Re: Differential Locks

[PDQSHIP@aol.com]

Your biggest enemy to locking diffs in the hi speed dry manuvrs is heat...
 Do not, repeat do not lock that rear when you are on the dry unless you have
500+ hp to make all your turns power on slides....  That rear diff is not a
limited slip, it is by definition a NO SLIP 100% locked differential, and yes
tire wear is a major prollum cuz what this means is that both tires are going
the same speed ALL the time, could be a disaster....  I saw a guy with a
convenient locking diff switch at blackhawk the other week and it was a dry
track with lots of traction....  I gave him that you're nuts look, and figgrd
I should find a boneyard with that diff for him when I got home.....  The Pro
Rally guys used to have a trigger switch for locking the rear pulling the car
(or should I say pushing) out of a dirt/sno/mud slide turn....  It's pretty
cool the way the back squats and shoots you, and I rigged one for the winter
2 years ago, but have since taken it out cuz the temptation was too great to
play....  I still enjoy sliding around ProRally style on some dirt roads in
MI, but if you are playing with that rear diff, understand exactly what you
are doing....  The center on the other hand can be locked at any speed, but
after much playing, I'm not sure there are many advantages to having it
locked, the massive increased understeer it creates offsets just about any
advantage locking it will give you....  I'm surprised Jeff was only 2 sec
slower with locked diff, cuz on dry that combo is rough on the skill and the
car.....   The AWD is pretty good just the way audi put it out, yea the
torsen gleason is nice, but my thinkin is that either setup in most
performance driving doesn't surpass leaving the awd to do its thing.....
 Maybe when you pass the 500hp mark....  Then post me, I'll give you the
design for the trigger......  Until you understand what you are doing with
those diffs to the car and its handling, my suggestion is to become a better
driver with them "open" then you can use proper judgement in the times you're
tempted to use those locks......  And I assure you, it won't be often in any
type of performance driving....


Scott