Date:         Fri, 12 Apr 1996 15:39:56 -0600 (MDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         ZUMBRENNEN JOSEPH CORY <zumbrenn@ucsu.colorado.edu>
Subject:      Re: Differentials: open, limited-slip, & locking (was: limited slip , rear end)


Great post Jim, thanks for writing that up.  So let me see if I have this 
right.  In essence my standard Westy wants to put the power to the wheel 
with the least traction.  So if one wheel gets either off the ground, in 
mud or in an icy gutter all the power goes to that wheel and I go 
nowhere. Correct?  So then this LSD that is offered by Weddle Eng. is a 
LockRite.  From talking to them it sounds like it would be around $500 
installed.  Also, it seems that this is a *really* limited slip 
differential.  They say that it pretty much acts like a locked diff. in 
most circumstances where a loss of traction is at issue, but when 
cornering it ratchets.  So when the forces acting on the wheel are 
relativly equal but are trying to make the wheel move at differents 
speeds the locking diff. ratchets.  Does this sound correct?  If so, it 
seems that this would add a lot of advantage when going over rough 
terrain/deep snow/ice.  I am not really interested in making my Vanagon 
grip the street better, it's hard enough to go the speed limit:)  
Considering that Syncro's around here go for at least $3000 more and have 
more things to go wrong, the $500 and the LSD seem like a very reasonable 
compromise.  But not if the LSD is not really limited enough to be 
practical.  I had a LSD on my Pathfinder and it sucked.  I think that 
when Nissan said limited they meant limited to the amount of gas you gave 
it;) Any and all opinions most welcome...Thanks in Advance.

Cory
'86 Westfalia