Axle Question.

[E30-323ti]

Do any of you high HP guys have any problems with the Axles or CV shitting themselves??

What kind of upgrades can you get for them??

Also, see attached image:



TIA

[AdamF 88iS]

I've never seen a BMW axle fail. The shop I work for has a 268rwhp race car with it's original axles and they are fine.

[E30-323ti]

I've seen the CV's and the stub axles (that go into the diff) fail before.

I should have said high torque engines, 'cause it is the torque that does the damage.

I'm currently running 292rwhp and 400Nm Torque, and I haven't even started performance mods.

I'd rather spend the time now sorting out something reliable than have a CV explode at a trackday.

[BeirBrennerE30]

i have the same question actually... i assume the rear axels cant take 500+ft/lbs so what are the options

i know of one guy with a mitsu 4G63 (galant vr4, eclipse GSX, etc)powered e30 that got his axels custom made from www.driveshaftshop.com but i dont know anymore info than that

[iXer]

Does the 323 have the "big case" E30 diff ? I don't remember and can't check the ETK right now.. In case it has the small case, then it probably has the weaker drive shafts along with the "small" E30 diff case, both the strongest drive shafts and the "big case" E30 diff are found on the 325/M3.

Now assuming you have a "big case" E30 diff, a modification I've seen is to take the E28 535 diff ("middle size" pre '87) along with 325/M3 drive shafts. There is an even bigger diff found on the 5-series (and probably the 7-series) manufactured after '86 that doesn't fit without serious modifications, it may look like this to make it work:

http://www.limmet.se/102-0286_IMG.JPG

http://www.limmet.se/103-0324_IMG.JPG

http://www.limmet.se/102-0281_IMG.JPG

http://www.limmet.se/102-0286_IMG.JPG

(Did you see the hockey puck bushing? :D)

Sorry I can't be more specific.. when it comes to drive shafts and diffs on 80's BMWs it's a real jungle out there.

/Mattias

[E30-323ti]

i have the same question actually... i assume the rear axels cant take 500+ft/lbs so what are the options

i know of one guy with a mitsu 4G63 (galant vr4, eclipse GSX, etc)powered e30 that got his axels custom made from www.driveshaftshop.com but i dont know anymore info than that

I've talked to him before, I'll drop him a line, But I thought he only did the drive shaft and not the axles.

Thanks for those pics iXer, It looks like a E23 (735i) diff, as I suspected it does bolt into the subframe as I saw one a "pick-a-part" for $40nz ($25us), pitty the chassis is in the way.
Have you got any details on what they used for the axles??

Good info guy's, keep it coming.

[iXer]

The pictures I linked to is from an E30 near Gothenburg owned by Limmet. Even if you don't know swedish that well you probably understand these facts from the home page:

- E28 M535 rear diff (3.07:1 LSD)
- E36 328 drive shaft
- E30 325 half-shafts

The output flanges of the diff do not match the half-shafts so he modified the half-shafts. I don't know exactly what had to be done, but there is a possibility that you can take the inner CV joint from a half-shaft that fits the E28 diff and take the outer end with the flange and replace that part on the E30 half-shaft.

/Mattias