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welded 1.8 open diff on daily driver?

8K views 23 replies 17 participants last post by  Phung018 
#1 ·
Hi all

i've got a uk spec na8 roadster. Sadly it didnt come with the torsen LSD and It really needs one, i keep spinning up the inside wheel and it just feels wrong...

I'm trying to save up to get either a torsen diff, kaaz 1.5way diff or the rx7 type one clutch lsd....

what do you think to welding up the standard open diff in the mean time? do any of you guys have any experience of these on a daily driver car?

let me know what you think.
cheers
Tom
 
#4 ·
You know whats worse than one-wheel-drive? The inability to be one-wheel-drive ever again.

Welded diffs pop and clunk and cause your car to skip when truning a tight radius. As a result, you tires, and other components in your suspension will suffer a short life. Save up and get a LSD.
 
#5 ·
wow, 3 perfect replies. I learned something ;), now let me ask further:

so I've gotten the torsen, but have wondered if I could open my roadster up to even better opportunities of grip, torque, consistantcy(like the kaaz 1.5 way) . . . is the benefit of $/ labor worth it?

I also like the OS Giken units; can anyone chime in here & explain my potential benefits?
 
#7 ·
From what I've heard/read about Torsen diffs, never used one myself, they work great when you have grip. When you lose traction it will function as an open diff, therefore no good for drifting. For street, auto-x, light track duty it should work great.

The benifits of OS Giken/Kaaz/Tomei? are you get to spend lots of money for a diff that will lock up even when there's no traction to be had.

RX-7 clutch type LSD is poor mans version of that. ^
 
#8 ·
Torsen works well for drifting...though a good clutch-type will allow for more control when someone is ready to step up to that level. The TorSen just needs to have both wheels on the ground to function...or not be driven on ice as either of those conditions will likely cause the TorSen to unload and function as an open differential. The other problem to a TorSen is too much toque and too much grip. I am currently running the OE TorSen and when I mount my V710s on the car, I can over-load the diff. and make it go into "open mode" on tight, low speed turns.

OSG/Cusco/KAZZ all allow you to change the setup easily. A RX-7 clutch can be shimmed to change preload, but it's not as good as the aforementioned CLSDs. It's hard to get the "right" preload on the RX-7 LSD and if you go read on m.net, likes to act like an on/off switch when pushed hard.
 
#9 ·
Nice, cheers for the replies everyone. Right thats settled it.. I think its going to be a case of taking it easy until I can get the cusco/kaaz/OSG type lsd.

I dont want to open up a can of worms here, but would you consider the OBX diff from ebay and such (rebuilt with the better standard washers and bolts) to be a suitable alternative?

anyhow either way, you've made my mind up. cheers guys
 
#13 ·
Negative Ghostrider. I've never had a TorSen "unlock" when drifting...only when one wheel has come off the ground or when one wheel was on ice. The downside is when off throttle- the car like to try to snap back faster than one with a tighter clutch-type LSD.
 
#17 ·
I have been curious about the OBX diff myself. The honda guys seem to really abuse them and like them after a rebuild. I think in the miata world they might not really serve a purpose as it is a helical lsd, which if I'm not mistaken is the same as a torsen. They are suppsed too be direct rip offs of quaefe lsds which are great. I'm just not sure I could justify buying an OBX when the mazda torsen can be had for about the same price.
 
#18 ·
Torsens are cheap and easy to get if you know how to get one so I dont really see the point of welding a diff. Here is what you do

-Go to car-part.com
-Search for an open diff (non locking) from a 95 miata
-call the yard with one in stock and get the vin # of the car it came off of
-call mazda with vin and ask about the options it had. ie if it had an lsd
-buy diff if it has lsd
-profit

This works well since the torsen fails the locker test that the jy's perform. This is how I got my diff.
 
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