Limited Slip Diff: Is mine working correctly?

[elgoathead]

When both wheels have equal traction they seem to turn together. On dry pavement it will lay 2 patches of rubber. On snow, if I break traction, they seem to spin together.

However, it behaves differently in situations of unequal traction: If one wheel is on pavement and the other on ice, the one with low traction will spin more than I would expect without a lot of forward motion of the vehicle.

Is this normal, or is my system wearing out?

Mileage is around 135k. I've owned it since 119k; I don't know how it was driven or maintained previously.

By the way, this is my 1st experience with LSD. I don't use 4WD much because 2WD is so much more fun!

 

[colintrax]

Yeah, might be a little worn out but a limited slip isn't a locker

 

[elgoathead]

colintrax... obviously the key word here is "limited".

Thanks for the response!

 

[SoNic67]

By the way, this is my 1st experience with LSD. I don't use 4WD much because 2WD is so much more fun!

Even in 2WD the LS is active. It is only on the rear wheels.

 

[colintrax]

colintrax... obviously the key word here is "limited".

Thanks for the response!

Yeah?

No problem

 

[Albino 94LTD]

An easy check is to jack up 1 rear tire and with the trans in N, try to turn that wheel by hand. A good working LS requires something like 100lbs of torque to overcome the friction of the clutch plates.

Rebuild kits are less than $100 and a popular modification is to exchange one of the spacer rings with the best friction plate of the pack you're replacing.

By doing this, your increasing the friction required to overcome the clutch pack even more than what a new clutch pack requires.

When you replace the gear oil, make sure to use the friction modifier unless you use synthetic.

I ran a LS set up that way, off road, for a couple years and it was very close to acting like a locker in low traction conditions

 

[1998Exp]

The FSM specifies 20 ft-lbs as the minimum acceptable. I remember measuring about 30 on mine.

An easy check is to jack up 1 rear tire and with the trans in N, try to turn that wheel by hand. A good working LS requires something like 100lbs of torque to overcome the friction of the clutch plates.

 

[elgoathead]

Thanks for the responses.

I checked it today; it takes mine around 30 ft lbs to move it so evidently it is within specs.