24V AWD Swap Knowledge Base

[nando]

I want to try and adapt a ring and pinion from a standard 168mm diff. It will require machining for sure, i want to send my extra to see what can be done.

Worst case, i'm stuck with a 3.38, but i already know from my E90 that it'll be geared way too long.

Yeah, N52 is valvetronic. MSV70 can run with no MAF, and since there are no throttles, adapting something like a CSL airbox should be straight forward.

Another option that might be on the table is moving the firewall a couple inches. I don't want to, but it depends on the oil pan solution.

[stonea]

I don't know if this will help anyone but I stumbled across a little diagram w/ measurements of a e83 x3 front half shafts. I figured it wouldn't hurt to put it here.

[Nisse Järnet]

I want to try and adapt a ring and pinion from a standard 168mm diff. It will require machining for sure, i want to send my extra to see what can be done.

Worst case, i'm stuck with a 3.38, but i already know from my E90 that it'll be geared way too long.

Yeah, N52 is valvetronic. MSV70 can run with no MAF, and since there are no throttles, adapting something like a CSL airbox should be straight forward.

Another option that might be on the table is moving the firewall a couple inches. I don't want to, but it depends on the oil pan solution.

Ok cool :) Do you know if there is anya 168 ratios close to 3:1? Probably not :P

I don't know if this will help anyone but I stumbled across a little diagram w/ measurements of a e83 x3 front half shafts. I figured it wouldn't hurt to put it here.

Interesting, thanks!

[Eskie]

I don't know if this helps at all but here are some shots of the ft driveshaft, transfer case and diff. 05 X5 3.0. A/T.

If you ever need other pictures let me know we work on BMWs quite often.

[stonea]

So I found some more half shaft dimensions.... but they are all from eBay so use at your own risk, lol.

X5 E53:




X3 E83:




E46 xi:




Could someone post similar dimensions for e30 and e34? I'll try and photoshop some stuff together and get everything looking nice and lovely.

[Nisse Järnet]

Thanks! I can measure E34 and E30 later.

[stonea]

If it turns out theres no real solution to the half shafts couldn't you just do a "hybrid" like post 147 in this thread. For example, I'm thinking about trying to use an x5 oil pan and diff and lets say the half shafts didn't work with the e30 strut assembly side. Could I cut the x5 and e30ix half shafts and mate them together. I know everyone is trying to use OEM parts, but after reading through this thread a couple of times I just don't see that happening. Anyways I'm just thinking outside the box right now and that thread is the only place I've seen the half shafts done like that before.


Edit: Also picked up a manual 325ix drivetrain last week for $800 (Engine, trans, transfer case, front and rear driveshafts and diff's also the driver front half shaft), I found it in a local junkyard while trying to find some odds and ends for my car. It has nothing to do with the thread, I'm just really excited about it.

[Nisse Järnet]

Yeah the only shafts that will fit the E30 struts is E30 and E34, all the others are too big. (even the E34 are too big but can be machined to fit)
I would use custom shafts with E34 outer CVs and X5 inners when going X5 pan/diff.

A compressed E30ix left sida axle is ~60cm, a E34 axle is ~59cm. (but bear in mind the diff sits further out from the engine)
outer splines is the same (28 splines), inners is not. The E30 is smaller while E34 share X5 27 splines for example.

[The Dark Side of Will]

So I found some more half shaft dimensions.... but they are all from eBay so use at your own risk, lol.

X5 E53:




X3 E83:




E46 xi:




Could someone post similar dimensions for e30 and e34? I'll try and photoshop some stuff together and get everything looking nice and lovely.

Do you know where the original source for these diagrams is?

I had pretty much expected that I'd need custom shafts to join the inner CV's from whatever sump & front drive assembly I chose to the E30 outer CV's.

Lots of manufacturers (including, I think, BMW for high torque models like the E38 750i and E39 M5) are using tubular axles. My girlfriend's '02 A6 and her son's '99 Passat also have tubular axles. They have solid stubs at each end to spline into the CV joints and those stubs are welded into each end of a tube to make the axle the right length. VW/Audi swages the tubes down to a smaller size where they are welded to the stubs than they are in the middle.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I don't know if this will help anyone but I stumbled across a little diagram w/ measurements of a e83 x3 front half shafts. I figured it wouldn't hurt to put it here.

X3 E83:

Is the first one really an X3? I don't think anything BMW uses has that female CV joint shown in the upper photo, and the upper one looks completely different than the lower one.

[stonea]

I'm pretty sure I found the first x3 pic from a "how to remove xdrive" thread. The other ones I stumbled across while looking for half shafts for sale. The pics are from eBay, but I found them on other site too, but nothing "reputable" like Pelican, Turner, or ECS. So use at your own risk. I'm thinking about picking up those x5 ones on CL though.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I'm pretty sure I found the first x3 pic from a "how to remove xdrive" thread. The other ones I stumbled across while looking for half shafts for sale. The pics are from eBay, but I found them on other site too, but nothing "reputable" like Pelican, Turner, or ECS. So use at your own risk. I'm thinking about picking up those x5 ones on CL though.

You have to use the inner CV's that go with the oil pan.
As far as I can tell, there is ZERO interchangeability of right side inners, due to unique lengths of all the intermediate shafts. Left inners may all be interchangeable or not; I don't have enough information to tell. For that matter, the left inner may work with the output flange from a 168 REAR end...

You have to use the outer CV's that match your wheel bearings and hubs (limited interchangeability among chassis codes).

The axle shaft just has to have the right splines to mate with the inner, the right splines to mate with the outer (the two may be the same) and the right length to leave the inner with enough plunge travel to accommodate full suspension travel.

It may be just fine to chop the ends off each one and weld up tubular axles the right length.

[stonea]

I'm hoping that I can find a machine shop to cut them up and mate the X5 inner and e30 outter CVs and make a tubular axle (I wanna try using the X5 pan and diff) I'm going to put in a m52tu so I think using the 3.0 X5 oil pan is the way to go.

[Nisse Järnet]

You have to use the inner CV's that go with the oil pan.
As far as I can tell, there is ZERO interchangeability of right side inners, due to unique lengths of all the intermediate shafts. Left inners may all be interchangeable or not; I don't have enough information to tell. For that matter, the left inner may work with the output flange from a 168 REAR end...

You have to use the outer CV's that match your wheel bearings and hubs (limited interchangeability among chassis codes).

The axle shaft just has to have the right splines to mate with the inner, the right splines to mate with the outer (the two may be the same) and the right length to leave the inner with enough plunge travel to accommodate full suspension travel.

It may be just fine to chop the ends off each one and weld up tubular axles the right length.

E34 left inner fits fine in a E53 diff.
And I think 168 rear share the same splines as the 188 rear BTW.

I'm hoping that I can find a machine shop to cut them up and mate the X5 inner and e30 outter CVs and make a tubular axle (I wanna try using the X5 pan and diff) I'm going to put in a m52tu so I think using the 3.0 X5 oil pan is the way to go.

What trans and TC are you going to use with that? X5 stuff?

[stonea]

No clue yet, if I could keep the original 325ix trans and tc that'd be great, but I don't know if I will. Right now I'm just brain storming and trying to get a game plan down.