Best Differential For Your E46 ? - Test and Review of 3
2023 ж. 4 Қаз.
11 668 Рет қаралды
Lets find out what is the best differential ratio for a 330ci
2.93 vs 3.38 vs 3.xx
Lets find out what is the best differential ratio for a 330ci
2.93 vs 3.38 vs 3.xx
Wow, what a great channel!!! Very nice and rare topic. I have 3.38 in my e46 330ci and 5 speed gearbox. Really like how it behaves in a city, but long distance trips is pain in the **s😂
Thank you:) and you pretty much summed up my experiences with the 3.38.. best for in town and good power💪
Rare topic? Lmfao you must not know about the drifting scene
@@tribewu3223 nope 😓
Rare in the fact that no one’s done proper comparisons like this.
I'm with a 3.07 LSD and I find it best of both worlds. However my limiter is at 6900 which helps a lot. Used to run it at 7100 but broke the oilpump shaft on track.
Thanks for doing this !! Really needed it
That's a lot of work to find it all out. Well done and thanks for sharing.
Great stuff, as always!
Great video. All that diff swapping must have been a lot of work! My E46 came stock with the 3.38 rear diff, because it has an automatic gearbox. I swapped in a 3.64 rear diff from an X3 3.0, and it improved my 1/4 mile times by about 0.3 second. But of course, the engine revs higher at cruising speed, and fuel economy is worse. There is always a trade-off.
I did but once you done it a few times you learn all the tricks lol
Thanks Tim! Very helpful. Just picked up a 330 touring autotragic and appears that it has a 3.45 open dif. Also watched your LSD conversion vid, seems like an economical way to go to have an LSD. Your contributions to the BMW community are appreciated!
Thank you for the kind support:) Dont feel bad its an auto. The bmw i have enjoyed the most was an auto e39 530i.. yes the gearbox isnt the best in either, but is so much more relaxing for a dd and still can be fun when needed. So far my lsd has held up fine yes. But i havent driven that much with it honestly. The blackline torsen diff is probably better but more expensive
@@OEMplusRESTO Ha. Yeah true about an automatic. I actually just put the 330 in storage until I have more time to work on it and do some of the awesome things you've done. I just checked out the blackline torsen diff option and it's definitely less expensive that Mfactory or Wavetrac. Keep up the good work!
Very helpful nice job
Thank you for the thorough tests, this confirms what people were saying on the forums which is that the 3.38 does not make the car faster 0-60 but the in gear acceleration is much better, which is also my experience. I have a 3.38 with a 5 speed and it is a bit of a nightmare on the motorway so I bought a finned 3.07 from a z4 that I’m yet to install but I’m not sure I want to give up the 3.38 acceleration and torque as I imagine it will be very similar to 2.93, I may just need to save up for a 6 speed instead, luckily I don’t do that much motorway driving.
Thanks you for the insight. Yes that was what i read as well so in that sense it didnt suprise me. What did surprise me was just how much better the 3.38 did accelerate! But like you im probably gonna go for a 307 with a raised redline(6800j to kindda get the best of both worlds. And holy hell the 2.93 is so much more relaxed to drive on the highway with. I hope you find a solution that makes sense in the end:)
And a finned even.. didnt know that was an option. Id love to do a “ultimate 3.07” diff rebuild with a quaife lsd conversion added on.. i’ll keep an eye out for the z4 version then. Thanks for the tip
@@OEMplusRESTO yes the z4 3.0 manuals came with the 3.07 as standard and they have cooling fins on them too, best of all it’s supposedly a straight swap on a 330ci. Hope you find one and do another comparison, would be good to see the differences as I won’t be able to fit mine any time soon as I’m parking mine for the winter next week.
Makes sense imo. If you have the power 2.93 is better. Stock power levels make the 2.93 seems slow compared to 3.38
Oh wow the channel rename caught me off guard :D Great video as always of course!! Keep up the great work :) I personally run a 3.07 on my 328ci and its okish expect top speed for the autobahn
Lol yeah but no one could pronounce my middle name anyway😂 i think the 3.07 would be the best do it all gearing which would explain why they used it i. Thw zhp.. would love to swap the 2.93 for a 3.07
Was it foolish? Changing the name in your opinion.
@@OEMplusRESTO mh i would see if my view rates drop after doing that and if so then i would change it back personally :)
@@TOTALdAk1nG analytics says it has tanked already. Thank you for the support and guidance as always. I’ll give it the weekend and re evaluate. And again, i think you have the best overall ratio. My dream for this car would be to make a “zhp” out of it.. and add LSD to that 3.07 rear while i was at it.. but those cams are stupid expensive really
@@OEMplusRESTO was always thinking of going lsd with an zf inlay but never thought about it a second time since im currently running a 323 getrag gearbox paired with the 3.07 diff and i really want to upgrade to the 328 zf first :D also they are truly stupid expensive and no problem!
Thank you a lot!
Would love to see some tests on a 346 and 364 diff if you can find them. Or if you did it already, just came across your channel 🤙🏼
I’ll keep that ind mind thanks
Amazing
Brilliantly executed very interesting 👍👍
Interesting, I have a 3,07 Torsen to test soon. Btw I think I preferred your old username, it's more 'friendly and recognisable' :).
Damn.. thats probably the ratio and diff type id prefer the most. Nice. Youre right. But most of the viewers couldnt pronounce it so i re-did it to something more international.. juhls garage was a bit more personal though
BTW, Spec E46 race cars in the US use the 3.46 rear end with the 5-speed ZF 320. I have been thinking about putting a spare 3.46 into my ZHP sedan, but wouldn't want to without adding an LSD first.
Thanks for the support. Hope youre having a good weekend. Didnt know that. Id love to have tried the 3.91 and 3.62 but one requires alot to adopt(m3) which you probably know judging from your reply. And the other one just hard to find. And i dont have the funds for either😅 Im kindda looking for a 3.07 and want to do a zhp conversion while im at it lol. But whatever ratio i decide on it will be with the blackline/quaife torsen conversion. Theres also the old clutch style retrofit, but those units are crazy expensive already, and then you need to rebuild it and swap it into the 188k.. theres no easy diff besides the one i have and so far its still holding up👀
@@OEMplusRESTO the Quaife is really good. If I were doing it for a street car, I'd personally choose the Wavetrac. You're so right about the clutch style units. Additionally, they're going to require a rebuild at some point, which adds to the expense of ownership.
@@HiFiGuy1 is the vawetrack better? I was considering the blackline due to its price but know its not quite as beefy as the quaife
@@OEMplusRESTOHello I just subscribed to your channel looking for LSD's for the E46 plataform (I own an E85 and an E86). I thought of fitting a blackline but you pointed that the Quaife is beefier, do you know where can I see the comparison? This is an expensive part and I would not like to make a mistake... Mange tak!!!
hello, this is truly a great video, very useful, I'm happy that I found it. meanwhile have you maybe tested out the 3.07? maybe it would work for a happy medium between the 2.93 and 3.38.🤔🤔
I havent no. But im considering doing a 3.07 LSD one with a slithly raised redline and zhp cams to test what the difference is between the euro and us version.. its just so expensive lol
@OEMplusRESTO ZHP cams don't give enough gains for the hassle. I reprofiled my stock ones to s52 US profile - 252/10.2 & 240/9.7 Also head cut to make 11.52:1 comp. ratio and a singe mass 6.5 kg. flywheel from m30b28 and clutch from s38 e34 engine, all is plug&play.
@@BatRadichev that sounds like an interesting combo.. i’ll look into it
Great video very good analysis and appreciate your time and effort on this! I would like to ask however what the 3.38 differential is like on the motorway. I assume the RPM's will be higher vs the 2.93 (with a 6 speed manual gearbox). I think my concern is before i consider doing a swap, would it become unbearable RPM wise in comparison to stock? I think as long as the rpm's are not too high then i will definitely consider getting one.
Thank you. Cant remember them off thw top of my head but as i recall it the 3.38 will in general be about 400rpm higher at any given speed vs the 2.93.
@@OEMplusRESTO Thanks for the quick response! ahh thats not too bad, think its a fair trade off by the sounds of it. Looks like im getting a new diff haha
@ThePacman196 no problem. You have a 6speed? I personally wouldnt do it on a 5speed that sees highway driving. But maybe im getting a little old lol
@@OEMplusRESTO yes mate with a 6 speed. I agree 3.38 with a 5 speed would be difficult on motorways i think haha
Hi @@ThePacman196 , I have a 2003 e46 330ci clubsport, it's got a 3.38 open diff, 5 speed manual, an infinitas supercharger kit, catless headers and exhaust. I daily drive it and occasionally take it on long trips halfway up the country. I can confirm it is actually not awful on the motorway, I have no rear seats either with a false floor so it's fairly noisey, but it doesn't drone like you would think. Between 2000-2500 it does have a bit of a 'drone' to it, but once you get past 2500 all the way up to 4000 in 5th it settles and although you can hear it, it's not much of a pain to the ears and (unlike my old m2 with M performance exhuast!) fuel economy ranges from 30-40mpg depending on how you drive! Hope this helps! fuel economy ranges from 30-40mpg depending on how you drive!
Hello, I loved your video. I have an e36 coupe 325 manual without vanos, I thought later to install lsd 3.38. The vehicle is used daily, what would you recommend doing? Thanks!
Hi. Thank you. What ratio do you have now? I wouldnt go higher than 3.38 if youre doing alot of highway driving but people have different threaholds for how many rpms are too much.
Thank you very much for the answer, if I'm not mistaken 3.15 is open 1992 vehicle I want a little more power speed looking for creative and legal ways@@OEMplusRESTO
Great video, thaks. I wonder what's the top speed with the 3.38 and 6 speed
hmm... That can be calculated i believe.. theoretical
Genial video Tim! Er forholdsvist glad for mit 2.93 nu når jeg kan se det er sådan set Ok. Kunne godt finde på 3.38, men det vil kræve jeg havde 6 gears, ellers bliver det nok lidt for lavt gearet.. Tænker et LSD til 2.93 kan gøre underværker. Eller et LSD til 3.38 kunne også være lækkert.
Tak Oscar. Du er velkommen til at lpne det i en uges tid hvis det er du vil prøve om det er noget for dig?
I've just fitted a 3.64 in my z4 e85 3.0 6 speed.
What ratio did it have before? And how do you like it? Amazing car btw. The video im working on now is retrofitting something from that exact model. 3.0 e85
3.07 I've had the car nearly 7 years and I love it. I'm currently restoring the rear end. Hoping for a test drive in a couple weeks. Look forward to the video. 👍
@@williamhumphries8534 you have undoubtedly made a huge change to the way it drives:) i havent tried that ratio but even going from a 293 to 338 was a huge improvement in acceleration.. must be a blast when you get it driving again. Thanks for insight
Just installed a 3.46 diff with a Quaife LSD in my ‘04 530i 6 speed, replacing a 2.93 and I really enjoy it. I do hear a bit of diff whine but it’s not too loud. Did you also hear more noise from the diff?
Sounds like a cool car!! Yeah there is a very slight whine in mine as well but i think its the contact pattern not being 100% perfect. But its so little im not gonna do anything about it. I only noticed because i switched to a non lsd 2.93 and 3.15 for a video comparison. How are you liking the torsen style lsd so far?
The channel name change surprised me 😁. What do you think about a 3.23 instead of the 3.15? The 3.23 also is a large case diff and doesn’t require flange swapping
Id recommend it over the 3.15:)
For a 5speed car id go for a 3.23 but the difference in rpms will be so small between the 3.38 and 3.23 that its no dealbreaker and so id buy the one that has the beat price vs condition. Hope that helps a little:)
@@OEMplusRESTO of course, thank you :D I have another question, not diff related. Have you replaced your headliner/A/B/C fabric?
@jacekp8366 not on a bmw.. all my bmw’s have sagged but it wasnt bed enough for me to bother. Done it on other cars though:)
@@OEMplusRESTO ahh, mine looks really bad, the A and C pillars espiecially. I replaced the C pillar fabric but you can tell it's not tthe same color :/ wondering what's the best option here, I want to keep my headliner as is becaue there is no sagging there
Can you test if e38 axles fit e46?
thank you for the tests. i have myself built an 328ci and built a 6gearbox into it and it rush pretty fast until 120 (unmeasured) but I think around 7.3 sec 100km with an 3.23 differential ratio. but here comes the thing now. the RPM's are too high. around 60km in the 4 gear has around 2000rpm, 80km - 3000rpm, 100km - above 3500rpm. i actually want to turn the rpm's down and i saw some videos where people were installing 2.47 - 136hp 320d diff. and being very happyh about it, and I my opinion the 2.56 dif - 150hp 320d it's even better. but there are even possibilities of 2.81 - automatic 330d. what do you think about these mods?
I would go with the 2.93 as in the video.. great all around gearing well suited for the 5speed too. The 2.47 will make it an absolute dog in terms of acceleration. Likely the engine woont have qquite enough torque to utilize the long ratio either.
@@OEMplusRESTOwell true. the acceleration will be lower but so will be also the fuel compsumption. look at this /watch?v=0haPJGkCicM
Interesting, i have 328i with 3.23 diff, un 5 gear box getrag..i have 100 km 2600-2630
@@valdisgrebezs9762 i builted an 2.56 diesel diff on it and it rocks when it comes about fuel consumption. In the 4 gear at 100km i have 2500rpm and in the 5 gear i have 2000rpm. But i prefer driving it in the 4gear. Consumption it s around 6.5L with that gear and speed. Torque is a bit slower, but definitely not slow.
@@cosminispas8876 how much 0-100?
Hi there The Gearshifts and acceleration of my e46 are very jerky and clunky at times. My subframe mounts are not cracked so i reckon it is because of the diff bushings. What is your experience? I think its very worth changing them. Greetings
Too hard to say without much more info but your issues COULD BE more than just mounts and bushings. A rough runninh engine will make it more clunky too. Try changing the oil first on the gearbox. Atf3 and 5 works well. So does mtf
@@OEMplusRESTO i already did that, my car has 117k kilmometers. I think one i get a lift ill adress this problem again😅👌
@@OEMplusRESTO thanks for the help
Hello my friend I own a BMW E46 Cabriolet 330 Tiptronic gears 5 What is the best number for my car? For drifting and maximum speed, would you prefer 4.10?
Hello:) For drifting a 3.91 or 4.11 would be good yes. But im not sure an auto trans car is a good drifter but i dont have any experience here. Weld it or install a lsd to go drifting easier
The diff ration doesen't make the car faster. Yes, in gear acceleration increases, but you also have to shift sooner and then ypu are in a higher gear with significantly worse acceleration. So theoretically a short ratio would be a little faster, but it's not always worth it, because you'll have to shift more often. It mostly just depends on the speed range at which you are measuring/driving and the diff ratio would need to be changed on different race tracks.
Agree. You can see it from the 2.93 being considerably slower than 3.38 in the 50-110kmh spring wheres the 0-100kmh run it is faster due tp only 1 gear change
That 3.15 was so close to 100kmh in 2nd gear. A few more rpm it would have saved a shift and maybe done the best yet for 0-100. Or it may have hurt because it won’t be in the powerband
Good observation. Zhp cams and redline (paired with 18” wheels) could make this ratio the overall best ratio, which is weird because in this test it was the most useless lol.
@@OEMplusRESTO I believe BMW planned for the future when they designed these cars and expected a large aftermarket community for them. Very few other cars swap pieces like legos the way these 2000s Bimmers do, and it’s so satisfying when you make it work!
thats one of the main reasons i really like bmw’s.. US cars does this very well too
I did a manual swap on my e46 325i and i left the differential that came with the automatic transmission can the differential cause hard shifting?
It shouldnt no.
I increased max rpm to 6800 in my 330i with 3.38 diff but i am not satisfied. Thinking to get 3.07 diff from 330ix. Would you mind to make wideo with 3.07 diff by the way 3.23 and 3.46 as you say so?
Id love to. Would orefer to do a complete zhp swap with cams too😊
What do you think about 2.93 with 5 speed manual gearbox
Great all around combo
Hi i have e46 330d 6 speed diesel. I am thinking about buying LSD for it which ratio for LSD you sugest?
Im no expert but my best bet would be the stock ratio being a diesel is so strong in torque. You go maybe go for 2.7x if you have 2.56 or something like that that but i wouldnt go with the petrol/gas ratios as your rpms will be too high. What ratio do you have already and what type of lsd will you use?
@@OEMplusRESTO i think final drive is 2.47:1
@@absitinvidia3948 i think you could get away with something like a 2.7x or 2.8x.. a .3 increase should be noticeable like it is on this gas powered 3.38 I wouldnt do 2.93 though. Its fine for a 330ci but you can get away with alot less rpm in that diesel and still pull like a train
@@OEMplusRESTO thank you, i have never used 6 gear except for cursing. I think i can go over 200km/h in fifth. But usualy i drive from 130km/h-180km/h. I asked because i didnt want to covert my stocl diff to lsd, because i am scared to lose it. And new lsd is expensive like 3k+ so if i buy it next year i would like to make most for my money.
Hello, has anyone used the 2.93 differential in an e46 with a 2.2 engine? Did the car acceleration very slowly or was everything OK?The orginal diff 3k rpm at 100 km/h is a lot, greetings from Poland
im about to swap in a 2.47 in my 2.2
What diff do you have now? If you google rear gear calculator you can mess around with gearing ratios and get a better picture I recommend the pur performance rear gear calc.
@@OEMplusRESTO thank you i already did the calculations i will drop 1/4 of my rpm if i Drive on 5 gear 140km/h or 87mph i have 4000rpm and with the diff swap i will have 2900rpm then
Currently about to swap my 2.93 to 3.38. Do I need to keep original input flange on 2.93 that is 'paired' with propshaft and install on 3.38 diff?
Its impossible to say without having seen the diff. Input and output flanges vary depending on model of car and not necessarily just the diff. But if you have the old 2.93 diff, and 32 12point socket and some air tools, do like i did in the video when swapping in the 3.15 diff. You can mark the old nut relative to the pinion and tighten until it matches again. It doesnt have to be perfect but close. The output flanges swap over in 2 minutes if they need to. Consider changing the diff seals while youre at it. As there is not guarantess they will seal perfectly with the new axles either And please let me know how you like the diff(or dont) or if you have anymore questions
@@OEMplusRESTO really helpful response thank you, by 'paired' I mean balanced. Many thanks
Youre welcome. No that shouldnt be s problem. I have switched out the diff maybe 5 times for various reasons, some for this video lol, and have never had an issue regarding that. I have never seen an issue with it either on any other bmw i have had.
@@OEMplusRESTOah legend that's perfect then, i'll reply back to this with my feedback. Used the 2.93 for 5 years now, 50,000 miles. I am sure 3.38 will be more involved and fun 🫡
Im happy i could help. Hope all goes well:)
hi , i have e46 325i with 3.15 ratio diff, but there is too much slack whats causing the clunk noise :( , i can't find any 3.15 ratio's but someone has a 3.38 , do you think i should keep looking for a 3.15 or is 3.38 fine. currently at 3000 rpm 120 KMH on highway. that would be 111 KMH on the 3.38 diff. 120 : 3.38 x 3.15 = 111 kmh maybe you could give me some reasons to keep looking for a 3.15 and some reasons to get the 3.38? thanks in advance.
Clunk could be slack anywhere in the driveline so its hard to say. You will need to get under it to find out and move things clockwise and counterclowise. Imo the 3.38 is a really good diff. Both for 5 and 6speeds. But if you already now think youre a little hign in rpm on the highways youre probably better off looking for a 3.15
thanks for your reply , i already checked the crankshaft and everything and thats not the problem of the clunk, but there is play on the diff so i guess that will solve some of the clunk if not all i hope. i'm still keeping my eyes open for both of them for now. the lowest milage i can currently find is 212.000 km and i don't know if thats too much or not. thanks again and your video really helped me out.
@x0wNr03ll worn bushing having the rear subframe shift can also cause a clunk, as can a cracked chassis where the subframe connects to. Bmw’s and clunks kindda go hand in hand lol. I have a video called “ill never be as good as my father” where you can see how much slop a diff should have. But in general, turning the pinion/driveshaft clowwise/countercloclwise there should only barely be any slop. Also check your driveshafts. I have a video of that too somwhere early
@@OEMplusRESTO i will have a look on your channel , thanks for your help
@x0wNr03ll np. Hope you get it sorted. Clunks are the worst lol
Kommer 3.38 fra en 320i? Skal der skiftes flange før det vil passe?
Hej. Jeg ved ikke hvor 3.38 kommer fra. Det er umuligt at sige præcis hvor og hvornår der skal skiftes flanger da stort set alle gearinger kommer med begge typer in og output flanger. Så man kan ku kigge på sit eget og se om det nye passer. Eller gøre som i videoen og bytte dem rundt
Hei. 3.38 fra 320i er 168 mm diff, mens (noen) 330iA har 3.38 188 mm diff.
Exactly my problem, I have a cruising rpm of 3200 - 3500 🤦🏻♂️
Gets annoying? What model do you have?(setup)
@OEMplusRESTO I have 3.38 (we spoke yesterday) 5 Speed Manual 330i+ tunes and tricks.
@EpicsodeOne ah yes. Sorry. Im not used to all these comments! If youd like to share your sick build or projects(or knowledge) i have a facebook group for likeminded e46 enthusiasts. The link is in the description of my page
@@OEMplusRESTO Will join later on but I haven't uploaded anything, stopped using FB for a while.
سلام عليكم
3.23 from 325ia should be fine.
That and the 3.46 and i would have a better video:)
That's the one I have in my 330Ci 5-speed :) Just under 3100 RPM at 120 km/h cruising and it feels pretty quick at lower speeds. Haven't tested 0-100 and 50-110 km/h accellerations.