Author Topic: Performance Pack Diff Questions  (Read 7098 times)

Offline corgi

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Re: Performance Pack Diff Questions
« Reply #20 on: 29 August 2014, 10:49 »
Is the diff on the PP a safety feature that could help me during normal driving or in the wet or is it just something which only comes into use when driven hard or on the track. Safety is important it worries be a little when reports say you need to bury the throttle in the corner to trigger the benefit. I have an interest in road safety during to my profession  :smiley:

Not really a safety feature as such, it allows you to access more of the performance without spinning away the power through the unloaded front wheel... TBH, if you're seeing regular significant benefit on the public road... then let us know where you're going to be... so we can make sure we're not there  :grin:

So, my understanding is that it is a "torsen" system... In my experience (similar torsen type diff on Integra Type-R), they're very good in the dry and damp/wet conditions reducing understeer and improving traction out of corners... Counter intuitive in snow/icy conditions.

Remember they only work under load. In snow/ice/wet mud etc they tend to lock (100%) and you will find that the car is very reluctant to turn... you need to come off the throttle, turn and then get gently back on the power.

Plate type diffs tend to me more tunable in terms of locking strategy (hence why the rally car I navigate in has a plate type diff) but require much more maintenance (a rebuild every few events) to account for the wear on the plates... This is why the majority of manufacturers who fit an LSD to road cars go for the torsen type as they require much less maintenance...
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Corgi

Carbon Grey Metallic, GTD 3 Door Manual, Dynaudio and Advanced Phone Prep
In the Garage: 2010 Jaguar XKR 5.0 Supercharged Convertible replaced 2004 911 (996) Carrera 4S Cabriolet (15/3/15)

Offline caprigreen

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Re: Performance Pack Diff Questions
« Reply #21 on: 29 August 2014, 19:39 »
Is the diff on the PP a safety feature that could help me during normal driving or in the wet or is it just something which only comes into use when driven hard or on the track. Safety is important it worries be a little when reports say you need to bury the throttle in the corner to trigger the benefit. I have an interest in road safety during to my profession  :smiley:

Not really a safety feature as such, it allows you to access more of the performance without spinning away the power through the unloaded front wheel... TBH, if you're seeing regular significant benefit on the public road... then let us know where you're going to be... so we can make sure we're not there  :grin:

So, my understanding is that it is a "torsen" system... In my experience (similar torsen type diff on Integra Type-R), they're very good in the dry and damp/wet conditions reducing understeer and improving traction out of corners... Counter intuitive in snow/icy conditions.

Remember they only work under load. In snow/ice/wet mud etc they tend to lock (100%) and you will find that the car is very reluctant to turn... you need to come off the throttle, turn and then get gently back on the power.

Plate type diffs tend to me more tunable in terms of locking strategy (hence why the rally car I navigate in has a plate type diff) but require much more maintenance (a rebuild every few events) to account for the wear on the plates... This is why the majority of manufacturers who fit an LSD to road cars go for the torsen type as they require much less maintenance...

Just backs up my view that unless you drive it hard it is of little use. I shall not be doing that so little value to me should have saved the money .... I do prefer the calipers on the PP though  :smiley:
64 plate VW Golf GTI PP Pure white
1991 VW Golf GTI 8v Silver, 30k miles

Jackie Treehorn

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Re: Performance Pack Diff Questions
« Reply #22 on: 29 August 2014, 22:16 »
I guess a quick way to check.

If you press the Mode button and put the car in sport mode on the console near the gear stick. Then go to individual settings and see if the diff is selected as "sport". This will tell us if the diff is always on in sport mode or whether the console mode button just changes the other functions, like steering and dampers if you car has DCC.  If the diff has to be manually selected then people that have the car in sport, don't have the diff active I guess.  If it does select all sport features then you are using the hydraulic clutch based diff all the time, which may lead it to wear quicker, or not...

« Last Edit: 30 August 2014, 07:14 by Jackie Treehorn »