A package just arrived...
12-07-2010, 10:11 AM
#23
Senior Members
Thread Starter
Thanks. Without your early research and experimentation, most of us might not have known this modification was possible.
Me too, haha. I'm gonna buzz over there in an hour and see if it's completed. I assume they've got the diff back from the machinist by now. Should only take an hour or two to put it back in and install the exhaust anyways so I might just hang out and wait for it to be done if it's not done already. It's dry outside today so hopefully we can attempt a few launches to see if it makes a difference to that end. I've never driven a car with a limited slip before so this will be a new experience for me.
People say it feels different in the corners, though I don't know if that means the rear end is more likely to slide or if you can power through the turns better or what.
Me too, haha. I'm gonna buzz over there in an hour and see if it's completed. I assume they've got the diff back from the machinist by now. Should only take an hour or two to put it back in and install the exhaust anyways so I might just hang out and wait for it to be done if it's not done already. It's dry outside today so hopefully we can attempt a few launches to see if it makes a difference to that end. I've never driven a car with a limited slip before so this will be a new experience for me.
People say it feels different in the corners, though I don't know if that means the rear end is more likely to slide or if you can power through the turns better or what.
12-08-2010, 03:01 PM
#24
Senior Members
Thread Starter
OK, so.....
Ended up picking the car up today after lunch, paid the shop bill, and drove the car back to work. The shop did some break-in and cooling, so figured it was okay to play a little on the way back to work. The first thing I did was make a few short radius turns to see if the limited slip differential was so limited that it would cause chirping (like a welded diff), but it did not chirp. I then headed on a few backroads on my way to the freeway and put my foot into it a couple times between 10-15 miles and hour, and could feel extra grab. The car felt more attached to the road on these 10-15 mph straight rolling launches. Unfortunately there was far too much traffic on the road to safely do a real launch from a stoplight, so after getting on the freeway I pulled over on a part of the freeway where there was a wide shoulder and figured a launch would be best performed from there. I turned the traction control off, down-shifted my automatic to 1st gear, and waited for cars to pass. When a break in traffic appeared, I floored it and the tires screeched really loud and the car crept forward slowly. Quickly realizing that the car was not getting enough traction, I backed off the throttle and the car began to gain traction. The differential was working properly because I saw two patches of rubber from the rearview mirror. I had assumed that the 550i wouldn't have enough power to cut both 275/30/20's free, but apperantly I was wrong- it does. Now it seems just need to get more comfortable with the greater level of traction offered by the quaife (which is better than factory differential) or get wider tires, but in any case I LOVE the modification. It feels great!
Got the original rear differential here in my office as well as a cell phone camera, so stay posted for photos of the original diff.
Ended up picking the car up today after lunch, paid the shop bill, and drove the car back to work. The shop did some break-in and cooling, so figured it was okay to play a little on the way back to work. The first thing I did was make a few short radius turns to see if the limited slip differential was so limited that it would cause chirping (like a welded diff), but it did not chirp. I then headed on a few backroads on my way to the freeway and put my foot into it a couple times between 10-15 miles and hour, and could feel extra grab. The car felt more attached to the road on these 10-15 mph straight rolling launches. Unfortunately there was far too much traffic on the road to safely do a real launch from a stoplight, so after getting on the freeway I pulled over on a part of the freeway where there was a wide shoulder and figured a launch would be best performed from there. I turned the traction control off, down-shifted my automatic to 1st gear, and waited for cars to pass. When a break in traffic appeared, I floored it and the tires screeched really loud and the car crept forward slowly. Quickly realizing that the car was not getting enough traction, I backed off the throttle and the car began to gain traction. The differential was working properly because I saw two patches of rubber from the rearview mirror. I had assumed that the 550i wouldn't have enough power to cut both 275/30/20's free, but apperantly I was wrong- it does. Now it seems just need to get more comfortable with the greater level of traction offered by the quaife (which is better than factory differential) or get wider tires, but in any case I LOVE the modification. It feels great!
Got the original rear differential here in my office as well as a cell phone camera, so stay posted for photos of the original diff.
12-08-2010, 03:56 PM
#27
Senior Members
Thread Starter
Kito Autosport charged me $949.00. The differential ran $1325.00 shipped. Total was $2274.00. Took a week-and-a-half to get the Quaife LSD delivered to my door and another 3 days to get it in the shop. Car was in the shop for 2 days because the machinist couldn't get replacement seals from BMW the same-day.
