[dlbrooks18]

Originally Posted by cbad335

I thought I had read, in some other threads, that there was a break in period for the aftermarket LSDs, and that after the break in period, the fluids were to be changed. Only then were you good to go. If so, I suppose that could be considered maintenance.

Yes I would consider this maintenance.. still waiting for Harold to get in this discussion

[dlbrooks18]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

Having played with my Quaife LSD for a week now I am of the opinion that it is a really great option under the following conditions:

1) If you live in a rainy place (e.g., Britain, or Vancouver) and understand how to control power oversteer, or are at least willing to learn.
2) If you live in a snowy place.
3) If driving fast in the canyons or twisties with some 1st or 2nd gear turns (especially uphill) is important to you.
4) If you spend time driving anything like the Pike's Peak route.
5) Any low speed track use, rallye, or autocross

For everyday stuff in SCal, it would be a low priority.

Thanks for the review, I've been debating for a few weeks now if I want to do this upgrade now.. I guess it can wait

[Slidewayz]

Originally Posted by dlbrooks18

Thanks for the review, I've been debating for a few weeks now if I want to do this upgrade now.. I guess it can wait

Coming from a car with an LSD to a 'peg leg', I would add one more condition that makes an LSD good:

Wanting to hook up in 1st, 2nd, and the 2-3 shift. With an LSD, more power gets to the ground versus being wasted as wheelspin.

LSD-equipped cars are easier to control because they're more predictible.

[midlife]

Originally Posted by mmm def

There are smart people and there are less samrt people..that's how it is no matter where yo go. Take it easy on the techs.

I agree with Mr. 5..you don't need an LSD.

hate to differ with Mr. 5 but:
imho, if you are heavily modded, the LSD will transform your car - really.
i feel a difference - even when i am going straight.
...besides always feeling more planted, the car luanches MUCH better.

my 2 cents

note that harold of hP told me to change out the fluid after first 1,000 miles, and then do it every few years... problem is that there is no drain hole.

[stressdoc]

LSD, especially in combination with a suspension upgrade, makes handling at the limit so much smoother and more predictable. Traction is more consistent, and doesn't vary with up- and down-weighting of wheels during transitions. Power influences handling more directly and consistently. Your right foot is controlling the car in concert with the steering wheel. And the dratted DSC interventions are mostly gone. I bet LSD adds 10% or more to rear brake life on a tracked car with DSC on. The stock 335 has so much power that LSD is a most welcome addition. I can only imagine how important it would be if you had a tune.

If only there was a reasonable way to get this car under 3000 lbs it would be an all-time classic enthusiast car (w/ LSD, suspension mods, tune).

[Mr. 5]

Originally Posted by mmm def

There are smart people and there are less samrt people..that's how it is no matter where yo go. Take it easy on the techs.

I agree with Mr. 5..you don't need an LSD.

Originally Posted by midlife

hate to differ with Mr. 5 but:
imho, if you are heavily modded, the LSD will transform your car - really.
i feel a difference - even when i am going straight.
...besides always feeling more planted, the car luanches MUCH better.

my 2 cents

note that harold of hP told me to change out the fluid after first 1,000 miles, and then do it every few years... problem is that there is no drain hole.

Originally Posted by stressdoc

LSD, especially in combination with a suspension upgrade, makes handling at the limit so much smoother and more predictable. Traction is more consistent, and doesn't vary with up- and down-weighting of wheels during transitions. Power influences handling more directly and consistently. Your right foot is controlling the car in concert with the steering wheel. And the dratted DSC interventions are mostly gone. I bet LSD adds 10% or more to rear brake life on a tracked car with DSC on. The stock 335 has so much power that LSD is a most welcome addition. I can only imagine how important it would be if you had a tune.

If only there was a reasonable way to get this car under 3000 lbs it would be an all-time classic enthusiast car (w/ LSD, suspension mods, tune).

Maybe I need to be more clear.
If there was an LSD option from BMW, I would have ordered it that way.
I love how the LSD works and it makes so much sense to have one with this amount of power.
I'd have one now if I had the coin.

But, my point was that I feel that BMW did not need to put one in for the every day driver.
I think that the normal traction control does a really good job with driving in the rain/ snow etc.

[midlife]

Originally Posted by Mr. 5

Maybe I need to be more clear.
If there was an LSD option from BMW, I would have ordered it that way.
I love how the LSD works and it makes so much sense to have one with this amount of power.
I'd have one now if I had the coin.

But, my point was that I feel that BMW did not need to put one in for the every day driver.
I think that the normal traction control does a really good job with driving in the rain/ snow etc.

exactly, if you are a normal (and many of us are not) everyday driver, the stock electronic control WILL keep you out of trouble.

but for really spirited driving, it is almost a must have mod imho.
note that i got lucky and did not have to pay the 4grand for the welded diff LSD.
my cost was only like $1400 for the bolted diff.

.

[Mr. 5]

Originally Posted by midlife

exactly, if you are a normal (and many of us are not) everyday driver, the stock electronic control WILL keep you out of trouble.

but for really spirited driving, it is almost a must have mod imho.
note that i got lucky and did not have to pay the 4grand for the welded diff LSD.
my cost was only like $1400 for the bolted diff.

.

Lucky!
I have the welded one.

[dlbrooks18]

Originally Posted by midlife

note that harold of hP told me to change out the fluid after first 1,000 miles, and then do it every few years... problem is that there is no drain hole.

See you do have to perform maintenance with an LSD; and what does "every few years" mean, how many miles? I don't want to have to worry about changing the fluid with no drain hole

[Booster4075]

Being an enthusiastic driver, but not doing track days or having heavy mods, I would be happy w/o a LSD for the cost of parts/labor involved/warranty issues.

However, I read somewhere that newer cars (1-series?) have an electronic form of a LSD using the DSC, and will tap the brakes on the spinning wheel to drive power to the opposite wheel. (an electronic form of limited slip) This surely would not be for those with big power mods or true track-enthusiasts, but there is a niche out there. I'd be all for the "update" in software that would enable this! (and the price is right, since the software is already written - now, just getting it implemented into our cars is another can of worms...)

[Mr. 5]

Originally Posted by dlbrooks18

See you do have to perform maintenance with an LSD; and what does "every few years" mean, how many miles? I don't want to have to worry about changing the fluid with no drain hole

Again, it's the same maintenace.
It's like saying that I don't want to replace my engine with a better engine because I need to change the oil with the new engine.

Also,
There's no drain hole?
Watch you talkin about Willis?
Number 3 in the link...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...41&hg=33&fg=10

[veightkiller]

I would follow Mr.5's DIY guides than taking my car to the local dealer down here.

[Brianbmwboy]

Originally Posted by Mr. 5

Maybe I need to be more clear.
If there was an LSD option from BMW, I would have ordered it that way.
I love how the LSD works and it makes so much sense to have one with this amount of power.
I'd have one now if I had the coin.

But, my point was that I feel that BMW did not need to put one in for the every day driver.
I think that the normal traction control does a really good job with driving in the rain/ snow etc.

I can tell you live where there is no snow. BMW traction control/dtc doesn't do shit in the snow. My M3 with factory LSD would climb the hills at my house plowing snow with the front spoiler. E90 cars with open diffs transfer power continuously to the tire with the least traction, making the DTC fire off continuously and it is no where near fast enought to keep up, so you just sit and spin your tires going no where while destroying your rear brakes. My wife has had to tow me up the hill to my house 3 times this winter and i have brand new michelin dedicated snow tires! If you want to go in the snow you definately need LSD. Aside from that, this car hops around a ton as it transfers power from one side to the other in power on transitions making it way less predictable.

This problem is exaggerated by adding a ton more power with a JB3 and then trying to drive fast out of corners.

My 2 cents is that this car would be twice as fun if it could get the power down and be controlled easy. My next $3500 is definately going to be spent on an LSD.

[ianthegreat]

Originally Posted by kyleb350

You could go out in the parking lot to demonstrate...

i kind of like that idea..

[sd390r]

a dealership around here told me that my o2 sim is a "vishnu speed box" n that it voids warranties because it cranks boost up and does nothing else to compensate

I just looked at him and laughed and told him thanks but nevermind ill get it serviced somewhere else

[Slidewayz]

Originally Posted by sd390r

a dealership around here told me that my o2 sim is a "vishnu speed box" n that it voids warranties because it cranks boost up and does nothing else to compensate

I just looked at him and laughed and told him thanks but nevermind ill get it serviced somewhere else

ask him where he gets his meds...

[Pyrat 2]

While I don't have an LSD on a 335 I just had one installed 3 weeks back on my 330 e90. Here are a few comments based upon my limited experience:

Living in the snow belt (Chicago) the LSD is DEFINATELY nicer than the DTC in the snow. I have snow tires and have never really had a problem getting around. Nevertheless, I now get around much better and the DTC rarely kicks in during normal driving even in the snow.

Along with the LSD I got a higher gear ratio yielding an acceleration benefit beyond the benefit associated with the additional traction in the wet or track conditions.

There is maintenance although very minimal. Performance Gearing, who built my diff, told me to change the oil after the first 500 miles break-in then at the same interval (approx 40kmiles) that BMW used to recommend before they offered free maintenance - that's a separate story. This is definately a do-it-yourself task that takes me less than 20 minutes to perform on my e36 which has a factory LSD and DOES have the above recommended change interval (this was before free factory maintenance).

True that the e90 diffs do not have a drain plug which makes oil changes difficult. However, my diff builder does not build ANY diffs without one so all of his E90 diffs have a drain plug added (see pic).

[uberschnell]

What's amazing is that some people will spend $1500+ for a set of BMW Performance or Dinan mufflers which will amount to squat performance wise but balk at the idea of spending $3500 for a mod that will completely transform the car, even in day to day driving.

This is from someone who has driven the same car for thousands of miles with and without an LSD.

[Pyrat 2]

Originally Posted by Magna3

What's amazing is that some people will spend $1500+ for a set of BMW Performance or Dinan mufflers which will amount to squat performance wise but balk at the idea of spending $3500 for a mod that will completely transform the car, even in day to day driving.

This is from someone who has driven the same car for thousands of miles with and without an LSD.

+1. I have spent some $s on the other items knowing that they would not significantly help the performance of my car - but they do look and/or sound good. The LSD though has far and away improved the acceleration performance (mostly due to the gear ratio change) of my car beyond any other mod. Remember I can't drop new software in my non-turbo NA car and get a benefit like all of you with the blown 335i.

[itsbrokeagain]

Originally Posted by aerodyte

Because they are low paid workers who can't afford a BMW so they have no interest and they drive honda's to work....Seriously, when I took my car in, the guy giving me a loaner car said he was giving me a 128i "turbo" car. I looked at him and said, "Turbo?". He said, it had a smaller turbo than the 135i.

I used to work for BMW. And durin the time I worked there, no one drove a honda.

We all had E30s, some trucks, a few X3s, and some E90s.

And we werent low paid workers either. My average check was past the 4 digit mark. Thats weekly, after taxes. At least I still had a job when all the white collar dudes got snuffed...

[itsbrokeagain]

And my E30 325iS has a clutch type diff which I just rebuilt. That thing works wonders in the snow and the rain. Worn out Kumhos = lots of easy to control oversteer.

[dlbrooks18]

Ok, first let me say that I think an LSD is the best mod for this car to ensure max power gets down to the wheels..

Can we at least all agree that there is NO drain hole for our diff?