Limited Slip Differentials
 

Hey All,

My coworker and I have been having a discussion about limited slip diffentials. I've owned a couple vehicles with limited slip rear ends and I always felt like they had a greater tendency to spin the vehicle in slick conditions while cornering when compared to a conventional rear end. Is this just my imagination or does it make sense?

Kevin

Makes sense and is true. When you are running an open rear and you punch the gas around a corner the inside wheel spins like mad but the outside wheel stays on track. With a limited slip rear they both star spinning like mad and you lose traction. Some call it dangerous but I prefer the term fun.

yes id prefer limited slip anyday.

both for fun and practicality reasons. nothing like getting a truck stuck when one wheel is on dry pavement and the other spinning on an iced over pothole...

Limited slip (in the rolling direction) unfortunately does not produce limited 'slide' to the side.
A tire that is not spinning can roll forward or back relatively easily, but is much harder to push to the side. With an 'open' differential one drive tire can spin but the other that isn't spinning can resist the sideways motion.
Linking those two drive tires together with a limited slip, or a locking differential will increase the forward thrust force, but if both drive tires start spinning then the lateral slip resistance is lost.

Thanks VetteOwner. For that reason I always try to buy vehicles with limited slip differentials. I also try to buy with the factory HD towing package so I get the high capacity air cleaner, upgraded alternator, upgraded brakes, plus external oil and transmission coolers. (Even though I almost never tow)

yea i wish my s-10 had a limited slip... ive heard thier pretty bad tho and break somewhat easily...but i belive thats from people trying to d a burnout on dry pavement...

This is the first forum I've ever seen where lots of people actually understand the real results of limited slip rear ends. With an open diff, if you're cruising along and hit a patch of ice, one wheel spins and the other keeps its lateral traction...you may never even notice. With a limited slip, when you hit that patch of ice, both wheels spin and lose lateral traction, and the truck gets sideways.

I'd like driver-controlled locking differentials. Open during normal driving, and I can press a button to get no-BS acceleration traction when I need it.

VetteOwner: The G80 automatic locking differential is known for blowing itself to bits on V8 full size trucks when doing burnouts on dry pavement. It ought to be fine in an S10 being driven reasonably.

Thanks for the replies, it seems like we are all in agreement. I'll let my coworker read this tomorrow and see what he has to say. Maybe he'll post some of his arguments.

people have blown them before on s10's (i have one, and belong to a forum dealing with em lol) prolly not as often as a fullsize but they do "break" can be fixed so thier not totally grenaded

OIC. On the full size truck, "grenaded" is the word used and they really are destroyed like a grenade went off inside. The case is broken open and looks like a cutaway illustration, while the gears have their teeth broken off or have fused together.