LSD at Autocross

[WERA49]

Does autocross cause excessive wear on the clutch pack of a limited slip differential?

My car has the aluminum housing differential, limited slip clutches and 3.15 rear gear.

I've only driven a few, but that was in a very different car.

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[ice445]

Yes. You can mitigate it to an extent with regular fluid changes/servicing, but it's more wear than just regular street use.

 

[mavisky]

Any competition driving event will put more wear and tear on your vehicle than regular daily driving. I wouldn't worry about it too much. In fact I'd run it as is and then as soon as it does stop working as well as it should, slap a Torsen rear diff in it instead of the factory setup.

 

[TeeLew]

Here's the deal. Yes, it does, but the Trac-Loc is such a weak diff in terms of locking potential that it really doesn't matter much. It only keeps it's preload for a handful of friction events in the first place, so that means the overall wear due to any one auto X will be nothing.

 

[mustanghammer]

Came here expecting to read about cones named Alice that talk back. Disappointed

 

[TeeLew]

Came here expecting to read about cones named Alice that talk back. Disappointed

I actually knew this guy in Kansas City about 30 years ago who used to Auto-X a Rabbit GTI and claimed to have run one Sunday tripping. Apparently, it's not all that good for lap time.

This guy was a friend's roommate. My friend came home one time and they guy had spilled gas all over the living room. He said he was huffing out of the can and forgot he had arms.

Car guys can be thoroughly entertaining.

 

[Oakley]

Does autocross cause excessive wear on the clutch pack of a limited slip differential?

My car has the aluminum housing differential, limited slip clutches and 3.15 rear gear.

I've only driven a few, but that was in a very different car.

not if you got a performance pack

 

[TeeLew]

Ford Performance makes some Trac-Loc plates with carbon fiber friction surfaces that could be a advantage compared to stock. We already get the heavy-duty preload spring. I've got a differential plate package I've made for the Trac-Loc which gives it significant more locking capacity, but this is unusual.

 

[Paul McWhiskey]

I am not experienced but it is probably much safer as a spectator.

 

[TeeLew]

not if you got a performance pack

This is the exact package I've bought for mine.

 

[Dana Pants]

My S197 was needing yearly replacement of the clutches because the axle end play would become a very big number. It was on big tires. I dual drove the car hard at a lot of events.

I wouldn’t worry about it too much though. When they die you just convert money into a Torsen.

 

[TeeLew]

What I'm doing, it lets you get 5 plates per side and they're made of hardened tool steel, so wear shouldn't be an issue. They'll likely be a little noisy in parking lots. The block piece was my first attempt at something to add preload, but it didn't work. I've got a different idea, now, but the stock heavy-duty S-spring is a good enough option to start.

 

[mustanghammer]

I actually knew this guy in Kansas City about 30 years ago who used to Auto-X a Rabbit GTI and claimed to have run one Sunday tripping. Apparently, it's not all that good for lap time.

This guy was a friend's roommate. My friend came home one time and they guy had spilled gas all over the living room. He said he was huffing out of the can and forgot he had arms.

Car guys can be thoroughly entertaining.

Probably know the guy and might have been at the event. We did have some crazy ass VW drivers back then

 

[TeeLew]

There were 3 in the group. I can't remember that guy's name, but I remember the other 2.

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