by snowman on Sat Jul 31, 2010 9:30 am
i keep hearing that an LSD is safer on road. In my opinion it is not.
it will give you more forward traction but an open diff is much safer because the safety aspect comes from lateral stability. if you break traction with an open diff you get one wheel spinning but the other assists in keeping the car straight. with an LSD rear wheel spin means that both rears will spin and you have no rear lateral traction (i.e. you hang the rear out).
My wife admits keeping the MK straight is difficult compared to driving the super select ML which is much more user friendly. I only say this because even though she is a reasonably good driver it is far easier to drive the Super Select in marginal conditions, particularly in the city where some wet roundabouts are like ice and even a moderate throttle in the MK (LSD) sees the rear coming around very quickly.
i personally would far prefer the LSD to an open diff in a rear wheel drive only vehicle (that is what i have in the MK). However, i think it is important in this thread to not oversell the 'safety on road' of an LSD. I can assure you if on road safety is what you want, go for the Super Select model which allows continuous all wheel drive. With that option you can have a DL without limiting forward TRACTION on road whilst having a DL that will make a massive difference off road.
The TC vs DL is still unproven yet but it seems you can have both of these anyway including super select. I know what i would buy.
i don't disagree that an LSD rear in marginal conditions can be a whole lotta fun though. Just not safe for drivers who maybe need the inbuilt safety versus the additional focus at the steering wheel.
This car is like a bad drug habit. It is taking all my money and time, my family are concerned, but new mods just feel sooooooo good.
always good to save the cash mate...I take it an LSD front diff is too hard to steer?
