S54 advice and considerations

[nando]

The E46 M3 racer I drove the other day had the 5 speed ZF running with a 3.91 ratio LSD! The gearbox was suited to this set up and it hit 120mph quicker than a GT3 RS 911. The problem will be that a 3.91 rear diff on the street will be a tad too high. I'm looking at using my ZF with the 3.23 LSD. I will report as and when I do the swap how it feels. What is the Z3M S54 rear diff ratio? I think they have the rear axle that will fit straight into the E30 so combined with the S54 that'll be a S54 E30M LoL!

3.15 I think. doesn't it have the 6 speed too? E46 is 3.62

[Dean]

3.15 is ratio to the E36 325i, but did a quick check your right. It was because the rev limited to 7600RPM. It does have a 6 speed as I remember on my friends one a while back.

There is another diff offered in the the Z3M which was the 3.46 used in the Z3M autos. There is a few options out there!

[nando]

anything-M automatic = :(

a 3.23 and the ZF will be just *slightly* taller than my current G260 & 4.10, which is fine by me. If I'm stuck with a 3.38, it will be similar, but slightly higher on the freeway. Trying to bring down those freeway rev's a bit though..

[e30polak]

anything-M automatic = :(

a 3.23 and the ZF will be just *slightly* taller than my current G260 & 4.10, which is fine by me. If I'm stuck with a 3.38, it will be similar, but slightly higher on the freeway. Trying to bring down those freeway rev's a bit though..

I'm going with my 3.46 + ZF320. with an 8200 rev limit and 255/40/17 tires, I will hit 71 in 2nd gear!!!

I have a 3.23 from an Mcoupe as well, but after talking to RyanG, a few others and seeing the gearing calculator, I don't need THAT long of gears. My M3 is for fun, not gas mileage! :p

[giantkeeper]

I'm going with my 3.46 + ZF320. with an 8200 rev limit and 255/40/17 tires, I will hit 71 in 2nd gear!!!

I have a 3.23 from an Mcoupe as well, but after talking to RyanG, a few others and seeing the gearing calculator, I don't need THAT long of gears. My M3 is for fun, not gas mileage! :p

That ZF and 3.46 are going to be a blast in the city! Going to get old on the freeway though :)

*edit*just dropped the digits into the gearing calculator. That's not too bad actually!

[accident]

Polak my car needs an LSD. Just sayin' ;p

[nando]

I'm going with my 3.46 + ZF320. with an 8200 rev limit and 255/40/17 tires, I will hit 71 in 2nd gear!!!

I have a 3.23 from an Mcoupe as well, but after talking to RyanG, a few others and seeing the gearing calculator, I don't need THAT long of gears. My M3 is for fun, not gas mileage! :p

wanna sell the 3.23?

[Wanganstyle]

3.38+ 18's and zf+ 8400 is a 115mph third gear, 140 or so shift into 5th.

2 gearshift 0-70 pulls is pretty awesome.

3.23 w 17's will be pretty much same

3.15 is oem s54 e36/7 z3m final drive setting +zf 1:1 5th


Laguna and buttonwillow like punishing drivers for too short gearing setting, shifting too much sucks, I'd rather just rock out the throttle on long gears and carry speed, accel marginally less

Buttonwillow back side ccw#13 corner 5/6/7 and Laguna pre 7a are places u really don't want to be stuck shifting right before braking zone and then immediately downshift back to where u started in the braking zone.

Pointless wasted effort. E30/36's are light enough to let the s54 carry longer gearing w torque

6mt is really for mechanical gearing leverage to push a fat e46m around :p

S52 usa E36m in stock weight/power needs to gear up to about 3.73 to pull up hills like Laguna; but with 5 gears and only 6400rpm redline in gears 3/4/5.....it's super lame sauce.

Even chipped to 7-7.2k won't cut it.

Need: s54 POWAR!!! more RPMS!!

[e30polak]

That ZF and 3.46 are going to be a blast in the city! Going to get old on the freeway though



*edit*just dropped the digits into the gearing calculator. That's not too bad actually!

The 3.46 + ZF combo on my s52 car were a bit much for the freeway, but absolutely monstrous on the streets and in the canyons! With the s54 I'll have another 1,000 rpms in each gear with an 8200 rev limit, and it will make power all the way to redline!

Needless to say, my s54 M3 will be MUCH more fun then my s52 car ever was!

wanna sell the 3.23?

Maybe, but I'd be swapping the LSD unit with my 3.46, since the Mcoupe came with a better LSD. The 3.23 only hass 11k miles on it! :woowoo:

The diff cover also wouldn't be included. Going to sell that and get a dual mount Rogue Engineering E36 M# finned diff cover! :pimp:

[nando]

I've got a Z3m cover already. half of the appeal of the Z3m diff to me is the LSD.. :(

[e30polak]

I've got a Z3m cover already. half of the appeal of the Z3m diff to me is the LSD.. :(

Same here, especally with such little mileage on it. I just don't care for the ratio for my s54 + ZF trans set-up. :p

[Wanganstyle]

I've got a Z3m cover already. half of the appeal of the Z3m diff to me is the LSD.. :(

Z3m LSD is just a stock 188mm LSD. when putting down lap times with it compared to any random e30 LSD in 100% function there is Nothing really special performance wise in competition.


actual milage means not that much in the wear scheme of these things, usually the RPMS it has seen, heat stress kills the clutches.

I'm sure any of us seriously having fun with a s54 M coupe could easily melt/burn/smear the clutches in 11,000 miles.

random LSD units from the 80's and 90's in low rpm automatic cars are usually in better shape internally (dogs, ramps, housing, clutches) wear than M-units with less than 1/2 the milage. highest wear load on a Medium case is E36m (s50b30 euro, s52/50 us, and most stressful is Z3m with S54!!!)

M cars USE the LSD, so do the drivers !!!

[accident]

M cars USE the LSD, so do the drivers !!!

I've used the fuck out of LSD in plenty of non-M cars !!!

There's also plenty of M cars driven by people who buy them for the status !!!!!!

[nando]

Z3m LSD is just a stock 188mm LSD. when putting down lap times with it compared to any random e30 LSD in 100% function there is Nothing really special performance wise in competition.


actual milage means not that much in the wear scheme of these things, usually the RPMS it has seen, heat stress kills the clutches.

I'm sure any of us seriously having fun with a s54 M coupe could easily melt/burn/smear the clutches in 11,000 miles.

random LSD units from the 80's and 90's in low rpm automatic cars are usually in better shape internally (dogs, ramps, housing, clutches) wear than M-units with less than 1/2 the milage. highest wear load on a Medium case is E36m (s50b30 euro, s52/50 us, and most stressful is Z3m with S54!!!)

M cars USE the LSD, so do the drivers !!!

I was led to believe the 3.23s were torsen

[Wanganstyle]

I've used the fuck out of LSD in plenty of non-M cars !!!

There's also plenty of M cars driven by people who buy them for the status !!!!!!

Yes. Non m car LSD is great.

What status.

If m5 v10 m car ok, there is about no feasible status, or manliness factor about a z3m. Just an ugly effective trailing wind break.

Z3m Is not a chick picker upper like a 911 or Ferrari or big AMG. Even if you used the dog net to carry some only a few Ltw editions could fit in the hatch.