torsen wear (was Re:More torsen discussion by C1J1Miller)

[Phil Rose <pjrose@servtech.com>]

>Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 20:04:30 -0500
>From: "Smith, Kirby A" <kirby.a.smith@lmco.com>
>Subject: Re:  More torsen discussion by C1J1Miller
>
>Thanks Chris.  I think, in addition, we need to consider whether there
>is also a wear parameter operative in the purported spider bites.
>Although we all know that Audi parts never wear out, is it possible that
>due to different levels of use, especially with extra horsepower, that
>some observers' torsens might have non-standard internal frictions at
>critical points, thereby behaving differently than those of others under
>conditions of high power and extreme turning?  Judging from my
>experience with this list over the last 1.5 years, the torsen is about
>the last thing anyone considers taking apart, so I suspect we do not
>have the depth of tweeking knowledge for torsens that we have for bypass
>valves, say.  Considering the degree of gear interface adjustment needed
>to reassemble a mere standard differential, I find it unlikely that a
>torsen is immune to wear and free of adjustment potential.  Anyone here
>actually know more about this than my speculation?

Deja vu Kirby! Last week I posed a similar question (about liklihood of
significant torsen wear) but there were _no_ responses. My question was
(and still is):

>Anyway, now that I've read about the function of the thrust washers
>(bearings) >that Graydon referred to, I wonder if these are a normal
>"wear" item. Will >these washers tend to wear and cause the friction to
>change over umpteen+ >Kmiles of use--i.e., to the extent that the
>performance characteristic of the >Torsen diffs might change significantly
>from the original factory spec? Is >there a testing procedure? Is it
>unheard of to have (or need) a Torsen diff. >repair for this? I don't seem
>to hear much at all about Torsen diff. problems.

That was posted just before the torsen "spider-bite" exchange began to heat
up. This evening I was about to re-phrase my torsen "wear" question along
the same lines as Kirby did: Are well-worn torsen diffs likely go a little
"quirky" (e.g., hunt) when pushed into some situations that a newer (less
worn) torsen can handle without problems? Just a thought.

Phil Rose

Phil Rose		Rochester, NY
'89 100			pjrose@servtech.com