The Turbo 325ix build!

[nando]

I would expect them to be all the same since there is only part # for all ix's, but it's possible BMW changed the construction and made them thinner (or heavier) at a certain point.

I know both of the shafts on my shelf are replacements from BMW. I sold the original one off my '88 parts car a long time ago so I can't measure it. I can measure the one I had modified too.

It would definitely be an interesting find, I can't say I've ever heard of a shaft failure as the spider gears in the front diff usually fail before anything else in the drivetrain, but if there was a slightly stronger shaft out there it wouldn't be a bad thing to know about.

[downforce22]

I could measure my 86 iX front ds to see what diameter it is...

[IxTech]

I just measured the two I have on my shelf (definitely OEM BMW) and they were both 32mm in diameter exactly

Which would be the smaller of the two sizes i have. The larger one was 35mm. That was the shaft that was in the car since day 1. This is kinda weird, i know for a fact based on receipt history that the 2 old men that owned the car before the guy i got it from never changed a thing, it was bone stock. Only maintenance items were addressed. The guy that had it before me told me about how you could shim the shaft to catch more meat on the splines but had never bothered touching the thing. Its not a euro ix cause its the 3.91 final drive, although the car was imported from germany. Pretty sure all ix's were, right? Theres always the possibility that it could have been replaced and the records are missing.

[nando]

I just measured the two I have on my shelf (definitely OEM BMW) and they were both 32mm in diameter exactly

[IxTech]

I wonder if it's not oem bmw?

Perhaps!! Good idea

[nando]

hows the ix driveshaft compare to a regular 325?

Well, a 325i doesn't have a front ds :p

The rear is nothing alike either.

[nando]

I wonder if it's not oem bmw?

[IxTech]

The original ds was 1 3/8". I inadvertently put the smaller one (1 1/4") in when i did my first swap because the splines were in better condition. It was the one that got destroyed when the bolts or whatever failed.

Here are the pics of the measurements i just took.

[downforce22]

hows the ix driveshaft compare to a regular 325?

[nando]

dunno, could be some sort of manufacturing mark or something. I don't think it's too meaningful.

I've had 4-5 ix shafts and they were all the same, there is also only one part # for all ix's.

[IxTech]

all ix driveshafts are the same dating back to the first model in 1985, there's no such thing as an auto/manual driveshaft :)

I'm surprised the front diff didn't break. must have caught that just right!

Hmmmm, this is strange. Ill go re measure. I may have taken the measurement at a place that was compromised by the break but after the incident i compared the 2 i had with some friends and as i remember they were different. Not to contest your body of knowledge, but im never surprised when i find odd discrepancies in bmw parts. Like the hand engraved 25 on my ix intermediate shaft. Any insight as to what that refers to? Could it refer to the displacement?

[nando]

all ix driveshafts are the same dating back to the first model in 1985, there's no such thing as an auto/manual driveshaft :)

I'm surprised the front diff didn't break. must have caught that just right!

[IxTech]

No, just shimmed a little over 1/4". Funny thing, i think that was an auto DS, its like 1/8" smaller OD than the manual one i replaced it with. i was mashing through some gravel and it transitioned into pavement and i didnt get off the throttle quick enough, as soon as the front wheels caught traction it ripped the nuts off the bolts (grade 10.9) of the guibo and once the front part of the shaft hit the ground it ripped it off by the splines and shot out behind me...not cool.

[nando]

I'd still like to know how you broke that DS. it was the lengthened one right? I've beat the hell out of mine for the last 6 years, no issues.

[IxTech]

Pretty sure that guy has gone through a couple though. That thing is beast. Mine went out when i twisted off my front driveshaft. As seen in the pic haha