Nifty Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 With my impending 200ish hp engine I'm thinking of fitting an LSD. Just wanted peoples impressions of what was available and the pros and cons of the various types, eg. plate, Quaife type, Sierra viscous type. Which one do Caterham provide? I can't find mention of one on their Online Parts or Aftersales web pages. How much is it likely to cost? Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 Sorry, should have pointed out that the car will remain a road car but I intend to do more track work and sprinting with it. Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 After 7 yrs of a quaife in a Westie, I wish I'd kept my hard-earned and bought one instead of the one Caterham supplied in 2001 . . . So my vote would be a Quaife . . . but then again the Westie wasn't quite up to 200bhp either . . . Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancelot Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 Bricol, Which type do CC supply? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 ZF plate type. In order to work at their best (received wisdom) in the Seven, they need a modified preload and 30 degree ramps that were specced for the race R400s. I know of one person who managed to spec these mods on their roadgoing car through Caterham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 When I was chatting with Dave Andrews on Saturday he was suggesting that the Quaife ones can still spin up a wheel if it lifts off the floor in cornering. I didn't reallly grasp what he was telling me. Can anyone expand on this ......Peter 🤔 Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bricol Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 Quaife ones need some torque reaction on both wheels to work - so if one is in the air, it won't . . . but then again it didn't suddenly seem to lock up and suddenly point the car straight under power . . . the Westie had considerably more power than my Cat and the Cat seems to do this. I have another one ready to go into the next project . . . a Dutton Phaeton . . . I just didn't know enough / think enough / ask enough questions when ticking the boxes . . . although the LSD box was ticked by phone a little while later . . . Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 If you spin up a wheel and then it comes back down to earth on a big sticky tyre, the shock load can strip the teeth off your gears. This cost me one six speed gearbox from using an AP Suretrack with 250bhp. It was not coincidence that the gearbox died about a fortnight after clash of the Titans having been rebuilt with strengthened 2nd a month before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 So what type do you use Peter? Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 On the orange cat: ZF with 30 degree ramps and reduced preload. On the PTP cat: Quaife On the Mi16: Quaife On the ZTT: MG-R viscous Edited by - Peter Carmichael on 12 Oct 2005 22:54:06 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 So for road use with some trackdays and sprints (in a novice style) you'd advise the ZF or the Quaife Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Corb Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 The current Caterham one has 30° ramps but the preload is somewhere around 50+lb.ft. At least thats how they are shipped from ZF. I tried it but its a bit crazy, good for drifting... I took it out and had it modified to about 25lb.ft. Its much more manageable that way. The preload can be reduced by either skimming the back off the ramps or by pressing the springs. ZF have real problems sourcing the "hard parts" (such as new ramps @ £75 ea) whereas the springs and plates are much cheaper and easily sourced so I went the spring pressing route. BC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knowley Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 Some good stuff here R'00 Owners Register My R300 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 Thanks Knowley .. and Angus *thumbup* Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 ZF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 Thanks Now, how do I have the luck of Angus and pick one up cheaply? *tongue* Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caterhamnut Posted October 12, 2005 Share Posted October 12, 2005 Contact the race teams Nifty - maybe Richard has some contacts - I bought mine (from Blatchat) from a race team who were forced to sell by a regulatory change (I think!) Well worth it - yes the hooning is fun, but the real difference is in traction off the line and really noticable pulling out of tight hairpins on track - just digs in and takes off rather than lifting and spinning the inner wheel. www.mycaterham.com here 87,756 miles in 4 years - 1st 1.6k Supersport, '95 Motor Show car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted October 12, 2005 Author Share Posted October 12, 2005 Might have a word with R&R tomorrow and Tranzpower. I'm really doing my best to buy my way out of depression Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Give Dan Jones a call @ Tran X, he's just built me a plate LSD with 30 degree ramps and reduced preload too, ..........And a nice close 5 speed cluster too! Price wasn't OTT either. http://www.tran-x.com/GearkitHTML/gearkitHome.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Kipper Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Nifty Had a Quaife for 3 years, road and sprints. No problems at all but cannot compare to any others. Does exactly what it says on the tin . I accept that there may be a problem with lifting a wheel but my car is a comparatively low powered 1.6 SS so have not encountered this - and I try and keep off the big kerbs Kipper Fun is not a straight line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Panks Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Mine's a Caterham ZF unit. visit Carrotland.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrigsby Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 The only possible problem with a ZF plate LSD is that they can be a bit noisey!! and it seems a bit hit and miss as to whether they are or not. Mine was fine for ages but in the last 12months or so it's got quite noisy and clunky, in particularl when reversing. It was checked out by R&R earlier in the year and is fine so I'm not really sure why it's got louder. Rob G www.SpeedySeven.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Abbatiello Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Has anyone used a viscous type diff in a seven. I understand these use oil and some kind of sheering plates and that the viscosity changes the 'preload' of the diff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Biddle Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 Not tried a plate type but can vouch for the quaife, had been in my Vx car for 7 years with no problem, and is still performing well with the RST V8 installed. Summing up the above posts; Plate type requires correct initial setting up, and maybe periodical adjustment, but will cope with race conditions where wheel lift is likely better than the quaife. The Quaife is fit and forget. My conclusion is that unless you are going to be doing some very serious track work, the no brainer choice is the Quaife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 one point to add, I noticed aditional understeer on turn in when I changed from a AP suretrac to a Plate ZF . Despite the plate being setup with suitable ramp angles and preload. This i was told was as a result of the AP diff going "open" on a trailing throttle on turn in whereas the plate goes into a corner and takes the braking torque of the engine and acts. Therefore the plate diff doesnt go "open" and hence the inside wheel is trying to turn at the same speed as the outside rear wheel, this then pushes the nose wide. My normal solution to this is to trail brake or left foot brake when sprinting to overcome the front end washing out . The quaife diff also goes open on trailing throttle - this would be my preference if I was in the market for a diff again. The occasions the rear wheel lifts off the floor is very rare unless you are kerb hopping so its action with one wheel in the air wouldnt be a concern for me . One benifit of the suretrac was the weight saving over the plate ZF. Was 7 Kgs if i recall correctly ? I dont know what the Quaife weighs . The quaife is also very very quiet . I'm sure others will be able to provide the engineering reason for the above , I can only describe what I feel through my bum . Edited by - Dave Jackson on 13 Oct 2005 14:41:25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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