

| Subject: | Re: Limited slip differential on ice or snow |
| From: | Loren Busch |
| Date: | Sat, 3 Nov 2007 09:40:17 -0700 |
RE: Care to explain your experiences? (Experience is what you get when you were expecting something else) Here goes Mike. First, I'm not saying that a limited slip differential is bad in any way. If I could add one to my '90 Westy automatic I would in a minute. Drove my first cars with limited slip differential in the late '60's while selling Mopar, Chryslers and Plymouths. Chrysler called them 'Positraction' IIRC. That was back in the days where a car salesman had a 'demo' to drive, brand new car that was used as a personal automobile. At that time I skied. So off to the mountains with first a Barracuda 340S, later with a Fury III. I currenty drive a '90 T-Bird with a limited slip differential and have owned/driven at least one other car with limited slip. First, for driving in snow/slush I LIKE the limited slip. BUT, there is one circumstance, easy to find, that will make the rear end slide all over the place. That's when you try to gun it and there is ice under both wheels. The rear end will hop around all over the place and then surprise the hell out of you if one wheel finally gets purchase. The key here is DO NOT try to spin your way out of a slick spot, take it easy. You can also get another situation where you get traction one side then the other then back again. To much gas and the rear end will tend to walk around. All that said, you can get the same effect under the right circumstances with a stock differential if the road conditions are just right. And with a limited slip differential and a big enough engine you can get the rear end to walk across the street just like on ice. Keep in mind that my original comment was aimed at the type of drivers that Karl was talking about, those that don't know or refuse to acknowledge the limitations of their equipment or have a mechanical failure, a problem with the nut holding the steering wheel. A common sense driver on snow or slush or heavy rain isn't going to have a problem and the limited slip differential will be a help just as the diff locker is on the Syncros. But remember that that diff lock on the Syncros is not engaged full time, there are times that you don't want it.
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