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Welded Diff
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:26 am
by IWANT1
For those who have been using BMW E30's for the drift nights have any of you welded the diff/ do i need to!!
lee
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:06 pm
by slarty bartfast
I haven
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:02 pm
by ESL
I wouldnt to start with on a a standard car. Practice with it open initially, the skidpan can get extremely slippy when the mud has been dragged on and wetted.
A welded diff will induce more understeer to overcome on entry,
at driftskool in tight 2nd gear bends I found the welder harder to control.
When it opens out a bit in the dry and more speed is carried , locking the diff will help maintain the slide and stop it fighting you.
Bladey or Sweeps can advise you in more detail.
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:36 pm
by IWANT1
Please keep the opinions coming as if i get one it was going to be a mod done before i use it!
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:47 pm
by Bladerider
Personally,
A locking diff is one of the first things on the list in my book.
They tend to be done after uprating the suspension, and the only car I know with soft standard suspension and a welder is a total bastard to drive, so certainly there is an order to doing these things !!!
Welders are that much more savage as they have absolutely no degree of slip, no transition from acceleration to deceleration and hence can be a bit more coarse to use. But they are certainly cheap and easy to do.
J.
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:24 pm
by Stuart
Bladerider wrote:the only car I know with soft standard suspension and a welder is a total bastard to drive
:help: You're not wrong big fella......
If your suspension is standard I would make that the first priority to be honest. There is not point trying to get the tail out on the way into a corner if all you're gonna do once getting the tail out is spin every time. Take it from me, that is very frustrating and kills your confidence quicker than you can ask Bladey to eat a pie.
Madenglishman and Trev co-drive a mig spec E30, with rock hard suspension and I think its bloody great to drive

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:18 pm
by IWANT1
Cheers for that then guys.
So some shocks and spring are at the top of the list now

diff welding
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:41 am
by driftmonkey
I dont no why people slag the diff welding so much,ive welded the diff on my supra. its also on coilovers, with very hard springs,and is great.you dont get understeer,my car will turn on a 2pence piece,if you were at snetterton drift night you would have seen it ,the red supra,the only thing i would say,is that it snaps very fast,so you have to be fast with the wheel.its alot che :lol: aper than a 2way diff.and its easy to do...
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:42 pm
by Stuart
Clive
I'm not slagging the welded diff off (as far as I could see, no-one else was either) but on standard suspension it makes it very hard work. On lowered/upgraded suspension it is much better and that has also been pointed out too. Thanks for your endorsement thought, the Supra went well so it proves the theory that has already been discussed
Good luck at Norfolk Arena by the way.
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:44 pm
by ESL
Hi Clive,
As Stu said, cars with standard suspension are a handful when combined with a welded diff. Try Stu's!
I'm going to weld the beemers now as I've had enough practice with an open diff. I don't know if it will make it more or less driveable on the current suspension, but the only way to find out is to try and buy some coilovers if necessary
See you at the arena!
Andy