rearend swap

[ma208c]

can you simply bolt on a 2011 m3 rearend to a 1995 318i sedan? alot of fab work? i installed a v8 engine

[bmwdirtracer]

Not even close.

The driveshaft won't fit.
The axles won't fit.
The E92 M3 driveshaft/diff connection is specially balanced.
The diff mountings will be very different also.

But hey, it won't be any harder than it was to put a V8 in it. Obviously, you already have access to serious customization equipment and capabilities.

[pbonsalb]

Many of us have installed 210mm diffs in E36. There is even a weld-on bracket to put an E32 750il 3.15 LSD in an E36 rear subframe. A fabricator should be able to fit other similar size diffs. People have put Ford 8.8s in E36. Simple, no, but possible, probably and if you can put a V8 in an E36, you should be able to figure out the diff conversion.

[bmwdirtracer]

I was surprised to see that the E92 M3 used a fairly normal 210 diff. I thought I'd remembered an electronic lock, but I saw no sign of it in TIS. I did however see that the driveshaft/diff coupling is specially balanced, so attention will need to be paid to this.

It's worth noting that there's a HUGE difference between the three-pedal car and the dual-clutch car: Normal six speed uses a 3.85 diff, and the dual-clutch uses a 3.15 !!!

Pbonsalb, doesn't the 318 use smaller axles and hubs? I can't recall...

[pbonsalb]

I would assume the OP will convert to E36M3 trailing arms and rear brakes and use E3M3 axles, which have a bigger flange to boltbyonthe 220 diff output stubs. But I don’t know whether the E90M3 diff uses even larger output stubs than the E32 diff that I use. The question then would be whether the older 210 diff output stubs pop into the later diffs. I think I read they do but am not certain. Custom work often takes a lot of research, trial and error and maybe fabrication. That is time and money. It can be fun if you have plenty of both. I try to take the easy way and do what has been done before — and even then it can be a pain.