Diff Carrier

[olihofmann]

Hello all

Here is the story:
Took my 350i 1986 to work on friday for the last time before the winter starts here in Switzerland. After work the battery didnt make it any more to start the engine. I pushed the car to the end of the car park where the road starts to go down. Jumped into the car let the clutch go and... a big bang from the rear suspension. The car started and i could get it home slowly with strange noises from the rear end. Later that night on the lift i saw that the aluminium diff carrier was in three pieces! I unbolted it from the car and saw that there must have been cracks befor. In Steves "Bible" i read that this is a comon problem and that there are replacemet available.
My question: Has this happened to oders to? Where can i get a replacement? Has anybody made one out of steel tubes?
Any help will be much apreciated
Sorry about my english but i am trying

Oli

[19560]

The best replacements are at the factory. They are cast aluminium with a bottom flange about three times as wide as the original. It happened to me in 1995 but no trouble with the replacement.

[350matt]

Blimey!
How thick is this increased flange, I'd like to check mine...

Matt

[19560]

It's the width that has changed, not the thickness. In plan view the original was like a boomerang, the replacement is like the delta wing Vulcan. The original was rectangular in cross-section whilst the replacement is L shaped. The leg of the 'L' makes it much wider at the base.