I have an '06 Enthusiast with 75000 miles. I know our stock Viscous type LSD's go bad over time, so I'm trying to figure out a way to get an estimate on how far along it is to being fully open. Will propping up the rear and spinning a tire and looking at how the other one moves be a accurate indicator? Spinning the same direction is good and opposite direction is bad? If I lightly spin it and it goes the opposite direction, but spin it hard and it goes the same direction, would that mean that it is on the way out? I have tried searching and all I have found is that that is a test to see if you have one, not if it is fully functioning or not. I'm sorry if this has been covered, which I assume it has but I couldn't find it. Probably my wording.

Thanks

 

Ha, my VLSD stopped doing anything worth a crap at 2k miles. If you're just driving the car around town it's not a big deal. If you do any performance driving or racing it will need to go. If it's been a while since you've done a fluid change that may help a little but those things are garbage.

 

I would imagine if you spun one wheel with your hand the other side won't move at all even if it is working 100% properly. At such a slow rotational velocity it wouldn't get the fluid moving enough to rotate the other side. Maybe someone who knows more about the VLSD can verify.

 

Do a burn out?

haha....jp

I think someone on here was saying put one wheel on dirt, and the other on pavement and take off semi aggressively, then go the opposite way and do the same..

It has already been said, but they are garbage. I came from an open diff, and the VLSD was a world of change for me, even on hard acceleration, so you should start to feel it more and more going bad.

 

+1.. when i swapped in my vlsd i noticed a pretty big change at the drag strip

 

Fluid change wont do anything for the stock Vlsd. Its a sealed unit.

 

I wouldn't say NOTHING since doesn't the diff fluid lubricate and help dissipate heat? I doubt it would be night and day, but if it's due, it wouldn't hurt

 

as in nothing for the limited slip side of the diff. a fuild change would only be for the gears. ring and pinion gears that is. the differential is a sealed VLSD.

 

I understand that, but if the fluid stops dissipating heat doesn't that marginally effect the viscous fluid inside? Heat has a huge effect on metals, so I wouldn't think that Nissan's viscous fluid would be an exception to heat..?

I'm just thinking about this from a "well shouldn't it" perspective, I have no thermal readings to prove/disprove.

I'm trying to up my knowledge game too

When in reality, all that matters is getting an actual diff!