M3 diff installed in non-M Z4
- Thread starter v8z4
- Start date
tried reading through this thread, but got lost in the arguments over whether to buy a diff, or do the conversion.
I've seen the prices for a diff and I CBA with spending that much on one - might as well just get an //M.
However, I'm keen on doing a swapsie
So, what, precisely, do I need?
List of stuff I know of so far:
E46 M3 diff
Z4M prop shaft
I've seen the prices for a diff and I CBA with spending that much on one - might as well just get an //M.
However, I'm keen on doing a swapsie
So, what, precisely, do I need?
List of stuff I know of so far:
E46 M3 diff
Z4M prop shaft
sk93 said:tried reading through this thread, but got lost in the arguments over whether to buy a diff, or do the conversion.
I've seen the prices for a diff and I CBA with spending that much on one - might as well just get an //M.
However, I'm keen on doing a swapsie
So, what, precisely, do I need?
List of stuff I know of so far:
E46 M3 diff
Z4M prop shaft
yeah it has been a bit of a long one to follow.
my understanding is you need a
total axle from M3 not just diff. which year M3?
new prop from Z4M
20mm spacers for each side.
sounds an easy (ish) mod.
my experience with going to an LSD was to almost spin pulling out of a junction too quick. i had changed my open diff to a lsd in the westy and as both wheel broke traction not just one the back end went out like a wild banshee... great fun when you have control. an lsd will make a difference in the corners. but it wont save you. the open diff is easier for an inexperienced person to control IMHO as you get the feeling of letting go much quicker with the result often of just one wheel spinning up (the unloaded one). the LSD makes the whole back end go and as it prodes better grip for the start the speeds are likely to be greater.
this is just my experience in a car with a decent power and axle wight of ~300kg. i got used to the lsd quick and love it now. you can pull out of parking slots like a f1 car does out of the pit box
LukeMace said:
Luke I'd recommend going down the route I took and just fit a LSD unit into your own diff. With the M3 diff your putting a used part into your car that's said to only have a life of 80000 miles before you need to change the clutch plates inside the diff.
My LSD only cost me £600 and comes with a lifetime warranty.!!!
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=59340&start=60
plymouth said:LukeMace said:
Luke I'd recommend going down the route I took and just fit a LSD unit into your own diff. With the M3 diff your putting a used part into your car that's said to only have a life of 80000 miles before you need to change the clutch plates inside the diff.
My LSD only cost me £600 and comes with a lifetime warranty.!!!
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=59340&start=60
I was just going to pop a link to your thread here and say I may be going down this route instead!!
One thing I really like about this way is that you get the m brakes at the same time
1066 Country
LukeMace said:
You know 'll get a very high final drive ratio when you install a m3 axle?
Instead of doing about 2600rpm on the motorway (120kph) you'll be doing 3100rpm (@120kph).
It's like driving constantly in 5th gear (actually a bit lower, so somewhere between 4th and 5th gear).
On the other hand.... a 2.5i does the same revs on the motorway (5 gears, fifth gear is 1:1 with 3.23 diff ratio)
Jembo said:
Slow but steady, slow but steady..... I'm in the home stretch of building headers, then things will pick up quite a bit.
When I was preparing for my M3 diff swap, I kept getting told to just buy a quaff diff. But having done the swap, I can say with 100% certainty that I would go M3 diff again. It cost me MUCH less than a quaff and gave me a stronger setup with more gear ratio. I'm so pleased with the results that when I finish my car I will be finding another M3 diff and putting it in my wife's 325i.
LukeMace said:
A Quaiffe one will set you back around £1300 fitted. I think wobblewing posted about it a year back...