[s-cars] Differential symptoms -- wha's going on?

[Ian Duff]

Your car has a Torsen middle diff. It does not have clutches, so  
changing the fluid will have no effect on a limited slip diff clutch.

Are the front and rear tires the same? Same brand, same model, same  
size, same age? If they are different, there could be a minor  
difference in circumference, meaning a small speed difference between  
the front and the rear that is accommodated at the middle diff.

Do you know which tires are scuffing? Inside front would say it's  
prolly the front (open, not limited) diff. Either rear would say it  
is perhaps the middle Torsen diff. If you're not sure which is  
scuffing, find a flat sand or dirt patch, drive onto it straight,  
then from a stop, and at hard lock either direction, slowly drive  
ahead. If you have friends, ask them to look at the wheels to see if  
they can see one slipping. If you're like me, and you can't pay  
people enough to be your friends, after a few yards at very slow,  
full lock driving, stop gently, get out and have a look at the tire  
marks in the dirt. You might get lucky and have three corners of  
clear tread marks and one corner showing slip/skid.

HTH.

-Ian Duff.

On 06 Jul, 2007, at 01:12, Steve Voit wrote:

> S-heads:
>
> My newly installed EDU transmission is great.  Only hitch is that  
> the car
> does not like big steering lock, such as in parking lot.  When I  
> apply more
> steering than usually needed for the street the drivetrain seems to  
> bind up,
> makes a rumble, and the tires seem to scuff, at least in smooth  
> parking
> garages.  WTF???  Never happened with old transmission.  It's  
> exactly like
> our 4x4 in low-range, except not as pronounced.
>
>
>
> My neighbor (talented mechanic) suggests this may simply be an  
> imperfect
> compatibility between the lubricant (Redline MT90) and the limited  
> slip
> clutches, and he suggests an additive (I didn't get the name of  
> it).   Do
> our cars have limited slip?
>
> Comments very much appreciated.
>
> Steve Voit
>
> 95.5 S6
>
> Seattle/Mercer Island
>
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