After my recent track experience at Laguna, I decided it was finally time to take that LSD jump for my pre-Mar 07 E90 Step. I’ve been off e90post for a long time, and hopped on only to purchase a Quaife from Harold @ HP Autowerks. However, I stumbled upon the Wavetrac thread after a quick sanity search:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=270788
After a detailed consultation w/ Harold (who carries both products), I opted for the Wavetrac over the Quaife. I’m always a big fan of trying out new (but reputable) products, and the much lower price was a major factor, given that both units ‘should’ perform similarly on the track. The Wavetrac of course has the added advantage of assisting if a wheel is lifted off the ground (read more about it in the other thread). I weighed these factors against the downside of unknown long-term reliability, which was a serious consideration since I plan on keeping my car for awhile.
There were a few recommended Bay Area installers, but I got mine installed at Exact Motorsports in Milpitas (if you’re local, feel free to pm me for a referral, as my install price was much lower than everywhere else. Will NOT post in thread).
For gear oil, Wavetrac recommends no additives, so I used Harold’s suggestion of Redline 75W90NS.
The install went very smoothly using the new seals supplied by Harold as a bonus freebie. Exact Motorsports mentioned it would’ve been preferred if I ordered new bearings as well, but they took the time to ‘gently extract the existing ones so it wasn’t damaged, and the fitment was good when reinstalled’. I’m not technical, so I’m just quoting what they told me.
I don’t have much patience for a soft break-in. I did a couple of circles, and figure 8s to lubricate the gears, and then took it onto the freeway entrance ramp for 2 runs.
I’ve had my car for 2.5 yrs, and almost 45K miles. I guess those circular entrance ramps and I are on very good terms. I’m not crazy and always have DTC on, so frequently see that traction control light blinking on the on-ramps w/ the telltale tire chirps.
I wanted to take things easy as other 335i owners who installed Quaife LSDs warned that I should ‘relearn’ my car as it will feel different. Keeping that in mind, I hit the entrance ramp at the same speeds I usually do….and…wow…what the heck….no traction control lights at all w/ just a minor tire chirp! Wow, what a cool first safe entry.
Emboldened by this, I went to a local deserted place for a few more figure 8s and slow speed controlled turning to test out the LSD w/ DTC/DSC completely OFF (hehe), and went back to the freeway entrance ramp 30 mins later. I turned DTC/DSC back on.
Holy smokes! Not only could I take the ramp much faster, but I feel more in control of my car. And I was nowhere near pushing its limits (which I’ve done in other cars…) Overall, my first impression of the Wavetrac was a BIG THUMBS UP and I look forward to testing it out at my next track event.
