what to look for when buying a complete vlsd driveshaft?

[Fenvy]

accordin to the faq, this is how you know that you have vlsd installed

Quote »I tried the most popular VLSD test while the car was up on a lift. I definitely have the VLSD, confirmed via other means. Namely, big orange sticker on the side that says VLSD.... Anyway, all forms of this test were done with both drive wheels completely off the ground. Here's what I found:

With transmission in neutral, spin one wheel by hand and the other spins the same direction. Both spin very freely.

With transmission in gear (driveshaft fixed), the wheel is much more difficult to spin, plus the other wheel rotates in the OPPOSITE direction.

With one wheel fixed (someone holding it in this case, could also be on the ground), either in neutral or in gear, it is very difficult to turn the other side at all, but it will turn given enough force.[/quote]is there anything else I shoudl be watched out for? say for instance you have to watch for out shaft play on an used turbine. compression on an used engine.... what about vlsd driveshaft? something I should watch out for?

[s13EastTN]

I would imagine look out for huge holes, bent stuff, weird noises, pink ribbons etc.Also I would check mileage, a 300k mile lsd can't be in too good of condition to help your traction.

[Fenvy]

how do you check the mileage? they can claim whatever **** they want. If I ask for the vin they can just throw a random vin at me

[180fan]

look for play in the u-joints

[Fenvy]

look for play in the u-joints

how do I do that? can you elaborate further?

[navysnail]

when you turn one wheel does it turn a few degrees before it catches and if you turn the drive shaft in N does it turn a few degrees before catching

[Fenvy]

so a new lsd should turn the opposite direction immediately. an okay one would probably catch on within 5 degrees... a really ****ed up one will not turn at all or take at least 90+ degree before it catchs on....

how does that sound?

[Fenvy]

bump..

[180fan]

play in u-joints, twist the driveshaft if one end starts to turn before the other then you're better off lookin elsewhere

[Nathan]

Wait, are we talking about JUST a differential here, or a differential + driveshaft? If it's JUST a differential then there aren't many ways to tell the age of it except how clean it is and how hard it is to make the output shafts turn the opposite directions. My diff. supposedly has about 50k miles on it (I believe it, its CLEAN) and I can barely turn the output shafts differently at all and I'm a pretty big guy. Other than that, the text quoted at the beginning of the thread is correct on determining what is or is not a vlsd.