Awd conversion

[x'ed]

Trust me, I hate these type's of stupid ass threads as much as the next guy, but this car seems different. With the s40 running on the same platform and the mazdaspeed 6 running the same engine and tranny, how hard would it be to convert this car to awd? What parts would you need and is it at all feasible. I just wonder because I drive in NASA (the 240sx) and want to convert the ms3 to a track car in about five years and think it would be alot better out there, for me at least, with awd. Flame away, but I am looking for someone with knowledge on this platform. It "seems" like it shouldn't be that hard, but I don't know anything about this platform. Would the ms6 stuff work, or is that car significantly larger?

 

[Nachtsturm]

Trust me, I hate these type's of stupid ass threads as much as the next guy, but this car seems different. With the s40 running on the same platform and the mazdaspeed 6 running the same engine and tranny, how hard would it be to convert this car to awd? What parts would you need and is it at all feasible. I just wonder because I drive in NASA (the 240sx) and want to convert the ms3 to a track car in about five years and think it would be alot better out there, for me at least, with awd. Flame away, but I am looking for someone with knowledge on this platform. It "seems" like it shouldn't be that hard, but I don't know anything about this platform. Would the ms6 stuff work, or is that car significantly larger?

(yupnope)Ricer.

 

[zerocover]

Its going to be way hard. The 6 is a bigger car, different platform so the length is wrong. Axles/drive shafts wont fit maybe with some custom parts you can get it to work but wont be bolt on.

The s40 is a much better donor, right size and shape and most of the suspension parts interchange (hooray!) The transmission is key though, its a pure volvo part so your going to have to swap in the engine too. Should be possible as most of the stuff is the same. Think about it Mmmm T5, its like a euro SVT focus.

Now that I think about it maybe mix and match parts, ms6 tranny into volvo rear end 1 custom drive shaft wont cost that much.

 

[Adammazda06]

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123686855

i just posted this a short time ago. why not contact the company to see what they did. i am curious to also know how much work would have to be done.

 

[MS3-oholic]

The MS3 is AWD in Japan. Wouldn't be very hard to convert if you could get the parts.

 

[spenone]

The MS3 is AWD in Japan. Wouldn't be very hard to convert if you could get the parts.

(screwy)(screwy)

 

[nig3]

ive already looked underthere and there is already a rubber mount designed to support a rear diff housing. That being said im sure its very possible you would just need to by alot of parts and a new a tranny. pretty much it would be cheaper to sell your ms3 and get an evo or sti instead

 

[6262MS3]

You just need to find a Volvo S40 that rear-ended an ms6, both written off. Then you can get the tranny w/centre diff, ecu and wiring from the ms6 and the driveshaft, rear diff, axles, hubs, mounting hardware and probably some suspension pieces from the s40. Then you've got to make it all work, I don't know how well a ms6 ecu would work in an ms3 (engine would be fine but stability control, brake force distribution and who knows what else would be messed). But then the car would be heavier, put less hp to the wheels, handle and brake worse unless you spent some serious time recalibrating everything. On the plus side you'd have no boost limiting in 1st and 2nd and if you wanted to make an hp monster then it would actually be able to put it to the ground.

 

[ill_eagle94]

Its going to be way hard. The 6 is a bigger car, different platform so the length is wrong. Axles/drive shafts wont fit maybe with some custom parts you can get it to work but wont be bolt on.

The s40 is a much better donor, right size and shape and most of the suspension parts interchange (hooray!) The transmission is key though, its a pure volvo part so your going to have to swap in the engine too. Should be possible as most of the stuff is the same. Think about it Mmmm T5, its like a euro SVT focus.

Now that I think about it maybe mix and match parts, ms6 tranny into volvo rear end 1 custom drive shaft wont cost that much.

Tranny(engine too?) from Speed6, custom driveshaft.

 

[dkswim]

just set it up for a straight 50/50 split then you wouldnt have to mess with all the computer stuff yet.

 

[Red5_02]

Buy a used Evo. done

 

[MS3-oholic]

I messed up, it's the Axela sport that is AWD in Japan.

 

[fourthmeal]

I posted this before, and I'll say it again.

I work at Identifix, which provides fix information for dealerships and independent repair shops. A person who was wearing a Mazda "Zoom Zoom" polo shirt (who later identified himself as one of the Mazda Engineers that helped design the MS3 on the North American side of the corporation) who was visiting our company in Las Vegas came by and spoke with me as I was leaving for the day. He asked how I like the Speed3, and what is my impression of this, that, etc. I told him, "pretty good except for when my engine fell out of the damn car", and he remarked that he heard about this happening and said he was afraid it would be an issue down the road. I asked him a few questions about why they used such weak mounts and why the engine moves as much as it does, and he said the NVH guys won that battle...

Then we got into traction issues. He showed me the DSC/TCS trick that a lot of you know now (the one where you start the car with the button pressed, to disable ALL computer intervention), and he mentioned that it will make the car much more powerful in 1st and 2nd (he didn't mention boost limitation but I took the hint.) I asked him why the heck is it FWD if it has almost 300HP, and he mentioned that it CAN BE AWD with some parts from the parts bin, and a few custom parts. He shrugged and said he was for AWD, but the MS6 was flopping pretty badly, and they wanted to try something different, and it just came to be what it is today. He said the trans can take it, and the tunnel is already there sharing space with the exhaust, and the rear subframe can take it as well.

Now, whether he was just running theories through my mind like engineers tend to do, or whether he was hinting at some seriously cool s***, I don't know. But I do know that the day this happened, I turned off my DSC/TCS system and I haven't left it on since (unless it is raining!)