How does the Limitied Slip axle work vs the regular axle?

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1999 Ford F150 XLT Supercab, Shortbed, 4x2, Cloth Seats, Amazon green, 16" All season tires, Soft Tonneau Cover, CD Player, 4.6 liter Triton V8, 3:55 ls, towing package, 4 speed auto, K&N Airfilter
Future Mods:
1)Superchip
2)Airbox Mod
3)Flowmaster Exhaust

Fast46Triton

The Terminator!

 

The Traction-Lok LSD has a pair of clutch packs that fit between the spider gears and the carrier, an open differential has no such clutch packs.

When an open differential gets one or both wheels in a limited traction situation, like one wheel on ice, it sends 100% of the driving torque to the least laden wheel, which results in you digging yourself a deeper hole to be towed out of.

In the LSD the spider gears are locked to the carrier until a pre-set difference in load between the 2 wheels occurs, such as going around a slow corner, at which point the clutches slip and the wheels can turn relative to one another just as in an open diff. They relock as soon as the load bias drops below the slip point of the clutch pack

In limited traction situations,like where they're both on ice, the two wheels remain locked to the carrier and will pull together and help pull you out or thru the problem.

In situations where you have one wheel on a limited traction situation, the other wheel will slip, just like an open diff EXCEPT that the clutch pack assures that it carries a some proportion of the available torque, usually about 30% in a stock LSD. This is usually enough to get you out of minor and some major problems.

LSDs also provide some major handling advantages, by guaranteeing torque will be transmitted to the outside drive wheel in a turn, even if you have lifted the inside wheel off the pavement.

In standing starts, like a drag race, the LSD allows you to put nearly twice the power to the pavement and helps keep the car straight.

The reason that a stock LSD isn't set up for 50% is that it would be far too noisy far too often and the manufacturers care about NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) more than they care about nearly anything else.

There is a fairly well known trick involving shuffling the friction discs and steel plates in the clutch packs to make them unload at a much higher load bias and to transfer more torque when they do slip.

Detriot Lockers are similar in concept, except that they're pretty much a 50/50 split under all circumstances, and can be noisy as hell at low speed tight turns, not that anyone with a locker really cares about the Mall parking lot.

Quaife/Torsen LSDs use a worm gear arrangement which transmits torque to each wheel in proportion to load it sees. Put 1 wheel on ice and the other one gets something like 98% of the torque. Very trick, very elegant, very expensive.

[This message has been edited by StrangeRanger (edited 07-20-1999).]

 

Thanks StrangeRanger!

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1999 Ford F150 XLT Supercab, Shortbed, 4x2, 4 wheel disc brakes/4 wheel Anti-Lock Brakes, Cloth Seats, Amazon green, 16" All season tires, Soft Tonneau Cover, CD Player, 4.6 liter Triton V8, 3:55 ls, towing package, 4 speed auto, K&N Airfilter
Future Mods:
1)Superchip
2)Airbox Mod
3)Flowmaster Exhaust

Estimated Quarter Mile Time by the use of a calculator and websites:
ET: 16.7 Trap Speed: 83-84mph

Fast46Triton

The Terminator!

 

StrangeRanger sounds like you know a little(alot) about LS rear ends. What do you know about aftermarket ones. I don't have LS but would like to buy an aftermarket one but don't know which brand/type would be best. Any information would be appreciated.

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97 F150 XLT, 5.4, EXTANG,SUPERCHIP, EDELBROCK SHOCKS,
GIBSON SPLIT REAR,
HELLWIG SWAY BAR,
AIRAID, BOSCH +4,
SONY ES-CDX880 HEAD,
SONY ES-XM5046 AMP
BOSTON PRO'S 6.5 FRONT

 

Traction-lok are cheap, plentiful, rebuildable and work pretty well, better with a little modification (if you don't mind the noise.

Auburns are not as cheap, or as plentiful. They work very well until they wear out at which point they're scrap. No rebuild possible.

Detroit Lockers are a little more expensive, durable, fairly noisy and can have some bad manners in everyday driving.

Torsens are expensive, elegent, and pretty much a race oriented part.

Most bang for the buck? A traction-lok from a low mileage late model v-8 Mustang that some kid married to a phone pole. Available at the junkyard of your choice. In stock form it'l last 100K+ miles with standard maintenance and give you all the benefits you'll likely ever need in standard on-road driving

If performance is an issue, and you want it to unlock at higher load bias, then have the rear end shop repack the clutches. The standard order is D-P-P-D-P-P-D-S (for Disc, Plate and Shim). If they stack them D-P-D-P-D-P-D-S, it'll pull a lot harder before it unlocks, but it'll be noisier, a little twitchier and need rebuilt again a bit sooner.

 

Hi, I have the 3.73 LS gears, are they any good? what are the adv. of any one size? I head the 3.73 had better acceleration power then a 3.55...what's the scoop?


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David
'99 F150 XLT SC, STYLESIDE
4X4 ORP 5.4L, AUTOMATIC,
139wb, Rhino, K&N,
BugGuard, RainGuards
SHE SAID YES! SHE SAID YES!
SUPERCHIP MOD SOON!

 

StrangeRanger,
The Mustang carrier wont work in a truck. The truck 8.8 is splined for 31 spline axles. Mustang has 28. The truck carrier is a good upgrade for Mustangs. The gears interchange from truck to car.

 

Sorry about that, it never occurred to me that the bean counters would allow a 31-spline carrier in a high production vehicle. Used 31-spline carriers are still out there, just a whole lot harder to find

 

Hi Fast

 

StrangeRanger:
I'm putting in a PowerTrax No Slip Locker in my 8.8(31)3.55 LS. I tore it down once, but had the wrong locker and only saw a clutch pack on the passenger side behind the side gear. Is there one hidden up inside the ring gear behind the side gear on the drivers side?

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97 F150 XLT SuperCab 4.6L 2WD, 3.55 L.S., CD changer, Airaid FIPK, White w/red and blue custom pen striping.

 

StrangeRanger. I recently removed the rear end cover to change the fluid. I noticed a thin gear bolted to the outside of the ring gear and approx the same diameter. what's up with that?

Thanks, Henry



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99 F-150 XL 4x4. RC Flareside 4.6 5spd, 3.55LS. gibson 3" cat-back, K&N Gen ll.Westin step bars.Ventshade window deflectors and bug deflector and a cool white shifter ball. The SILVER BULLET. Rock and Roll...Baby!!!