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    LS1 Swap Rear end options

    So I'm picking up an LS1 and a T56 tomorrow and need some good advice and options on differentails that I can install in my E30. what is a solid rear end that won't grenade on me at 500 whp and 500 wtq? after that what ones will require what changes to the rear hubs and brakes? I'd like to avoid major rear end surgery beyond fab work to fit the differential itself in place. if I can avoid custom axles that is prefferred as I know I will most likely have to get two drive shashafts and cut and weld them for the drivetrain compatibility. thanks ahead of time guys.

    #2
    If you're starting with a 6 cylinder car, you should have the 188mm diff, which itself is strong enough.

    HOWEVER, you will need aftermarket axles and/or to swap to 94mm CV joints. The stock CV joints are 86mm. The E23, E24, E28, E32 and E34 with the M30 and E34 cars with the M60B30 engine had 94mm CV joints in 188mm diffs... use those output flanges and maybe convert your outer hubs to 5 lug using the 94mm hub end output flanges.

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      #3
      1. welding two different driveshafts together is a poor way to go about the swap. i believe sikky sells a telescoping driveshaft that'll work with the t56 just fine. if not, go to jagsthatrun.com, buy the diff flange, then get a driveshaft yoke from summit or something. any respectable driveshaft shop'll make you a driveshaft from scratch with those two parts for less than $200

      2. some people have OK luck with the stock axles, though you'll probably have to look at DSS axles if you're actually putting down 500 wheel

      3. another concern is gonna be the diff bushing ear. mine broke clean in half and i was putting down 330tq wheel, MAX. secondary diff mounts can be bought from garret or [i think] sikky. either that or convert to an e36 diff cover like vorshlag did

      best of luck

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        #4
        Still on stock axles and still on factory 188 diff here. Solid all bushings in the rear and haven't killed anything yet. Have put down 500+whp with my S52 turbo setup and have thrashed nicely with my LS2.

        but yea. sikky kit solves the drive shaft issues and a bunch more. Rear end is what you make of it. Some people snap axles daily. *shrugs* I feel like I'm pretty hard on it and haven't had a single issue so far.

        *knocks on wood*

        Status: HG repair. 488wtq though!

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          #5
          oh yeah apparently CAtuned sells axles that're supposed to be beefier than the stock ones AND they're reasonably priced, much moreso than the DSS ones anyway

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            #6
            Thanks guys for the pointers. when you say Garrett are you referring to an individal and do you have any contact info or weblinks? I picked up the LS1 and started tear dowe and finished the top end yesterday. I'm helping my buddy fab up his meth kit for his 2nd Gen MS3 right now but later on I'll mount the LS1 on the engine stand and pUlla the bottom end apart and trade the camaro oil pan and pickup to a buddy who's got a GTO set he wants to swap with me for sice hes swapping his goat motor into a fox body mustang.
            Here are some before pics of the LS1 and T56. came with an SLP intake and I'll be looking into a custom radiator setup to try and run cold ram air through the kidneys bypassing the radiator by getting a short and thick dual pass or single pass triple core.

            Attached Files

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              #7
              also if an admin swings by if they can change the title of this thread to "ajune's E30 LS1 build thread" I'd appreciate it.

              here is the current LS1 teardown progress.

              finished the top end tear down last night. We finished pulling the wiring harness off the block and got the engine onto the stand then pulled the oil pan, sump, windage tray, cam and front cover.tomorrow we will continue tear down with the crank rods and pistons as well as the oil pump. hopefully we can pull the springs and valves on the headand then begin to clean up but it's not the night to the machine shop when they hot tank it.

              Here is a link to my E30 album on facebook. it's set to public and tomorrow I'll upload the pictures individually on here.

              The dirty30

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                #8
                Sub'd!
                1990 325is
                m52b28
                3.73lsd
                g260 (1987 325is 5spd tranny)

                Comment


                  #9
                  Okay my mom is in the hospital so I'm taking emergency leave and going home for 30 days. I'll get back to this swap when I return. one bIG question I have is cluster swaps. I'll try to find a thread in the electronic and wiring page. I'm figuring since I'm doing an LS1 swap and my factory cluster is essentially shot it would be cool to swap in a C5 Z06 cluster. Gotta do research and find out what it would entail aside from dash and wiring but things like ECU or BCM addition. otherwise I'd like to find out if I can swap in an E39 M62 six speed cluster as a buddy has an E39 with that setup and a good cluster.

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                    #10
                    I've had cluster issues myself but the factory tach should work. The PCM just needs to be set up to output for our tachs. It IS doable! I just wish someone would tell me how lol. At readline, mine reads 700rpms >_<

                    Edit: also sorry about your mom. Hope she recovers quickly.
                    Last edited by shiboujin; 12-28-2014, 06:46 AM.

                    Status: HG repair. 488wtq though!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      The PCM is easily re flashed to output rpm signal compatible with the BMW tach. We sent ours out to wait4meperformance.com -was quick and easy. Do search or go on LS1tech for more info
                      E30-LS1 aka. 357is
                      email us to pick up our LS1 swap guide
                      E30-LS1 KITS now available!!
                      E30LS1@gmail.com
                      e30ls1.com

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                        #12
                        I didn't do anything to the tach signal out of the PCM, just put a 4 cyl coding plug in the cluster and it works fine. LS1's read off of 4 cylinders if I remember correctly.

                        I also have a buddy that is currently working on some concepts of gauge plates to bolt into the stock location to be able to mount in basically any type of aftermarket gauge, which is what I will be switching to. I will be running all autometer gauges to match all the extra ones I have currently added to monitor everything.

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                          #13
                          No issues with the 188 diff in my car but I have twisted a couple cv joints into submission.



                          For the tach setting, it's pretty straight forward. I invested in a HP Tuners license so I could continually make tweaks, but any good tuner can do this. For the specific settings it is documented well here:
                          I did a search for this information and could not find it using keywords Tachomter and Tach. I am looking into adjusting the tach output for my 98 VCM due to putting the motor into a 6 cylinder BMW. The stock setting for high & low resolution is 6/6. What is the proper adjustment to make the tach output the same as a 6 cylinder motor? I know the LSx output is seen as a 4 cylinder by tachometers. Nothing else on the car uses the tach output. EDIT (reduced to only 4,6,8 cylinder tachs

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Thanks for all the ininfo in your replies guys, if you guys think a BMW cluster would be a better idea I can dig that too, id be looking at my buddy's E39 cluster and seats as he has 2 V8 6 speed e39s in his back yard that he picked up last week from across the country. No matter what route I go with the cluster I will HAVE to completely replace it. I've gone through mine entirely already and done so on two clusters for E30 one Moto Meter and one VDO cluster and neither one has been successful. I'm probably also going to utilize a custom built aluminum fuel cell if i can get my evo titled and sold I'll be getting a miller TIG welder and start going to town making all of my mounts and braces and possibly weld up a custom diff cover.

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                              #15
                              FWIW i've heard that the stock gas tank is superior to most fuel cell setups as it doesn't really suffer from starvation like alot of 'murican cars do AND it effectively raises the center of gravity of the car. gas is, like, 8lbs per gallon, so... math

                              in any case, i'd just use the stock fuel tank. odds are BMW spent alot more money in keeping that shit more puncture/flame resistant than any aftermarket company did throughout their entire lineup

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