1.5 or 2 LSD - Worthwhile investment?

Pug · 16 May 2006 at 09:28

I own an 03 Celica TSport, and i have the opportunity to buy a TRD (Toyota Racing) LSD.

Apparently its switchable from 1.5 -> 2, and would "only" cost £400 delivered.

Its an amazing price, but i'm not sure if the outlay would be worthwhile. 190BHP FWD car does struggle to lay the power down, especially accelerating hard out of a corner, and apparently these things apply the power where there's most grip whilst acclerating (and even when not acclerating if in 2 setting).

So my question is anyone owned a car without one, then had one fitted - was the difference noticeable & worthwhile?

merlin · 16 May 2006 at 09:38

Well I've driven plenty of FWD cars - some quick and some not - all without LSD and then mine with LSD.

The difference is night and day. Better traction in a straight line, but more importantly the ability to get on the gas a lot earlier round corners/bends.

The 2 way will be a bit of a handfull under braking - I would recommend 1.5 way - unless experiencing near death experiences turns you on.

Downsides - you will need strong arms on the steering wheel. At first it will freak you out, but inside a week you'll know exactly when it's going to pull you around and how hard and you'll be bossing the steering wheel before it happens, without even thinking about it. It will become second nature in no time at all.

£400 delivered is a good price, assuming it's a well engineering piece of kit. Fitting will take a while though.

monkeyspank · 16 May 2006 at 10:04

i would imagine it's a good bit of kit if it's proper TRD.

Can you just stick one on or would you need any mods to the gearbox or anything else?

eidolon · 16 May 2006 at 10:09

That's interesting merlin. I reckon the CTR handles great so I'm just wondering how good the Jap spec ones must be with their LSDs

merlin · 16 May 2006 at 10:18

eidolon said:
That's interesting merlin. I reckon the CTR handles great so I'm just wondering how good the Jap spec ones must be with their LSDs

Difference is night and day, on corner exit you just nail it, the front grabs the road like it's life depends on it (probably does

) and around you go.

Quite a few CTR's have the spoon LSD fitted and all the owners absolutely rave about how the car has changed.

merlin · 16 May 2006 at 10:30

monkeyspank said:
Can you just stick one on or would you need any mods to the gearbox or anything else?

Goes straight on.

Simon · 16 May 2006 at 10:35

Fancy diffs transform high powered FWD cars, I would never have one without one.

Going around a corner you can floor it , even in the wet, and the diff pulls the car even tighter into the corner. Passengers even notice how well they work, you don't get the understeer you would expect when in the wet and putting 250lb/ft to the front wheels whilst going around a corner.

Bear · 16 May 2006 at 10:37

I wouldnt consider getting a 2 way for a FWD car as they lock up with equal ferocity when braking as they do accelerating. IIRC Cusco recommend a 1 or 1.5 way for a FWD car.

Pug · 16 May 2006 at 10:55

i keep hearing this nightmare under braking bit is it as bad as all that?

Forgot about the fitting aspect

tho the family owns a dealership so have knowledgable people there, its not a Toyota dealership tho, and i expect it would be quite pricey?

Something to announce to the insurance company or is it not reall

As for the kit, its genuine TRD - so quality will be second to none i would expect, and its a 1.5 <-> 2 switchable, so i could have a play and see...

cheers, was kind of hoping you'd say "not worth it" and i could save my £400, but as it is i can see me putting the order in :/

merlin · 16 May 2006 at 10:59

Pug said:
i keep hearing this nightmare under braking bit is it as bad as all that?

Yes, on FWD.

Pug said:
Something to announce to the insurance company or is it not reall

What they can't see...

Pug said:
and its a 1.5 <-> 2 switchable, so i could have a play and see...

Ok, will if the fitters dont mind working 3 or 4 hours on the car then doing it all over again just because you've changed your mind.....

Pug · 16 May 2006 at 11:02

Ok, will if the fitters dont mind working 3 or 4 hours on the car then doing it all over again just because you've changed your mind.....

heh, fair doo's then.

"Switchable" gives the impression its a 30min job to change between the 2, guess i'll plump for 1.5 if i do then

3 or 4 hours to fit? For a Toyota dealer? or more for them, being as they're probably incompetent

?

merlin · 16 May 2006 at 11:05

Pug said:
3 or 4 hours to fit? For a Toyota dealer? or more for them, being as they're probably incompetent ?

Ok, make that 6 then.

Really it's hard to say - I'm not familiar with how quickly you can drop the box in a Celica.

On mine the sub frame has to come off to get at the box. 3 - 4 hours at least I'd have thought for someone who's done it before. Otherwise half a day.

eidolon · 16 May 2006 at 11:26

merlin said:
Difference is night and day, on corner exit you just nail it, the front grabs the road like it's life depends on it (probably does ) and around you go.

Quite a few CTR's have the spoon LSD fitted and all the owners absolutely rave about how the car has changed.

Hmmm.....sounds good. Probably not something I'll do on the CTR though (I've gotta have a sensible car) but worth knowing for future reference.

Simon · 16 May 2006 at 11:28

Pug said:
i keep hearing this nightmare under braking bit is it as bad as all that?

I've never noticed anything bad under braking.

[DOD]Asprilla · 16 May 2006 at 11:30

merlin said:
What they can't see...

Of course if you crash into someone writing off both cars and an insurance investigator looks at the wreckage you won't be insured and the person you crash into will have to claim off their own insurance or take you to court.

Serj · 16 May 2006 at 11:32

[DOD]Asprilla said:
Of course if you crash into someone writing off both cars and an insurance investigator looks at the wreckage you won't be insured and the person you crash into will have to claim off their own insurance or take you to court.

Negative. Your insurer has to provide you with 3rd party insurance whatever the case. Although i should leave the insurance stuff to merlin...

Stringy · 16 May 2006 at 11:34

[DOD]Asprilla said:
Of course if you crash into someone writing off both cars and an insurance investigator looks at the wreckage you won't be insured and the person you crash into will have to claim off their own insurance or take you to court.

How discreet is/isn't an LSD though? Would it look like a stock part?

merlin · 16 May 2006 at 11:36

Simon said:
I've never noticed anything bad under braking.

I think he was talking about the 2 way under braking?

Pug · 16 May 2006 at 11:41

merlin said:
I think he was talking about the 2 way under braking?

indeed i was.

Reading reports now of them making understeer worse in slow speed day to day driving?

any truth?

Simon · 16 May 2006 at 11:43

merlin said:
I think he was talking about the 2 way under braking?

Not surprised, as mentioned 2 ways are bad on a FWD