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Thread: Help figure out what diff ratio I have

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    La Jolla, CA/ASU
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    Default Help figure out what diff ratio I have

    Alright, I have a 1990 535i 5-speed and I just got under the car for the first time only to see a big "S" on the bottom of the diff. I was always under the impression that it was an open diff (I think I searched what the stock 535 diff was, can't remember it though), so now I'm left wondering what ratio mine is.

    At 3k rpms, I'm going 80mph in 5th gear. That's about all I can give you.

    Anyone have a guess as to what it is? I'd rather not be told to get under the car and check out numbers on the side of the diff.
    Jeremy Bull

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    Default

    I have a 3.64 and at 100 k which is 62 mph i am doing 2300,so for each 1000 rpm i do 26.95 so 3000 rpm =80.86....guess what ratio you have
    Gone but not forgotten

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Brisbane Australia
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Paul in NZ
    I have a 3.64 and at 100 k which is 62 mph i am doing 2300,so for each 1000 rpm i do 26.95 so 3000 rpm =80.86....guess what ratio you have
    what kind of tyres do you have?
    and what's the Gearbox overdrive ratio?

    Germans: Why can't they make everything?

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Default

    Sheesh
    I run 235 45 x 17 tyres,and my top gear 260/6 getrag ratio is 0.81 according to gales page.I beleive one of the sport options is a slightly lower diff ratio than the normal 3.46 535
    Gone but not forgotten

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    Default

    Oh, and I have 245/45 & 265/35/18s. It's off by such a small amount that it shouldn't matter in this situation. 3.64 sounds right.
    Jeremy Bull

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Connecticut, USA
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    Default

    I have 3.64 on stock basketweaves... 3rd gear, 3000rpms = ~80mph
    1990 Islandgrun 535iM Sedan

    3k oil changes | Euro lights + trim | Eibach/Bilstein | EAT Chip

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Vancleave, MS
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    629

    Default wow... my 525ia does about 3K RPM at 80mph....

    ... don't know what diff that is, but would have thought it'd be different than 535i w/gertrags and a 5 speed tranny (verses my 4 speed auto GM). ?
    1993 / 525ia / M50TU / EAT / Sachs / Infiniti Kappa & Basslink / super clean / Style 5s wearing Pilots / Mobil 1 everywhere / long road ahead

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Elm Grove Farm, NC
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    Default

    535i 5 speed should be a 3.46:1 ratio.

    LSD was an option- it's hard to tell which cars have it and which cars don't without a visual check of the diff or the tag.


    Bret

  9. #9
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    It's not too hard to tell if it's an LSD. There's a giant yellow "S" on the bottom of limited slip diffs.
    Jeremy Bull

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    Elm Grove Farm, NC
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    Quote Originally Posted by permit
    It's not too hard to tell if it's an LSD. There's a giant yellow "S" on the bottom of limited slip diffs.

    What I said was it's hard to tell if the car has LSD "without a visual check of the diff or the tag". The "S" is white, there's supposed to be one on the bottom, and usually one on the top- but that one's hard to see unless the diff is removed from the car.


    Easiest way to tell is to scrape the crap off the metal tag and look for the "S" stamped on it.


    Bret.

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