Best Differential for drag racing in 350z
 

I have a 2008 350z base and was wondering what aftermarket differential setup will give me the best launches/traction. I don't go to the track much except the occasional trip to the drag strip, and spirited daily driving. I am sick of this open differential though. Any inputs?

Quaife diff

Go with a stock VSLD and invest in better tires with a taller side wall. Unless you have a full out drag car like me anything above that would not be of much benefit.

why drag racing in a z what are you six?????????

I can't personally speak to whether it's the best diff for drag racing, but I have a Quaife in my 2008 base and love it. It was also the cheapest and easiest to install, least noisy, least maintenance, best for DD, and damn good on autox track. I'd recommend it to anyone!

It's a valid question. Many of the members here hit the drag strip so next time you have nothing positive to add, keep it to yourself.

Like these guys said...I agree that Quaife is the way to go.

This man knows what he's talking about. Just change the gears to 3:90 or 4:08's.

depending the money you want to spend is the way you want to go. If it's a daily driver I would honestly not want to spend 1200$ on a diff, personally. I have a 652hp turbo G and I use the stock VLSD and it works great. For a track car I would upgrade but for drag and street I prefer this stock unit. The 1.5 or 2 way diffs are weird driving on the street and can cause the tires to break loose a little in a corner on a rainy day on crappy streets. Not a desired effect.

You can find a full VLSD pumpkin for around 300$ and it is a fast swap. After that it's personal choice.

Lol, people who say VLSD is good are clueless. The only thing a VLSD is good for is a slow drive to get groceries. As mentioned before the quaife unit is the most street friendly diff, and will be might and day for traction.

Please elaborate for those of us that are clueless?

Traction

I've got no problem with my stock VLSD at the track. The quaif unit is designed for auto-x / road tracks not drag racing. A serious drag car will just weld the diff closed.

Thanks, my thoughts exactly.

Also thanks for the help everybody else. I have been waiting to pull the trigger on a quaife and 3.9 gears for a while now but its just so darn expensive. The stock differential definitely needs to go eventually though. Just waiting to talk myself into it I guess

It will still improve straight line acceleration, and reduce wheel spin.

Yes many dedicated drag cars run a full spool, same with drift cars. Not a great idea for a DD.

Be very careful with the Quiafe LSD's. Recently there have been issues with their products such as incorrect parts and assembly errors. I am also in the market for this LSD and have been researching for some time now. I also have a Base model Z. They make a great product(if you get a correct unit), but there are problems with the company and how they handle customers.

AND THEIR "LIFETIME WARRANTY" IS VOID IN THE USA!!!!!!!!

I also have the base model 06. Lets say i wanna get the quife lsd, is that all i need or do i gotta buy the pumpkin also?

Just the quaife lsd. One already in a pumpkin would be nice though so you wouldnt have to install it yourself or pay to have it done. Then also if you sell the z one day you can put the stock one back on easily and sell the quaife

pretty sure my wheel spin won't change a single bit switching the diff considering I have 652 whp. Maybe some weak sauce stuff you run might give some placebo affect but when turns aren't involved there won't be a difference. Please don't litter this thread with false info for the newbies.

and for your follow up "well if it didn't help why do they weld the diffs together on drag cars". It's for durability, not for traction. Durability on the VLSD is not an issue so buying an aftermarket diff for durability in drag racing is a waste of money.

Unless you are building a very serious drag car(flat beded to the track) it's a no brainer. You can pick up stock parts in the used parts market for a fraction of the price of going all out. You can use any 350z & 370z for parts. I just purchased the whole set up with 4:08 gears installed for a very fair price. Never had a problem with my stock set-up & I use slicks.
You're going to have to make many more decissions. If you take this long with each one........:icon32: