Help with choosing a driveshaft?!

[sacse30]

I just bought an 85 m30 and the getrag 265. What driveshaft am I going to need to fit my 85 325e?

[wildstoats]

I'm guessing custom but it all depends on your engine mounts. I have a m30b34 and a g265 and the 325e "big-guibo" doesn't work. I still don't know what I'm going to use for my swap.

[Jonsku]

M3, 324td or early 325e (also e36 328 / m3) driveshafts have the right flange but depending on the engine position the length might be a bit too long..

[kylelauffer]

i am in the same situation! and i think im going to go custom. its a 89 535i tranny and engine. but people say oh ya just take the 87 e manual d shaft.. but what about the flange on the transmission? its bigger than the three series one. you would still have to mount the 5 series front section to make it fit to the guibo and the tranny flange and i tried going to a yard and its so hard to find that exact drive shaft. custom is easier and some driveshaft places will do it for 50-100 bucks. i have the 5 series and 3 series d shaft so im planning on just using most of the three series to bolt up to the back and then just extend the 5 series driveshaft to make it what i need which is 58.5 inches long.

[dashboardmonkey]

couldn't you just change the out put flange on the trans?

[Jonsku]

i am in the same situation! and i think im going to go custom. its a 89 535i tranny and engine. but people say oh ya just take the 87 e manual d shaft.. but what about the flange on the transmission? its bigger than the three series one. you would still have to mount the 5 series front section to make it fit to the guibo and the tranny flange and i tried going to a yard and its so hard to find that exact drive shaft. custom is easier and some driveshaft places will do it for 50-100 bucks. i have the 5 series and 3 series d shaft so im planning on just using most of the three series to bolt up to the back and then just extend the 5 series driveshaft to make it what i need which is 58.5 inches long.

The abovementioned shafts have "big flange", which is the same as in 535....

[Paz]

couldn't you just change the out put flange on the trans?

Yes you can. A 2.5 M20 output flange will fit the M30 box and your 325i drive shaft will bolt straight up, you may need to shorten it a little bit but stock, they are adjustable for length in the middle of it by the centre bearing anyway. Just whack it with a hammer till its shorter.

I used a 328i E36 prop shaft, again, needed adjusting to the shortest posistion without the centre locking bush/threaded collar fitted.

We've used both of them now in Posistion 3.

[Jean]

i am in the same situation! and i think im going to go custom. its a 89 535i tranny and engine. but people say oh ya just take the 87 e manual d shaft.. but what about the flange on the transmission? its bigger than the three series one. you would still have to mount the 5 series front section to make it fit to the guibo and the tranny flange and i tried going to a yard and its so hard to find that exact drive shaft. custom is easier and some driveshaft places will do it for 50-100 bucks. i have the 5 series and 3 series d shaft so im planning on just using most of the three series to bolt up to the back and then just extend the 5 series driveshaft to make it what i need which is 58.5 inches long.

IF you read the m30 write-up thread you would understand that the early 325 driveshaft already has the large guibo to match the m30 g260 tranny....