To Quaife or not to Quaife

[Az in Oz]

Looking for some feedback or opinions on whether to rebuild my stock 3.25 LSD centre or fit a Quaife or Torsen unit. The diff in my car has never been touched in it's 26yr life and I'm pretty sure it's not working anywhere near it's full capacity. I will be fitting either 3.73 or 3.91 gears in it at the same time.

Is the Quaife/Torsen idea a no brainer?

Cheers
Aaron

[autox320]

My understanding is quaife can unload(one wheel motion) on lift ie hopping rumble strips. Went to triple clutch packs on my 4.45 here.

[Ironhead]

Another option...as if you needed one....is the O.S. Giken unit. It is a traditional clutch pack setup. I have been using it for several years now and love it...

I was in sort of a quandary in deciding whether to do Quaife of the Giken diff. Obviously I decided Giken...but I forget what my reasoning was....:cartman:

[OZM3]

Street use only?

[w41442]

I'm happy with my Quaife for street and autocross use. Very easy to control the rear of the car with the gas pedal.

[Az in Oz]

Street use only?

Only to drive it to the track.

[Az in Oz]

Street use only?

So with the above in mind Dave, interested to hear your thoughts or opinions.

[OZM3]

I guess my comment is based on what you want to achieve using a {INSERT BRAND NAME DIFF} over the stock (rebuilt diff) v the $$$.

[Az in Oz]

For the sake of a few hundred dollars is the "brand name" a better unit?

[OZM3]

Thats the question. I havent had a qaiffe so I can comment on their capabilties as in real life. By all accounts they are fairly decent. Do they require more maintenance? . Plenty of quick E30 M3's running around on tracks on stock diffs though.

[Az in Oz]

Indeed it is which is why I asked it.........
From what I've read they require less maintenance than a clutch type LSD.
I'm after people who have run both types and their experience, pro and cons, or general comments on them.
I can get a Quaife for $950 and a reco job on my old one will run out at around $750. Is the worm gear style LSD $200 better than a clutch style?
No doubt there are plenty of fast E30 M3's getting around tracks with stock diffs.....are they original 26yr old units?........most likely not I'd assume. If they are you can guarantee they aren't working as well as they should.

[wazzu70]

The Z3s had torsen differentials if you are looking for a cheaper option.

Torsion units usually only appear in cars with traction control, so if a wheel lifts the brakes can modulate to allow you to keep putting power down. As mentioned above, if you hit a kerb and a wheel has no friction....no power is put down. This also tends to suck in the rain.

In an E30 I would definitely use a clutch differential for those reasons!

This guy has some reasonable prices/kits. No affiliation. Many people seem to like these clutches better than the BW ones.
http://www.bimmerdiffs.com/

[Az in Oz]

Thanks for the input Nick

Aaron

[brian52555]

I had a 3.15 Torsen of unknown condition in my car for about a year - hated it. While it was quiet, I cannot tell you the number of times I was momentarily stranded on driveways with one wheel in the air (stiff AST coils suspension). Regarding the locking action, I could never really "feel" the diff working while autocrossing, although to be fair I am not the most advanced driver.

I have since replaced it with a OEM style rebuilt 40% lock 3 Porsche clutch disc setup. Much happier now.

I have heard very good things about OS Giken, but I think it is in a different price range than the other 2.

[Az in Oz]

Another option...as if you needed one....is the O.S. Giken unit. It is a traditional clutch pack setup. I have been using it for several years now and love it...

I was in sort of a quandary in deciding whether to do Quaife of the Giken diff. Obviously I decided Giken...but I forget what my reasoning was....:cartman:

I've had a look at the Os Giken and they do look pretty impressive....and costly, over $1800. But then again, you spend a massive amount of money building an engine, why would you skimp on one of the key components that allows you to utilize it properly.

Thanks for your input, I now have a decision to make........and some $$$$ to spend