E30 M3 S62 Build - Loads of queries about 4x4 drivtrains

[nando]

I don't think the extra caster will hurt anything. The reasons BMW used so little with the ix has to do with straight line traction, both acceleration and braking. Realize that the ix has a shorter stopping distance than the 325i, even with the same brakes and weighing 150lbs more - part of it is the tires (205mm vs 195mm), part of it is because the ix's suspension geometry reduces squat and dive.

You could probably run RWD camber plates set for minimum caster. Me, I run M3 offset bushings and GC ix camber plates for maximum caster.

If you care about cornering, you want as much as you can get. I think I'm maxed out at only ~2 degrees, vs a RWD car's ~14. Basically you trade off reduced braking and straight line traction for more camber with the wheel turned - and you bet the ix is a camber challenged car. IMO, it's got plenty of straight line traction already, so it's a compromise I'm willing to make. :)

[Turk]

Hmmm, I kind of agree with what you're saying. Although it will be fairly different caster, I can't see it will be damaging to the car or the drive, not so much so that I would chop up the front end of an m3. Not yet at least.

My second plan was to chop the lower end of the ix legs off and have them welded to m3 legs. though I think this will land me in a similar situation.

Can anyone provide me with a measurement of the distance between the centre of the top mount to the bulkhead (in a straight line parallel to the crank line) I can then compare to standard and see how far off we are.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I thought it was a case of simply sourcing Ix subframe struts and wishbones then fitting all in with adjustable top mounts to alter caster?

AIUI, the caster is far too different to compensate with caster/camber plates.

[325ix]

I thought it was a case of simply sourcing Ix subframe struts and wishbones then fitting all in with adjustable top mounts to alter caster?

No, the shock towers are different, basically the whole front end of the car is different.

[Turk]

I thought it was a case of simply sourcing Ix subframe struts and wishbones then fitting all in with adjustable top mounts to alter caster?

[The Dark Side of Will]

Not sure there is or has ever been one.

I'm planning to build an iX first, then possibly move the drivetrain over to an M3 body in the future. I expect to fully remove the frame rails and strut towers from both bodies, install the iX frame rails and strut towers in the M3 body and reinstall the M3 front end bodywork. I have not decided if I will swap the relevant portions of the floor pans or modify the M3 floor pan.

The iX body will end up parted and scrapped as it probably wouldn't be worth reassembly with the RWD front end parts.

[Jonsku]

Can someone point me in the direction of a build thread for a standard car to IX conversion??

Ive been searching high and low with no real luck...

cheers
Adem

I doubt there are any as the iX is very different indeed, as pointed out many times in this thread.. At least I haven't seen any, and I've been following these different forums for way too many years - though I'd be very happy and curious to see build-threads! :)

[Turk]

Can someone point me in the direction of a build thread for a standard car to IX conversion??

Ive been searching high and low with no real luck...

cheers
Adem

[The Dark Side of Will]

The actual magnet should be on the other side of the ring gear for the planetary center diff.

[Turk]

so which bit is the actual magnet?

[goarmy]

I don't have any wiring unfortunately, just the pins on the case itself. Ill try it both way round. The pins don't look that thick so I'd assume its a fairly weak signal.

Not sure if i should attempt to remove the block behind the pins to see whats going on in there...

Here are the wires. According to your picture of the pins, the top pin is red and bottom is blue.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I thought that the pump location lended itself more to the AWD platform, but looking more closely, realize its going to interfere with the same space the axle has to pass through, so you really need a front sump, BLOCK mounted oil pump to pull off the AWD aspect.....

Also, a reasonable inference, I was looking at the Z8 architecture to see if it might lend itself to E36 use, but its far from optimal for that, even disregarding the price it, it still doesn't add up to a plug and play rear sump situation for the E36 crowd. To preserve the original placement of gearbox to chassis, the space alotted to the sump is actually quite small for these V8 engines.

For AWD, the only pan that's a serious contender is the X5 pan... nothing else will mount a differential.

There is a post on Bimmerforums with pictures of an E36 V8 (actually an S62) built using the X5 pan without the diff. It actually looks like a really good fit.

I'm working on mating the BMW engine to Chevrolet transmission right now for my project, but my next step will be either to fit the E53 pan to the E30 AWD rack or the E53 pan to the S62.

[M3 euro ltw]

Yep

I deleted it after looking more closely at where the pump is actually located, and realizing that my memory was fallible.

I thought that the pump location lended itself more to the AWD platform, but looking more closely, realize its going to interfere with the same space the axle has to pass through, so you really need a front sump, BLOCK mounted oil pump to pull off the AWD aspect.....

Hence, I just deleted the post.

Also, a reasonable inference, I was looking at the Z8 architecture to see if it might lend itself to E36 use, but its far from optimal for that, even disregarding the price it, it still doesn't add up to a plug and play rear sump situation for the E36 crowd. To preserve the original placement of gearbox to chassis, the space alotted to the sump is actually quite small for these V8 engines.

This all reminds me much of a 2002 Turbo build I recall reading about in the magazines a few years ago where they took a modern FI M5X of some sort, and actually built up a system to run the transmission at the back of the car for weight distribution if I recall correctly....and built (I think) a torque tube between the two, with a custom DS between them, and short DS to the diff.

This is quite a challenge, fun to watch, WAY more than I would ever tackle.

[Turk]

I didn't get that update /\



Just going back to the subframe for a sec, you mentioned earlier that is bolts up to later cars as they have an extra hole for the ix subframe.

Neither of my cars have the extra hole for the subframe so I'm going to have to make a mounting point. Is it a case of literally bolting the rear subframe hole to the front chassis rail hole? and then making up the other?

Do you have any pictures of the positioning of the subframe? or any links to any build threads of ix conversions to standard cars?

[The Dark Side of Will]

Did anyone else receive this topic replay notification?

I doubt this is really going to be helpful...

You may be able to use a combination of the top section of the BMW Z8's oilpan/pump merged to the bottom of the X5 pan.

The Z8 had a centrally mounted sump area, and may lend itself to converting to what you want with some cool surgery.

Or not.

But last I checked there were several pans in the inventory.

Alex.

I'm guessing he deleted the post.
The Z8 sump obviously won't work in the AWD application, and the RWD sump works just fine in a RWD E30.

However, the Z8 sump looks like it would be useful for an E36 S62 swap.

Threads with pics:

http://bmwz8.us/vbb/showthread.php?t=2558

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-e52-z8-discussion/199685-oilpan-problem-m3-e30-s62-2.html

http://bmwz8.us/vbb/showthread.php?t=2558

Real OEM:



It *DOES* appear to retain the active sump...

Food for thought.

Edit: The list price is only $1200...