325i Diff On 318i - BMW Forum

Shudogg · 08-17-2005, 09:53 PM

93 325i cold weather pack. diff on a 96 318i?????

will the drive shaft hook up?

if everything is good....i just got myself a practically new 3.15 LSD

Shudogg · 08-18-2005, 06:52 AM

bizump

thekid · 08-18-2005, 08:29 AM

Nizope. It won't even hizook up to your car. The mizount points are diziferent. You would have to replace the rizear sub-frizame with that of a 6cly and then figue out how to make the drive shaft hizook izup. Fo'Shizzel (sp?)

Shudogg · 08-18-2005, 05:40 PM

*shizzle

good info...thanks, so much for that

thekid · 08-18-2005, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shudogg@Aug 18 2005, 04:40 PM
*shizzle

good info...thanks, so much for that

[snapback]370622[/snapback]

Knew it didn't look right... I'm too white for this...

Shudogg · 08-19-2005, 05:18 PM

me too

another question: 3.91 open rear subframe (everything - driveshaft, axles, breaks, everything...)

would that be a good setup for better launch...other than what comes stock on 318i, mine cant handle it anymore

thekid · 08-19-2005, 06:52 PM

Yes, it would I was looking into doing the swap myself. However, there is another possiblilty if you are serious about doing this. It looks as though the internals of an E30 would fit into the 318i diff. So if you can find a diff guy willing to work through it... it would be cheaper...

Shudogg · 08-20-2005, 12:04 PM

for less than $400???

thekid · 08-20-2005, 03:01 PM

$400? it is going to cost a lot more than that to get everything together to put a non 318i diff on the car. The only other diffs that bolt right up cost over a grand from aftermarket. I figured it should cost about $500 dpending on how much they charge you to do the labor.

Shudogg · 08-20-2005, 03:50 PM

this is the whole rear subframe tho...drive shaft, axles and all i talked to a bmw mech. friend of mine and he said it should fit...all the guy wants is $400

what wouldnt fit? like why wouldnt i just beable to swap the whole sub.?

thekid · 08-21-2005, 03:53 AM

You would have to swap just the subframe. The brakes ect for the rear should be the same... I think... not 100%. However, the problem is that the 318i driveshaft won't hook up nor will the 325i or the 328i driveshaft hook up either. So you will have to pay some one to custum machine one or the other to make it fit. Once I heard that, I stopped looking into it, so I am not sure as to which of the driveshafts will have to be machined. Or perhaps a whole driveshaft will have to be special made to make it work...

Shudogg · 08-21-2005, 09:42 AM

yea i know that the 318i drive shaft cant go to the 328i diff....but can the 328i drive shaft go to the 318i trans.

everything back from the trans. is getting replaced

thekid · 08-21-2005, 07:18 PM

No it won't as far as I know, there is a reason that they are different.

BMWjesterFAN · 08-21-2005, 08:16 PM

The diff will accept that drive shaft, as long as it is the same length. But I believe he said he has the whole rear subframe, and if the car you own, and the donor car are both automatic, or both manual, it should work. I think where you would start to havet problems is if you tried to take a manual driveshaft, diff, etc. and tried to fit it to an automatic tranny, or did the opposite. In any case, you should be able to ask the mechs at your local bmw dealership. At least in my case, they always seem pretty helpful.
-Tim

theironm0nk · 08-21-2005, 10:32 PM

I know there rare but there are lsd 318 diffs. My car has one. No I will not sell.