| |
I've heard the opposite... that Peloquin is marginally better
[ than the Quaiffe ]
because he uses better (harder) alloys.
Either one is good, though.
Neither one, however, is a type of LSD (limited-slip differential). Quaife and Peloquin are ATB
(automatic torque-biasing) differentials. There's a significant difference in how they handle torque. A
limited-slip diff actually does just that -- limits the amount of slip of the wheel that is losing
traction. There's more to it than that, but in the end, you'll have better traction going to the wheel
with more grip. Go here: www.howstuffworks.com and do a search for differentials. There's tons of
info... I never remember the best way to explain these things... I read the info once and understand it,
but cannot relay the info in a good manner. Hence, the website reference.
An ATB diff actually has a set of worm gears inside that lock up and literally transfer torque to the
wheel that has the most amount of grip, but it can only transfer a certain percentage of that torque and
(I think) it's based on how much load the wheel with the most grip has. There's a torque multiplier
involved, too. If you have an open diff and one wheel has zero traction, then the other wheel will have
zero torque applied to it. The reverse happens with an ATB diff... except if one wheel completely loses
traction, then you're SOL, too, just like if you had an open diff. An ATB diff still requires some amount
of grip in order to transfer torque to the wheel that has better grip.
For our cars, I think all that's ever been available is ATB diffs by Quaife and Peloquin. Even if other
types were available, I'd pick one of these two based on their quality and mode of operation. Plus, there
are no clutch plates to wear out... just gears.
-Jason
|
>