The Welded Differential Discussion/Questions thread

[kamikazestorm420]

If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to run one. I hate DDing on it.

I chose the VLSD for 2 reasons, 4.36 ring and pinion, and smooth lock up.

VLSD is s***. once it warms up, it is completely useless.

but most probably I'll go with a Helical unit, to retain the oem style lock up and feel.

Too bad a Helical will not help with getting up driveways since once it 3wheels it becomes an open.

[JoseBronx]

posting for future reference

[Didderson]

Too bad a Helical will not help with getting up driveways since once it 3wheels it becomes an open.

I'm not trying to thread jack, but you brought it up. Simply apply the e-brake or regular brakes while trying to get up a 3wheel driveway on an HLSD and it will transfer torque. It just needs a little resistance to get started.I've had to do it before and it's not that hard/bad Just sayin!Hummer h2 uses the same style torsen rear and it's in the manual to apply brakes during accel to gain more traction when stuck.

[Bumnah]

If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to run one. I hate DDing on it.

VLSD is s***. once it warms up, it is completely useless.

Too bad a Helical will not help with getting up driveways since once it 3wheels it becomes an open.

Don't forget the relatively cheap buy in price for a Helical in comparison to high quality unit.

Spot on with the heat issues and vlsd. All draw backs to the setup, but it's the best option until I can afford a real solution.

[mattblancarte]

I can understand going the cheap route to gain drift performance; and having to DD the "track car" is part of the low-budget deal.

Gain performance - compromise comfort.

I kind of look at welded diff's in the same light as I do rattle-can paint jobs.

[motoman399]

I can understand going the cheap route to gain drift performance; and having to DD the "track car" is part of the low-budget deal.

Gain performance - compromise comfort.

I kind of look at welded diff's in the same light as I do rattle-can paint jobs.

uhg i hate rattle can paint jobs. lol but the welded diff isnt bad and you wouldnt know that unless you have driven one for longer than a day or two. like said previously its worst in a parking lot

[motoman399]

All I've stated are their short comings. I believe it's up to the user to make a decision on if they want to run one or not.

If I disagree with you, I simply disagree with you. What's so bad about that?

you were bagging on them. there is nothing wrong with an opinion, but no one wants to hear it when you have not tried the other thing.

This is not the "Oh, I've never had a welded before but I don't like them, blah blah blah." If you have never had one, don't talk smack.

this was stated in the very first post and it was in BOLD kinda hard to miss but just in case you did miss it or forgot it i posted it again

[kamikazestorm420]

Simply apply the e-brake or regular brakes while trying to get up a 3wheel driveway on an HLSD and it will transfer torque.

yeah, i should've mentioned that also. It'll get old having to ebrake on every single dip / driveways / etc. If you're not low, it probably won't bother you considering you won't 3 wheel. but for people whose frame rails are 1" off the ground, to get up any kind of bump, you would have to angle so much that it would most likely 3 wheel. With a welded, you just angle, and go up normally.

Don't forget the relatively cheap buy in price for a Helical in comparison to high quality unit.

How much cheaper is a helical? Last time I checked a s15 Helical is a minor price difference from an actual clutch type diff.

I kind of look at welded diff's in the same light as I do rattle-can paint jobs.

I kind of have to agree with this quote. They both are basically for people who are too cheap to buy a decent part. Tho, like people say, it isn't THAT bad. In my case, I am not going to spend $800+ when 1) my car isn't a track car 2) I just need it to get over bumps 3) I got my welded for free from my friend. just traded diffs

Now, if it is an actual track car, i would opt for a clutch type over a welded.

[Bumnah]

yeah, i should've mentioned that also. It'll get old having to ebrake on every single dip / driveways / etc. If you're not low, it probably won't bother you considering you won't 3 wheel. but for people whose frame rails are 1" off the ground, to get up any kind of bump, you would have to angle so much that it would most likely 3 wheel. With a welded, you just angle, and go up normally.

How much cheaper is a helical? Last time I checked a s15 Helical is a minor price difference from an actual clutch type diff.

I kind of have to agree with this quote. They both are basically for people who are too cheap to buy a decent part. Tho, like people say, it isn't THAT bad. In my case, I am not going to spend $800+ when 1) my car isn't a track car 2) I just need it to get over bumps 3) I got my welded for free from my friend. just traded diffs

Now, if it is an actual track car, i would opt for a clutch type over a welded.

I've seen Helicals as cheap as $400 (bare unit). Some higher around $800.

There was a big 2 way to helical diff thread on nissanroadracing.com. The response and lock up was discussed in depth. From what I remember someone was going to drop big money on an OS Giken diff to give feedback on it's response and lock up. If memory serves me correctly the OS Giken unit is close to $2k.

My turd40sx barely sees the street as it is. I'm weary to modify the car in any way because I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it street legal, or go all the way and make it a full track car (trailer and cage it).

[motoman399]

I kind of have to agree with this quote. They both are basically for people who are too cheap to buy a decent part. Tho, like people say, it isn't THAT bad. In my case, I am not going to spend $800+ when 1) my car isn't a track car 2) I just need it to get over bumps 3) I got my welded for free from my friend. just traded diffs

you know that is not true in my case. i would rather buy a spool then weld it. but since they dont offer a spool for the 240 diff then welding is the next best thing. i dont like limited slips because the still slip. always.

[Future_gohan]

you know that is not true in my case. i would rather buy a spool then weld it. but since they dont offer a spool for the 240 diff then welding is the next best thing. i dont like limited slips because the still slip. always.

x2 I perfer a welded because it is predictable. My 300zx sucks in the vlsd factor, sometimes both will spin, and one second i'll just not. suckss. I would never use a lsd

[PantherRacer]

I personally wouldn't go welded unless I was 103% sure it's got the strongest welds EVER and I didn't have another choice.My friend had a welded diff in his hatch, and it wasn't too bad. It did well sideways & on straights, with super mad tyte jdm wheel hop during low speed turns. But one night just cruising at ~60 heading home the damn thing breaks, wheels lock, we spin, and my side of the car got some real quality time with a pole. I was picking glass out of places I didn't know I had for 2 weeks... Was an interesting experience...

So yeah. if they're (getting) weak, or they're not welded properly, they can mess up when you least expect it, and while you're not even fooling around. I guess you should be like a ninja always ready for shxt to pop off.

[mattblancarte]

Holy moly that is pretty scary. Glad you're ok.

[motoman399]

I personally wouldn't go welded unless I was 103% sure it's got the strongest welds EVER and I didn't have another choice.My friend had a welded diff in his hatch, and it wasn't too bad. It did well sideways & on straights, with super mad tyte jdm wheel hop during low speed turns. But one night just cruising at ~60 heading home the damn thing breaks, wheels lock, we spin, and my side of the car got some real quality time with a pole. I was picking glass out of places I didn't know I had for 2 weeks... Was an interesting experience...

So yeah. if they're (getting) weak, or they're not welded properly, they can mess up when you least expect it, and while you're not even fooling around. I guess you should be like a ninja always ready for shxt to pop off.

wow that really sucks. glad your alright. just curious if you ever pulled apart the welded diff after the accident? i would be curious to see if the diff blew up or if the bearings got slag in them causing them to seize?

to everyone who reads this: if you weld your diff, make sure you have a strong enough welder, also make sure you have the skill and experience. if you have someone else weld your diff, again make sure they have the skill/experience to do it properly. make sure that you dont just pull the cover off of the diff and lay a bead in it. the proper way to do it is take the carrier out of the housing, disassemble the ring gear, cover the bearings, then weld it. (i used a propane torch to make sure the metal is very hot before i weld it to get maximum penetration) MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT GET WELDING SPLATTER IN YOUR BEARINGS. IT CAN BE DANGEROUS!

[slow40]

I can understand going the cheap route to gain drift performance; and having to DD the "track car" is part of the low-budget deal.

Gain performance - compromise comfort.

I kind of look at welded diff's in the same light as I do rattle-can paint jobs.

I can understand your point as they are one in the same, people want to get a desired effect for little $. Maybe one day when I finish my engineering classes and get a good job I will be able to promote myself from the ghetto class to the gangsta class and have the funds to build a respectable car like yours.

But until then... welded ftw!

[motoman399]

hey so just a little review. last weekend my buddy bought an s13 with a sr20 and a welded diff with some suspension. we went to autocross and he had never been before. he was 3 seconds off of the fastest time! only 3 and the difference between the fastest and slowest was 14 seconds. so there is some more proof that the welded isnt that bad for autocross.

just thought i would share

[mRodiek]

To further continue this thread, what kind of oil are you using in your welded differentials? I was told 85W-90 would work, any other opinions?

[motoman399]

To further continue this thread, what kind of oil are you using in your welded differentials? I was told 85W-90 would work, any other opinions?

ya that would work or a synthetic equal. just look in the owners manual or a repair manual.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

I have a solution for you welded diff guys that don't like to DD it. Have two diffs, one welded, one open.

Swap between events or whenever you want to have fun. Problem solved.

Welded diffs suck for DD.

[ILoveMyRHS13]

f*** dropping a diff just for an event.

Sorry the welded hurt your poor little hiney.

[AZ89two4Tsx]

Lol, it takes under an hour if you've done it before.

I'd rather do that than have my tires scrubbing everytime I make a low speed turn.

[Chris28]

Changing diffs might take less than an hour, but for some of us it means changing axles as well, not to mention the time it takes to get the car up in the air.

[J14cm7]

Ive been wanting to start a pro welded diff club on here for a while cause they get such a bad rep. MotoMan your are spot on as usual.

Listen there is no right or wrong answer to this question. Like ILoveMyRHS13 said welded diffs are PERFECT for drag/drifting. Nothing is better dont care how much money you spend. End of story. The car is so much easier to drive in these situations its crazy. Especially when you downshift and pop the clutch to start your drift.

On the other hand if all you do is DD your car then welding your diff is the dumbest idea ever. I drive my car to the track and around town on nice days and i love my welded diff. Autocross i have heard differing opinions but either way a welded diff is not ideal.

And the idiot that posted the "JDM tyte wheel hop comment", that was the dumbest thing i have ever heard. What JDM car has a welded diff?

[troskinatior]

And the idiot that posted the "JDM tyte wheel hop comment", that was the dumbest thing i have ever heard. What JDM car has a welded diff?

Only the JDM ones were.

Were you talking about this?Because if you were, I was kidding.

[J14cm7]

no your good trosky. I dont feel like rereading the whole thread but someone made a comment earlier about JDM tyte wheel hop.

[motoman399]

MotoMan your are spot on as usual.

thanks man, i really appreciate that. i always try to provide accurate and true information.

one thing i would like to add is the one thing that would be better than a welded diff for drag/drift is a spool. just because you KNOW its not going to blow up lol.

[spooled240]

i'm thinking about welding my diff but i think i'm gonna have to run some small/cheap tires like some s14 SE's or something since the 275 BFG's out back will probably not wanna slip too much lol

for some of you guys saying the tires wore out quick, did you check your alignment? If you're toe is off in the rear your tires will be hatin life and if they are dragging in the parking lot they will probably be hating it more. Alignments are a common overlooked element in a car's handling characteristics so that's why I ask.

[Bumnah]

f*** dropping a diff just for an event.

Sorry the welded hurt your poor little hiney.

Can't remember if it was your welded diff. But didn't someone recently have a welded diff go bad on them?

[Gabes13]

not to mention the time it takes to get the car up in the air.

Lol. Reminds me of last weekend. Took me 30min to put my front end on jack stands. True story.

[motoman399]

i'm thinking about welding my diff but i think i'm gonna have to run some small/cheap tires like some s14 SE's or something since the 275 BFG's out back will probably not wanna slip too much lol

for some of you guys saying the tires wore out quick, did you check your alignment?

do it. my friend had 275's on his zenki with a 2 way that was just like the welded, bucks and pops the same! he doesnt have any problems with it not wanting to break traction on the inside tire.

as for the tires wearing out fast, they wear out faster because of people drifting and doing burnouts, not because of tight turns.

f*** dropping a diff just for an event.

Sorry the welded hurt your poor little hiney.

Can't remember if it was your welded diff. But didn't someone recently have a welded diff go bad on them?

it is a bad idea to weld a diff if the person welding has no clue what they are doing. to be done correctly they need to be disassembled completely and preheated.