Differential Issue When Turning Sharp (Dangerous!!!)

[LDHunter]

OK... I'll preface a bit first.

I had a 2020GT Premium and drove it a bit over 20K miles with no issues like this but a whitetail buck decided to total it so I took the insurance money and bought my current GT California Special Edition and about 2K miles I had a weird problem start showing up every once in awhile.

When I would turn onto a busy road necessitating a somewhat quick acceleration the differential would make clunking type noises.

I reported it when I went in for a software update at about 2K miles and the service writer said that if it got worse to let him know.

When I went in for my 10K oil change I told him it was getting bad and left it with them. The service writer called me in an hour or so and said one of the service techs had test driven it and said that was normal.

Fast forward to now.... I have about 15K miles on it and the problem is getting downright dangerous. If I need to accelerate from a side road onto a busy road with traffic coming I have to be super careful because now I'll end up sideways because only one wheel seems to be getting power and it's scary as heck.

So... I already intend to take it back to the dealership and warn them that I will be contacting Ford if they don't fix it this trip.

Has anyone ever even heard of this issue? I think it's just the limited slip differential not transferring power properly but there are a lot of people on here that are way more knowledgeable about stuff like this than me.

A quick google found me this.......

The majority of Mustangs come equipped with a limited-slip type differential called Traction-Lok from Ford. A limited slip differential maintains traction by “sensing” when one wheel is slipping, locking the wheels together and thereby redirecting greater torque to the non-slipping wheel.

Your thoughts?

Sponsored

 

[shogun32]

The el-cheap-ass S spring in the diff may be sacked or broken. Take it to a different dealer who is hopefully staffed with people with ears, eyes and brains.

 

[LDHunter]

The el-cheap-ass S spring in the diff may be sacked or broken. Take it to a different dealer who is hopefully staffed with people with ears, eyes and brains.

That makes sense but I'll give this dealer one more chance because they've been very good to me so far and highly value my business because I've bought 4 new Fords from them in the last 6 years.

 

[Oakley]

before you do that talk with the GM and explain how this is a safety issue that you've asked about publicly. hit up ford customer service, they're equally useless but at least it might get on record that way. it definitely sounds like somethings up with the clutchpack in the diff or the s spring like the one guys aid. the standard diff isn't as good as torsen but it should at least be predictable.

 

[shogun32]

The spring is easily replaced I think, so I would have them open the case, drain the fluid put new spring in and refill with friction modifier per spec.

 

[sms2022]

Not really sure how it’s a safety issue, plenty of cars running around out there with an open diff.

are you sure only one wheel is spinning? Usually it’s fairly hard to get sideways with an open diff.

 

[JohnVallo]

The 2022 Mustang GT Premium California Special specs show it comes with a Torsen Rear-End:
2022 Ford Mustang GT California Special (topspeed.com)

This is pretty much normal behavior for the Torsen, as mine also does this exact same thing occasionally.

 

[LDHunter]

Not really sure how it’s a safety issue, plenty of cars running around out there with an open diff.

are you sure only one wheel is spinning? Usually it’s fairly hard to get sideways with an open diff.

It's a safety issue because I end up sideways or nearly so in front of approaching traffic and I have to struggle to stay in my lane and not get rear ended.

Managing 450 horsepower in a light car even with the great features and good handling my Mustang has is pretty simple but loosing traction seriously enough to end up almost completely out of control in front of approaching traffic from the front and the rear is dangerous in my book.

I used to autocross and am pretty experienced in handling sideways drift but this is not predictable and I'm not completely sure why it gets sideways or nearly so as easily as it does but it does and it's not nearly as easy to control as a planned drift with throttle on.

This is more like, one moment you have total control and the next moment all traction is lost in the rear and it tries to come around you. It's pretty hard to predict or control.

 

[sms2022]

The 2022 Mustang GT Premium California Special specs show it comes with a Torsen Rear-End:
2022 Ford Mustang GT California Special (topspeed.com)

This is pretty much normal behavior for the Torsen, as mine also does this exact same thing occasionally.

My thoughts exactly - it’s not an open diff, its locking and you are spinning the wheels

 

[sms2022]

It's a safety issue because I end up sideways or nearly so in front of approaching traffic and I have to struggle to stay in my lane and not get rear ended.

Managing 450 horsepower in a light car even with the great features and good handling my Mustang has is pretty simple but loosing traction seriously enough to end up almost completely out of control in front of approaching traffic from the front and the rear is dangerous in my book.

I used to autocross and am pretty experienced in handling sideways drift but this is not predictable and I'm not completely sure why it gets sideways or nearly so as easily as it does but it does and it's not nearly as easy to control as a planned drift with throttle on.

This is more like, one moment you have total control and the next moment all traction is lost in the rear and it tries to come around you. It's pretty hard to predict or control.

Do you have the OEM pirellis on your car? If so toss them right into the garbage. What temperature is it by you? Below 30 my summer tires have 0 grip and the torsen likes to lock up on sharp turns.

 

[shogun32]

It's a safety issue because I end up sideways or nearly so in front of approaching traffic and I have to struggle to stay in my lane and not get rear ended.

@Bluemustang likes to do that coming off River road onto MD197.

Hey Ryan, now that you have the 3.55 Torsen do you have an observation?

 

[TeeLew]

Fast forward to now.... I have about 15K miles on it and the problem is getting downright dangerous. If I need to accelerate from a side road onto a busy road with traffic coming I have to be super careful because now I'll end up sideways because only one wheel seems to be getting power and it's scary as heck.

That's not just a burnt-out diff with no preload. You've got something strange going on there that needs a full check.

 

[cmxPPL219]

Based on your timeline of events, looks like you bought the Cali Special new? If so, I wonder if there was no friction modifier added to the differential gear oil (or not enough of it) from the factory fill.

Seems like a rare possibility, but especially with Ford, we all know anything can happen. Perhaps a drain and fill with proper spec Motorcraft gear oil and XL-3 friction modifier added, is a start?

 

[LDHunter]

Do you have the OEM pirellis on your car? If so toss them right into the garbage. What temperature is it by you? Below 30 my summer tires have 0 grip and the torsen likes to lock up on sharp turns.

Yes... I have the OEM Pirellis on it and I hate them but that's not what causes this. I admit they're horrible and slip easily but you can hear a grinding type noise in the differential when this happens.

Sometimes when I take off from a dead stop and it's been sitting for awhile it makes horrible sounds. A few times it sounded and felt like someone hit it with a sledge hammer.

 

[sms2022]

Yes... I have the OEM Pirellis on it and I hate them but that's not what causes this. I admit they're horrible and slip easily but you can hear a grinding type noise in the differential when this happens.

Sometimes when I take off from a dead stop and it's been sitting for awhile it makes horrible sounds. A few times it sounded and felt like someone hit it with a sledge hammer.

Yeah that’s not normal. I have a slight chatter from the rear end lockup/tires when cold but not like that. Need to get it checked out.

Sponsored