I second baxter. I tried a welded diff in the Cheater TR3. Hated it. Not
on the track, but everywhere else. That may be a lousy reason, but it's
true. you'll always prefer grass pits with a locked diff, because you
can't make a sharp right angle turn into your canopy on pavement (unless
you are doing 50+).
It's also true that you need to learn a whole new way of driving your
car--throttle and more throttle. Any time you are turning with a locked
diff, one or both wheels are slipping on the contact patch--they HAVE to
or the back end would go straight. The outside wheel in a turn travels
farther than the inside wheel. The outside wheel still travels that longer
distance with a locked diff, by being dragged through most of it. You have
to supply enough energy all the time for that slipping to take place. You
slide through the turns, literally, though it doesn't necessarily feel
like it. The front end pushes you into the turn, with the forces from the
rear wheels always attempting to square it off. But neither wheel spins
freely of the other (obviously). I kind of liked it--it was like driving a
go kart--but my times varied all over the place.
I didn't stick with it long enough to get good at it, I stuck in a
well-used and trashed Detroit Locker that I picked up for $100, repaired
it and called it good.
-----Original Message-----
From: ??? ??? [mailto:baxterculver@msn.com]
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 9:19 AM
To: mwilder; triumph group
Subject: Re: welded difs
I had a welded diff in the Peyote when I bought it. At low speeds the
damn
thing didn't want to turn in, at high speeds, it was fine--no wheel spin.
For an autox car with relatively lower speeds, it might be very difficult
to
convince it to turn in? Peyote was also a terrible hunk of dead aluminum
and
cast iron bits when trying to push it around the paddock--you could hear
one
rear tire scuffing every time you turned the steering wheel and it really
wanted to stop. I solved the problem on the track by never driving it
slowly--it just looked slow!
----- Original Message -----
From: Matthew Wilder
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 9:12 AM
To: fot@autox.team.net
Subject: welded difs
Hi,
So what's the opinion on welding the differential. I know atleast one
sprite autocrossing regionally has his welded. How does it affect
handling?
I was thinking it might be kinda tough on the axles on my 4a live axle.
After reading some of the recent posts on the Detroit lockers it sounds
like
it would be a better choice for Auto-x than the Quafe but welding it solid
would definitely keep the inside from spinning.
Matthew Wilder
'67 TR4a E-prepared auto-xer
http://top.mcttelecom.com/~mwilder/
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