When you put it like that:

Would it be better to spend the $2000 (ball park figure for LSD) on a CIG locker, and then spend the extra money you have on a good set of tyres? or maybe some springs and shocks (or maybe just some shocks!! )

Then what about the drive shafts??? (sorry to pull the thread back to topic!!!)

I'd leave em factory. Rather break a drive shaft than do a diff....

All valid points guys:
1. LSD's are good, but expensive.
2. CIG's are cheap and fun, but hard to drive on bitumen (unless you are sideways... )
3. Some fruitcake who drives an underpowered skyline can only get it sideways on dirt... (damn.... that was me! )
4. Drive shafts transmit power from the diff to the wheels...

gotta stop working so hard. It's frying my brain...

So, who has broken a drive shaft (240K/C210) and where did it break, and how much power do you have, and what were you doing to break it, (and also, what did you do previous to breaking it - sometimes fatigue kills.... .........sorry engineering joke... )

I broke a gearbox main shaft (damn.....off topic again....) with factory L24 motor in that stupid skyline I was talking about. I think it was because I did a few burn outs the day before (no it wasn't on dirt) and when I was driving to uni the next day, she just went <bang> So it didn't actually break when I was doing the 'circle work', but later on.

Anyone else broken driveshafts? How did you manage it?

I guess also that drag racing in the street or at the drag strip would be my target audience, as you rally guys are pretty hard on your cars!!!
And considering my car will probably never set foot 1 metre above the road......



Cheers...

$2000 on an LSD? Who the hell are you getting quotes from!?

I spent $200 (notice: one less zero) on my LSD centre (helical type). I bought a longnose R200 diff (w/out a centre) for... er... I think about $250.

Shop around.

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Recommended trading: datto-510

Is that second hand?

where'd you get the helical centre for $200? I will take one

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1971 Datsun P510 SR20DET 276 rwkW
2005 Mercedes AMG E55 350 kW
1969 Datsun P510 L20B EFI 95 rwkW
1975 Ford XB Fairmont GS Wagon 179rwhp
1980 Escort Van SR20DET unfinished
2002 Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa 185hp

Second hand but in v. good nick (I've taken it apart to see). It's the Nissan item from the S15 manual / R34 GTR. A common price is about $600 from wreckers, but I have heard of a couple of others going for about $200. You do need to shop around (private sale), but it's possible.

I have dummy fitted this to a late model (12mm bolts) longnose R200 housing (with pinion of course) and it looks good so far. I have posted on this before with pics - have a search if you're interested.

I bought mine from a bloke selling bits out of his shed. He was getting stuff out of Japan in crates. Heaps of stuff. He did have another helical centre, which a mate of mine bought.

The bloke selling them mainly dealt with drifters, who don't like the helical units (as it one wheels under hard power). He said he'd had them for sale for a while for that money, but the crowd he dealt with just weren't interested. I guess you should target the drift scene.

The bloke said he was going to shut up shop soon (which was about a year ago), and I've since forgotten exactly where he was. <shrug>

The shortnose Nissan viscous centres don't sell for massive money either. Depends on what you want. Under $2000 is very acheivable. I reckon $1500 would definitely get you a fully rebuilt (new bearings & seals) longnose R200 with viscous or helical LSD.

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Recommended trading: datto-510

What drive shafts are you using with the R200?

Spot the wise man!

The S15 centre requires S15 flanged output shafts (the bits that the UJ's or CVs bolt to), as the splines in the centre are different to other R200s. The bolt flange is the "3 pairs" type, where there are 3 pairs of bolts (but not to be confused with the six bolt type ). So I intend on using S14 inner CVs to bolt to the output flanges. The outer CVs are planned on being the 280ZX items, as a number of people have got these to work.

Obviously there aren't any stock halfshafts which fit the bill. However, I work for an engineering company that specialises in drivetrain stuff. So I'll be getting them custom made at work.

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Recommended trading: datto-510

Beef, yeah, if it was a road car there are a few options out there, but I?m referring more to something suitable for my rallycar, which means a ratio above 4.4 (preferably 4.8 or 5.1) and a clutch-pack centre (no viscous, cone or torsen style centres, which either die pretty quickly, or don?t work as effectively on the dirt).

I?d always thought helical = torsen, is this right?

If you can find me a 4.4+ ratio, clutch-pack, longnose R200 LSD for $200, I?ll take 5 of ?em!!!

About the cheapest way I can see of doing it is getting a Pathfinder R200 front diff (4.4 or 4.6 ratio = $600 the cheapest I?ve found at a wrecker), putting the CW&P into a S13 style R200 shortnose LSD (around $400?ish from an importer?), and then fabbing up a new rear crossmember & mounts (not much $, but some of your time) and getting some custom cv?d driveshafts made up ($200 ? 400?ish each).
Add another $300 for rebuilding the clutches, and this will end up pretty close to the $2000 mark.

Even R180 LSD?s in good ratio?s are going for around $1500, throw in another $300 for rebuilding with new clutches and some good oil, and you back to almost $2000.

(Admittedly, I did see a longnose R200 open diff with a 4.4ratio for sale recently for $500, but that sold pretty quickly).

Damo666,

For a rally car you're quite right. The Nissan viscous items have a reputation of dying after continual abuse, and the helical would one wheel (although it would still be better than an open centre). I think you're right that a clutch pack LSD would be a good bet for you.

Helical is not the same as torsen. Very similar, but not the same. Have a look at torsen.com, and for helicals -> quaife.co.uk (IIRC). Similar in function, but different in design. The helical is a newer design which is lighter & stronger, without any drawbacks.

The $200 I paid was for the centre, not a whole diff.

If you're after a ratio like that, I might be able to help you. I have a longnose R200 4.625 CW&P at home, in good nick. This is the late-style CW with 12mm bolts. You would be able to convert a normal longnose with this, without doing up custom fabrication. I would be willing to sell it. PM me, if you're interested.

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Recommended trading: datto-510

Dude, no offence, but you're joking, right?

Particularly after having navigated in an open diff car for the first time in a long time, there's no way you could get me to go back from the locker. The extra traction (even somewhere big, fast and flowing like Bega) is worth 2+ seconds a kilometre.

I'd love an LSD, but a locker is easily the next best choice in a gravel rally car. An open diff is a remote third (and last resort) option.

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2007 Navara TurboDiesel UberTruck, 1973 180B Saloon, 1976 180B Rally Weapon.