LSD differential impressions

[muckipup]

One thing I forgot to mention is regarding traction control. I have heard others say that a Quaife does its stuff before the car's traction control kicks in and cuts power. Even although I am running decent tyres, this has not been myown experience. When I talked of planting the foot through those roundabouts mentioned in my earlier post, this is done with the ESP switched off.

Is it just me/my perception or does the car generally feel more eager and responsive with ESP switched off even with just normal to spirited driving?

Just for the record, I take Robin's point about driving briskly but safely without endangering others and am not recommending switching off a safety feature ;)

[vRSAlex]

First thing I do when I start the car is turn the ESP off.  I personally find it more dangerous leaving it on as it doesnt allow the power to be put down to control the car safely through corners but using the diff.

Having the ESP kick in when you are full pelt into a corner unbalances the car too much.

[rich83]

First thing I do when I start the car is turn the ESP off.  I personally find it more dangerous leaving it on as it doesnt allow the power to be put down to control the car safely through corners but using the diff.

Having the ESP kick in when you are full pelt into a corner unbalances the car too much.

Yesterday I had the ESP completely cut power  twice when going from 1st to 2nd gear on hard acceleration. RUBBISH 

[muckipup]

First thing I do when I start the car is turn the ESP off.  I personally find it more dangerous leaving it on as it doesnt allow the power to be put down to control the car safely through corners but using the diff.

Having the ESP kick in when you are full pelt into a corner unbalances the car too much.

I have to say that I agree with you there Alex.

Do you find your Octavia more 'eager' with the ESP off or is it all in my mind??? 

[RedRobin]

^^^^
I never switch off ESP for road use. I very rarely get any problem with my ESP on and there have been too many times when I've been extremely glad I had it on: A slippy white line, bit of soft mud on a B-road - Such conditions are utterly impossible to predict. If it does come on, just ignore and keep your foot planted and drive through it. It's a little bit unnerving through a high speed bend but a good suspension system etc will help keep you stable.

Rich, you don't really need to be so aggressive on acceleration from 1st to 2nd - Who were you trying to impress? - Girlies in johdpurs and riding boots by any chance? A smoother style launches you better.

[chopper]

has anybody noticed any difference when driving in a straight line with the diff? from what has been said it seems to work a treat in the bends. i would imagine in a straight line if one tyre loses grip when using an ATB diff the power should be redirected to the tyre with the grip, reducing wheel spin and giving traction. has anyone experienced that?

[rich83]

^^^^
I never switch off ESP for road use. I very rarely get any problem with my ESP on and there have been too many times when I've been extremely glad I had it on: A slippy white line, bit of soft mud on a B-road - Such conditions are utterly impossible to predict. If it does come on, just ignore and keep your foot planted and drive through it. It's a little bit unnerving through a high speed bend but a good suspension system etc will help keep you stable.

Rich, you don't really need to be so aggressive on acceleration from 1st to 2nd - Who were you trying to impress? - Girlies in johdpurs and riding boots by any chance? A smoother style launches you better.

I understand how to get my car off the line robin:signLOL: . Progressive pressure through first gear, and full throttle into second... but Sometimes the ESP is too aggressive, coupled with the DSG changing gear.

[james]

When I got my car tuning to around the 400BHP figure, it was stupid. Could not put power down in 1/2/3 and would hop all over the place: sick:  I was thinking about getting detuned!  Once I got the diff installed was a totally different story, It would hold itself in a straight line, no hop and would not spin in 3rd at all,  ( Just torque steer) ,flooring it in to bends is epic, would recommend it to anyone  makes it feel far more safe.

I can’t use ESP on my car way to dangerous flashes all the time, think I would crash.

[RedRobin]

I understand how to get my car off the line robin . Progressive pressure through first gear, and full throttle into second... but Sometimes the ESP is too aggressive, coupled with the DSG changing gear.

....Sorry, I was teasing you about strutting your stuff rather than implying you don't know how to drive.

When you say "with the DSG changing gear" do you mean driving in D/S-modes rather than M?  I prefer M because it gives a bit more control/choice, plus my DSG box of tricks is remapped.

[rich83]

I understand how to get my car off the line robin . Progressive pressure through first gear, and full throttle into second... but Sometimes the ESP is too aggressive, coupled with the DSG changing gear.

....Sorry, I was teasing you about strutting your stuff rather than implying you don't know how to drive.

When you say "with the DSG changing gear" do you mean driving in D/S-modes rather than M?  I prefer M because it gives a bit more control/choice, plus my DSG box of tricks is remapped.

Driving in manual... mines remapped too. 

[chopper]

When I got my car tuning to around the 400BHP figure, it was stupid. Could not put power down in 1/2/3 and would hop all over the place: sick:  I was thinking about getting detuned!  Once I got the diff installed was a totally different story, It would hold itself in a straight line, no hop and would not spin in 3rd at all,  ( Just torque steer) ,flooring it in to bends is epic, would recommend it to anyone  makes it feel far more safe.

I can’t use ESP on my car way to dangerous flashes all the time, think I would crash.

this was the response i was after. ive recently had my edition 30 remapped to stage 2+ revo with stage 2 dsg . its spinning up in 1st 2nd and 3rd, calling for some serious feathering of throttle. im debating getting the quaife atb lsd, and it seems it is the only way forward now to use all the power safely

[muckipup]

When I got my car tuning to around the 400BHP figure, it was stupid. Could not put power down in 1/2/3 and would hop all over the place: sick:  I was thinking about getting detuned!  Once I got the diff installed was a totally different story, It would hold itself in a straight line, no hop and would not spin in 3rd at all,  ( Just torque steer) ,flooring it in to bends is epic, would recommend it to anyone  makes it feel far more safe.

I can’t use ESP on my car way to dangerous flashes all the time, think I would crash.

this was the response i was after. ive recently had my edition 30 remapped to stage 2+ revo with stage 2 dsg . its spinning up in 1st 2nd and 3rd, calling for some serious feathering of throttle. im debating getting the quaife atb lsd, and it seems it is the only way forward now to use all the power safely

Hmmm, not trying to go against someone elses positive experience on the value of a Quaife ATB for straight line traction in a powerful FWD car car but, whereas my Quaife helped, it was no miracle cure as I mentioned before.

Remember, the ATB diff will detect slippage on one wheel and transfer the torque to the other. It requires one of the two wheels to have good grip when the other has lost traction. If you can imagine the mini roundabout with the bump that I mentioned earlier, it is easy to imagine grip being transfered from one side to the other as the car's balance changes as the car's weight gets thrown from one side to the other through the curves and one side digs in while the other 'goes light' - this is where the diff can really be felt. When shoving 400bhp (or even 200 bhp for that matter) on a FWD car on the straight , it is difficult to see why one wheel would have notably more grip than the other. However, road surface etc. will mean that there will be some difference in grip on occasions so I am not discounting the value of an ATB diff in these circumstances, just trying to help 'manage expectations'.  

[RedRobin]

Hmmm, not trying to go against someone elses positive experience on the value of a Quaife ATB for straight line traction in a powerful FWD car car but, whereas my Quaife helped, it was no miracle cure as I mentioned before.

Remember, the ATB diff will detect slippage on one wheel and transfer the torque to the other. It requires one of the two wheels to have good grip when the other has lost traction. If you can imagine the mini roundabout with the bump that I mentioned earlier, it is easy to imagine grip being transfered from one side to the other as the car's balance changes as the car's weight gets thrown from one side to the other through the curves and one side digs in while the other 'goes light' - this is where the diff can really be felt. When shoving 400bhp (or even 200 bhp for that matter) on a FWD car on the straight , it is difficult to see why one wheel would have notably more grip than the other. However, road surface etc. will mean that there will be some difference in grip on occasions so I am not discounting the value of an ATB diff in these circumstances, just trying to help 'manage expectations'.  

....I think that it's very important to realise that a diff, Quaife or otherwise, is never a miracle cure, just as quattro isn't. When a quattro car lets go it's a big one and not a pretty sight. The bottom line is how the driver drives. And we should never forget the importance of tyres and their condition.

'Managing expectations' is a great way of expressing it  

Have Fun but Safe Journeys.

[chopper]

thanks for your thought guys... i understand an LSD is not a fail safe method, however i feel the standard diff is seriously lacking once the big horses are involved, and very often without much provocation the unloaded wheel can spin up, particularly exiting a T junction or entering a roundabout. it can make you look a bit of a plonker when the car is going nowhere fast. im sure straight line traction must be improved to a certain extent, road conditions permitting of course.