Can anyone chim in on how the L/S works?

pooleo · #1 02-08-2011, 09:19 AM

As the title says, how does the L/S physically function?

This is my understanding. The rear end is "locked" until the truck turns, then the torque/pressure/resistance from the inside wheel realeases the two "spider" gears with the clutch packs. This causes the "limited slip". After the turn is complete and going straight again, the "spiders" lock back in and the rear end locks up again.

Is this what is going on? While I had my truck in the air I was trying to figure this thing out, it seemed that when I turned the driveshaft both wheels spun the same direction. If we tried to turn the wheels opposite we could not turn the wheels at all!

And of coarse with the open diff the tires spun opposite of one another.

Any insight would be appreciated.

sgtsandman · #2 02-08-2011, 09:33 AM

Aren't there clutches in the spider gear pack? Isn't that what the additive is for as a friction modifier?

pooleo · #3 02-08-2011, 09:38 AM

yeah the clutches are on the axle sides of the spiders and go into the carrier hub.

blkranger231 · #4 02-08-2011, 10:12 AM

This has some pretty good ingo might help out a bit-

Limited slip differential - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The way I have explain it is one wheel turns on its own like its a open diff until that one wheel losses traction then the L/S "locks" the wheels togather. Since you had both wheels off the ground one wheel had no traction which caused the other to engage into full lock

01_ranger_4x4 · #5 02-08-2011, 10:16 AM

the axles never fully lock, all the clutches and springs do is add friction between axles to limit the amount of slip (ie. the name, limited slip) if you have one wheel off the ground that wheel will sit there and spin just like an open diff, unless its a really really tight LS ( the ford trac-loc is not one of those) but at that point it would be not so good for driving on the road.

00RangerXLT · #6 02-11-2011, 06:07 PM

what they all said. there are clutch packs in the LSD that are made to limit the slip a spider gear is making to one drive axle. as the wheel with the most traction jsut sits there, the clutch packs press on the spider gears to try and make both of them spin together. but heres the key thing: it does not FULLY lock the axles together. thats wat a locker does: it locks both drive axles together so they both spin together. LSD is for mild off roading in my opinion. dont go hardcore unless ya got 4wd or lockers. someone correct me if im wrong.

wyman00 · #7 02-12-2011, 02:26 PM

I just put a supposedly LS rear end in my truck and when i punch it, only one tire spins. Is that the correct operation?

00RangerXLT · #8 02-12-2011, 05:16 PM

does it spin only one thw whole time till ya come outta the burnout

Bird76Mojo · #9 02-13-2011, 12:38 AM

My limited slip will ALWAYS burn both tires on any surface. I've tried it everywhere and on every surface. The truck/axle has 70,000 miles on it.

Something I can't figure out though - I was pulling a stump at my moms house and the truck was on dry pavement. Middle of summer heat so it was grabbing the road pretty good. I had it in 4 high and I tried 4 low, and either way I did it, both the front and the rear were spinning both tires on pavement. It was almost like both axles were locked. My buddy was even watching, and it never acted like an open diff in the front. Both tires were spinning the entire time. Really odd..

GB

pooleo · #10 02-13-2011, 12:50 AM

^^^^ Last summer I notice something similar on my lifted ranger, while in 4high turning the front and rear inside tires were "skipping" as if both were "locked" up. And it was not from the U-joint binding, I wasn't turned sharp enough for that to cause it.

Bird76Mojo · #11 02-13-2011, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pooleo

^^^^ Last summer I notice something similar on my lifted ranger, while in 4high turning the front and rear inside tires were "skipping" as if both were "locked" up. And it was not from the U-joint binding, I wasn't turned sharp enough for that to cause it.

That's just a normal aspect of operating the 4x4 system. The tires are trying to grab and it makes a sort of hop as you turn..

GB

wyman00 · #12 02-13-2011, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00RangerXLT

does it spin only one thw whole time till ya come outta the burnout

yea, it doesnt seem to engage the other wheel at all. Would the axle tag have ls on it if it was limited slip?

00RangerXLT · #13 02-13-2011, 08:13 PM

no. it would have a letter before the number. if it does, its ls. if not, its open diff

wyman00 · #14 02-13-2011, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00RangerXLT

no. it would have a letter before the number. if it does, its ls. if not, its open diff

ok thanks. i'll have to check that