Spent the off-season with the tranny and LSD (a good time )

2006_RA asked for my thoughts, here they are.

This past weekend I finally got in some track time with it installed in the RA. For awhile it was raining heavy then the track dried; I drove both.

Summary: for use on the street and for track use a couple times per year I would not spend the time or money putting one of them in. Well, if you have the transmission apart anyway then do it. (Although I don't drive it in snow, where it would be good to have). However, I have worked hard to be able to drive the RA to its limits with the stock open diff - this means the rear end can be drifted controllably around fast corners and then the front wheels spin on corner exit and beyond. The LSD eliminates wheel spin to the point it barely makes itself known. If you've ever wondered why your car is getting left behind by a little point-and-squirt POS, this is why. What an amazing and excellent addition, worth every penny and ounce of sweat.

What it basically feels like is more planted stability, less movement and unwanted drift even in a straight line, and simply hooking up and scooting off when you press the throttle anywhere anytime.

Now, documented earlier in these forums, an issue was the outer edges of my front tires wearing to the cords, instead of even wear across the tread. The tires do not have the beginnings of this unwelcome wear pattern after the weekend, hmmm perhaps because of the mostly damp track. I will know more accurately, and report back after some hot dry weather lapping, if the LSD has fixed that issue.

****ing wow. I am so happy. As Cranswick pointed out, this is what Mitsubishi should have done in the first place.

btw, I also got to drive a BMW 330 6 cyl with awd and auto trans. A bit fun but pah. After trying that thing, now I love my RA even more

 

Excellent! This makes me really excited to put in Ziggy's piece, and swap in the 5speed tranny.

Thank you for the write up!

 

Thanks RalliartN, I take it this was at Shannonville, what about that slow left hander 2nd last turn before the pit ?
Normally any addition of throttle leads to horrible understeer there, did it change that situation ?

 

Yes, at Shannonville long track.

I remember following certain guys into there and wondering why I was "sliding out" when they weren't. Now the RA behaves like those cars did.

Hope my words don't sound like a gushing new dad, but an LSD really transforms the car's response at the limits of tire adhesion.

If we can hook up sometime this summer you can drive my RA before you decide anything. I remember trying Cranswick's car on the track however his turbo added a new dimension I was unfamiliar with so I was not able to compare apples with apples.

 

Yeah Bakuro, that thing is totally worth it to install. I would have used Ziggy's LSD too but got super lucky finding the correct new quaife on ebay for a $500CDN savings over current retail price so I just grabbed it. Yours will be great. I actually have another tranny and it will get one of Ziggy's finest.

 

I'm trying the Mitsubishi stuff they made for the Evo IX 6-speed, will report on it later this summer. Expensive but, meh, just means a few less beers at my local watering hole...

https://www.rtmracing.com/xcart/prod...at=1129&page=1

 

RalliartN thanks for confirming, sounds like they'll be shifting you to run with the fast cars again.

 

Off subject but, man I wish Shannonville wasnt almost 12 hours away from here. I'd love to come up and run the course with yall once.

 

it's not that great, it sweet cause it's local and cheap, if you made a trip to the "Great White North" which is actually green at the moment (or yellow like my grass, since it gets so damn hot here), we'd go somewhere nice

 

Hot up there? Im wearing a jacket today because its been oddly cold the last couple of days down here. LOL

But I'll have to keep that in mind. Maybe I can talk the wife into a Canadian road trip!

 

I highly recommend an LSD to anybody...

RalliartN, have you had it pull you through a turn yet? (at times I've had the wheel stay turned without out input while accelerating) not that I could drive it a circle with no hands, it does return to center, but for a split second, it grabs the road and won't let go

 

^^^ That's what I have heard before, you can hit the gas and the front just kind of tucks in and holds the line where as with an open diff it would just push wide.

 

You're referring to a 5 speed swap for the first gen sportback?

 

Canada trip? The gf has been bugging me to want to go there lol

 

I dont have a sportback but it would be the same I assume. Someday Im wanting to swap my auto to a 5speed that I have.