how to tell if you have limited slip differential

**rion** · June 4th, 2008 01:54 PM

guys, how do you know what kind of differential you have.

it seems there are conflicting how to's about it. some say example: lsd: while both wheels are lifted, on 1st gear, only left wheel will rotate, while right will only rotate if you stop the left rotating wheel... some say this means it is a open differential not lsd.

or on engine off in 1st gear and Rotate either wheel by hand and check that the other wheel rotates in the opposite direction.

and how do you tell if your lsd has worn out?

I read that if you lift only one wheel on 1st gear, the lifted wheel will spin.

**niky** · June 4th, 2008 02:45 PM

An open differential will let you spin one tire while holding the other still. If both tires are in the air and the other tire spins in the other direction when you turn one tire, that's an open diff.

An LSD will try to make the other tire spin in the same direction. A locked differential (as on off-roaders) assures that you cannot turn one wheel without turning both in the same direction.

Very few cars have LSDs. The new Ranger and Everest have it, the old Starex had it (but the CRDi ones don't), the 350Z, the Evo and the Impreza... but most front wheel drive cars only have open differentials.

**alwayz_yummy** · June 4th, 2008 03:28 PM

navara 4wd has lsd...

usually pag may LSD, may cooling find dapat??

**niky** · June 4th, 2008 03:32 PM

If it's a truck differential, sometimes, but not always... If I recall right, there are no external indicators on the Ranger that it's got an LSD.

**[archie]** · June 4th, 2008 03:39 PM

madali lang to know kung 2.0 LSD... try making a u-turn... kung parang bibiyak na yung oto. yun na yun.:bwahaha:

**rion** · June 4th, 2008 04:26 PM

ah ok. gets ko na rin. salamat sir niky.

may lsd na pala yang everest.

peru bakit ata tumaob yung everest sa ateneo. should LSD help avoid this. or LSD is prone on simple surface?

**niky** · June 4th, 2008 09:18 PM

An LSD will not prevent a roll-over.

What an LSD will do is keep traction for both drive wheels within a certain percentage of each other. What it does for the Everest is, if you've got the steering wheel cranked to one side and you suddenly boot the accelerator, it'll do a donut. (a la the drift guys)

But I don't recommend you do this. The Everest has a very soft rear suspension and a very twitchy accelerator... which is why some drivers have been able to make it roll over by doing something extraordinarily dumb.

**rion** · June 5th, 2008 06:37 PM

ah I see.

does that mean yung drag races specialy common cars like hondas. isang gulong lang pala yung na-buburn no?

**niky** · June 5th, 2008 07:01 PM

Depends on the surface, kasi. In a drag race, with the car pointed straight, grip levels between the two tires is similar, so both get power put down to the ground. If the car is extremely powerful and grip is low, you might get the one-sided burnout, but for most people, both tires will spin.

It's only at very high power levels that people start adding LSDs to their dragsters. You can hit 13s and 14s naman without them. Even lower with the right tires. LSD is more important on track, because once you're in a turn, grip levels between the two tires will vary wildly... you will have almost no weight on the inside wheel, and it'll spin freely. With an LSD, the power is transferred to the outside wheel.