I want your experienced opinion on welded center diff.

[PreskitVR4]

I would like your personal experienced opinion on your welded center diff in long form. Pros/Cons what you liked, and hated. I am running a Centerforce DFX clutch modded to what they call dual puck: meaning it is organic triangles on both sides. My pump tune is probably gonna be just shy of 400 on AEM with a 3071. Please give me your honest opinion. Thanks in advance, Dale.

 

[turbowop]

I was worried after reading forums full of people that hate it. Having installed my new trans with a welded center just a month or so ago, I can actually say it's not that bad. Driving all over town or on the freeway you don't even notice it. Only in parking lots does it become evident that you have a locked diff. It feels like the parking brake is on during tight parking lot maneuvers. Backing out of my driveway with the wheels turned, I can hear the rear CV's clank. I wouldn't wanna daily the thing in a busy city or have to parallel park anywhere, but for me, it's easily tolerable for fun weekend driving or the occasional romp to teh grocery store after work on a weeknight.

 

[ktmrider]

Just posted/hashed out in May: click

 

[4thStroke]

It is the cheap alternative for a durable center diff.

I've gone from a 2 spider to a welded center, back to a 2 spider, and back to a welded diff.

Driveability, hands down, the 2 spider is better. The 4 spider will offer the same driveability and offer the durability that most people will be after, although it will never be as strong as a welded diff.

With the welded diff, the axles click and the tires skip on tighter turns (parking lots, for example). I seem to be burning up tires a little faster than I did before as well.

The nice thing is that the car is more predictable with the welded center diff. At high power (550awhp+), the car torque steers the same way every time, on level ground, it slides the same way as well. Although I can't recall if I ever had the car turned up with the 2 spider... I've just been too worried about breaking it at. Even just launching the 2 spider a dozen times with the car at 440awhp, the spider gears were not in any condition to be put back in a transmission and be trusted to hold up.

If you have the money and aren't making 600hp, go with the 4 spider. Otherwise, I find the peace of mind in the welded diff worth the clicking axles and tire wear. I have yet to break an axle with the welded diff.

I do get audible drivetrain harmonics even with the sprung 6 puck similar to what I had when I had a twin disc, but it's only on decel and not as noisy as when I had the twin. I have a lot of solid and poly bushings which do not help this problem. It's not usually a problem for most people.

 

[IncorpoRatedX]

It's fine as long as you have power steering. When I first got one of my galants it had a welded center diff and no power steering, that was annoying to drive...

 

[PreskitVR4]

Quoting turbowop:
I was worried after reading forums full of people that hate it. Having installed my new trans with a welded center just a month or so ago, I can actually say it's not that bad. Driving all over town or on the freeway you don't even notice it. Only in parking lots does it become evident that you have a locked diff. It feels like the parking brake is on during tight parking lot maneuvers. Backing out of my driveway with the wheels turned, I can hear the rear CV's clank. I wouldn't wanna daily the thing in a busy city or have to parallel park anywhere, but for me, it's easily tolerable for fun weekend driving or the occasional romp to teh grocery store after work on a weeknight.



Mark, thank you. I knew this would be fresh in your mind and I appreciate your honesty. Sounds like both of our cars are putting in the same amount of duty and from what others have posted, the tire wear and axle noise is a non issue for me. With hiems, solid bushings, coilovers, and 18s, chassis feedback is something I strive for.

 

[transparentdsm]

i have a welded center in my 92 laser awd with no power steering and its not that bad. you can hear a little chatter but nothing turning the radio up a tad can't solve. it is however starting to be a bit of a bother as i drive 140 miles a day 6-7 days a week in the car. if i could do it again knowing i would be driving this much i would have kept the power steering and had a 4 spider put in the trans.

 

[DynastyLCD]

i used to do 100+ miles a day, 5 or 6 days a week depending, with a 6 puck unsprung, welded diff, no power steering. it really wasn't that bad, unless i was leaving or pulling into the parking lot /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

my 1gb still gets driven everywhere the same way - except with a twin disc now instead of a 6 puck...

you don't really notice it too much driving around, its really just a pain in parking lots, or situations where you need to make 90 degree turns at a very low rate of speed.

 

[Barnes]

TransparentDSM & DynastyLCD

 

[dsm10o0]

I daily drive my galant, welded diff, no power steering, and also unsprung puck clutch. I got use to it its not that bad just making tight corners really suck. A couple other members on here drove my car without power steering and they said it sucked bad, but now with the welded diff I don't think anyone can drive my car but me now lol

 

[cheekychimp]

I appreciate this doesn't add much to the conversation but even my rear diff chatters and makes turning 90 degrees at slow speeds harder.

 

[transparentdsm]

Phil im right there with you and even in parking lots it isn't that bad.

Quoting Barnes:
TransparentDSM & DynastyLCD

hahahahahah not at all. im prolly the skinniest little white kid you'd ever meet.

 

[Olson]

welded diff is for drag racing
spider diff is good for handling.
If you care at all how your car handles dont weld your diff. period.

 

[PreskitVR4]

Well, ^^^^^^^this is very important. I refuse to ever drag race my car. I run NASA HPDE sessions several times a year, and Jerome,AZ is literally in my backyard. I forgot to make that point when I started this thread. Thank you for picking up on my mods list.