People with VLSD trans: Torque Steer much?
02-02-2012, 09:35 AM
#1
People with VLSD trans: Torque Steer much?
This is a bit more specific than "Do you have torque steer." Its the amount of torque steer im talking about more than if its there.
I was talking to another member with a VLSD trans and he was asking the difference between a quaife differential and a VLSD, subsequently I have experienced 4 of our Differential options(open diff, VLSD, HLSD and Quaife). And the worst of them all is the VLSD. I talk about it all the time on here but it seems im the only one to have horrendous torque steer.
There is the obvious 1st-2nd, but i also have torque steer 2-3 and light tq st 3-4. This is an NA 3.0 no boost just bolt-ons so not even a 200whp car. 1st question is obviously alignment but that was in spec on all occasions.
The torque steer i experience is like a swaying of the front end, it always starts torque steering to the right and then pulls back to the left and repeats the process for about a second or 2 before it settles down, and its very visible from outside of the car(a couple of my friends thought i was going to hit them). Trying to correct it is not an option because the car will randomly switch which direction its pulling so that will get you into ever more hot water if you try.
Of the cars i have driven with different diffs, the open diff just refuses to tq steer, the quaife and HLSD have very little but it is noticeable. The VLSD on the other hand that is a complete animal. I'll admit it is sort of fun from time to time, but when you are just accelerating to make a lane or merging it can get old.
Is it just my trans(or lack of driving skill), or is anybody else experiencing this kind of torque steer?
I was talking to another member with a VLSD trans and he was asking the difference between a quaife differential and a VLSD, subsequently I have experienced 4 of our Differential options(open diff, VLSD, HLSD and Quaife). And the worst of them all is the VLSD. I talk about it all the time on here but it seems im the only one to have horrendous torque steer.
There is the obvious 1st-2nd, but i also have torque steer 2-3 and light tq st 3-4. This is an NA 3.0 no boost just bolt-ons so not even a 200whp car. 1st question is obviously alignment but that was in spec on all occasions.
The torque steer i experience is like a swaying of the front end, it always starts torque steering to the right and then pulls back to the left and repeats the process for about a second or 2 before it settles down, and its very visible from outside of the car(a couple of my friends thought i was going to hit them). Trying to correct it is not an option because the car will randomly switch which direction its pulling so that will get you into ever more hot water if you try.
Of the cars i have driven with different diffs, the open diff just refuses to tq steer, the quaife and HLSD have very little but it is noticeable. The VLSD on the other hand that is a complete animal. I'll admit it is sort of fun from time to time, but when you are just accelerating to make a lane or merging it can get old.
Is it just my trans(or lack of driving skill), or is anybody else experiencing this kind of torque steer?
02-02-2012, 09:51 AM
#3
The time when it was the worst was when the car had lightwieght 17s on it. i dont know what it was but the tq steer was sometimes surreal. My friend was riding with me one day and i did a 1st-2nd pull and and he just started to laugh when i shifted and the wheel must have cocked itself to the right by about 15* and then started its little shimmy. Even he was saying that was pretty damn bad.
02-02-2012, 10:59 AM
#7
I didn't notice a difference in torque steer when I went from open diff to VLSD; it's just as bad as it's ever been 
I will have to double check, but as far as I can remember I don't really have torque steer after 1st gear and I don't think my car gets it when shifting gears, either. Is this only when going WOT and shifting really fast that it does it?
I will have to double check, but as far as I can remember I don't really have torque steer after 1st gear and I don't think my car gets it when shifting gears, either. Is this only when going WOT and shifting really fast that it does it?
02-02-2012, 02:16 PM
#8
This is a bit more specific than "Do you have torque steer." Its the amount of torque steer im talking about more than if its there.
I was talking to another member with a VLSD trans and he was asking the difference between a quaife differential and a VLSD, subsequently I have experienced 4 of our Differential options(open diff, VLSD, HLSD and Quaife). And the worst of them all is the VLSD. I talk about it all the time on here but it seems im the only one to have horrendous torque steer.
There is the obvious 1st-2nd, but i also have torque steer 2-3 and light tq st 3-4. This is an NA 3.0 no boost just bolt-ons so not even a 200whp car. 1st question is obviously alignment but that was in spec on all occasions.
The torque steer i experience is like a swaying of the front end, it always starts torque steering to the right and then pulls back to the left and repeats the process for about a second or 2 before it settles down, and its very visible from outside of the car(a couple of my friends thought i was going to hit them). Trying to correct it is not an option because the car will randomly switch which direction its pulling so that will get you into ever more hot water if you try.
Of the cars i have driven with different diffs, the open diff just refuses to tq steer, the quaife and HLSD have very little but it is noticeable. The VLSD on the other hand that is a complete animal. I'll admit it is sort of fun from time to time, but when you are just accelerating to make a lane or merging it can get old.
Is it just my trans(or lack of driving skill), or is anybody else experiencing this kind of torque steer?
I was talking to another member with a VLSD trans and he was asking the difference between a quaife differential and a VLSD, subsequently I have experienced 4 of our Differential options(open diff, VLSD, HLSD and Quaife). And the worst of them all is the VLSD. I talk about it all the time on here but it seems im the only one to have horrendous torque steer.
There is the obvious 1st-2nd, but i also have torque steer 2-3 and light tq st 3-4. This is an NA 3.0 no boost just bolt-ons so not even a 200whp car. 1st question is obviously alignment but that was in spec on all occasions.
The torque steer i experience is like a swaying of the front end, it always starts torque steering to the right and then pulls back to the left and repeats the process for about a second or 2 before it settles down, and its very visible from outside of the car(a couple of my friends thought i was going to hit them). Trying to correct it is not an option because the car will randomly switch which direction its pulling so that will get you into ever more hot water if you try.
Of the cars i have driven with different diffs, the open diff just refuses to tq steer, the quaife and HLSD have very little but it is noticeable. The VLSD on the other hand that is a complete animal. I'll admit it is sort of fun from time to time, but when you are just accelerating to make a lane or merging it can get old.
Is it just my trans(or lack of driving skill), or is anybody else experiencing this kind of torque steer?
You have a broken VLSD. The fluid coupler has sheared off inside the diffy housing. I did it twice, to two different trannys, while launching at the drag strip and spraying a bunch on the highway ( and I have traction bars). #1 - It's especially exciting when the car is dancing back and forth a few feet while going over 100MPH. I'm old, and I just got older. #2 - A hard burnout also made the car dance back and forth - I shut down and tiptoed through the traps. I had the inside of the last one welded up so the VLSD is now a NOLSD, and it's going back in the IPT built tranny this weekend - or maybe Monday. Look in my thread in the Nitrous section for pix of the diffy. Maybe back a couple of pages...
I've had 30K mile VLSDs that worked exactly as you would hope, but anything over 400WHP seems to wreck them.
Last edited by grey99max; 02-02-2012 at 02:24 PM.
02-02-2012, 02:33 PM
#9
I didn't notice a difference in torque steer when I went from open diff to VLSD; it's just as bad as it's ever been I will have to double check, but as far as I can remember I don't really have torque steer after 1st gear and I don't think my car gets it when shifting gears, either. Is this only when going WOT and shifting really fast that it does it?
I will have to double check, but as far as I can remember I don't really have torque steer after 1st gear and I don't think my car gets it when shifting gears, either. Is this only when going WOT and shifting really fast that it does it?You have a broken VLSD. The fluid coupler has sheared off inside the housing. I did it twice, to two different trannys, while launching at the drag strip and spraying a bunch on the highway ( and I have traction bars). #1 - It's especially exciting when the car is dancing back and forth a few feet while going over 100MPH. I'm old, and I just got older. #2 - A hard burnout also made the car dance back and forth - I shut down and tiptoed through the traps. I had the inside of the last one welded up so the VLSD is now a NOLSD, and it's going back in the IPT built tranny this weekend - or maybe Monday. Look in my thread in the Nitrous section for pix of the diffy. Maybe back a couple of pages...
I've had 30K mile VLSDs that worked exactly as you would hope, but anything over 400WHP seems to wreck them.
I've had 30K mile VLSDs that worked exactly as you would hope, but anything over 400WHP seems to wreck them.
I have never launched my cars, out of the fear of breaking something. Surprisingly thou my I30 handles wheel hop surprisingly well as there is next to none, it only wheel hopped with 1 of my wheel setups that i had the other times it would just spin cleanly, dont know how that happened with an essential bone stock 4th gen, probably bushings in good shape but thats the way it is, Im not in anyway shape or form complaining thou.
02-02-2012, 02:43 PM
#10
02-02-2012, 03:47 PM
#11
See the thing about this is i have already pulled the original VLSD out of my trans, due to a badly installed axle its splines were ate up so i had to find another one. And it was in great shape exterior wise outside of the splines. threw another VLSD in there, same deal. I wont rule that out because it is possible that maybe both of them did break
I have never launched my cars, out of the fear of breaking something. Surprisingly thou my I30 handles wheel hop surprisingly well as there is next to none, it only wheel hopped with 1 of my wheel setups that i had the other times it would just spin cleanly, dont know how that happened with an essential bone stock 4th gen, probably bushings in good shape but thats the way it is, Im not in anyway shape or form complaining thou.
Another way to check the VLSD is the classic way - jack the car up off the ground in the front, put the tranny in neutral, and spin the right side tire forward a turn, then back the other way. If you have a broken VLSD problem, the other side will spin backwards and may stop then jump ahead or freewheel. Same goes for the other side. If it's working normally, both tires turn together.
Even if the VLSD is broken, it will drive normally, since the differential is probably intact. I'm driving on one now. The diffy comes out of the transmission by removing only the front cover, but if you swap for another VLSD the diffy shimming needs to be checked and put into spec. I had a transmission shop do mine the first time and will do the welded one as well. I've got too much money in the IPT transmission to take a chance....
"It's always something..."
02-03-2012, 07:10 PM
#12
98, vlsd, 450lb front springs, 235/18's, moog links/joints + poly everything + Jclaw-bars. 0 wheel hop, torque steer is very very minimal and it seems to balance itself as if its pulling right-left-right-left in equal bursts and it self-centers, when the car was totally stock WOT torque steer was absurd compared to a stock AT - it used to pull harder to the right and it was definately a 2-armed wrestling match. LCA bushings took care of the majority of it. Now w/ 2-stage launch set at 1800 on the street, I can drop the hammer and steer one-handed with a normal grip - its only barely noticeable from 4-6K in 1st.
02-03-2012, 08:32 PM
#14
Never had that much of a problem as described. I was pulling over 200wtq and even with ultralight 34lb tire/wheel combo's it never yanked that hard. Tires usually broke away on me first in various gears. Agreed, sounds like something in the fluid causing momentary lockup.
02-03-2012, 09:57 PM
#15
I didn't notice a difference in torque steer when I went from open diff to VLSD; it's just as bad as it's ever been I will have to double check, but as far as I can remember I don't really have torque steer after 1st gear and I don't think my car gets it when shifting gears, either. Is this only when going WOT and shifting really fast that it does it?
I will have to double check, but as far as I can remember I don't really have torque steer after 1st gear and I don't think my car gets it when shifting gears, either. Is this only when going WOT and shifting really fast that it does it?
02-04-2012, 07:25 AM
#16
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