Well I was speaking in general terms but as far as my situation goes that depends as much on the parts I can or can't affordably source as any planned intent. What are the pro's and con's of a torsen? I know it sounds funny but the E30 is kind of a hog at least compared to similar cars of the 1980s. I'm not complaining as there are clearly benefits to the added size and weight like safety and roominess but I'm not sure where the E30 particularly the 318 hits its stride. It wears me down on long trips with its ride and road noise and it's too fat and neutral to be an ideal throw around car. It doesn't get 35mpg like FWD econoboxes of the same era do but it seems to overtake about as sluggish as one.
If I could afford to do donuts all day and ruin my ride because I had a spare it would make more sense to preserve the e30 and thrash the spare, a lighter car (like a 2002) or a Japanese RWD more suited to drifting and high angle powerslides than a BMW. I guess to truly enjoy the e30 and gear it towards one direction one needs a second daily driver, either a more comfortable commuter like an e28/e34/e39 just to name a few, or a sportier weekend racer like a Miata or RX7 to make uncomfortable. In the meantime I'll be looking through torsen ratios but the simplest solution seems to be to rebuild the 4.10 factory LSD at home or with a skilled friend though I'm not sure about the parts and where to get them.
Might just be that your LSD clutch pack is worn out. Rebuild parts are available from BMW, there are a lot of rebuild guides out on the Google.
How new are your bushings & struts? If any of those are worn out, the car just won't be running at its best.
I'm not sure about your info...IMHO the E30 isn't that heavy at all. It feels solid, but that's just a clever illusion. Drive an early 90's M-B 190e, then get back in to the E30. It'll feel downright light and tinny! I'm told an E30 M42 trimmed for action is ~2500 pounds. My sedan is only a few pounds heavier, and I've loaded it up with goodies. That's only 300 pounds heavier than an '02 - and even the tii made less power!
Comparative sporty cars of the time were similar. I took a look and compared a few of the cars I've known and owned in the past...none of them really stand out. I'll stick with sporty sedans and coupes (a real sports car is an entirely different beast). Let's review them, shall we?
VW GTI? The Mark 2 is nice and light at 2300 pounds, but the tweaked SOHC 1.8 only pushed out 105HP. Even the rare 2.0L GTI/16v was only good for 134. Although my Golf was fun to drive, it was a handful at the limit. It was oh-so-easy to lift the inner rear wheel on anything resembling a turn...not confidence inspiring, that's for sure.
A Honda Civic Si or CRX Si was light - also about 2300 pounds, but their 1.6 was good for only 108HP...and you had to rev the heck out of that car to get some torque. As far as handling, I have never driven a pre-2000 Honda that really felt planted. Fun? Yes. Solid? No.
My old Nissan 240sx had more power (155 HP) and a bit more torque, but it was an easy 300 pounds heavier. The truck engine KA24DE made it easy to drive, great low-end grunt, but it just plain
hated revs (shame they didn't import the CA20DET, eh?).
Even the drifter darling AE86 is only a hundred pounds or so lighter than our 318iS. The Toyota's chassis dynamics are great (except for the live rear axle) and the 4A-GE is a great motor, but it's down a bit on power compared to the M42.
The awkwardly-styled SAAB 900 turbo was good for 160hp. Great handling, solid car. Unfortunately it ran about 2700 pounds. The Volvo Turbos are great cars too, running near 200HP. Unfortunately they're also 3000 pounds.
I left my favorite for last, had to mention it. My flyweight '82 Toyota Starlet (hilarious car, BTW - 1.2L carb pushrod with a 5-speed & RWD) was a whopping 800 pounds lighter than an E30 but only had half the power - maybe 70HP. I ride motorcycles that feel more secure!
Topic: Differentials: Open vs Rebuild kit vs Torsen vs Welded? (Read 18188 times)