lex400sc

Hey, I read somewhere on the forums that if you spin one of the rear wheels and the other spins in the opposite direction, that you have an LSD. Well I spun them the other day while my car was up on a lift, and one wheel went foward while the other went backwards. So does this mean I have LSD? I know there are road tests you can perform to confirm, but I just thought I'd check in here first.

pcmw

The opposite directions just means that you have a regular open differential. Same direction means LSD. One stopped and the other going backwards means you are DOING LSD.

MW

4HUN

Just do a brake stand.......

"1 wheelie peelie" = A sad rear end................just like mine

Lex Luthor

4HUN, that's not a sure fire test, mine always leaves two nice even strips....

JBrady

I can't think of any reason an open differential would always spin both tires. My first car, a 1971 LeMans T-37 (GTO wannabee) had an open differential and would spin that one tire for 100 yards. If I started a peelout the right tire would always spin but I could then turn left and the weight transfer would load both and spin both a little. BUT, other than odd occurances such as this the one tire spin is a sure thing. Even cars like Mustang GTs and Camaro's with factory clutch type limited slip can get worn clutches and become a peg-leg on hard launches.

So, Lex, have you ever tried the tires-in-the-air turning test? Did you buy it new? If not is it possible the previous owner installed an LSD? Not likely I know and I am unaware of any factory cars so equiped... but if yours ALWAYS spins both... something is going on.

Lex Luthor

jbrady, I believe you're right, something is up, and with the thousand times I had the car up in the air, I never once checked if it was LSD, but I definitely will next time. Anyone that was at the CL meet at FBF in Brooklyn a couple months ago saw both my tires blazin' when I raced gadgetsc, i'll definitely have to check...

Lvangundy

On my 90 LS if I do power brake burnouts (sitting there for 15 secs or so) then let off the brake and go, there are two tire marks.

I've also had my car up and turned the wheels, one goes forward the other back.

lex400sc

My burn outs always leave two tread marks, but I can never seem to drag out my tires like you guys. How do you paint 20-30 feet of rubber on the asphalt???

JBrady

Hmmm... very curious. I have watched Mustangs with burnt out clutches on LSDs doing power brake burnouts on drag radials AND slicks and the cars sit there and smoke ONE tire. When I loose traction it is one tire at the track. Honestly have never done a burnout on the road and checked it but would be very surprised if there was more than one mark. My right rear fender gets rubber from the track stuck to it from the spinning but the left stays clean. I wonder if the LSD was available on any 400s as a little known option? If so, some cars may have been shipped that way from the factory. Truth is very few would be requested. I do know that the Supra changed ratios and lsd types for various years so there is some indecision going on in Japan...

Possibly on early cars before traction control was available???

Lex Luthor

Nope, I have a '95, and I have traction control, if it helps, the car was ordered fully loaded, even a couple of dealer add-ons i've never seen on any other SC, nothing special, but the Autospeed review of the SC/Soarer states that an LSD is available with the 4.0, I dunno, gonna do a TRD LSD in an SC3 anyway, so i'm not sweating it....

JBrady

LL, I was hypothesizing that the early cars (was trac control always available?) that may not have had trac control were offered with LSD as a factory option. Maybe it continued for some time as an option. Maybe it was always an rarely know special order option. You say that Autospeed says in fact it WAS an option? Hmmm... the plot thickens. Anyone that can burn both tires would seem to support this. One other wrinkle. I am uncertain if the quiafe style LSD would cause jacked up rear tires to spin in the same or opposite directions using the spin test? My only experience is with clutch type LSDs and spinning one rear tire always causes the other to spin in the same direction vs the opposite for open differentials.

808state

http://www.alsc.aus.as/messages/3/302.html?
http://www.autospeed.com/A_0062/P_2/article.html

simple as alphabets soup? not sure if the tt use the same codes as the v8s.

lex400sc

I was told LSDs have a special sticker or tag attached to it that differentiates them from others (excuse the pun ). Is this true? If so does anyone know where this tag is located on the differential because I don't see one on mine .

Lex Luthor

808, that is the article I was referrering to, thanks for the links. jb, I also have more experience with cone/clutch diffs, same as you. As far as TRAC, it was offered every year, TRAC and heated seats is option code TN, and was an $1870 option, depending on exact year. The LSD debate continues....

- LL

lexcoupe

yah how do we eliminate the one wheel burnout? cause i noticed that the other day, when only one of my wheels roasted.

Kevin

ps, i got an sc3 5spd