So after 118,000 original miles on my 2003 E39 530ia. I decided to upgraded to a limited slip differential from Performance Gearing. Got it installed on Thursday at Active Autowerks. I love it! Wow, The car reacts so much better. I changed the final ratio to 3.91. Wow!. Just had to share that.
Limited Slip Differential - 540i . I've been thinking about making that upgrade on my 2002 540i.. If you don't mind me asking ... what did the job cost you? What was the cost of the parts from Performance Gearing? What did it cost to get the parts shipped to you? What was the total labor cost? Thanks
The LS unit was $2,725.00 (including shipping) this included a core charge of $200.00 which is refundable if you send your LSD back. I decided to keep mine. The install does not take more than one hour. However, the shop may charge you for 3hrs since this is what is in their book. So negotiate. After I saw how quickly the guys did the install I realized I overpaid, but budget about $300 -- you may even do this yourself. Also plan on changing your differential oil after about 800 miles. Remember you will need the Redline with the LS additive. Since I got it, I have tracked the car. Something I had never done before and it was awesome, awesome, awesome . . . The car just takes on a different personality when you floor it.
I have dipped my hand in doing things I thought I could do quickly and inevitably it takes me twice as long. Mostly because of the lack of proper tools and the time I spend looking for a work around in my garage. I would say this would take you about 2.5-3 hours if you are guessing at it. The diff is heavy, so be careful taking it off and you may need help putting the new one on or at least some kind of support.
You should also check out diffsonline.com when looking for an LS replacement or custom build. Dan is great to work with.
