Pretty sexy... and damned heavy. Thing must weigh 40 lbs.

 

I'll let you all know when I get it installed...

 

Do you have any word on what the install is going to cost you? I was looking at the same setup, i have the base model and want set it up with something better.

Later
Aceman

 

I'll wait and see if Quaife comes out with an ATB for the Z. I had a Quaife in my 4th gen Maxima, and I absoultely LOVED it. You couldn't even tell it was there until you accelerated hard out of a corner and the car pulled hard instead of spinning the inside tire. Plus the Quaife is a all-gear (helical) design which will NEVER wear out or require a rebuild. You also can go a LONG time with out changing the diffy fluid with a quaife since they generate so little heat.

 

Finally a comment on the Quaife ATB's... I posted a question about them in this thread 24 days ago... That's what I get for going off topic. But based on all the LSD stuff I've read on this forum I was thinking maybe the ATB's are more a front wheel driver requirement due to torque steer...

Hey Daytona, congrats and keep us posted on install, how ya like them, setting, etc. I love to read this SH#%

 

so what kind of LSD comes standard on the cars? mechanical or viscous? or am i to assume that the people that are getting the aftermarket systems didnt have cars equiped with the limited slip?


Doc

 

Yep. Viscious, I believe

 

Sorry I was so brief, but I don't know a whole lot about them. It sounds like the racers prefer the clutch because they they can be set as to how they transfer power... but with a little more care and feeding. Sounds like Nissan went with the tamer maintenance free solution.

 

The base model Z comes with an open-diffy. Every other model comes with a Viscous Limited-Slip. The Guys that were originally asking about the LSDs were the ones with the base model. I have the stock LSD, but if I ever did a turbo set-up, I would probably get a different rear diff. We'll have to see how the stocker holds up to power.

 

Also keep in mind that the clutch types are much stronger than a the Quaife or other gear type units units. Also, and more importantly, if they do break for some reason, they simply stop working, wheras the gear types like Quaife can actually blow your dif housing. Just ask the S2000 guys. their stock gear type LSD blows up often and takes the whole dif casing with it. Not pretty. For the Twin Tuwbo guys, I would go with clutch type ONLY.

 

The Torsen diff in the S2000 while similar to a quaife is NOT a quaife. Quaife is renowned for the durability and function on their differentials, Quaifes just plain don't break (except for the DSM center diff in which the housing of the actual quaife cracks because of a design flaw made by MITSUBISHI in the ceter diff placement and how the power is sent to it). That's why they have a lifetime warranty even when RACED.

I've had an open diff blow out while I was driving a car, and from what I know about differential operation, ANY diff, including the clutch types upon failure can blow the diff housing becuase of the centripital acceleration and force.

 

Actally the Quaifes do break. I've seen it happen on more than one occasion. Usually when putting through much more power than the stock car but still. . . . I would definately say it is NOT indestructable. BTW, the warranty covers the dif but guess who covers the dif casing, transmission, clutch, flywheel and anything else it happens to take out when it goes? Yep, you.

 

ok, everthing does eventually break, so do the clutch type diffs, whats the difference if they BOTH blow out???? The only thing that I see is that with the quaife , you're going to get a new one FREE, with the clutch type diffs if you're "out of warranty" then you're stuck with the bill for the diff in addition to everthing that it takes with it.

Now I understand that when a clutch type diff fails, sometimes it simply stops working, but there is also the chance that it will "blow out" just like any other diff.

 

For what it's worth everyone, I got my LSD at Phase 2 Motortrend. http://www.phase2motortrend.com/

Their price was the best I could find on the web, although had I known Guru had them too, I prolly would've gone thru him.

 

First off, the S2000 diffs don't fail from the LSD. The brackets that hold the pinion in proper relation to the ring gear break from launch stress.

Second of all, at least one S2000 owner who has a Kaaz diff reports clunking noises, particularly after hard driving, extremely high rear diff temperatures, and feels the need to change out the fluid after almost every hard drive through the twisties. The fact that a Kaaz generates heat is in its very nature. The clutches slip and convert friction into heat. I'd highly recommend a diff cooler if you run one of these things.

Whereas all VW owners I know of who have Quaifes swear by them. Out of all the diffs they have sold in the US, I have only heard of one failure, and they are definitely a more streetable diff compared to the clutch type diffs. And Quaifes can handle big power. My friend had a turbo VR6 Corrado putting out 400hp to the wheels and had no problems with the Quaife.

Third of all, when you install a Kaaz, you have to drive in figure 8 circles for 30 minutes continuously or it will not break in properly. A bit of a PITA.

 

If the noise bothers you try an ATS carbon dif. All the benefits of the clutch type with unbeatable heat resistance and will last longer than the car. Plus virtually noise free. I've tried the Quaife on a couple of cars and found it to be better than an open dif but I preferred the feel of a clutch type by far. Much more aggressive, works when both tires are spinning and I've never broken one ever. I feel more confident with a clutch type which may be just personal feelings but I can also change the settings on the clutch type. Something that is impossible to do with the Quaife. I not only have control over lockup percentage but also, whether I want 1.5 way or 2 way with most applications.

 

You SELL these diffs...doens't that fact alone make you a little biased??? I think so....both Sk2 Rob and I are backing the quaife...and NEITHER of us sell them.

The fact is for MOST people in Street Driven vehicles, the quaife is the way to go.

 

Man this is great! I started the Quiafe thing and I've gotten what I was lookin for, some honest opinions, educated guesses and real world experience. And I hope to hear more while we're waitinig for Daytone to report back.

But hey, Daytona, any news on the install? It was a nice Saturday, don't tell me you had to work all day!

 

Actually I tried both Kaaz and Quaife difs BEFORE I made a decision on which to carry. Obviously almost every Japanese tuner company agrees with me sicne they all use clutch type as well. I have since then moved over to Cusco and ATS for their clutch type LSD's but still think in general that the clutch type difs are much better in a variety of ways. To each their own though. That being said, I think most people who rave about Quaife have never tried a nice clutch type LSD before.

 

Uh, no it's not installed yet I'm still trying to find a decent place here in NJ to install it. Thinking about going to BM Tranny-

For what it's worth, Quaife doesn't make a differential for the 350Z. I checked. Had I a VW, as I used to, Quaife is the only way to go. Most guys with Japanese cars I see making big HP or even medium-sized HP & torque are using Kaaz. Either way, anything is better than the open differential.