diggerman Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I am waiting for a BMW diff for my Roadsport 150 SV. I've still not seen any reports from anyone that is using one. There must be some out there! Are they silent and free of backlash? Answers please. Peter C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin J Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Chatting with another L7 club member the other evening & the BMW diff has been a disaster on his new 150 roadsport He said caterham are looking at changing some of the internal components to carbon fibre 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerman Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 Hi Martin, Any idea what sort of disaster? Heavy, unreliable, German or what? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin J Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Very noisy from what he told me. I won't mention his name (unless he decides to post up here) as CC have got to fix it under warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSepter Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I am happy with mine so far - 1000 miles in a Roadsport SV 175. BMW LSD with carbon (not carbon fibre, I think...) plates. Makes a certain amount of noise, but nothing excessive considering how firmly these bits of machinery are bolted into the chassis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerman Posted April 7, 2011 Author Share Posted April 7, 2011 *arrowdown*Mmm starts to get interesting. Thanks JetSepter, did you have the BMW diff retro fitted and if so how does it compare with the Quaife. Does it suffer any backlash? Sorry to ask so many questions but I am hungry for info before letting the Caterham guys loose on my car to perform the transplant. My car is now a year old and it's first diff was so noisy and clunky. The warranty replacement whines a bit when warm but not too bad. It does have quite a lot of backlash which is just unpleasant and I only want the BMW version if it solves all these problems. peterC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian B Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 The BMW diff's in race cars will remain with metal plates (a bit clunky) but for road cars they will be fitted with carbon plates to minimise clunkiness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mic Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Its the Titan diffs that will retain the standard plates in the race diffs. BMW diffs have not been a disaster, there was the problem with lsd noise, but as has been said elsewhere carbon plates are being fitted to the road versions I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin J Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I perhaps over stated the diff calling it a disaster Mic but he was not happy with the noise it was making. I have received a blat mail from him & as of yesterday CC Dartford seem to be looking after him well & the issues are going to be sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael G Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Mine is the lsd mentioned by Martin, on a Roadsport 150 with 500 miles on the clock. Not much backlash showing, but very noisy irregular clattering when pulling away and turning. Improves when hot but still there. Slight whine on over-run sometimes audible, but nothing to get excited about. I was told that the solution for road cars is to replace the sintered metal plates with carbon plates. 8 weeks delivery for my replacement. ☹️ I understand that this problem rather took Caterham by surprise on road car lsd's, and the impression given is that mine is a particularly "bad" one. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irrelevant Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 I understand that this problem rather took Caterham by surprise on road car lsd's Maybe it's time Caterham stopped doing their product development testing on customer cars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2slo Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Maybe it's time Caterham stopped doing their product development testing on customer cars I'll second that especially as my car is probably getting built now. These are not problems owners should be expected to suffer. Get it right then fit it to production cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 BMC did it for years . . . But maybe someone who is more "attuned" to a Caterham may think it's quite an improvement compared to a the older diff, which itself may have been thought acceptable. To someone coming from a tin-top, or tin-soft-top, where the diff isn't 4" behind your left hip, and not buried under several inches of underseal, sound deadening felt, carpet, padding, seat, etc, it probably will sound awful. Probably sounds worse than the same diff would if it was in a live axle, dangling in fresh air, not mounted directly to the chassis. Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSepter Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 My diff was not retro-fitted, came as part of the factory-built new car. I was told that the BMW diffs are fettled by Titan for Caterham, with some modifications to permit bolting into the Seven chassis, and the LS components added where specified. I am afraid I have no experience of the Quaife to provide a comparison. Backlash - I'm not sure. I'm happy enough. The rental 125 with the Sierra diff seemed to have more than mine does, but mine does make an interesting 'wee-oo, wee-oo, wee-oo' noise if you let the engine do the slowing down into the roundabout. Ultimately, it's all so close to the driver, that it is difficult to see that it would ever seem quiet (unless you put ear defenders on, of course, which works a treat...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2slo Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 unless you put ear defenders on, of course, which works a treat... One of the many things I like about the 7 is the need for ear defenders when driving. Or, as my wife pointed out, 'but if you wear ear defenders you won't be able to hear me' Oh dear, how sad. 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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