 800-1000.

all the lsds ive had on my 2.7 (3) and now the one on my s38 have very quickly got to the point where they just spin the inside and groan. the nismo gt pro lsd on my lsd which has seen far more action from me and previously to that being on phil morrisons s14 still locks up like a welded diff. i'm saving pennies for a cusco 2 way for my e30.

the confidence a good diff gives in the corners i think is sooooooooo important, witha stock viscous lsd on my silvia i was always scared of launching it into corners and direction changes, now with the 2 way it just feels like a big go kart!!

in my opinion if u drive hard or track a stock lsd just will not cut it, afte all theres a reason why some tuners upgraded to 40% lockup

[Bob_S]

off topic (it's my thread!!!!) Karan but in basic term how does a 2 way diff work? does this mean it locks up in 2 different ways? or can sense when it is wanted to lock up by change in input speed?

cheers

[maxfield]

What did BMW Motorsport run? Or did it change between track?

I've read 75% and 90% lock up?

Also would like to know the same as Rob.

[Karan]

off topic (it's my thread!!!!) Karan but in basic term how does a 2 way diff work? does this mean it locks up in 2 different ways? or can sense when it is wanted to lock up by change in input speed?

cheers

basically a 1 way lsd locks under acceleartion when it reaches the required torque level only, a 2 way will lock under acceleration in the same way but additionally will lock under deceleration also.

This can in some instances with novice drivers lead to them complaining of understeer unto corners as the front wheels can end up scrubbing due to both the rear wheels moving as one. More experienced drivers will simply use the extra control available from the rear end from downshifting and trail braking to optimise braking and turn in into corners


a compromise of the 1.5 way is also available which is the same as the 2 way, but the lockup effect is reduced during deceleration thus aiding turn in.

In the Silvia, if u drive it in the conventional way ie, brake in straight line then turn in, it does tend to understeer due to the 2 way diff which has a very high lockup. this is overcome mainlly with braking transferring the weight of the rear and allowing the arse to come round a tad on turn in.

BMW diffs are also 2 wa as far as i am aware as the plates will lock in accelerative forces and decelerative, jut not as strongly as an uprated diff.....

remember some of the diffs eg kaaz have 16 plates in the lsd unit! and can take way over 600bhp...

[Bob_S]

cheers karan I understand now basically for normal road use a standard lsd will be fine but any mention of hard use on a track basically renders them useless a 1.5 and 2 way is purely down to user though? I assume that with the 2 way you can also adjust the percentage of either way of lock-up?

[Karan]

u cant adjust the percentage with most 2 ways, however the nismo one i have on the silvia is actually adjustable and has a low medium and hard setting... most are not adjustable, and none that im aware of in e30 fitment as adjustable

[gareth]

if you're rebuilding it, a E30 diff can be uprated for lock in both directions by re-machining the ramp angles on the friction plates. you can also add more plates. not as many as 16 though! that must be a seriouly cool looking bit of kit!

[Demlotcrew]

E30 diffs can be easily adjusted (if the right machine work is done internaly) but its not a change one can do with ease at the track.

Link bob

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ic&t=87594

Andrew

[Bob_S]

diff there is andrew your diff is new not just pulled off any old car and when an lsd to buy from bmw s 1300 quid its bloody good value!

nice diff but a bit long for any of my uses, also would i be right if i said that the m coupe diff is torsen style? with no clutch plates to wear out?

[Demlotcrew]

The Mcoupe diff is a two pack clutch 25% lock LSD pack not a torsen one like some of the Z3 models got.

[Karan]

E30 diffs can be easily adjusted (if the right machine work is done internaly) but its not a change one can do with ease at the track.

Link bob

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ic&t=87594

Andrew

still gonna wear out prob even more quickly though dude

[Bob_S]

dont lift your eyebrows like that to me! lol ah right didnt realise I thought they changedl to torsens

[goosiegander]

Handy thread!

[hennared323i]

Holy thread revival alert.

Do Z3 diffs bolt straight on or do you have to swap out the internal gubbins between casings?

[Brianmoooore]

Holy thread revival alert.

Do Z3 diffs bolt straight on or do you have to swap out the internal gubbins between casings?

Was seven years ago, but as far as I can remember, it bolted straight on. This was a 2.8 torsen slipper.

[Rallyprep_UK]

[youtube][/youtube]

We are awaiting a new diff ! As you can see it is worn...