24V AWD Swap Knowledge Base

[Bimmer_man]

Oh I didn't realize he was designing that for the community. In that case hell yeah I'll wait for that and just message him and pay him for the front subframe. Thats even better cause I can get the x5 stuff all over the place.

Hey will will that crossmember be able to accept the e46 steering rack? I know a few ix guys would love a solution to that as well. Just curious. Kill two birds with one stone.

[nando]

You will need to rebuild the getrag with a 24v bellhousing, or the driveshaft wont line up with the diff.

[stonea]

I thought that was only if you were using the e30 or e34 oilpan/diff. The e53 diff doesn't line up regardless. Although I guess you'd need a 24v 260 to retain the stock transfer case crossmember.

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[Bimmer_man]

As long as it's just a few degrees off I'm going to modify the front driveshafts to take u-joints. If it's way off then yeah but I don't think it's astronomically off. But I've been wrong before.

[The Dark Side of Will]

You will need to rebuild the getrag with a 24v bellhousing, or the driveshaft wont line up with the diff.

If using the E53 FDA, you have to use a u-jointed driveshaft anyway, so driveshaft alignment isn't a thing.

***BUT***

If using the M20 Getrag on a 24V engine mounted at the proper 24V angle, you'll have to carve a big hole in the floor pan for the T-case and driveshaft.

Either use the 24V Getrag case as Nando said, or make a (*THIN!*) adapter plate to go between trans and T-case to rotate the T-case back down to the original angle.

Personally, I think a FrankenGetrag with the 24V case, AWD back plate and CTS gears with 3.46 first would be a smooth package, ripe for 3.64 diffs and an S54.

[nando]

I thought that was only if you were using the e30 or e34 oilpan/diff. The e53 diff doesn't line up regardless. Although I guess you'd need a 24v 260 to retain the stock transfer case crossmember.

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well, the whole transfercase will be out of alignment, and so will the shifter. you won't be able to use the stock mounts either. I'm not sure the transfercase will clear the transmission tunnel, so you'd have to hammer that out. There's a lot of reasons why it's not great to have the transfercase rotated...

[Bimmer_man]

So it looks like i am in the need for a 24v transmission or at least the front part of one.

What im curious of is, is it possible to have a 6-speed transmission working in the ix?

My thought is if I'm going to put this much work into a 24v car. I"m going to make it the car I've always wanted. that includes a 6-speed.

If there's no way for it to work then im okay with the 5-speed. the only way i was thinking is having an adapter plate made for a transfer case that would mate with it well.

[nando]

sure with a bit of fabrication of a bunch of adapters. it won't be easy, though.

[Bimmer_man]

why a bunch of adapters wouldnt there be only one needed for a transfer case? I know the last year or two of the e46 330xi got the 6 speed here in the states.

[nando]

well you're going to have to deal with the shifter, transmission mounts and possibly output flange differences.

also, the 6 speeds are heavier than the 5 speed G260. Just another thought.

[Bimmer_man]

ill have to look into the output flange if the only one i can use is the e46 transfer case then i really dont want to deal with machining a whole new output flange.

just to make sure i understand this right though. when you mentioned the 24v bell housing where you suggesting the e34 transmission as a whole? I just want to clarify.

[nando]

E46 doesn't haven an output flange. it works like the automatics on the E30, the shaft goes right into the transfercase. you would have to use a RWD transmission.

luckily the transfercase input is a "large" flex disc, 96mm. Later BMWs got even bigger though so hopefully the RWD E46 is still 96mm.

no. there's a Getrag 260 with a bellhousing for a 24v motor. it was part of the transition year of the M50 into the E34, Europe only. you'd have to build a new Getrag for the ix using the front half of that trans, and the rear half of the ix trans. But it would bolt up like stock.

[Bimmer_man]

it looks like the e46 uses the 96mm so thats good there. But from what youre describing i would have to have a whole new rear section for the 6 speed to work with the transfer case. Am i understanding that correctly?

it dosnt look to be possible unless i use the e46 xi transfer case. The 330xi used the GM transmission GS6-37BZ/DZ. I believe thats a GM transmission. Getrag and ZF dont use those kinds of ID codes for there transmissions.

Well there goes the 6-speed idea. haha it was worth a look into i suppose.

So what Ill do then is use the E53 FDA along side with the E34 transmission and transfer case.

I feel like this may be a stupid question but the E53 half shafts do they fit the e30 ix hubs? Also with the diff options would i be able to use the 2.93 gears? Are any of BMWs front gears LSD?

[nando]

the manual is a ZF. GMs were only slushboxes.

you could do it with a RWD trans but you'd have to build a brace/mount plate to bolt the transfercase to.

[Bimmer_man]

Sweet, well thats good to know. It looks like i just need to grab a zf 6-speed and figure out a way to mate it to a transfer case.

Thats going to be quite the endeavor just to see if it will work. Im sure that ill need to shorten the rear drive shaft and DEFIANTLY a custom front drive shaft.