E30 Driveline issue

[Mr. EG]

I just purchased a 1989 325i manual E30 locally. This is my first German car (Honda owner). I have an issue in mainly 1-2 gear at lower RPM's. The driveshaft itself knocks on the floor/frame. The previous owner placed the middle balancer (guibo?) and the center bearing.

From what I understand the U-joints are beyond shot. I followed another thread which stated that the driveshaft costs roughly $300-$500 to get rebuilt. I was mainly curious to which other chassis driveshafts will fit mine. (Read that an E36 driveshaft is somewhat longer and will not).

My setup:
1989 325i
2.93 LSD rear end
Stock trans from M20b25

Thanks in advance.

[z122643]

Easy why to see if the u-joints are truly shot is to look under the car and see. Because what you're describing sounds like a center bearing.

[Mr. EG]

Previous owner claims he replaced the center bearing twice and it ruined that and the guibo. The shaft itself vibrates due to the bad U-joints.

[Mr. EG]

I mainly would like to know if there is any "special" driveshaft I need due to my transmission setup. I believe my transmission if from an earlier model E30 and I wanted to make sure that the front section is the same size as the late models.

[jlevie]

You can use the drive shaft from any manual transmission E30 325e/i/is. Your best choice would be to replace the drive shaft with a rebuilt unit (which usually comes with a new CSB installed). A used drive shaft is a roll of the dice. The one you get may not be any better than the one you have.

[Mr. EG]

Very true. Thanks for the advice. Rebuilds are so damn expensive.

[Mr. EG]

I just called a local shop and they said they can re-build it if they can convert it to servicable U-Joints. Are these driveshafts "convertable"?

[Mr. EG]

Also found out I have a 87' 325e transmission. Does that mean I have to match the drive shaft to the transmission? I called BMW parts and they said the part # differs from the 325i compared to the 325i.

[Jaxx_]

Also found out I have a 87' 325e transmission. Does that mean I have to match the drive shaft to the transmission? I called BMW parts and they said the part # differs from the 325i compared to the 325i.

Here's an awesome resource...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/select.do

If you have questions about the part being different you can at least see if the part #s are different or if BMW parts is just pulling your leg.

[Earendil]

This is what a bad U-Joint looks like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AgKzL_G7Zo

A bad center bearing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho3lZajba3o&feature=related

A bad U-Joint alone would not cause anything to hit the frame of the car. A bad center bearing might though. And certainly a bad u-joint could destroy a center bearing right quick.

[Mr. EG]

The U- Joint keeps ruining the center Bearing. It was replaced by the previous owner twice and it came back due to the U- Joint. I can feel the play in the shaft if i go under the car and move it side- side/up-down.

[Mr. EG]

Part number for an 87' 325e http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.d...08&hg=26&fg=05

Part number for a 87 325i http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...43&hg=26&fg=05
The part #'s differ from a 325i to a 325e. According to the Part #'s I can only use one from a 87' e (saying that year had a specific shaft).

I am incredibly confused to what driveshaft I need. I have an 87' 325e trans in my 89' chassis with a 2.93 LSD rear which I'm assuming is out of a manual car.

VIN on my trans is WBAAB5407H9804046

[scottinAZ]

The difference is the size of the Guibo between the shafts. E transmissions for whatever reason use a large diameter guibo, the I trans uses a small diameter guibo. as long as you match the output adapter on the trans to the driveshaft, all is A-OK.

(I have owned both, 87 IC, and 87 E, sure enough the shafts, while the same length have different guibos on them)

[Mr. EG]

Ok, so what your saying is that I can use an "I" or "E" driveshaft as long as I have the Guibo to match the front half? The front half of my driveshafts is 23.2 inches long. If anyone can compare theirs I would appreciate it. I measured from the front flange to the end of the U-Joint housing.

[scottinAZ]

you need the guibo and output flange on the trans to match the shaft, if there are good to go, and match the shaft, you have no worries