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TUNING GUIDE: DRIVETRAIN: LIMITED SLIP DIFFERENTIALS

Limited Slip Differentials: $900-1200

A limited slip differential powers both drive wheels under nearly all conditions, instead of just one. With an ordinary open differential, standard on most cars, a lot of precious power is wasted during wheelspin under acceleration. This happens because the open differential shifts power to the wheel with less grip (along the path of least resistance).

The limited slip differential, however, does just the opposite. It senses which wheel has the better grip, and biases the power to that wheel. It does this smoothly and constantly, and without ever completely removing power from the other wheel. In drag-race style, straight-line acceleration runs, this results in a close to ideal 50/50 power split to both drive wheels, resulting in essentially twice the grip of an ordinary differential. In cornering, while accelerating out of a turn, the limited slip differential biases power to the outside wheel, reducing inside-wheel spin. This allows the driver to begin accelerating earlier, exiting the corner at a higher speed.

The limited slip differential also controls loss of traction when the front wheels are on slippery surfaces such as ice and snow or mud, providing the appropriate biased traction needed to overcome these adverse conditions. The limited slip differential provides constant and infinitely variable drive. Installation requires complete removal of your transmission so its a good idea to take care of your clutch and flywheel while doing this mod.