[torsen] RE: 15mph diff lock off

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/11/01 5:17:45 PM Central Standard Time, 
Dave.Eaton at clear.net.nz writes:

> there i was, thinking that a bunch of audi engineers had done some tests,
>  and due to their concerns over stability, particularly under braking,
>  decreed that the rear diff lock should not operate at speeds above 25km/hr.
>  they'd even put their names to the sae paper, and therefore their
>  reputations.

Here I was thinking that a bunch of audi engineers had done some tests, and 
due to their concerns for the safety of *all* the gen I locker cars produced 
before torsen, had helped these poor souls in their efforts for a class 
action suit based on a known fault in the Gen 1 quattro system.

>  
>  silly me, for a idle moment i considered that they might know what they 
were
>  doing?
>  
>  but, of course, they hadn't asked you scott!  if they had, they would off
>  course have changed their minds, and disabled the cut-out.  after all - 
what
>  the hell do they know?

Silly me, for an idle moment I considered that maybe a split u of .8 and .25 
might be limiting the scope of the test somewhat.  I'm thinking in context of 
*so* many rally cars with locked center and rear diffs, constantly on split 
u, spinning off the course because they couldn't possibly handle 500degrees 
of steering input.  

>  
>  now, scott, i note that in the attached, you neglected to provide the
>  address of your business - could you please supply this, my insurance
>  company wants to know....

Dave, how about we leave the specific tests to the audi engineers, and point 
out what and where these tests might not be complementary to real world 
experience, or just give a limited amount of data which would apply to the 
conclusion they *wanted* to reach (audi engineers would *never* do that!:).  
YOU have the ability to disable your BL/WHT wire (put a switch in it), which 
would take you less than 10 minutes on either car, and put up *your* thoughts 
wrt locking and unlocking the rear diff in split u.  That's what I did, and 
shared my exact experience wrt this paper and it's conclusions in split u 
conditions, 7 years of them.  I haven't had to put 500degrees of steering 
input into my locked rear diff yet, so I have a feeling that split u 
conditions described might just happen as rarely as your experience with the 
spider bite?

Tongue firmly in cheek, I encourage you Dave, to take a more active role in 
btdt wrt all this documentation you've been reading.  In this case, it would 
take you very little effort.

Thanks Dave, for your posts

SJ