Thread: LSD

With stock wheel travel,as many of us know,it is still real easy get a wheel off the ground.Imagine how much more capable the LR's would have been.

It is a common misconception that LSDs give traction with a wheel off the ground.
They don't.
LSDs only work with resistance to both wheels. They help when one wheel say is on mud and the other on a better traction surface.

Quafe and Torsen torque biassing diffs work in a different way and may help with wheel off the ground.

Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by d@rk51d3

Correct.

Limited slip centre diff.

Yep, I've even got an old manual that documents all about them

Originally Posted by PhilipA

It is a common misconception that LSDs give traction with a wheel off the ground.
They don't.
LSDs only work with resistance to both wheels. They help when one wheel say is on mud and the other on a better traction surface.

Quafe and Torsen torque biassing diffs work in a different way and may help with wheel off the ground.

Regards Philip A

I am not sure that you are correct there.

A clutch pack will transmit torque to the wheel with traction if the other wheel is entirely in the air. The amount of torque is governed by the clutch pack preload and the amount of friction in the clutch packs.
Usually it won't be much, but it is some.

From memory a Nissan LSD is better than a Toyota one because it also has ramps in the clutch pack to increase the tension when it operates.

My Torsen LSD (Detroit) reverts to entirely open operation with one wheel in the air. It needs some traction on both wheels to act as an lsd. Either that or using the brakes can divert drive.

I am only speaking from experience with both an early Jackeroo and a GQ Patrol.
Both were pretty new and both would not move with diagonal wheels off the ground. So while in theory they can work a little bit, in 4WD practice IMHO they are useless.

It may be that the resistance of the ground/car etc was greater than the drive through the clutch plates, which of course is most often the situation if you have diagonal wheels off the ground.

You are correct with Quaife except for some models, and they can be loaded with the handbrake , as can an LSD and open diff for that matter. Except with a Land Rover with a driveshaft drum.LOL. US army Hummer drivers are trained to do this.

But even land rovers can be loaded with the foot brake. I have never done it as I never seem to think of it at the time.
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by d@rk51d3

Correct.

Limited slip centre diff.

Yep, 70-74 i believe then they went to the vac operated centre locker.

I didn't think they even lasted that long in production.

My brother used to have a '72 and that had the vacuum operated cdl.

Originally Posted by BigJon

I didn't think they even lasted that long in production.

My brother used to have a '72 and that had the vacuum operated cdl.

We probably did get them later than 72, i have my dads original w/manual from his 73 rangie and it has the specs for the lsd center.