Loud noise from rear end

[nameless08]

I have 164K miles on my 1993 325is , I just replaced my cluth 4,000 miles back. And just recently, close to about a week or two ago, I started noticing this loud and disturbing sound coming from the rear end of my car. It sounds like my differential.

In most cases the noise occurs at low RPM's [1000 - 3000 rpm] but if i shift it at 4000 or higher, the noise is not as "dramatic".

Then in some other cases, the noise would come back in 5th if i step Sharply on the gas pedal. [by sharply, i mean fast... not gradually]


What the f**k is wrong with my car???

I don't want to take it to a mechanic yet, dont want to get reamed....

anyone else have this type of problem?

[bitcore]

What kind of noise? Describe what it sounds like a little more. It could be a number of common problems in the rear end if it just makes "noise".

[nameless08]

at low rpms its a very disturbing loud high pitched "THUD"... and as RPMs get higher, its not as noticeable...

hahahah, does that make sense?

Ill try to record it the sound and post it up some how....

[bitcore]

a whining noise? like gears meshing together? Sounds like it may be low on fluid, or the gears got chipped somehow, causing it to whine. Try changing the diff's fluid unless you wanna wait for other people's responses.
I'm just going by what I've read from other people's problems.

[BMDub325is]

I get a loud whining noise in mine. It sounds like it is coming from the front though but i cant tell because it only happens with stress on the engine i.e driving. I just figured my vacum was sucking hard because this is my first e36 and i do not know better. Come to think of it though my differential was the only thing with any fluid on it last time i had my car in the air. Maybe it is time for a positraction one. or some fluid lol. It looks like the whole rear of mine has been recently done though. I have had it for 5k miles now. I do also get pretty bad gas mileage (24 mpg). I will probably do a seperate thread on this soon unless i get a lot of replies in this one.

[bitcore]

ugh.... positraction..
It's LSD, Limited Slip Differential. Posi's a chevy term... you dont wanna be one of THEM, do ya?

[nameless08]

its not so much whining as it is just one big THUD

[BMDub325is]

i had no clue what LSD stood for until earlier (except the stuff we played with in high school lol). So i just said positraction so i didnt have to explain the whole 2 wheel deal and really sound dumb at least you knew what positraction was i am sure no one else did...... Where do you get those differentials though? Are they on M3s or can you buy em direct? how muc do they run?

[bitcore]

M3's come with them stock, SOME 325's and 328's came with them as an option, so it's kinda rare to see. (and I'm willing to bet it was just the M3 part, except on automatic transmission cars because the gearing is totally different fron a manual transmission) Unfortiunately, I was one of thew many that didn't get them as an option, I have an open diff and can't drift or burnout at all (+ an automatic transmission so I REALLY can't have fun )

I'm sure you can get an M3 LSD from the dealership brand new, it'll definately be costly. You can get used ones on ebay, be sure the gears arn't ground up or chipped. If the diff just needs new clutchpacks, that's ok because they wear out like brake pads do.
You can also get one custom made with a custom gearing ratio and slip resistance for relitively cheep I belive maybe a couple thousand bucks.
I sugest you get a Quaife diff... Badass. Uses gears instead of clutches I believe, not sure how it works. Quaife America

VAC motorsports sells them, and some others $1425 for one badass diff.


I'm seriously considering getting one of those... I need to get a manual tranny swap if I'm gonna do it though, otherwise it's kinda pointless.

[nameless08]

huh?

hahaha , im totally lost

im pretty stupid


Should i just get an M3 diff?? hahaha if i had the money for it...

im drunk off my ass right now