I'm looking for a good mechanic that can install a Quaife LSD into a 2007 Base Model for a good price in the SF Bay Area, preferably in the Penninsula. I've called most local shops, including Midas', and most have given responses that have swayed my faith in their competance, to say the least.

Also, I've been quoted $450 by some. Is this a good price?

Please post repbutable mechanics and contact info?


Thanks in advance.

 

Try Zcargarage

 

midas, lol why even bother asking them

Zcargarage would also get my vote

 

ZCG no doubt.

 

I had a Quaife installed on my 06 base at ZCG.

$450 or around there sounds about right. Rob sends the diff out to a diff guru and then he just mounts it...

 

Thanks for the info guys. I know...I called Midas out of sheer desperation.


So, with the diff sent out, what will be on my car? Will my car have to be out of commission for more than a day?

 

^ nah man, drop off in the morning, pick up in the afternoon.

 

How do you like the Quaife? Do you track your car alot?

 

I was ZCG's first install of an LSD a couple years ago. No problems with their install for the 2 years that I've been pounding on mine.
I recently took mine out myself for a rebuild and everything was still in good order. I wouldn't recommend a DIY after having done it myself just recently.

 

I like it a lot. It's sesitive to weight distribution though as both wheels need traction for it to work best. For example if you lift one rear wheel fully off the ground, the diff will act just like an open diff.

I've tracked the car 3 times only and it's worked great, twice with OE rubber and once with RT615's. The idea is to track the car as much as possible. I've done the must do things for now so I'll be seeing the track quite a bit this year. I'm hoping for 10 days if time and money allow.

 

So, if one wheel has absolutely no traction, the gripping wheel won't turn?

 

That's correct. One wheel in the air means wheel with no traction will spin more, just like an open diff.

If the car is porperly setup this shouldn't happen. Clutch type LSDs won't have the same behaviour.

 

But don't clutch LSDs clank, lock-up, and require maintenance?

So, if both wheels need some traction in order for the Quaife to operate properly, what advantages does it have over an Open LSD, or even a Viscous LSD for that matter? Also, are there different gearing ratios available with the Quaife, or is it a "one-size-fits-all?"

*Sorry for all the questions, it's just that I'm still debating the Quaife vs. Rims and probably won't be able to afford both.

 

Yes, clutch type LSDs can be noticed more on the car. You don't even know the Quaife is there.

The difference between the Quaife and the open diff is that the Quaife is a torque biasing differential. This means it senses which wheel has the most grip and transfers more power to that wheel.

Lets say your coming out of a tight right hand corner with an open diff and get on the gas hard in second gear. The right rear wheel(inside wheel) will spin up and you'll loose exit speed.
With the Quaife, under the same circumstance, it senses that the outside wheel has more grip and transfer more power to that wheel. What this translates to is that instead of the car spinning up the inside wheel it will most likely not spin up at all or it will slide the whole rearend of the car out a bit. I've tested the diff and it does it's job very well.

In all honesty, if you're not going to track your car much, try it out with the open diff first. If you see that you need an LSD, install one. The only reason I installed it is because I plan to track the car a lot. You'll still benefit from an LSD driving up on the hills and such but it won't be as frustrating when you spin up the inside wheel as compared to when it happnes on the track.

There is also plenty of info on the quaife on this site. Do a search and you'll see plenty of posts on it. That's how I got up to speed on all the different LSD types and decided to go with this one.

HTH

 

Alternatively, you could skip the quaife and the wheels and get some SS lines, motul brake fluid, race pads, and track the hell out of your car with the funds

 

Mistico,

Thanks for all of your info and advice! I really, really appreciate it.

I've about two weeks before I have the "money-burning-a-hole-in-my-pockets" sensation, so I've some time to do some homework.