I have welded (actually I filled the tooth gap with bronze) the spider gears
for years with always the option of being able to return to an open axle by
just replacing a couple of gears. IT'S EASY.
----- Original Message -----
From: "William G Rosenbach" <wgrosenbach@juno.com>
To: <rocky@tri.net>
Cc: <mwilder@top.monad.net>; <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 5:06 PM
Subject: Re: welded difs
> There is a low cost, reversible alternative to welding your differential.
> It is something the drag racers have done for years. By welding in some
> of the teeth on the spider gears so they no longer rotate you get a
> locked unit. Want to unlock it? Just replace the spider gears. This way
> you can find out if you like it locked or not. It's cheap too., and
> doesn't destroy a part that is becoming rarer.
>
> Just a thought,
> Bill
>
> On Fri, 20 Jul 2001 14:04:21 -0500 "Rocky Entriken" <rocky@tri.net>
> writes:
> > FWIW -- when I finally "used up" my old No-Spin in the Spitfire, and
> > no
> > other limited slip readily available at the time, we welded one up.
> > I'm fine
> > with it.
> >
> > I race it GP, autocross it DP. It's been that way several years now.
> > I quit
> > looking for limited slips.
> >
> > Biggest "problem" is turning the car when pushing it.
> >
> > No big deal when driving it under power, just a little more
> > raap-raap on the
> > throttle and slipping the clutch to get it to make a tight turn in
> > the
> > paddock (outta my way!).
> >
> > On course/on track, it works great. No, I do not see any real
> > handling
> > deficiency when autocrossing. The speeds are not "lower" enough to
> > matter.
> > "Lower" IMHO it is in the minus-15 mph range that it is a problem
> > and we
> > don't autox down there any more these days. OTOH, it puts the power
> > down to
> > both wheels 'stead of just the inside one (with unmodified) or
> > mostly the
> > outside one (with lim slip).
> >
> > I've broken one inner axle on the Spitfire since I put in the welded
> > diff.
> > And that was the biggest problem I encountered. First of all,
> > instead of
> > just driving the car on the one wheel I had left that got power
> > (which I've
> > done many times with limited slip, even road racing), now it still
> > insisted
> > on driving both axles which meant it really chewed up the bearing
> > and all in
> > the broken stub axle and ended my race. And then, unlike the
> > lim-slip days
> > when I could pop out the broken-off stub with a magnet, or at worst
> > open the
> > other side and drive it through with a drift, now there was NO WAY
> > because
> > it was solid through there. An inner axle change I've often done
> > before in
> > about an hour took me 12 hours (completely dismantled the rear end
> > in the
> > paddock -- but I raced the next day!). As a result, next time I had
> > the
> > thing out, I took it to a machine shop and had them drill a hole
> > through the
> > weld that I could get my drift through.
> >
> > IMHO, go ahead and weld the sucker, but drill an access hole through
> > it.
> >
> > --Rocky
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Matthew Wilder <mwilder@top.monad.net>
> > To: fot@autox.team.net <fot@autox.team.net>
> > Date: Friday, July 20, 2001 11:07 AM
> > Subject: welded difs
> >
> >
> > >Hi,
> > >
> > >So what's the opinion on welding the differential. I know atleast
> > one
> > >sprite autocrossing regionally has his welded. How does it affect
> > handling?
> > >I was thinking it might be kinda tough on the axles on my 4a live
> > axle.
> > >After reading some of the recent posts on the Detroit lockers it
> > sounds
> > like
> > >it would be a better choice for Auto-x than the Quafe but welding
> > it solid
> > >would definitely keep the inside from spinning.
> > >
> > >Matthew Wilder
> > >'67 TR4a E-prepared auto-xer
> > >http://top.mcttelecom.com/~mwilder/
>
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