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Does anyone have experience of using a car with and without a limited slip differential? Question is asked with a view to using an LSD-equipped car (front-drive 75-25 split) in moderate snow conditions as an alternative to a four-wheel-drive. The package in question also gives a 30mm lift to about 190mm ground clearance and Michelin Synchrone tyres.
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Does anyone have experience of using a car with and without a limited slip differential?
Haven't these been made obsolescent by traction control?
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L\'escargot.
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4 wd . Its what its designed for !
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4 wd . Its what its designed for !
Wrong, 4 wd can get stuck as well as a 2 wd.
Whether you have 4wd or 2wd, if any wheel loose's traction it will spin and you go now where, with the 4wd if a wheel at the front and rear loose's traction at the same time you still go no where. The wheels will spin till the cows come home.
Imagine driving across a field and you cross a gully and the R/H/F wheel is in the air and the L/H/R is also in the air, then they will spin quite freely in the air and you've lost all traction.
But if a LSD is fitted front and rear, then no matter whether a wheel or wheels loose traction you will still have traction on the other wheel or wheels to move.
Traction Control applies the brake to whichever wheel is loosing traction to make the other wheel /wheels drive.
The new Alfa 147 with a 1.9td 150 hp has a kind of LSD to keep both front wheels driving without wheel spin with all the Torque it has and help with Torque steer otherwise a car with a lower power band and RWD would see it off no problem from the mark. The weight transfer would benifit the RWD and not the FWD with its wheel spining.
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Sorry but its not wrong !
What was 4wd designed for if its not off road (including snow and ice ) conditions.
Yes it can still get stuck but far more likely to keep going than a lsd.
LSD is ideal for sporting conditions to keep drive etc if a wheel goes light in a corner or slips onto loose surface etc during accelerating conditions.
Very simplified but true !
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If it helps, I've had MX-5's with and without a limited slip differential. If you drive enthusiastically, or in slippery conditions it's definately worth having if you can get it. 1st MX5 had one, second one didn't and I regretted it, and I made sure my third one did have one.
Tractional control although similar has a major difference. Tractional control usually works by reducing power via braking. A limited slip doesn't limit power by braking, but allow the power through, but in a controlled manner.. Sometimes a bit of controlled wheel slip can be an advantage, particularly with a rear wheel drive car. Slipping the back of a rear wheel drive car is far easier in my opinion with a limited slip, that without (some people may not like that).
My MX5 has traction control and rear limited slip. With tractional control it is noticeable slower leaving junctions and corners, but undeniable safer. With tractional control, wheel spin is controlled, and it's a bit quicker leaving junctions and corners, but you need to be able to catch the rear end of the car with throttle control and occasionally a bit of opposite steering. I've found some traction control systems can over react a bit (MX-5 is one of them), and not allow even the slightest wheel spin, and can really slow progress in slippery conditions.
If you can get a limited slip differential, I would recommend it.
Hope this helps.
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Addednum,
That said, I would never take my rear wheel drive out in the snow. I've got a 4 wheel drive as well and I would choose that any day over a 2wd with a limited slip.
I quite often go to Scandianavia in the winter and most locals cope very well with 2wd and winter tyres!
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Thanks W. for that reply which ties in exactly with information I have now found in an old Evo article on LSD and track cars posted elsewhere. My family only uses small four-wheel drives - YRV and a Jimny at the moment - but for Continental use I am looking for something slightly bigger but not bedevilled by complicated electronic systems for either engine management or traction control. Both Peugeot and Citroen in France offer LSD on a range of cars and vans from C3 through to the medium-size commercials, and including the Berlingo/Partner diesels. Interestingly, I see Prodrive had fitted a mechanical LSD to its 225 bhp Focus RS demonstrator not so long ago to demonstrate their particular take on the system. LSDs are obviously still very much in demand for some applications.
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I have experience of RWD with and without LSD, but not FWD with LSD.
RWD with LSD - improved traction due to power being applied to both rear wheels. Downside is that if both rear wheels start spinning the car can easily start to slide out. If on ice or snow then both wheels can also spin and you can then slide down the camber in the road into the kerb.
If driving in snow is your main concern then personally I would invest in a good set of winter/snow tyres. I think with the right tyres just about any car can cope quite well, especially in the UK.
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......If driving in snow is your main concern then personally I would invest in a good set of winter/snow tyres. I think with the right tyres just about any car can cope quite well, especially in the UK......
Seconded. Best ones for UK use would be Vredesteins, as they perform best in the wet (AutoBild verdict this season)
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Thanks. We have used winter tyres for a few years now. The YRV Fourtrak has had its Goodyears put back on but no spare set of wheels has turned up secondhand for the Jimny yet. They definitely make a difference to cold weather grip but as something a bit bigger for long-term use is needed in addition; that is why I was looking considering the LSD route rather than the £3000-4000 more expensive Sportage/Tucson size 4WD with more complicated and therefore expensive to repair systems.
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