Hey guys,
Bit of a lurker but this one felt like it was worth writing up
An LSD is something I've wanted for this car for a while, so here we are.
Quick primer, the car is an auto 09 535i with bolt-ons and KW V3s. My original plan was to finish the suspension out with rear monoballs and poly diff/subframe bushings, but my mechanic friends gave me the right nudge to commit to a helical LSD while the subframe was coming out. The driveline/subframe part numbers are listed below:
With some creative BMW OEM research in hand, I sourced an E65/E66 differential off ebay (they're surprisingly cheap, and free shipping), the appropriate MFactory Helical LSD, and upsized manual/diesel 38mm axles.
The E65 diff is a bigger case than the auto diff my car came with, bolted ring gear, and the 3.38 final drive was close enough to my factory 3.46 (2.3%). The E60 and E65 also share most of their subframe geometry, making this a plug-and-play swap. I was able to keep my factory driveshaft as well. The Rear End Shop in Livermore installed the helical LSD and shimmed everything for me.
There were some hiccups along the way, including a very stubborn driver axle that didn't want to come out. CA car, not sure why it was so stuck, but it took my friends about an hour to make it move
Diff and subframe bushings were plug and play, although their stiffness makes getting the diff back into the subframe a bit of a wrestling match
Aaand woosh, you have traction.
Bit of a lurker but this one felt like it was worth writing up
An LSD is something I've wanted for this car for a while, so here we are.
Quick primer, the car is an auto 09 535i with bolt-ons and KW V3s. My original plan was to finish the suspension out with rear monoballs and poly diff/subframe bushings, but my mechanic friends gave me the right nudge to commit to a helical LSD while the subframe was coming out. The driveline/subframe part numbers are listed below:
| Description | PN | Qty |
| Big Ticket: | ||
| E65/E66 Big Case Diff (3.38) | 33107537985 | 1 |
| Mfactory Helical Differential | MF-TRS-05E92 | 1 |
| BMW CV Axle Assembly | GKN 33207572430 | 2 |
| Miscellanious Seals, hardware, etc: | ||
| BMW Differential Pinion Seal Rear | 33107609536 | 1 |
| BMW Differential Side Cover Seal | 33107505605 | 2 |
| Differential Drain/Fill Plug | 33117525064 | 2 |
| BMW Axle Nut | 33411133785 | 2 |
| BMW Reinforcement | 33207572719 | 6 |
| Poly Bushings | ||
| Powerflex Rear Diff Front Bushings | PFR5-725 | 1 |
| Powerflex Rear Diff Rear Bushings | PFR5-726 | 1 |
| Powerflex Rear Subframe Rear Bushings | PFR5-722 | 1 |
| Powerflex Rear Subframe Front Bushings - E60/E61, E63/E64 | PFR5-720 | 1 |
With some creative BMW OEM research in hand, I sourced an E65/E66 differential off ebay (they're surprisingly cheap, and free shipping), the appropriate MFactory Helical LSD, and upsized manual/diesel 38mm axles.
The E65 diff is a bigger case than the auto diff my car came with, bolted ring gear, and the 3.38 final drive was close enough to my factory 3.46 (2.3%). The E60 and E65 also share most of their subframe geometry, making this a plug-and-play swap. I was able to keep my factory driveshaft as well. The Rear End Shop in Livermore installed the helical LSD and shimmed everything for me.
There were some hiccups along the way, including a very stubborn driver axle that didn't want to come out. CA car, not sure why it was so stuck, but it took my friends about an hour to make it move
Diff and subframe bushings were plug and play, although their stiffness makes getting the diff back into the subframe a bit of a wrestling match
Aaand woosh, you have traction.
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