Driveshaft Trans end Assembly

[bobm123]

Hey guys I'm new to this, so I apologize if this was already covered or is common knowledge. I tried searching the forum and didn't see anything, so here goes.

Is this driveshaft installed correctly? ('88 325is manual). All the drawings I've seen so far show the bolts alternating front/back, but mine has all the nuts on the trans side. Is this normal? Does it matter?
Thanks in advance,
Bob M

[jlevie]

Nuts on the transmission side is correct when the transmission flange doesn't have pressed in studs.

[irish44j]

^ this

beside the fact that you probably wouldn't be able to get the bolts through the transmission side anyhow, due to lack of clearance.

[bobm123]

Good points, thanks for the info!

[bobm123]

Threaded or Non-Threaded?

The reason I ask is that apparently 1988 325IS has a drive shaft with either a Threaded Flange (http://tinyurl.com/79gxrdc) or a Non Threaded Flange (http://tinyurl.com/84dgkad).

The sales guy at Turner said it was really obvious which is which. Maybe so if I pull the old one, but that's not really practical for me since I have to do all this at a friend's house.

Is there any way from the photos above (bolt orientation maybe?) to tell which I have? If not, does any one know when they changed over? Then I might be able to guess based on the manufacture month.

Thanks,
Bob M

[MR 325]

No driveshaft has a threaded flange. Some of them have a balancer on them with studs on the driveshaft side. Some transmission flanges have studs on the transmission side.

Can you tell us what exactly you're trying to figure out here? Do you want to replace something?

[jlevie]

If there are nuts and bolt heads on the rear side of where the guibo is, you have a transmission output shaft with pressed in studs.

[bobm123]

Sorry to be so lame. I'm pretty new at this. Thanks for your patience.

I'm trying to replace my driveshaft.

If I understand correctly, the pictures above show that my transmission output flange does NOT have pressed in studs. Got it. Now armed with that information, which of the two driveshaft do you think I should order? The choices seem to be:

http://tinyurl.com/79gxrdc

1988-1991 E30 BMW 325i 325ic 325is - 3 bolt flange at flex disc is threaded

or this one:

http://tinyurl.com/84dgkad

1988-1991 E30 BMW 325i 325ic 325is - 3 bolt flange at flex disc not threaded

Is it even possible to tell from the studs on the output flange? Do I need to look at something else?

-Bob M

[MR 325]

Either one is going to work as far as I can tell.

[brandonbio]

I know it's been three years almost since this post, but I'm in the same situation right now. I need to replace my driveshaft on my '90 325is and I'm not sure whether to get the threaded or non-threaded one from tuner Motorsport.

Thanks,

Sorry to be so lame. I'm pretty new at this. Thanks for your patience.

I'm trying to replace my driveshaft.

If I understand correctly, the pictures above show that my transmission output flange does NOT have pressed in studs. Got it. Now armed with that information, which of the two driveshaft do you think I should order? The choices seem to be:

http://tinyurl.com/79gxrdc

1988-1991 E30 BMW 325i 325ic 325is - 3 bolt flange at flex disc is threaded

or this one:

http://tinyurl.com/84dgkad

1988-1991 E30 BMW 325i 325ic 325is - 3 bolt flange at flex disc not threaded

Is it even possible to tell from the studs on the output flange? Do I need to look at something else?

-Bob M

[validius]

I know it's been three years almost since this post, but I'm in the same situation right now. I need to replace my driveshaft on my '90 325is and I'm not sure whether to get the threaded or non-threaded one from tuner Motorsport.

Thanks,

I just took my drive shaft out. It was the non-threaded type. I'd get under the car and inspect what you have. If you have nuts on the end of all your bolts then you certainly don't have threaded anything right?

[ForcedFirebird]

For future reference, we remove those dampers on all drive shafts and never had a problem. Pull the studs out, remove damper, reinstall studs.

Also the orientation of the bolts don't matter so much as does the arrows on the giubo need to be pointing to the flanges. The giubo has "more meat" between alternating trisection, installing it in reverse will prematurely wear the giubo.