I'll share my honest opinion. I went to a 3.38 over a year ago and it has been a love/hate relationship.
Love:
- The extra torque. The 3.38 basically puts 10% more torque to the ground over the 3.07. That's nice. I like torque.
Hate:
- Shifting all the gd time. First gear is a joke so I end up shifting in the middle of intersections. It's annoying.
- Looking for another gear on the highway. It's really not buzzy or anything, just a little too high. Basically feels like I'm driving in 5th gear instead of 6th. I thought I would get used to it with time, but I still find myself checking to make sure I'm in 6th and cursing the 3.38.
I bought this LSD thinking I would go back to the 3.07 because of the above mentioned hate points, but I REALLY like torque, so I'm making a compromise between the angel/devil on my shoulder and splitting the difference with a 3.23. That should be 5% more torque to the ground than the 3.07, but I can actually use 1st gear again and won't be so annoyed on the highway. Maybe. It's untested.
Just my opinion after a year of driving it though. Someone (BP) will probably tell me I'm wrong.
3.38 was stock in my zhp vert auto so no choice was made. With the 5 speed it was horrible, with the 6 it's better. I'm turbo now so 3.38 is definitely not the right choice but I enjoyed it NA
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Modification ThreadOriginal Car: Silver Grey on Grey, A/T (1 of 186)
As it sits: Silver Grey on Black, M/T (1 of 51)European Auto Source TechInstagram: @CarbonZHP
Not chiming in to tell you you’re wrong...just offering another data point/opinion;
I installed an M3 diff w/a 3.62 ratio, and while it can be a bit annoying that 1st gear is so short, 2nd and 3rd are awesome. It only tachs about 500RPM higher at 80, (see pics here) which isn’t terrible. In many situations, starting off in 2nd is almost the same as 1st was with a 3.07.
It’s a compromise, but the snappier acceleration is worth it IMHO.
Last edited by cornercarver; 10-06-2019 at 06:43 AM. Reason: Edited to fix the link...
-Chris
I am with you on all these points, though my 'hate' is slightly more intensified by the fact that it's a 3.46 in mine, which is too crazy for my tastes. I would have preferred a 3.15 or 3.23, but for what I paid for my 3-clutch Diffsonline LSD, it was an absolute steal.
I will say that the useless first gear definitely makes me feel like my car has 800hp, revving out so quickly.
Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
I know you have like a billion projects right now but that lsd should be able to swap right over to anything 3.15+. I'm really excited for my 3.23 that came from a Z4. I saw one guy say that they had lower friction bearings compared to the E46 diffs. No idea if that's true but I like unsubstantiated claims that fit my world view.
On another note this diff is sold lol
Damn I was just gonna ask if it would fit a 5-speed auto...would it?
On another note, does the attached picture indicate that I need to replace my diff? (I’m at 100k miles)
~ 2005 330ci ZHP Silbergrau | Black cube | Leather ~
Current Mods: Akebono brake pads, Bilstein B4 Rear Shocks, Beisan Systems VANOS Rebuild, G.A.S. DISA O-ring, Morimoto fog lights, StopTech SS brake lines, Subwoofer tennis ball mod, Switchback Angel Eyes (turn signal), Zimmermann drilled rotors.
My project thread ---> http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showt...into-a-reality