Thread: rear question, probably dumb...

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I've only been working on cars for about 6 months, so this may be a dumb question but i like learning as much as i can about my car and i do all the work so i like to know as much as possible.

I have a limited slip differential. Some people have told me that it's basically posi, which i really don't understand. Can someone explain this to me?

Originally posted by cuttyrnr
I've only been working on cars for about 6 months, so this may be a dumb question but i like learning as much as i can about my car and i do all the work so i like to know as much as possible.

I have a limited slip differential. Some people have told me that it's basically posi, which i really don't understand. Can someone explain this to me?

Power is delivered to both rear wheels with a posi.

When you roast the tires and only 1 spins and leaves rubber, that's just a regular ole rear end, a limited slip and posi will leave rubber from both tires, a limited slip will slip going around turns but stays positive traction going str8.

Think of it this way. Posi=both tires all the time. Limited slip=both tires some of the time. Open diff=one tire-useless.

Originally posted by drg84
Open diff=one tire-useless.

Ya can weld the spider gears on those to get posi but, it's kinda cheesey cheap way out.

Originally posted by Matt167
Ya can weld the spider gears on those to get posi but, it's kinda cheesey cheap way out.

Not a good idea... Been there done that. You basically have a spool if you weld the spiderz' together. If it's a daily driver, you'll get tired of hopppppin' around corners. Welded gears will probly' break loose and then bind in the spiderz' and break the differential case. Yea.............. I tried it on my GTO. Rear end was trashed anyway, so I tried it. A couple good hard hole shots and that was that. It did what I just described.

Limited slip is the way to go for a daily driver, you get the best of both worlds. Posi when you need it & single when you just cruise. Handles better than full time posi on the road.
But to answer your question,when you accelerate hard the slip joint in the rear will lock both axles to pull, and when you let off it unlocks to pull only one axle.