Advice from Quaife (or other ATB / LSD) owners please

[muckipup]

As the title suggests, I am after a bit of advice, particularly from those who have first hand experience of Quaife, Peloquin or other LSDs.

Firstly, I have no doubt that they are of value but those who seem to have the biggest praise are those involved in track days or very spirited road driving. Whereas, I may have been involved in the latter on a few occasions, I don't, as yet, do track days.

Can anyone give advice as to whether a Quaife is really worth the money for someone who doesn't do track days but is running about 320 bhp through the front wheels but mainly uses this on the straight and narrow despite the occasional blast through the 30 miles or so of semi-rural and windey roads on my daily commute. The car will wheelspin in 4th even on the straight and narrows.

My dilemna is this - my car is currently in the 'shop' getting something else fixed. The clutch is currently fine but a recent K04 conversion means that the OEM clutch will give up in the near future. Now the problem is that the K04 conversion, Xmas and the current visit to 'the shop' has meant that spare cash is a bit of an issue.

The Quaife is about £1100 all in; a Sachs clutch and DMF is about the same; fitting cost is about the same if I do one, the other or both together but still relatively low compared to the hardware. I can afford the cost of the clutch but the Quaife would be on my flexible friend (which I like to avoid doing unless necessary)

I have heard loads of good things about LSDs/ATBs but also that they can be snatchy when coming out of a corner, that they can torque steer you into the hedge, make the steering stiffer due to the bias to centre, etc.

My questions are therefore:

Is a Quaife really worth the money given the type of relatively 'normal' (ahem  ) driving that I do and possible side-effects?

Should I forget about it?

Should I do it but leave it until the clutch goes?

RedRobin gave some great advice when I met him at a recent rolling road day but I'd appreciate the views from others as I have never personally driven a car with a more recent LSD 

[gobbleplease]

I would say if you are mainly in to your straight line blasts, and normal but fast driving you arnt going to reap major benifits from the diff, but if you do like track driving and powering out of corners the LSD is probably one of the best mods you can do !

How do you feel the car is just now with out the diff? Are you happy with it ? Can you live with with the 1 wheel drive powering out of corners ?. If I'm honest I didn't think the golf needed the diff as much as other cars I've been in , then again I never had as much power as you .

[RedRobin]

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Certainly a diff is going to be of greater benefit on things like track days but if you are in the habit of enjoying roundabouts and bends enthusiastically on the road (as I am) when circumstances allow, then it's also going to be of benefit. Afterall, your car doesn't know whether it's being driven on a road or a track and doesn't differentiate. It's also going to help when your car is more highly tuned with more power trying to be being efficiently transferred to the road/track surface. However, it's not 4WD or quattro.

BUT... It's like nearly all aftermarket mods: You don't really need any of them! And to make matters worse, most performance mods work at their best when included as part of a bigger package. So, the diff has a part to play in the suspension... Very slippery slope!

It's a bit like big brakes: Better to have them and not always need them than need them and not have them, even just once!

If nothing else, a diff can increase your confidence in your car's handling. I find it extremely satisfying to apply power earlier in the corner and feel the diff looking after me. But I'm a bit weird.

I suppose it says something that VW decided to include an 'electronic' diff in the Mk6. I much prefer the more direct mechanical feel but that's me - I've compromised my car for the sake of tactile enjoyment and it's no longer just a 'family car'.

It's not cheap and it's not suitable cogwear-wise for selling later, so it's a commitment and only worth it if keeping the car a while. Ultimately only you can decide but if you do get one it'll probably encourage you to drive 'harder'. I so rarely get wheelspin and if I do see that icon displayed it's gone in one blink of the eye.

I've only experienced the Quaife so can't comment meaningfully on the alternatives. HTH 

[Hedge]

I have heard loads of good things about LSDs/ATBs but also that they can be snatchy when coming out of a corner, that they can torque steer you into the hedge, make the steering stiffer due to the bias to centre, etc.

You wish 

[vRSAlex]

The XDS in the MK6 is the same as the EDL in the MK5.  Both are sh*te.

Ive always run Peloquins diffs in my cars and they are a great benifit.  Well worth the money.  They do help in a straight line too by equaling the power to both wheels, but its the corners that you will feel the main difference.  The diff will pull you round the corner on power, but you still have to have good throttle control as once you fully break traction you will still go straight on.

The high torque peloquins diff I have fitted to my vRS feels much stronger and more responsive than any of the quaifes ive tried before.

[muckipup]

How do you feel the car is just now with out the diff? Are you happy with it ? Can you live with with the 1 wheel drive powering out of corners ?. If I'm honest I didn't think the golf needed the diff as much as other cars I've been in , then again I never had as much power as you .

Certainly a diff is going to be of greater benefit on things like track days but if you are in the habit of enjoying roundabouts and bends enthusiastically on the road (as I am) when circumstances allow, then it's also going to be of benefit.

They do help in a straight line too by equaling the power to both wheels, but its the corners that you will feel the main difference.  The diff will pull you round the corner on power, but you still have to have good throttle control as once you fully break traction you will still go straight on.

Many thanks chaps!

To be honest, I am very happy with the car otherwise and the power is fantastic. The suspension set-up (Koni FSD and stock springs) may not suit others but it is the right balance of comfort vs. handling when combined with an Eibach RARB for my daily commute along those twisty roads. I do like approaching the bends and roundabouts enthusiastically when I can; traction is a bit of an issue but I found that the car's set-up towards the understeer side of neutral gives me plenty of warning. Similarly, traction in straight lines is now more of an issue with the K04 as you'd expect - the TCS light is like a christmas tree especially in the damp.

Anything that I can do to improve straight line traction would be a big plus for me although the big benefit of increased traction in the corners is somewhat diluted if there is absolutely no 'understeer warning' before the car breaks away and I end up in the field thinking 'what happened?'   

What would you consider safer a bit of understeer warning and ability to react or traction to pull through it?

I am just struggling with the cost vs. benefit vs. risk balance as you may have guessed 

[MAT ED30]

will say this time and time again wish i would have done the diff first instead of messing with other bits  but oh well.

[muckipup]

will say this time and time again wish i would have done the diff first instead of messing with other bits  but oh well.

Is that as a trach day driver or road driver, Matt? Also, given your experience - What would you consider safer a bit of understeer warning and ability to react or less/little/no warning but the traction to pull through a corner?

[danishmkvgti]

understeer are built into most FWD roadcars for safetyreasons so that's better than power.
I really miss my LSD and are looking forward to getting it on the car again. it so much easier to control the power when an LSD fitted, well worth the cost IMO.
That said, you haven't mentioned what tyres you are running, for the type of driving you describe some Toyo R1R would help with the wheelspin, tyres is your first priority IMO 

[muckipup]

Thanks Danish,

When you had the LSD did it remove all understeer or was there still enough there to give you a 'feel' for the road and some warning of when the car might break away?

You are right about the tyres - I have summer tyres on the car at the moment and they have been terrible! Tyres are on my 'to do' list.

[vRSAlex]

You will still get understeer, but you now have the ability to use the power to pull the car round the corner.  You do have to change your driving style and it will take you a while to get used to the diff when using the power when you usually wouldnt be able to.

[chungster]

Totally agree with the tyres point - the LSD is pointless if u run crap tyres IMO

[muckipup]

You will still get understeer, but you now have the ability to use the power to pull the car round the corner.  You do have to change your driving style and it will take you a while to get used to the diff when using the power when you usually wouldnt be able to.

Thanks Alex - just out of curiosity, did you have a UK source for the Peloquin diffs?

[Hedge]

You will still get understeer, but you now have the ability to use the power to pull the car round the corner.  You do have to change your driving style and it will take you a while to get used to the diff when using the power when you usually wouldnt be able to.

Thanks Alex - just out of curiosity, did you have a UK source for the Peloquin diffs?

It just so happens that Backdraft Motorsport are Peloquin agents. 
http://www.backdraftmotorsport.com/shop-vag-2.0tfsi/atb-differential-for-2.0-tfsi-6-speed-maual-02q/flypage.tpl.html

[RedRobin]

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Just out of curiosity (not about to change from my Quaife), do Peloquin offer a DSG version yet?