LSDs, again I am sure!

Winniebongo · Post by **Winniebongo** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:38 pm

I have a 97 4 WD vehicle and am not sure if I have an LSD or not. I have looked up te old posts on the site and noted down some tests to prove whether I have or haven't. One complication semed to be ther were a few different kinds of LSD but ther were some common threads so I went ahead as follows.
1. The first test seemed to be suggested by several people and that was to jack up the back, turn one wheel in a direction and if the other turns the opposite diretion then you do not have one, same direction you do.
2. The other was to jack one rear wheel, if you can turn it you don't have LSD if you can't or it is difficult you have.
Guess what, test one I don't have LSD, test two I do. Bottom line i am as confused as i was to start with

. It could be that i have a paricular type of LSD but I don't really feel confident to say yeah or nay myself. I would appreciate if anyone can shed any light on this dillema, the reason is I would like to change my diff oil and want to make sure I buy the correct grade.
Thanks in advance.

Post by **Ian** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:54 pm

If you can only get hold of GL5 (75/90 Synthetic) gear oil, it won?t cause any damage to the LSD.

Chin · Post by **Chin** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 7:51 am

Read from some where that to check if your car comes with LSD, lift up the rear of the car so both wheels not touching the ground, rotate the wheel at either side, if the other wheel do not rorate, then there is no LSD. If the other wheel rotate in the same or opposite direction, then the car is with LSD.

moonshine · Post by **moonshine** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 8:58 am

If the vehicle has both its rear wheels off the ground, with the propshaft stationary, and one wheel is turned, the other must rotate in the opposite direction with a normal non-L/S diff. I don't know about how limited slip diffs work, but if you can turn one wheel without the other rotating, I would say that you either have a broken half-shaft or the diff has fallen to bits!

Colin Lambert · Post by **Colin Lambert** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 10:17 am

I agree with Moonshine. If both rear wheels are off the ground and you rotate one clockwise the other will rotate anti-clockwise WITH AN ORDINARY DIFF!.
Bear in mind a LSD is LIMITED SLIP! not NO slip. So it is impossible to test by jacking the vehicle up unless you have some way of turning the wheel fast i:e: the old type of on car wheel balancer and braking the other. The braked wheel will then be forced to turn after a few fast revolutions of the driven wheel.

Winniebongo · Post by **Winniebongo** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 1:19 pm

Is there any way of telling by the physical appearance of the diff it'self? would that be easier?
Also on the issue of oil, I had read that to top up with GL5 wouldn't do any harm but if i do a complete change my thinking was i better get the correct stuff. If it's down to 'grade' would i not be better with the synthetic (Ibelieve) LSD oil as a kind of upgrade to the normal GL5 rather than the other way round?
Cheers for the replies.

Winniebongo · Post by **Winniebongo** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:33 pm

Anyone any other ideas about this or am I better waiting for snow?

white van man · Post by **white van man** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:39 pm

most limited slip diffs have a yellow sticker on the axle casing at rear stating its lsd,normal axles have white stickers,

Timnz · Post by **Timnz** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:35 am

I tested mine, with the van in 'park' so the driveshaft is locked, I can turn one wheel, and the other one goes opposite direction. If it isn't in 'park', I can turn one wheel without the other turning.
I think that's a non-LSD , correct?

andyfb78 · Post by **andyfb78** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 4:42 pm

Sorry,

An LSD will usually only 'lock' under load, and rotating by hand is not enough.

(they either use friction plates, or friction between gears - not sure which one will be on a Bongo)

The way to tell is to park one wheel on the grass and one on the tarmac and floor it. if you get lots of spin on the grass, it's not and LSD, if you don't you do........ if that makes sense...

Praps better be your own grass though.......

Timnz · Post by **Timnz** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 3:01 am

I have noticed my van has a lot of traction, I tried one wheel on tarmac, and one on slippery clay wet verge, going uphill and still made it up without any drama, slight wheel slip but not much, and it doesn't spin the inside wheel when cornering on a wet road, it just sits down at the back a bit and bites. With a lot of provication, it will go into a full drift/slide, but no inside wheel spinning.
Been up a steepish grass hill without any slippage, and didn't chew the grass up or anything.
LSD must be the next best thing to 4wd...

Winniebongo · Post by **Winniebongo** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 7:55 pm

Ok I finally had time and weather today to jack it up and have a look. There were two stickers on the diff both covered in black paint. I carefully removed some and i have a yellow sticker, so that means LSD right? So I am assumng i need the better oil in any case. Next question is where can i get it? Also I am thinking I will have a front diff ( haven't nvestegated that yet)

will that be LSD or am I getting silly now?

DemonAV · Post by **DemonAV** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 2:10 pm

Hi.
There is the specific computer program from Japan, which according to the body number of car makes it possible to see all established at the plant options and to select the correct suitable spare part. Usually they there is in the service centers, but we in Russia themselves use this program.

If you give to me the full body number of your car, I can say accurately, there are LSD or not.

Winniebongo · Post by **Winniebongo** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:41 pm

Thanks for the offer but i am not sure about the wisdom of putting my vehicle details on the world wide web, security and all that. I suppose at any rate on a ten year old vehicle it may not be the original diff, but thanks for trying to help anyway.

Post by **Ian** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:54 pm

Winniebongo wrote:i am not sure about the wisdom of putting my vehicle details on the world wide web

You don't ned to post your VIN on the web. Just PM Dmitri and he'll tell you whether you have LSD or not. He's hardly likely to come over from Moscow and nick your radio. After all, the man installs home entertainment systems for a living.....