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Some VLSD questions

3K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  LastClick 
#1 ·
Hey guys,

By following this guide I found out I have a VLSD (1.6 Miata from '90). At least I have the casing so I guess it means I have the VLSD. When I bought the car, I didn't even know Miata's came with LSD's, so I'm pretty new to this!

What is the ratio from the stock VLSD? Like 20-80 etc.?
When the diff is cold, is it 'more open'?

I want to change the oil in it, but I was thinking, if I use a different oil (thinker), would I get a different ratio? Which would help better when I want to go drifting (on wet).
 
#2 ·
VLSD's are virtually useless at this point in their life. They rely on fluid temperatures to move plates within the housing. However when they become too hot they don't work well either. New from the factory they had very little locking performance to begin with. It's not really a performance oriented unit and Mazda soon replaced it with the Torsen.

Changing fluids shouldn't matter or help the cause.
 
#7 ·
Sometimes a good Torsen comes along cheap..paid $300 for mine a couple years ago...just the pumpkin..was an easy afternoon swap..got it from a fellow Clubmember that was changing from a 4.10 to a 4.30...
 
#13 ·
uhh.. flyinmiata regularly has lsd's go up in their salvage pretty often, and iv seen a couple go out for about 2-300 bucks.

m.net has a bunch of sellers pretty often, but they get snatched up.. i was thinkin maybe find a used gilken, or else just buy a new one... but wasnt sureeeeeeeeeeee
 
#14 ·
for us 1.6L peeps, the Torsen unit is not so bad until you factor axles and a driveshaft in. I haven't lucked my way into one of these $300 for everything super deals yet.

It's worth paying the price for the 1.8L diff because you get the larger ring gear for durability's sake. But then you have to find one with a 4.3 final drive or you end up with less acceleration and I already find myself wanting a 4.875 FD, so thats another gob of money to throw in. Then people will tell you, why bother with the rear end gearing when you can just put in a turbo? But then you still want the stronger pinion from a 1.8L to handle the power not to mention that the cost of turbo adds even more.

There is no cheap way out. I still can't decide what to do so I continue to do nothing and drive my open diff stock motored 1.6L :(
 
#15 ·
for us 1.6L peeps, the Torsen unit is not so bad until you factor axles and a driveshaft in. I haven't lucked my way into one of these $300 for everything super deals yet.

It's worth paying the price for the 1.8L diff because you get the larger ring gear for durability's sake. But then you have to find one with a 4.3 final drive or you end up with less acceleration and I already find myself wanting a 4.875 FD, so thats another gob of money to throw in. Then people will tell you, why bother with the rear end gearing when you can just put in a turbo? But then you still want the stronger pinion from a 1.8L to handle the power not to mention that the cost of turbo adds even more.

There is no cheap way out. I still can't decide what to do so I continue to do nothing and drive my open diff stock motored 1.6L :(
you my friend need to get aquainted with the junk yards... im sure the drive shaft and axles arent expensive and do the rx7/miata lsd
 
#21 ·
I used to shim my diff in my Radio Controlled car, with the rc car this was putting rings on the ends so it would stay still. There was space between the diff housing and the diff itself, so it would move to left and right, with the shims (rings) you would center it and it would stay there. Kind of hard to explain
 
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