Ralliart_on_LSD I think had a n/a with LSD. He's one of the few with an LSD and posts.

 

...............hmmm...............

 

Thats pretty obvious, it seems like the other thing to improve handling in bad conditions is get better tires with our cars.

 

Yea i don't see a point of LSD for winter, tires will do you just fine. Anyone with the potenzas go through winter? How bad was it?

 

I thought that was the guy who had played around with his wastegate or whatever and blew his engine?

 

He had the LSD before he got the turbo.

 

Agreed on all counts. I also got the 15"x6" steelies, and snow tires in 195/60/15. Worked great for me last winter.

 

i'm not sure that i'll subscribe to an LSD not being beneficial in the winter. An LSD is to maximize traction and control wheel spin and you would think snow and ice would qualify as two variables that would cause decreased traction and incresed wheel spin.

Open differentials shift power to the wheel with least resistance or less traction, while an LSD shifts power to the wheel with most resistance, or most traction.

I"m not an expert, or even a mechanic, but I have researched available info on the net and this is the info that companies that produce LSD's provide. Also, many new vehicles with increased power are offering LSD's for improved traction which include many rear wheel drive cars. Just thought i'd throw this out there to see what you all think. cheers!

I will agree that investing in a good set of winter tires (all 4) is the best and cheapest way to be safe during winter months. I know, I drove my car home from the dealership with stock all seasons, and the next day went out and bought blizzacks. Night and day difference.

 

i have to agree with lephturn and pscylancer, my ra works awsome in winter, you just have to get a decent set of snow tires, there wasnt one storm i didnt drive in last year and the only time i have trouble was when i still had my stockers on. frig i even went through some 4 foot drifts at the end of my driveway without much trouble!! its all about the tires (all seasons suck)

 

While a limited slip will pull both tires equally think about this... W/O a Limited slip one tire is pulling while the other tire is not... The tire that isn't pulling is helping to keep lateral traction and provide direction while the other provides forward thrust... Thats why a good Limited Slip will want to plow forward in slick or icy conditions... It makes both tires want to go the same speed, which is fine in a straight line, but hell around corners in the rain/ice/snow... In a corner the outside tire has to travel further than the inside just to cover the same ground...

 

My impression was a LSD improved handling and bad weather conditions..its sounds like putting an aftermarket LSD would be pointless if your running your car year round or for daily driving.

 

The S in LSD is slip. If you locked it up, then it would drive like a tank, but they build them to slip enough to handle well around turns.

My point was, the car will still handle like crap in the winter, LSD or not, without 4 snow tires. Traction does not = winter handling. Would the LSD help? Probably, but not nearly as much as a good set of snow tires. The LSD won't help you stop or go around turns, or change lanes in the slush.

Try to run 17x7's with 215/45/17 performance tires, or "all season" performance tires, and it will land you in the ditch, trust me. Buy 4 snow tires for your stock rims if you are getting 17's, and run good summer performance rubber on the 17's for summer only. This way you will get great winter handling/traction and much better dry/wet handling/traction as well.

 

Wasn't it a pita to find snow tires to fit the stockers

 

No, there's plenty to choose from. I'm running the Blizzak LM-22's. However, I think they got rid of that line, but the new LM-25's should have a size for us. Also, the Blizzak WS-50 has one in our size, and so does the Michelin X-ice line. Check Tirerack.com and your local tire shops, you should have a number of options.

Search the tire forum for the winter threads from last year, most of those tire models, or something similar, are available this year.

 

All of these are currently available in 205/50/16:

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2
Michelin X-Ice
Nokian WR
Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 2 (studded)
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 4 (studded)
Pirelli Winter Carving (studdable)