[urq] Diff Lock Question

Tue Jul 1 09:39:17 PDT 2014

I definitely don't recommend it as a practice in dry condition,  that would be stupid.  Just a single case study.... I was driving that car to the ground so I didn't care, but it wouldn't go down so eventually I found a diff someone was selling, 10k miles was only about 4 months of winter driving.  I don't recall the weather but there was a lot of commuting on dry pavement, like I said you could feel it, most when tight turning like parking, it was nothing like having my truck in 4wd and trying tight turns which you really feel and it takes a path different than you hoped.  I consulted my friend and audi tuner Greg before I cut the 15mph diff disengage wire in that car, the white wire mod I think it was called and he said it's no worry (it was a pretty common mod for that model).  I don't know if you can break that drive train with only tire traction force it was pretty robust.  I've heard of people trashing ford transfer cases in trucks by running with different size tires...... the only thing that eventually put that car down was rest.....and rust, it had like 317k on it and I bought Mike Del Tergo's avant because it was the same price as redoing my suspension and brakes and had like 100k less miles and was in better shape.  After I parked it in the back yard and started parting it out it setup with rust pretty quickly, I sold the carcass to some guy who was gonna try to use 20v in his 4000 and his buddy was trying to fit the drivetrain to some weird project VW with some high HP motor.  

As a side note I found the traction in the 200 avant to be better without the rear diff locked, the hill I live on is a winter test piece for local yocals since it is unmaintained for a mile in the winter to get over to the other side.  That’s how I broke the plastic actuator arm, trying to negotiate the ice and snow ruts on that hill. That car also worked equally as well as my friends Toyota truck yanking big stones out of the woods with chains when I was doing some stone work.  Those 200q20v avants were the best cars I ever owned.  I believe in Audi mechanical engineering!  Electrical engineering.....not so much, it's a shame they don't support their heritage, I can get any part for my Porsche still....

And Mike Del Tergo, I don't know if I ever told you the fate of your ex, after I totaled it hitting that deer, I put it back together with pearl sedan parts that Greg had (his brother pulled the bashed front corner straight) and wound up selling to another URQ owner, Fred Smith.  I believe he still has it.  

David Schaible

JRS PHARMA LP | 2981 Route 22, Suite 1 | Patterson, NY 12563
(P) 845.878.8343 | www.highfunctionalityexcipients.com | www.jrspharma.com

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-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Sylvester [mailto:mike at urq20v.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2014 11:26 AM
To: Schaible, David; 'Paul Ahvenainen'; urq at audifans.com
Subject: RE: [urq] Diff Lock Question

David,

I would not recommend doing that.

An open diff can have unequal rotation but has a 50/50 torque split all the time.
A locked diff has locked rotation and can have a 100/0 torque split which means one wheel will loose traction and be forced to do so in tight corners.

How did you turn around in a parking lot?  I'm surprised you didn't break something driving 10k miles that way.

Mike

> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: [urq] Diff Lock Question
> From: "Schaible, David" <David.Schaible at jrspharma.com>
> Date: Tue, July 01, 2014 9:30 am
> To: 'Paul Ahvenainen' <pahven at gmail.com>, "urq at audifans.com"
> <urq at audifans.com>
> 
> 
> Probably good advice thinking about $ and parts availability to repair, however I don't know that I've heard of anyone in 15 years who has had any issues with center or rear diffs.  I broke the actuator arm on my 200q20v rear diff in the lock position and drove it locked almost 10k miles before I replaced the diff.   You can feel it and it will scrub your tires down faster but as far as it being dangerous.....I don't agree.  Many people say the old setup, mechanical diff in center and rear is more predictable than the torsion.
> 
> David Schaible
> 
> JRS PHARMA LP | 2981 Route 22, Suite 1 | Patterson, NY 12563
> (P) 845.878.8343 | www.highfunctionalityexcipients.com | 
> www.jrspharma.com
>  
> This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete this e-mail and destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this information by a person other than the intended recipient is unauthorized and may be illegal. 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: urq [mailto:urq-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Paul 
> Ahvenainen
> Sent: Monday, June 30, 2014 10:17 PM
> To: urq at audifans.com
> Subject: [urq] Diff Lock Question
> 
> I had 2Bennett do some work on my 83 urq last week. It's very nice to work with a team that understands these cars and actually keeps parts on hand.
> 
> Any way, when I picked up the car, they gave me some advice about the differential locking mechanism. Basically, they said don't use it for anything other than getting out of a ditch.  They said it should only be used at low speed, in a straight line, otherwise the handling will be dangerous and the repairs will be expensive. According to the owners manual the system is recommended for use for low traction conditions, like rain. 
> 
> I'm curious about experiences that other early urq owners have had. My car has the single stage activation that locks both the center and rear diff at the same time. 
> 
> Thanks. Paul
> 
> Sent from my iPad
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