Gramma_Benz

Here's a great reference thread about the Phantom Grip Vs. Quaife. The general consensus in that thread is that there's NO CONTEST between the two. Quaife wins hands down.
Although, if you're on a budget, the Phantom Grip may suit your needs well enough.

https://mbworld.org/forums/c32-amg-c55-amg-w203/246751-phantomgrip-going-do-lsds-any-mercedes.html

c32AMG-DTM

Ah, I'd forgotten about that thread - thanks for the link and reminder.

mikekuriger

I had a phantom grip in my car, and it didn't do anything that I could tell. I also have a quaife which works very well. For drag racing, a quaife is the only way to go. I also experimented with a welded differential for a while but abandoned that after breaking axles sent my car into a spin twice! When I break an axle with the quaife, the car just stops pulling - just like an open diff. The phantom grip didn't work at all.

bmw instructor

IIt was a pleasure talking to you the other day regarding how to move forward on the C32 AMG project with the parts listed below.

I also had a chance to talk to xxxxxxx regarding our plan. He is in agreement that the upgrades should be installed incrementally as you have suggested. He is jammed at the moment getting ready for race season and then will be at the Road Atlanta Race Track and will not be available to start the install until the week of the 29th of March. I will call you on March 19th to purchase the Quaife LSD. The plan is to have “all of the parts installed by mid April” as the racing season will be in full tilt by then. We will run a dyno check on the car after the Quaife LSD is in place. I will then purchase the Long Tube Headers and the Dual air Intake system. We will dyno the C32 again and see if we need to consult with whoever you designate from xxxxxxxxx in our area.

After we get all that tuned up to our satisfaction I will purchase the Front mount heat exchanger and dyno again to see if any further tuning is necessary. We have one question regarding the heat exchanger; can you give us a short explanation on how this item specifically works and its benefits??

As a side note I am giving your email the widens possible distribution as we feel that it is “in all of our interest” to get the word out on your suggestions as the feedback form the New England, Ohio MB clubs and other clubs has been very positive. I will tell you that I am “the guinea pig for all of them” and they are waiting for a full report from me when all the mods are in C32AMG and I run an evaluation at NHMS at a BMW racing school in April.

Thank you for setting me on the right road! will buy one this week!

bmw instructor

Hello Noel, I want to thank you for contacting us for performance parts for your Mercedes Benz. I feel like we are a very good resource for both competitive parts pricing as well as an overall knowledge of the vehicles we specialize in. For your C32 there are many parts available but only a few that truly make real horsepower. The best items to install on your car to achieve maximum gains are long-tube headers, air intake, and a heat exchanger. I have enclosed pricing for all of these parts for you to review. I really wish you lived closer to AZ so that maybe we could actually get your car in house and be able to really make the mods perform at their absolute peek with on site tuning on our Maha dyno. There is a huge difference in those cars when they’re tuned properly to when they are not so we always like to make sure our customers get the best for their money. The pricing for the parts is as follows:



Quaife LSD - $1395

Long Tube Headers - $1695

Dual air intake system - $ 595

Front mount heat exchanger - $ 495



These parts do not include shipping as I would have to get an accurate quote for you. I know that you live across the country from us but if shipping your car to us to do the actual installation and tuning is an option, I would love to know it so that we can be 100% assured that you are getting every bit of performance possible for the mods we do. Let me know your thoughts on everything discussed.

lkfoster

Roughly how much is a Quaife LSD install running for a C32 or C55 and what other parts are needed?

bmw instructor

Ya gotta drop the whole carrier to get to it it looks--I'd guess in the neighborhood of $500 for labor. They are trying to get the cost for the Quaife down to $1100 so the total would be $1600 to $1700 more or less.

You do not need any other parts.

I have raced with Quaife in the SCCA for 10 years on my Porsche Race Car in "ITS" class from 1995 to 2005 with no problems and I did about 10 races a year. My laps where 3 seconds better with Quaife at any SCCA road race track.

bmw instructor

I have a 2002 #607 will I have problems with this LSD mod??
What was your total cost for this upgrade??

Thank you!

Lenin

What I paid for it is not exactly relevant. I got my LSD 2 years ago from LET. Paid a total of $1550 for it. The install was not complicated. I paid around $300 (pays to have good friends in the business). After the install, one of the sides started to leak. I ended up buying new drive shafts. Got lucky and only paid $500 for both with local pickup. They were brand new. Part number
A2033502456. They go for over $600 each at parts.com. As far as your 2002 #607, I don't know if the Quaife LSD will work without changing the drive shafts. Didn't work in my car. On the Quaife web site it used to say that Quaife-QDF7V 210 Axle only fits 2003-2004 C32s but it does not say that now. Let me know if you have any other questions.

bmw instructor

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to answer my questions. You are correct cost is not a factor but the correct fit and finish is and you have hit the nail on the head.

I have passed your "valuable information" along with my VIN # and date of manufacture of my C32 to Goodspeed and they have passed that information on to Quaife. As soon as I have the answers I will double back and give you the feedback form Quaife/Goodspeed.

Again thank you!

bmw instructor

From Sean at Goodspeed,

I just talked to the Quaife brand specialist and he said that the QDF7V is for your car and the QDF9V is the proper one for the 2003-04 cars.
Apparently they must have realized the problem and addressed in the last couple years since your guy had purchased his. The 607 on your car is just the AMG production number, the numbers we would be concerned with are whether or not the car has the 210 or 215 axles which they have already confirmed yours to be the 210 axles. I just thought I'd give you that information for you to keep in your own mental file. Lol I feel confident that we are in fact on the right track with what we were doing.

Thanks,
Sean

MRAMG1

Okay, I have to ask. Why in the world would ANYONE waste their time and money to do a Dyno run after replacing their diff

If you have the experience that you claim, you would certainly know this is a waste of both.

MRAMG1

Compared to what?

Open diff, stock psoi, auborn, tru trac, what?

And please let me know what tracks, if you have the time. This seems like a truly magical gain, IMHO.

I can state with track times that at Nelson Ledges road course, an SCCA track I might ad, from a stock posi to a custom one off Auborn I was about 0.75 seconds faster. That is low 1:18's vs low 1:17's. Not quite a 3 second gain.

And if you look at both posi's, the custom Auborn has a higher torque basis rating than a Quaiffi

MRAMG1

Again I couldn't help myself, but after digging you were the one that recommeded using DYNO mode on a raod course for a stock C32. Which of course I did try and was WAY slower, aka one wheel peg legs coming out of ANY right handers which most US tracks have many I might add.

Still think DYNO mode is the way to go with a C32 on the track

As I stated in the other thread "Dyno Mode" IF you have a posi, it would work. But in stock form

And yes I have lap times that prove it

bmw instructor

This C32AMG has never been Dyno so we are establishing a base line for the future modification that will be made to the car. As a new modification is made we will Dyno the car each and every time. This as opposed to the usually “let’s throw a bunch of performance parts in the car with no information as to whether the parts made any difference or improved the performance of the car on the track. We will also as each modification is made will test the car on the race track and log the lap times for each modification made. The parts will be installed and tested one at a time.

bmw instructor

I agree that Dyno mode is always the way to go on the track with this car.

MRAMG1

I guess you did not read the sarcasm in my post properly.

Let me be as clear as possible.

1. In stock form a C32 will ALWAYS be slower at ANY road course when in dyno mode. PERIOD. I have tried this at Beaverun and Nelson ledges and no this as a 100% certain fact.

2. With a posi in a C32 I would ALWAYS agree that it WOULD be faster on ANY road course, as you would no loner be bother with the ECU cutting power.

3. Are you perhaps confusing DYNO mode with ESP mode

I only ask as you logic seems to be pointing in this direction, but we all know what assumptions are my friend.

Again, please enlighten us as to what track you were 3 seconds faster on with a Quaiffi in your Porsche.

You do realize that you are claiming a psoi is as good or better than R type tires in reducing track time.

bmw instructor

I have always been faster in dyno mode.

Dyno mode; insert key turn to position one then hold the trip odometer until the beeps and the rest is blahblahblah.

Any track in the USA but the original testing was done in the 2002 at what was then NHIS.

I run race rubber on the C32AMG as it is just a race track car and nothing more.

MRAMG1

Good luck

Let me know if/when you get to Beaverun or Nelson Ledges as I am always willing to come out for some fun.

I would be very curious to see the lap times with a quaffi.

bmw instructor

Thank you for all your valuable input and the good luck as you can never have enough of that in this business.

I will be sure to double back with you as we make progress with Goodspeed and the rest of the parts.

Also If I am ever teaching racing at the two tracks that you mentioned I will be sure to give you heads-up.

MRAMG1

Thanks anyway, but I am already a part time instructor at both