Anyone know what the current price and availability is for other-than-oem LSDs?

Last I knew it was about $2400 for an brand new Guard LSD to fit a 944. Don't see any current contact information or info on the web. All dated. Other than Guard is there another source for LSD suitable for our application? (multiple disc, more than 40% lock).

NOT interested in torsen/Quaife alternatives for the purposes of this discussion.

We are researching this as well. With the factory units being unavailable and used ones getting more difficult to find we would like to find a lower cost alternative than the Guard ramp diff. Temporarily we have been installing the Guard Torsen and have had no complaints. Greg F

Thanks for the input Greg.

Strikes me that it's a better than even chance the average used oem lsd for $600 actually costs just about $950 assuming anyone actually checked em before installing. With a possibility that it could be as much as $1300. Based on my understanding that the parts cost of fixed plates is about $300 set and friction disc $400. And that the inner race of the smaller of the bearings not uncommonly 'spins' on the hollow shaft rendering the unit essentially unserviceable.

For an na car nominally at 135hp a good oem as above probably is a better race diff than the torsen. But the price is so close (in racer terms I always figure if it's a set of tire or less you should do it). $1300 vs $1795 for the Guard torsen. Tempting to get the brand new part.

And frankly, to paraphrase the late Sen Dirksen, you're already talking real money so another set of tires and the Guard for $2450.

My opinion only but if 18 is in the budget for the torsen I'd skip up to the 'good' unit for 25. The dilemma to my mind is deciding if the used oems are really a frugal choice for the do-it-yourselfer. Leaning towards not.

All based on the idea that parts cost is all. If you're not doing your own work the labor charges move them closer together. Making the Guard even more attractive in the long run.

PS:
Just heard from Matt Monson at Guard the torsen style is on sale March for $1435. So if you were of a mind to be tempted by the torsen for less there you go. I still like the full up unit for an additional 1 1/2 tire set more.

Then you have to decide which ramps you want...how much preload, etc. The turbo guys tend to order 60/40 for some reason. The more normal split would be a 40/60 with 40 to 50lb of preload if you ask me. Then you put a measly 140hp behind it and I have to wonder if a 25/50 might be better.... So the torsen unit continues to win out because it never changes like a disc type unit does as it wears, never seems to show any wear, no adjustments to make and a reasonable cost. Greg

DD, what's the link to? Rennlist has changed so that the membership doesn't have access to anything but other members when they want to sell something.

Edit:

Is it maybe the same as this one on Pelican? You can see my questions posted there if the same.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche- ... ost5235958

I tried to pull up the rennlist posting as well without any luck. Seems like more and more folks are talking about the audi V8 lsds as an alternative to using the oem porsche ones.


Greg - I'm all ears for what you come up with for my "franken"transmission since I left you two of them last week.

The Audi unit can be had pretty cheap....but that is where the cost savings ends. It is also a gear type torque biasing unit like a Quaife, and can be purchased for $150 to $250 from a wrecking yard. Now the bad news....it is from an Audi Quattro V8, ( they didnt sell well here...) and it takes a lot of work to make it go into the 016 944 trans. By the time you pay the various machinists and transmission guys I don't think there is much savings.
I have one type of LSD each and I can tell you what the differences are to drive them on the track. I dont have a strong preference one way or the other, but I just need to know that the Torsen type is looser in and really tidy on the way out of a corner. The friction disc type is very stable going in but can be pushy on the exit. Greg

I can tell everyone that OS Giken is working on a "super lock" differential for the 944 application. I have sent inquiries to several diff companies I have worked with throughout my racing career that have expressed an interest in producing a good racing diff at a reasonable cost. I just need a sample diff to send to Germany to get the ball rolling, I would prefer a broken or non serviceable unit to send if anyone has one sitting on their bench.... Greg F

do you have any more info on the audi lsd swap i have a factory lsd that was in my street car with 170k miles on it, i yanked it threw in a short 5th gear and went racing other than a nice crunch downshifting into 3rd i seem to be pretty happy with it probably because any thing beats running an open diff and at the time stock swaybars. im hoping to get one more season out of this diff but this audi swap seems interesting option instead of rebuilding. Im on a super tite budget but i can get most of my machining and fab work done for free. if theres a market my machinist friend would start building a bunch of these lsd's and sell them. he's already working on making brand new short 5th gear replacements for us.