Like the title says I am stuck deciding which upgrade would be a better purchase. I recently purchased a 2004 350z base model and plan to take the car to local tracks and autox events. The car will remain a DD but my commute is short so the 14K springs wont be a huge issue for me.

I am just not sure which will be the wiser use of my money. I don't plan on boosting the car. The car has plenty of power for my needs. I owned a Miata before with an open diff and put suspension on that car and sticky tires so I know what a huge difference it makes. I have not had enough time behind the wheel of a car with an LSD, though.

Any personal input would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and in case you're wondering how the prices would be similar its because I found a good deal on new Monoflexes and can do the install on my own. The LSD on the other hand would have to be done at a shop for me at the cost of labor. I would also opt for the Nismo diff cover just because the factory one is going to be coming off anyways.

 

LSD.

hands down. best mod for the car in terms of enjoyability in the turns.

2nd would be sway bars.

 

LSD will help the most

 

quaife & 4.083 FD are the best single mod I have.

 

hmmm. I don't know that I would suggest that. That's kind of a racer's question.

 

Only racers like even distribution of power?

 

LSD. Not sure about Quaife though. I, as well as some other members, have had issues with fitment from them lately. I ended up eating the money spent on my Quaife and had to buy another LSD.

If you're set on getting a Quaife, order it through the shop you're getting it installing at. If it doesn't fit, let the shop deal with the headache of getting you another one.

 

LSD and 4.083 first mod I did to my car and have never regretted it. One of these day's, maybe when I return home, I will looking into suspension and wheels. You can't go wrong with the Quaife and Gears, best mod for n/a hands down.

 

Quaife all the way, its easier to install than coilovers in my opinion.
drain fluid
pop diff cover off
remove 4 bolts
diff comes out swap over the gear
red loctite gear bolts torque to spec
install and torque caps
put on diff cover
add fluid
DONE!

If you want gears its a bit harder because youll need a press for the pinion , I didnt trust myself with the the pinion seal. so i brought my pumpkin and pinion to a trans shop. $100. he put everything together so i just had to put the diff back in the car. No shims except my stock ones were needed.

 

he as a base model, which the Quaife is designed to be a drop in installation for.. the other option would be the Nismo LSD which comes with the axel stubs needed..

pros/cons for both setups.

Quaife: mechanical/gear type. quiet. smooth. lift a wheel and you're done...
Nismo: clutch type. noisier unless you put in friction additive into the gear oil. easier to adjust lock. don't have to worry about lifting a wheel on a berm..


4.0x gears, well if he wants to keep it as a DD, isn't that a little aggressive? the mpg and rpms will be higher...

 

I have a base model as well. Seriously thinking about doing the Quaife. I think you should go that route. I often read about how much it transforms the car and overall driving experience.

 

LSD - OS GIKEN, NISMO, or CUSCO RS.

 

Any issues regarding the maintenance on the Nismo LSD?

thanks