Powertrax Limited slip unit
01-11-2008, 06:14 PM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 332
Powertrax Limited slip unit
Does anyone have one of these installed :
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...p;autoview=sku
I'd like some opinions on this unit and any others that have given good results. I do not plan on drag racingvery much so I'm really not interested in a full locker. I'm using the car mostly on the street. Just tired of doing the "One Wheel Peal"
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...p;autoview=sku
I'd like some opinions on this unit and any others that have given good results. I do not plan on drag racingvery much so I'm really not interested in a full locker. I'm using the car mostly on the street. Just tired of doing the "One Wheel Peal"
01-11-2008, 06:47 PM
#3
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: California
Posts: 10,468
RE: Powertrax Limited slip unit
That's not an LSD, it's an automatic locker. That's what I have and it's got it's pros and cons.
Pros: No parts to wear out since it doesn't use slippsage to work, under power or in a straight line you get total axle lockup, both wheels spin at the exact same rate. It does differentiate for turns as long as you're not into the throttle too much. It's light and very strong since it's made from a Titanium alloy. Excellent traction all the way around, great at the track, great on the street, and I drive with this car in rain and snow without issues. Also you don't need any special additaves in the gear oil, or any special type of gear oil.
Cons: When you get on off the throttle in a curve on the highway/roadway where you're under power, it canhave a lock-unlock situtation that can increase/decrease push. In the throttle the car has more understeer and when you let out the car will momentarily drift to the inside of the turn as the push goes away, and the reverse is true, throttling into it while your unlocked will cause momentary drifting to the outside of the turn as the car generates push(understeer). It's not too bad though, and is mostly an issue when you throttle hard in tighter turns as it can be hard on the front tires to deal with the push. In a manual car is can be rather cranky when you engage/disengage the clutch in low speed tight radius turns. As one side unlocks and the load is released off the locker the other side will relax due to a spring centering mechanism, which can cause the faster moving tire to then lock back up and try to rotate the driveline until the other side locks up and the outside wheel unlocks again. This all happens so rapidly that it generates driveline slap and bucking if you engage or disengage the clutch too rapidly, primarily an issue in parking lots etc. Also, the way it works it tends to increase driveline backlash, generating a "thud" sound/sensation as you shift gears.
It's all a tradeoff though, it provides superb straight line traction, and works well in turns if you can deal with the push which isn't too bad, but it does have it's minor annoyances to deal with. Despite all that though, it's caused no damage to anything in the driveline and both tires wear evenly. And like I said, does great in foul wheather. Superb snow traction with good tires, I often can go places that some 4 wheel drives can't(that have crappy differentials anyway).
Pros: No parts to wear out since it doesn't use slippsage to work, under power or in a straight line you get total axle lockup, both wheels spin at the exact same rate. It does differentiate for turns as long as you're not into the throttle too much. It's light and very strong since it's made from a Titanium alloy. Excellent traction all the way around, great at the track, great on the street, and I drive with this car in rain and snow without issues. Also you don't need any special additaves in the gear oil, or any special type of gear oil.
Cons: When you get on off the throttle in a curve on the highway/roadway where you're under power, it canhave a lock-unlock situtation that can increase/decrease push. In the throttle the car has more understeer and when you let out the car will momentarily drift to the inside of the turn as the push goes away, and the reverse is true, throttling into it while your unlocked will cause momentary drifting to the outside of the turn as the car generates push(understeer). It's not too bad though, and is mostly an issue when you throttle hard in tighter turns as it can be hard on the front tires to deal with the push. In a manual car is can be rather cranky when you engage/disengage the clutch in low speed tight radius turns. As one side unlocks and the load is released off the locker the other side will relax due to a spring centering mechanism, which can cause the faster moving tire to then lock back up and try to rotate the driveline until the other side locks up and the outside wheel unlocks again. This all happens so rapidly that it generates driveline slap and bucking if you engage or disengage the clutch too rapidly, primarily an issue in parking lots etc. Also, the way it works it tends to increase driveline backlash, generating a "thud" sound/sensation as you shift gears.
It's all a tradeoff though, it provides superb straight line traction, and works well in turns if you can deal with the push which isn't too bad, but it does have it's minor annoyances to deal with. Despite all that though, it's caused no damage to anything in the driveline and both tires wear evenly. And like I said, does great in foul wheather. Superb snow traction with good tires, I often can go places that some 4 wheel drives can't(that have crappy differentials anyway).
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